A Race to The Race
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (July 5, 2018) - Performance Tech Motorsports is competing in its own 72-hour race against the clock as the team prepares for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
The team was forced to retire early following an on-track incident with three hours remaining in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen. Though its race was over, Performance Tech’s workday had just begun. The crew quickly surveyed the damage and determined a plan of action. Team Principal Brent O'Neill and his men did not miss a beat as they began the tedious process of rebuilding the car.
By Monday morning Performance Tech had the No. 38 prototype stripped down to bare-bones and confirmed that the chassis had not been damaged. The team celebrated the good news and began to reconstruct the car piece by piece. While time was not on their side, experience was; by midday Monday the car once again had the unmistakable shape of an ORECA LMP2 07.
"It's tough to watch a weekend end like that," O'Neill said, "But you need to learn to put it behind you and focus on the next race. Especially when the turnaround is as fast as this. Our guys are hard workers so we’ll have the car ready to go."
"I think we should be good at Mosport. Kyle (Masson) and James (French)were fast here last year and Kyle driving with Robert in Prototype Challenge should give him an extra edge. The guys are doing a great job putting the car back together and we're looking forward to the weekend."
Performance Tech's drivers were not only fast last year, they were consistent. James French, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, topped the charts in all three practices, qualified the No. 38 on pole and piloted the car home to first place. Kyle Masson, Windermere, had a near identical weekend to French in 2017. Masson maintained first place in practice, qualifying and the race in IMSA Prototype Challenge Powered by Mazda.
Consistency is crucial for drivers taking on a rebuilt car; it is the equivalent of a blank slate. French and Masson must rely on their past knowledge of the track to setup the No. 38 correctly and as quickly as possible. Clear and concise communication between the drivers and crew is the key to winning the race both on and off the track this weekend.
The No. 38 Centinel Spine / Restitute Health will headline the weekend starting with practice Friday, July 6, at 11:30 a.m. ET and 3:50. Saturday, July 7, begins with an 8:30 a.m. practice session followed by qualifying at 1 p.m. On Sunday, July 8, at 2:05 p.m. the green flag flies for the start of the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix. The race will be broadcast in its entirety on FOX Sports 1 and imsatv.imsa.com.
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