BAR1 Motorsports will participate at this week’s mandatory IMSA test putting the team’s new Multimatic –Riley Mk 30, P2 car through its paces. Having finished the 2017 WeatherTech season with a 1-2 finish at Petit Le Mans, this is the teams first opportunity for a significant and thorough test with the car and potential driving personnel. The team had previously campaigned two Prototype Challenge cars, prior to IMSA retiring the PC class.
“We’re really looking forward to have the opportunity to get the car on track so we can begin collecting data and trying out different set ups,” said team owner, Brian Alder. “For the past five years we’ve competed in IMSA with the ORECA Prototype Challenge cars, the Multimatic P2 is completely different beast.”
The test was mandated by IMSA to give teams and officials an opportunity to establish a base line for performance heading into the 2018 season.
“Our objectives for this week are fairly modest,” added Alder. “We’re not here with a sole focus of establish lap times. That will come next month when we’re here for the ROAR. There’s much more to do before we start looking for the bleeding edge. We’ll use this time to establish baselines for fluids, temperatures, brakes, shocks and getting the crew familiar with the car and all the available set up adjustments.”
“We’ll also be reviewing and working with different drivers,” said Brian. “We have seat opportunities where we’ll want to augment and compliment the drivers who have already committed to the program. Each of the four practice segments are 2:45 minutes, so that’s a great opportunity to allow drivers a chance to find a comfort level with the car, the crew and each other.”
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is holding a pair of sanctioned test sessions in addition to the traditional three-day Roar Before The Rolex 24 At Daytona test in early January.
Daytona International Speedway is the site of a two-day sanctioned test on Dec. 5-6, 2017, while Sebring International Raceway will have four days of testing on Feb. 20-23, 2018.
The Daytona test is open to all registered IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Prototype (P) and GT Le Mans (GTLM) only. GT Daytona (GTD) cars will not participate. IMSA is requiring mandatory participation from entrants representing selected manufacturers and constructors. Each of four WeatherTech Championship sessions across the two-day test will be two-hours, 45-minutes in length.
The 2018 season will kick off with the annual three-day Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona test session on Jan. 5-7. The test is mandatory for all Rolex 24 participants. The 56th Rolex 24 At Daytona will run on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 27-28, followed by the 66th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida on Saturday, March 17, which also completes the season-opening “36 Hours of Florida.”
