After nearly a month away from the racetrack the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports team and drivers are ready to return to the track for the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase at Road America. José Gutierrez will once again team up with Frenchman Olivier Pla for the 2 hour and 40 minute battle around the 4-mile Wisconsin circuit.
Gutierrez and Pla scored the team’s best finish, P4, in their last outing together at the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen. However, the duo is ready to bring home a podium finish this weekend.
“I can’t wait to get back to Road America with PR1,” said Gutierrez.
“Watkins Glen was a good weekend for us. P4 is the best result for the team so far this year, but at Road America we are definitely aiming for a podium finish. We have high expectations for the upcoming weekend and want to show all of our fans our true potential at Road America.”
The Continental Tire Road Race Showcase marks Pla’s second race with PR1. After battling a fueling issue at Watkins Glen that ultimately cost the team a podium finish, Pla, like Gutierrez, is hopeful for a top-three finish at Road America.
“I’m happy to be back with PR1 for the Road America race,” stated Pla.
“Even though we had the best finish for the team at Watkins Glen with 4th place, I still have a bit of unfinished business to take care of. We had the quickest pace during the race, but because of a refueling issue, we lost thirty seconds every pit stop. This was unfortunate as we had the potential to finish on the podium.”
“I think Road America will be good for our Ligier. It may be a bit more difficult with our engine than at Watkins Glen. There are more slow corners and we are missing torque, but I am optimistic that we can score a strong finish, and a podium would be the minimum.”
On track action begins Friday, August 4 starting at 12:20 PM EST and continues through Sunday, August 6 with the race beginning at 2:35 PM EST. You can watch the race live on Fox Sports 1 with coverage starting at 2:30 PM EST. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to keep up with all of the team news throughout the weekend.
