| September 4, 2020 By Jeff Olson IMSA Wire Service  BRASELTON, Ga. – What strikes most drivers in their first drive at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is the speed. Not only does the 12-turn, 2.54-mile circuit in the hills of northern Georgia feel fast, it looks fast. “It’s a fantastic but very fast track,” said Renger van der Zande, who will team with Ryan Briscoe in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi V.R on Saturday for the six-hour TireRack.com Grand Prix. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race is the centerpiece of Michelin Endurance Challenge Weekend, with the No. 10 drivers atop the standings in Daytona Prototype international (DPi), the fastest of the four competing classes this weekend. “It feels very fast in the DPi car,” van der Zande added. “We’re always shocked how fast it looks. It must be because of the uphill climb with the compression and the curb and then the downhill esses. It just feels fantastically fast. … Altogether, it’s a track we like to go to.” Drivers like the layout because it’s fun, but they respect it because of the demands it places on drivers, teams and equipment. Its high-speed straightaways and turns coupled with heavy braking zones make Michelin Raceway a unique challenge. “It’s always been a fun track,” said Juan Pablo Montoya, who will team with Dane Cameron in the No. 6 Acura Team Penske Acura DPi ARX-05. “It’s always been a tough track for our car. In the years we’ve been there, we’ve always been a little behind on pace. Hopefully, this year we’re a little more competitive.” Because of the changes in the 2020 WeatherTech Championship schedule due to the pandemic, this will be the first of two races in six weeks at the historic track. The series will return to Michelin Raceway on Oct. 15-17 for the annual Motul Petit Le Mans. “It’s a month earlier than we had originally planned, but it’s always good to go there,” said Jordan Taylor, who shares the GT Le Mans (GTLM) points lead with teammate Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. “I’ve enjoyed success there before in both Prototype and GT cars, and it would be great to add to it this weekend.” The difference between the two Michelin Raceway races is time. Saturday’s race, moved from Watkins Glen International in a schedule reshuffle, runs for six hours, while Petit Le Mans is 10 hours. “The big difference from the 10-hour race is that it’s going to be a daytime race,” Briscoe said. “The race will finish in the heat of that day. It’s going to be very tough on drivers, on equipment and tires. Strategy will come into play. In the DPi class, we’re looking at about nine pit stops. There’s a lot that’s going to happen throughout the race.” For many drivers, doubling down on Michelin Raceway is an added bonus. Matt McMurry, who took his first pro laps there, is one who’s looking forward to a total of 16 racing hours at the track. “I think it’s cool that we get to go there twice this year because I love that track,” said McMurry, who shares the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3 in the GT Daytona (GTD) class with Mario Farnbacher and Shinya Machimi. “That’s basically my home track. It’s the first place I raced. I have more hours there than anywhere else. We’ve been really close the last couple of races, and I think Road Atlanta will be one of our best chances just because of how much experience I have there.” This weekend also marks the first Michelin Endurance Cup race since the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. “We like the long-distance races anyway,” van der Zande said. “The long-distance races can be manipulated by strategy and staying out of trouble. We always have a clear view going into the race. … It’s so important to keep your nose clean and keep the car without scratches and damages.” NBCSN’s live telecast of the TireRack.com Grand Prix begins Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET. Coverage shifts to TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and the NBC Sports App from 12:30-2:30 p.m., with the action returning to NBCSN from 2:30-6 p.m. |
