Wet and Wild IMSA Prototype Challenge Race Ends Early for the No. 6
Performance Tech Motorsports faces troubles during a trying IMSA Prototype Challenge Round One.
The weekend started strong for Performance Tech Motorsports as the team worked to dial in the No. 6 Ligier JSP320 while also acclimating newcomer Oscar Bitar to the car and team. With veteran driver Dan Goldburg leading the charge, team engineer and strategist Nathan Toney set the No. 6 up for mixed conditions, a call that would give the team an edge in the misty and rainy race.
Unfortunately, contact with the wall would cause the teams race to end early, but years of experience have taught Team Principal Brent O’Neill and his crew that there are plenty of positives to take away from a weekend like this.
“This obviously didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but the season has just started, and we were still able to learn a lot from this,” O’Neill said. “The crew and drivers were able to figure out a few issues and work on communication. We’ll take what we can from this and move forward.”
Goldburg settled back in with ease to the No. 6 Ligier JSP320, starting the signature red and blue machine from fourth place. As the green flag fell so did a steady stream of rain making his opening stint nothing short of hectic. Goldburg battled in the top five for the 55-minutes before handing the car over to Bitar for his debut stint in IMSA competition.
With a condensed race weekend, two practices and qualifying all in one day, Bitar had to make quick work of acclimating to the No. 6 and IMSA Prototype Challenge. To further complicate a tough weekend as Bitar buckled into the car half the track was dry while the other half remained plagued with wet conditions and large puddles. These mixed circumstances made for an increasingly difficult debut causing Bitar to spin, backing the No. 6 into the wall; the underwing and suspension damage was too great leaving the team with no choice but to retire.
The team now turns its attention to the Motul Pole Award 100, the qualifying race for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The No. 38 Ligier JSP320 will be piloted by Hikaru Abe and Nico Pino for the 100-minute sprint race, a stark difference to the twice-around-the-clock event they are competing to set the grid for. The race will be broadcast live on https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/sports-icon-tile-motor-sports.
QUOTE BOARD:
Dan Goldburg, Driver of the No. 6 Ligier JSP320
“It's great to be back for the 2022 season,” Goldburg said. “I've had a lot going on this weekend prepping for the Rolex 24 in the No. 38 and running IPC in the No. 6. I had a great run in qualifying last night turning my fastest lap yet on this track and fourth behind some very fast guys. My first hour stint in the wet was challenging, and great experience for the Rolex 24. I kept it clean, held my own, and brought the car to pit in good position. It's unfortunate for what happened to Oscar, but it really is tough to turn your first laps in the wet in a race, and he had very limited time on track all weekend. My stint had a lot going on, good learning, pretty good pace, and now my focus is on the Rolex 24.”
Oscar Bitar, Driver of the No. 6 Ligier JSP320
“It was not the result I wanted for my start,” Bitar said. “The team and Dan deserved the best; they did a fantastic job. I need to learn more and gain more hours in the car. I will work on improving and moving on.”