-
Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: Road America Notebook
News & Notes from the Rolex Sports Car Series paddock at Road America...
Richard Westbrook will be looking for his third Daytona Prototype victory of the season on Saturday. (Photo: John Dagys)
WESTY’S PERFECT RECORD AT ROAD AMERICA — After claiming top class honors in the ALMS race here in 2008, Richard Westbrook returns to Road America for only the second time, looking to keep his perfect record intact.
The Spirit of Daytona driver is fresh off victory at Mid-Ohio, his second of the year, which has helped propel the Englishman to within three points of championship leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas.
"I'm now getting back to the season where I know most of the tracks, which definitely gives me more confidence,” said Westbrook, who is in his first full season of Rolex Series competition.
“We seem to be well and truly back in the hunt points-wise, being only three points off the lead. The mentality has completely changed from Mid-Ohio. I felt really desperate to get back into the hunt. After Detroit, it felt like we let everyone down with it being a home race. But we came back in the best possible way at Mid-Ohio.”
Westbrook is rejoined by fellow Corvette factory driver Antonio Garcia this weekend, with the Spaniard slated to only miss one additional race this year due to his Corvette Racing commitments.
APR TO FIELD SECOND AUDI AT THE GLEN — Next weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen will see the debut of a second APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM car, to be driven by Marc Basseng and Frank Stippler.
The German duo, who were a part of Audi Sport Team Phoenix’s victory in last month’s Nurburgring 24, have been brought in to help further develop the mid-engined sports car for GRAND-AM competition.
"One of the main initiatives is to bring together Audi Sport Customer Racing, the American colleagues here and us to really try and figure this thing out," said APR team owner Stephen Hooks. "The cars have wound up being so different from anything the FIA car is.
“I think the reality is that the solutions that you can apply everywhere else are not solutions that work here. Even GRAND-AM has been struggled a little bit with us in getting this car [competitive].”
Dion von Moltke and Dr. Jim Norman, co-drivers of the team’s season-long entry, have yet to crack the top-10, owing to a series of challenges faced this year, primarily around aero balance and grip.
"The biggest thing is when you strip this much aero off the car and you take away traction control, ABS and all these things, there are some little things in the car that were never seen before,” Hooks said. “Nobody even knew they existed. Fixing that is not an easy solution. It's been a bit of a challenge."
PHOTOS: GRAND-AM At Road America
The Spirit of Daytona driver is fresh off victory at Mid-Ohio, his second of the year, which has helped propel the Englishman to within three points of championship leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas.
"I'm now getting back to the season where I know most of the tracks, which definitely gives me more confidence,” said Westbrook, who is in his first full season of Rolex Series competition.
“We seem to be well and truly back in the hunt points-wise, being only three points off the lead. The mentality has completely changed from Mid-Ohio. I felt really desperate to get back into the hunt. After Detroit, it felt like we let everyone down with it being a home race. But we came back in the best possible way at Mid-Ohio.”
Westbrook is rejoined by fellow Corvette factory driver Antonio Garcia this weekend, with the Spaniard slated to only miss one additional race this year due to his Corvette Racing commitments.
APR TO FIELD SECOND AUDI AT THE GLEN — Next weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen will see the debut of a second APR Motorsport Audi R8 GRAND-AM car, to be driven by Marc Basseng and Frank Stippler.
The German duo, who were a part of Audi Sport Team Phoenix’s victory in last month’s Nurburgring 24, have been brought in to help further develop the mid-engined sports car for GRAND-AM competition.
"One of the main initiatives is to bring together Audi Sport Customer Racing, the American colleagues here and us to really try and figure this thing out," said APR team owner Stephen Hooks. "The cars have wound up being so different from anything the FIA car is.
“I think the reality is that the solutions that you can apply everywhere else are not solutions that work here. Even GRAND-AM has been struggled a little bit with us in getting this car [competitive].”
Dion von Moltke and Dr. Jim Norman, co-drivers of the team’s season-long entry, have yet to crack the top-10, owing to a series of challenges faced this year, primarily around aero balance and grip.
"The biggest thing is when you strip this much aero off the car and you take away traction control, ABS and all these things, there are some little things in the car that were never seen before,” Hooks said. “Nobody even knew they existed. Fixing that is not an easy solution. It's been a bit of a challenge."
PHOTOS: GRAND-AM At Road America
Road Atlanta
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
MILLER: My Annual Indy 500 Quiz
It’s time for Robin Miller's annual Indy 500 quiz. -
INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 5.23
It's time for SPEED.com's weekly IndyCar Q&A with Robin Miller's… -
INDYCAR: HIPPINO.com To Sponsor Kanaan At Detroit
Just a few weeks after announcing the KV Racing-SH Racing entry of… -
PHOTOS: Indy 500 Practice & Qualifying 2013
Enjoy a huge collection of photos from practice and qualifying while… -
LE MANS: BoP Adjustments For GTE Announced
GTE-Pro Aston Martins handed extra weight, larger restrictor for… -
LE MANS: Jim France Named LM24 Starter
GRAND-AM founder and NASCAR Vice Chairman to wave tri-colour flag… -
INDYCAR: 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh To Pace The Indy 500
Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, will drive the… - More News
