Daytona Beach, Fla. (5 August 2014) – Visit Florida Racing will be back in IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship competition this weekend as the series makes it first-ever visit to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin with the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase.
For drivers and true racing fans alike, the track is a treasured destination on any schedule, and was yet another bright spot inclusion on the ‘all-star’ line up of tracks for the inaugural IMSA season. Set in the picturesque rolling hills of Wisconsin, Road America has been staging races for decades, with a long four-mile lap boasting corners like the Kink, Kettle Bottoms, and the Carousel that all look for courage from the drivers.
Also key to a fast lap at the high-speed circuit is momentum, and that is something that Visit Florida Racing is bringing in spades this weekend as the team looks for a fifth consecutive podium finish on Sunday (FOX Sports 1 6:30 PM ET broadcast/Sunday). The team scored a big win in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, and has continued to be a competitive threat ever since. Now third in the team championship standings, Visit Florida Racing will look to make the most out of the Road America weekend with another strong finish.
“Elkhart is one of my favorites and for me it’s the North American version of Spa Francorchamps,” said Westbrook of the Belgian circuit that also boasts some high-speed blasts through the forest. “We’ve always had good pace here but lady luck has not been on our side the last two years. With our recent strong run, we are in the title hunt so another podium will be needed to continue to stay in contention for the last two events. Road America has a bit of everything, some slow speed and high speed including the carousel which is one of the best corners out there. A good aero balance is key for this corner but it is very hard on the tires!”
“With so few races left, we have to keep pushing hard to close the gap in points,” said Valiante, who has podiums in everything from Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge to Formula Atlantic competition at Road America. “Road America is a great track and getting a good lap in there is awesome for the drivers. I think the Kink is probably my favorite corner.”
After running through a busy summer stretch of events away from the home base in Daytona Beach, the team got the chance to return home following the run to third place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago and is now ready to head north to Road America.
“It was good to keep the podium going but I’ll admit we were hoping for a little bit more there in Indy, ” said team owner Troy Flis. “But we’re ready to go after it this weekend. We know it’s going to be key to not only unload quick but also just keep up with the track all weekend because everyone gets faster and faster and we’ll have to do the same. It was good to get back to the shop and kind of reset for this weekend. I think the guys are hungry and we want to just keep hitting our marks as a group.”
The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase opens with practice on Friday. Additional practice and qualifying will take place on Saturday with the race scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1:15 PM Central Time.
