Focused Under Pressure - GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series
Company press release.
Prior to the start of the ninth race of the 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series at Road America, there were no outward signs of pre-race jitters. In fact, the confident and relaxed demeanor of the drivers speaks volumes about their ability to remain calm and focused under pressure, especially as the season titles come within reach.
'I'm coming here to Road America with the same mindset and same attitude I have going to any race,' said Andy Lally (Northport, N.Y.) driver of the #44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup. Lally and co-driver John Potter (Salt Lake City, Utah) are leading both the driver and team 2013 series standings in the GT class after nine races.
'The added pressure of leading in the points for the third week in a row is obviously there in a big way,' continued Lally. 'We have four more races in the championship (including this race at Road America) and we have to make them all count. We need some great results because we know that the two cars that are chasing us are going to have good results so we have to put up a good fight. I'm doing double duty this weekend with this GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race on Saturday, and the ALMS race on Sunday, but obviously with the championship on the line a lot of my focus is going to be on the Rolex race.'
'It used to be that there were tracks that suited the Porsche and we called them Porsche tracks. Daytona is still one of those tracks but that's about it now. We used to say Road America and Watkins Glen were Porsche tracks but now they have made the Camaros and the Ferraris so strong that even with a slight top speed advantage that we might have the advantages those cars have in other places negates much of what advantage we might have. We have to take what we have and just go forward and charge. This team has some of the best Porsche mechanics in North America and possibly in the world. They are a good group of guys who gel well and that is so important when you are trying to get 12 perfect races in a row. That is what has put us in contention in this championship; it's the consistency of this team. We've finished every race this year so far, with our worst finish being sixth, so its consistency that has put us on top. We are still looking for our first win and I hate that, especially this late in the season, but I am hoping that this weekend will present us with that. We've been leading lots of races and tons of miles and have finished second twice but the elusive win is what we want now.'
Chasing Lally in the series standing is Scottish driver Robin Liddell who shares driving duties with John Edwards in the #57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R. 'We've given ourselves a bit of additional challenge by starting at the back of the grid,' said Liddell who explained that after the Qualifying Session GRAND-AM detected a ride height infringement because of some work that had been done to the underside of the car. 'Although the front of the car was at a legal ride height, the rear end was not. So we have given ourselves a bit of a task.'
Liddell went on to explain that the team has not done very well at Road America in the past. 'Everyone thinks the Camaro has straight line speed because it has such a big motor, but the specifications we have to run has actually made us one of the slower cars down the straight. The Porsches and the BMWs will be really fast down the straights and will ultimately be the cars to beat. The strength of the Camaro is its braking, the ability to ride curbs and the high speed corners. We have a good car here but ultimately we struggle to get the car to rotate properly in slow corners and we struggle to get the power down because it is a long wheelbase, heavy car with not much grip. In the end we've made some pretty big steps with the car set up to actually try to get out of our normal operating window similar to what we had here last year when we struggled quite a bit in the race. With no more track time before the race we'll just take what we have and hope the car will be good for the race. Certainly we will move forward and one of the good things is my co-driver John and I are equal in lap times so we're not carrying a slower driver who would start the race for example and then let us take over. Our crew members are superb so I know we are going to move forward and I am hopeful for a very good result.'
In the DP class, Brazilian driver Oswaldo 'Ozz' Negri, Jr. has had a different kind of year in the #60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley that he co-drives with Florida's John Pew. The duo, along with California's A.J. Almendinger and British driver Justin Wilson, were the driving team atop the podium at the 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona, giving team owner Michael Shank his first win of the twice around-the-clock endurance challenge.
'I had a setback when I broke my leg and missed four races this year,' said Negri, explaining that when he came back to racing, the team went right back to the top. 'At Mid-Ohio we finished fourth, at Watkins Glen I was running in second and went for the lead when another car spun in front of me so by avoiding hitting him I finished fourth. At Indianapolis Motor Speedway I was running in third position when I got hit; so we have been running up front which is a great thing for our confidence. I am super happy to be able to be here and doing what I love most in life.'
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'I always look forward to a race with the mentality of winning the race, even if we are further back in the field like we will be today,' added Negri, who has been with Michael Shank Racing for 10 years. 'It is an extremely competitive series but anything is possible. Every team has its strategy but it all comes down to when the yellow flag falls. If you are at the right place at the right time when the yellow comes out it can really make a difference because everyone is in the same boat together and we all have a shot for the race win. The main thing for today's race will be tire degradation and we will have to preserve our tires so we will have a strong car with a lot of grip at the end of the race. We made some suspension changes after qualifying so we will start the race with these changes without trying them out but I am pretty sure that with the knowledge that we have that these changes will work.' For more information on the ninth race of the 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series: http://www.grand-am.com/events.aspx?eid=3485&sid=1 About Rolex Leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its OYSTER watches, all certified as chronometers for their precision, are symbols of excellence, performance and prestige. Pioneer in the development of the wristwatch as early as 1905, the brand is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the OYSTER, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the PERPETUAL rotor self-winding mechanism introduced in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities as well as philanthropic and patronage programmes. Photo credit: Rolex / Stephan Cooper
