Former Texas Rangers All-Star pitcher C.J. Wilson will be racing at Circuit of the Americas on Friday and Saturday and signing autographs at the track on Friday morning. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)
C.J. Wilson, a two-time All-Star former major league starting pitcher who has channeled his energies into motorsports, will have an autograph session at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.
Wilson owns a race shop in Austin, and he’s also now driving in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup series. Wilson will be behind the wheel for the first time at COTA in Friday and Saturday races.
He also will do an autograph session at 11:30 a.m. at the Yokohama Tire Service Center in the IMSA main paddock.
Wilson had a 94-70 career record and a 3.74 ERA for the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels. He rolled up 15 victories for the Rangers in 2010, 16 in 2011 and 17 wins for the Angels in 2013. Wilson made the All-Star Game in 2011 and ’12.
The IMSA sports car series offers some of the best access fans could ever have to professional athletes and their machines. Fans can walk into the paddock and garage areas and actually touch the cars with their drivers and teams close at hand.
Friday, in advance of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, fans can walk pit lane just before the race, from 1:50 p.m.-2:35 p.m.
On Saturday, fans can meet their favorite IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers during the driver autograph session at 10:45 a.m. at the team transporters in the paddock. The pre-race grid for the main event, the Advance Auto Parts Sportscar Showdown, also will be open to fans beginning at 12:15 p.m.
Race tickets are as low as $49.
Fundraising auctions to benefit IMSA charity
Four fundraising auctions to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer will be held at the track. Auctions are slated for the Cadillac, Corvette and Porsche Corrals and also for the Corvette Racing Team hauler. Racing-themed photography and paintings, used race-car parts and other racing memorabilia is typically available at the at-track auctions.
- Friday, 1 p.m. – Corvette Corral
- Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – Porsche Corral
- Saturday, 10:45 a.m. – Corvette Racing Team hauler
- Saturday, 12:30 p.m. – Cadillac Corral
