Penske is under pressure at the eighth IMSA round: After a less than successful last round, Penske is aiming for its second win of the season at Road America
Penkse is aiming for his second win of the season with the Porsche 963 at the eighth round of the American IMSA series. After things did not go so well recently and the winning Porsche was even disqualified in Watkins Glen, the team is now under pressure: in the overall standings, the crew of the 6 factory car is in fourth place.
BMW made a strong impression recently, and there is experienced competition in Acura and Cadillac. In addition, there is a threat from within the team’s own ranks: In addition to the customer team JDC-Miller MotorSports, Proton Competition is also entering a Porsche 963 in the IMSA for the first time.
“We are currently fourth in the championship. That’s not ideal, but at least the gaps to the front are relatively small,” says Mathieu Jaminet. “The first four crews are very close together. So our goal must be to take as many points as possible at Road America and thus make up some positions in the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ standings. “
Set-up as the key to success
An important advantage: “We did a test on the track,” said Jaminet. “That will be very helpful.” However, testing at Road America has included competitors, so Penske doesn’t have much of an experience advantage.
Nevertheless, the team is looking forward to the next round of the season. “Road America is one of my absolute favourite tracks in North America,” grins Matt Campbell. “I always really, really enjoy racing there. We did a test at Road America straight after the Le Mans race weekend.”
“That was hugely important because the circuit was resurfaced at the beginning of the year,” explains the Australian. “We gained extensive knowledge, but still have some work to do. Adjusting the set-up optimally for the race during the weekend will be one of the keys to success. “
The track has become much faster
“Our test results and the lap times of the IndyCar Series in June made one thing very clear: Road America has become much faster once again thanks to the new asphalt,” summarises Urs Kuratle, Head of LMDh Works Motorsport at Porsche.
The knowledge gained from previous years can therefore not be used to a limited extent. The special characteristics of the track have changed, which is why the test drives were so important. The only thing that is certain at the moment is that the 6.515-kilometre circuit has become significantly faster.
“The surface offers a lot of grip, and the grip continues to increase as the weekend progresses because of the tyre wear that has been applied,” explains Kuratle. “We have to take this into account when working out an optimal set-up for the race. I’m sure that especially on this point our on-track test will help us a lot. “
“Need to turn things around quickly “
“After our recent unsatisfactory results in the FIA WEC and the IMSA series, we have to turn things around quickly,” demands Thomas Laudenbach, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “We want to get back on track for success, at least on the podium.”
“I am confident that we will be back on a par with the competition in the GTP class at the Road America race,” believes Laudenbach. “The track is a great challenge for the drivers and engineers. I hope that we were able to gain a small advantage during our test drives in June and that we will be able to translate the full potential of the Porsche 963 into a good result. “
