Respect the Bumps: Take Two

Performance Tech Motorsports continues its Sebring International Raceway expedition by preparing for the Mobil 1Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advanced Auto Parts.

The team is elated to welcome a new trio to the No. 38 Ligier JS P320 at its home track; Dan Goldburg, Rasmus Lindh and Mateo Llarena. While all three competitors have driven with the team before in various driver pairings this will be the first event the drivers take to the track together.

Team Principal Brent O’Neill recognizes the talent each driver brings to the lineup and hopes to maximize each skill set.

“This weekend is looking really good for us,” O’Neill said. “We’re at our home track where we have a really good baseline for this car. This is also Dan’s home track, plus he and Rasmus raced here last weekend. Mateo’s already used to the car from the 24 Hour, and he has done a tone of testing here lately. I think we’ve got the pieces we need to earn another 12 Hour win.”

The team enters the weekend contesting for its third Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring win with Sebring International Raceway expert Goldburg, Delray Beach, at the helm. This is his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut, however the combination of familiarity with the car, track and team leaves him cool, calm and collected as he enters the big weekend.

Performance Tech endurance driver Lindh, Sweden, is back for the second IMSA MICHELIN Endurance Cup event with his eyes on the podium. After topping the charts at the Rolex 24 at Daytona he looks to bring that pace and consistency to the renowned 3.74-mile, 17 Turn course. Lindh is also the only driver in the trio who has driven with both his teammates, Goldburg and Llarena, before.

Finally, 17-year-old Llarena, Guatemala, rounds out the pack. While new to the team and endurance racing in 2021, he has an already impressive history in sportscar racing, including being the youngest participant ever invited by the factory to partake in Porsche Carrera Cup Europe. The team looks forward to welcoming him back under the tent and expanding upon the speed and technique developed at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The No. 38 Ligier JS P320’s weekend begins Thursday, March 18 with Practice One at 9:05 a.m. ET, followed by Practice Two at 1:55 p.m. and Practice Three at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 19 is a short day for the team consisting solely of a 15-minute qualifying session at 12:05 p.m. The weekend reaches its climax on Saturday, March 20 with the Mobile 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advanced Auto Parts starting at 10:30 a.m. For ticket sales and schedule details visit https://www.imsa.com/events/2021-mobil-1-twelve-hours-of-sebring-presented-by-advance-auto-parts/.

QUOTE BOARD

Dan Goldburg, Driver of the No. 38 Ligier JS P320 “This is huge for me,” Dan Goldburg said. “I've been driving on track at Sebring for 20 years, I've been working with Brent and Performance Tech for over 10 years, and I've come to the 12 hours to support the team for almost the past decade.”

“Brent always invited me into their pits for the 24 hour and 12 hours, so I've been watching and studying how an endurance race is run from the inside.  One time while in the pits, I saw one of Brent's drivers not ready to jump in the car at the right moment because he did not have a radio on and didn't hear the car came in a lap earlier than planned.  After that, I had a special radio harness made so I can have my helmet on, ready to jump in the car, but still be listening to the car radio up until that moment. So yes you can say I’ve been preparing for this for quite some time.

“My hopes have always been to someday run the Twelve Hours of Sebring.  It's truly a dream come true, but just running it isn't the goal; I want to be the absolute best team member I can be and give my all towards a podium or even a win. From my days moving up the ranks in NASA and SCCA Club racing, to running IMSA Lites through now I've learned so many lessons that I can put into play during the race. 

“In many ways, I see this as the culmination of my racing career, but I also hope it is the beginning of a new chapter.  It's easy to get wrapped up in how much this means to me so I'm trying not to think about it.  I just need to keep my head in the game, focus on consistent performance, smart decisions on track to maintain the car and keep a solid pace so my rock star co-drivers Rasmus Lindh and Mateo Llarena can fight with the other top cars at the end of 12 hours.”

“A year ago, I was not in the proper physical shape to run a 12-hour race. In July of last year, I teamed up with Rasmus Lindh in Prototype Challenge. When Rasmus showed up, I saw a fierce competitor taking his performance, workouts and diet extremely seriously. I saw we could be contenders for wins, and I significantly stepped up my fitness and diet to get into proper race-shape.  At this time, I'm happy with my physical preparedness to run the 12 hours.  Additionally, I'll be in the car a fair amount in the lead up to the race.  We were testing last week, I'll ran the IPC race with Rasmus on March 13th, and then the following weekend it is the 12 Hour. That lead-up should put me in the right zone by race day on March 20th”

Rasmus Lindh, Driver of the No. 38 Ligier JS P320

 “Going into the 24 Hour at Daytona I had a lot to learn,” Lindh said. “That was my first endurance race I ever drove in, so it was a brand-new experience for me. It was really important to keep thinking that it was a long race, and you can’t win on the first lap, but you still need to keep your pace up.”

“I feel good headed into Sebring. I know we have a good car so I’m ready. I think the biggest challenge will be driving at night because of how dark it is but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Mateo Llarena, Driver of the No. 38 Ligier JS P320

“I learned many things from the 24 Hour at Daytona,” Llarena said. “I also got a good amount of time in the LMP3 and feel much more confident to drive it at Sebring. Sebring is one of my favorite tracks in the US and I am sure I will be able to do a good job in the race weekend. Since the last race I have been working on my physical endurance as Sebring is a very demanding track. I want to arrive as ready as possible.”