MMG enters the ring

It requires something special to battle for a championship, but there's something extraordinary happening when doing it as a second-year team.

Such is the case with Montreal Motorsport Group (MMG), with the duo of Karl Wittmer and LP Montour in the thick of a tight title race in the TCR class of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. The co-drivers of the No. 93 Honda Civic Type R FL5 have been stout all season, earning two wins, five podiums and two poles through eight races; sitting third in the standings and 30 points behind the top spot (2280-2250) with two rounds to go.

The performances show just how far MMG have come since being formed in late December 2023, with support from Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) and Italian racing factory JAS Motorsports.

"For 2024, we had a bit of a reset with a switch to a new team," said Lee Niffenegger, the IMSA program manager for HRC US. "There was certainly a loss of historical knowledge on the team side from 2023. However, increased technical collaboration between HRC and JAS, in addition to the very collaborative attitude with MMG, saw the program really come together."

Although there were early technical struggles through the opening five rounds of 2024, the relentless pursuit of fine-tuning the FL5 led to a breakthrough runner-up result at the team's home race in Canada.

"The turning point was definitely Mosport [Canadian Tire Motorsport Park] last year," Wittmer said. "We had done some testing prior trying to figure out how to get on top of this package because it was quite difficult. And something clicked. We found this setup window where we were comfortable."

From there, Wittmer, along with last year's full-time co-driver Dai Yoshihara, went on a run that featured three additional podiums, including a first-ever win for the team and the FL5 at VIRginia International Raceway. MMG scored more points than any other team over the second half of the season.

"Everybody started to figure out their roles where we don't even have to mention or say anything to them," Wittmer said. "It's like a well-oiled machine; they just start working."

The only major change for the team this year was Montour, a part-time driver with MMG last year, swapping places with Yoshihara. Although the momentum has carried over, there was still a significant learning curve for Montour, with his background primarily consisting of rear-wheel machines in the TA2 class of Trans-Am, the NASCAR Canada Series and various GT3 outings.

"He's never really driven front-wheel drive and then it's the opposite for me," said Wittmer of Montour. "I only had one season in the past 17 that was rear-drive. I've only known front-wheel drive."

While Montour credits his six starts last year in gaining valuable experience, teaming with Wittmer has provided the most significant boost in getting him acclimated to the series.

"The driver pairing of me and Karl this season is what makes the biggest difference," Montour said. "We get along pretty well. Karl is an open book for me. He shows me his video, data and always helps me to improve my driving skills. That's why we share everything.

"We're all aligned on setup, aligned on how we should drive the car, and aligned on strategy. That makes the whole weekend easier for the mechanics and the engineer. Another thing is MMG is like a big family; we're all friends from Montreal. We come here to enjoy ourselves and to win races."

And the wins have come this year, notably at the historic Watkins Glen International and, a special one for the team, at CTMP. The consistency has also been there, but so has the grit, as the team had to overcome an early penalty for a rousing comeback result of fourth at VIRginia International Raceway, which tightened the overall standings.

Even more remarkable, though, is how MMG have also become a pillar for HRC's expanded efforts with full-time squad KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering, along with a partial season by HART.

"While KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering have had their ups and downs so far in their first year with the Honda-following a switch from another brand-it has been immensely helpful to have another car to compare data and determine where to go with small technical issues that could impact all cars," Niffenegger said.

"We've seen flashes of brilliance from both HART and TMR as they get their feet under them with the FL5. They are essentially where MMG was in 2024. MMG has been hugely helpful with getting both of these teams up to speed and sharing their knowledge of the car. We are lucky to have three teams that are willing to work together for the overall improvement of the car and to get the best results for Honda."

And Niffenegger believes the next step for the program is to challenge for the manufacturer's championship in 2026. There is also the possibility of expanding HRC's presence on the grid.

"There are plans forming to add additional FL5s to the grid for 2026," Niffenegger said. "We are also identifying areas where increased technical support from JAS and HRC will help us make the incremental improvements needed to push us further. Just like the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge requires a high level of execution to win."

While that's all the work that'll go on behind the scenes and into the offseason, there's silverware presently at stake for MMG. The manufacturer teammates are prepared to "take points off the other championship rivals," according to Niffenegger.

The challenges of Indianapolis Motor Speedway's (IMS) 2.439-mile road course on Saturday, September 20, is next up, with the season finale at Road Atlanta set for Friday, October 10.

When considering the well-balanced nature of the FL5, both tracks could play right into MMG's hands.

"Our biggest advantage is the braking and the aero balance," Wittmer said. "For some reason, this car is incredible in high-speed sweepers, loaded corners. It doesn't necessarily like quick transitions in high speeds, which is probably due to the wheelbase and maybe a little bit higher of a roofline, but the braking and the aero load we can generate and the center of pressure we can actually generate with the setup, is our advantage."

"Our advantage is if we can keep the RPMs up, we can use the minimum rolling speed, we can use the aero load and that's where we can excel, and in braking. With the FL5, I know I can brake deeper than any other car I've ever driven."

So, can MMG finish the fight and take the title?

"It's going to be a game of minimizing mistakes from here on out," Wittmer said. "If we can eliminate mistakes, we can clinch the championship."

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