The new collaboration secured a podium finish at VIR and is ready for more in this weekend’s Toyota GR Cup doubleheader at Road America
LOS ANGELES (August 11, 2025) – Racing to End Alzheimer’s began its Toyota GR Cup series partnership with Christian Weir and TechSport Racing last month at VIRginia International Raceway in style, with Weir scoring a podium finish in the second of two races.
The team now looks for more in the doubleheader at America’s National Park of Speed, legendary Road America. Having grown up in Naperville, Ill., Weir, 18, has raced at the scenic circuit – located in the Kettle Moraine region of Wisconsin – numerous times.
“Road America is my home track – I have more experience there than anywhere else and it’s the track I’ve done the best on,” said Weir. “I think I’ve earned a podium in every series I’ve run in. VIR and Road America were the two weekends I did last year in GR Cup, and I started on pole for race two there, so plenty of good memories.”
Given all that experience, Weir knows where gains can be made. He also knows that a solid contingent of knowledgeable fans will come out to see the SRO weekend racing card.
“The biggest challenge is The Kink, knowing how much to lift,” said Weir. “It’s not as easy to judge the grip level since the repaving last year – it used to have a good deal of entry grip, like you have so much grip on corner entry, but now it’s all mid corner. The whole first sector, you’ve just got to send the car into the corners, and it takes a while to build up the confidence to do that. And the cars are so momentum-based that getting into a draft is key. Like everyone, I struggle in the low-speed stuff here, but I’ve driven here so much that the high-speed stuff seems slower to me now.
“And you can’t talk about Road America without talking about the fans,” said Weir. “The track regularly draws a lot of people, and a lot of experienced fans. You see the same people every year. They’re always interested in what we’re doing, which makes it fun. And this is one of the few tracks that I make a point to take a golf cart to go out and watch other races from different places on track. It’s a beautiful racetrack.”
For Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs, the chance to go to Road America for the second time in three weeks is a plus – in numerous ways.
“I really can’t get enough of racing at Road America,” said Frengs. “It’s a beautiful track and the racing is always fast. And we know how close and competitive the GR Cup series is, so I don’t expect this time to be any different.
“But there’s a good deal more to this weekend, as there is every weekend,” continued Frengs. “Every single time we race at Road America, we meet people who are not just knowledgeable about racing, but also about the program we’ve put together, the work we’re doing.
“Like Christian said, we see many of the same people every time we’re there, but we also love the chance to meet new people, to hear their stories and to share those special moments when they decide to honor their loved one by putting their name on the No. 71 Toyota. It means so much to them, and it means so much to us.”
Racing to End Alzheimer’s mission is to bring awareness about Alzheimer’s to tracks all over North America, while raising funds for Alzheimer’s research and care. Family and friends can honor their loved ones who have suffered from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia by making a $250 donation – the loved one’s name and hometown are placed on both Weir’s No. 71 Toyota GR Cup car and on the No. 19 Racing to End Alzheimer’s car in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
All donations are matched by Frengs’s company Legistics, with 100% going to the program’s two beneficiaries. To date, Racing to End Alzheimer’s has donated over $1 million to those two programs.
The Toyota GR Cup series will contest two 45-minute races at Road America – race one will take the green flag Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, with race two Sunday at 3:05 p.m ET. Both races will be broadcast live at www.grcup.com.
About Racing to End Alzheimer’s
In 2013, Phil Frengs’s late wife Mimi was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Their experience with the disease led Frengs to a seminal moment: his company, Legistics, had long sponsored a team in IMSA sports car racing and he realized an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the fight against the disease. In 2017, he formed Racing to End Alzheimer’s, giving fans the opportunity to honor loved ones by putting their names on the race car via donation – with Legistics matching each donation. 100% of those donations go to the two organizations the team supports:
The Nantz National Alzheimer Center at Houston Methodist is exploring cutting edge strategies in therapy, care and research to find a cure for these dementias. NNAC was founded by longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz and his family in honor of his father, Jim, Jr., who passed away after a 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s.
The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program is a nationally-recognized grant-funded program designed to help patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral and social needs associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
Racing to End Alzheimer’s social media
Facebook: Racing to End Alzheimer’s
Instagram: @racing2endalz
