Chris Green steps into AWA McLaren at Mid Ohio alongside Kuno Wittmer while Orey Fidani awaits arrival of newborn son
If there was ever a good reason to miss a race, this is certainly it. The entire AWA team is thrilled for driver Orey Fidani and Vanessa to be welcoming their baby boy, expected to arrive during the Mid-Ohio race weekend. With current cross-border travel challenges and quarantine requirements in Canada, it isn’t as easy as it once was to make a quick run home upon receiving “the call” – and as such, Orey will be staying back for this round to make sure he doesn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Fortunately, McLaren Toronto General Manager Chris Green is also a very talented race driver that knows the 570S GT4 very well – having raced one with AWA in 2019 and MIA in 2017.
“I feel privileged to be back with AWA in the #13 McLaren,” said Green. “Although Orey has a family commitment this weekend and cannot join, I feel the mutual responsibility to ensure that we maintain the momentum he has built this year with the team, and ensure that we keep the Mclaren at the pointy end of both the driver and team standings.
“It will be my first time back in the car since we had our top-five finish at Road America in 2019. To see the progress the team and McLaren have made is so encouraging and motivating for me to make an easy transition back into the 570S.
“I am thankful to be back in IMSA and at Mid-Ohio, which I haven’t driven at in seven or eight years. But, knowing the 570S GT4 and the balance of the Michelin tires, I know that Kuno, AWA and I will be in a great position to challenge up front. We’ll miss Orey at the event, but will do our all to make him proud.”
Kuno Wittmer, currently second in the drivers points championship alongside Fidani in the Michelin Pilot Challenge standings, said, “It’s always special coming to Mid-Ohio. To me, it bookmarks the beginning of the traditional North American circuits heading into the summer. This weekend, my full-season teammate Orey Fidani will not make it due to family commitments, but I completely understand his decision and fully support him. Having Chris sub for him will be great, as he knows the car and team, and has strong race craft. I feel confident the AWA crew and the McLaren 570S GT4 will deliver this upcoming weekend.”
Practice 1 kicks off on Friday May 14th with Qualifying later that day. Stream the race live on IMSA TV May 15th at 3:35 EST.
Thank you to our team partners Orlando Corp, McLaren Toronto, OMP, Spyder, Projekt, Urbinco, Places.co, Wurth, C17 Media, McLaren Customer Racing, Artistic Interlock, Daisy Toronto, AutoRemotes.ca. Photos by Jordan Lenssen
Be sure to follow the action on the team’s website at awa.team, on Instagram @awaracingteam and on Facebook @AWAracingteam.