22.07.2005 XM SATELLITE RADIO VICI RACING WILL KICK OFF A TWO DAY TEST SESSION AT WILLOW SPRINGS RACEWAY, CALIFORNIA TOMORROW
Ahead of round three of the 2005 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge at Portland, Oregon next weekend, XM Satellite VICI RACING is holding a two-day test and evaluation session at the Willow Springs track, in California.
After two closely-fought rounds, the inaugural IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge - fought out by identical specification Porsche Type 996 racers - reaches its mid point when it arrives in Oregon next week to support the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Grand Prix of Portland, which will take place on 31st July. XM Satellite Radio VICI RACING driver Alfred Renauer made a stunning start to his racing career in the United States in the opening race at Road Atlanta in mid-April. The young German rising star, running as a series guest, went fastest in all the free practice sessions and secured pole position before going on to fend off the attentions of many much more experienced drivers to take the spoils.
A month later, in time for the second IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge round - held at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course - Nathan Swartzbaugh joined the VICI RACING set-up. The 19-year-old from California had finished sixth in the opening encounter, and under the guidance of the Florida-based team he claimed a strong fourth place finish. With series leader Ricardo Imery switching to the Speed World Challenge, Swartzbaugh is effectively into second in the title hunt, and just six points adrift of Jay Policastro.
"Nathan will be stepping up to drive the XM SATELLITE RADIO Porsche," says VICI RACING Commercial Manager Bill Colleran, "he's certainly in with a very strong chance of claiming the title and we will be focusing our resources around him. He very young, and quite inexperienced, but despite this he has the pace, and maturity to rise to the tough challenge that lies ahead," adds Bill.
With the inaugural five-race IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge reaching the half-distance point next weekend in Portland, XM SATELLITE RADIO VICI RACING decided to organise a two day test session at Willow Springs to acquire further data from the Porsche GT3 Cup racer, and to allow Nathan valuable on-track experience time as his title bid cranks up. Joining him t the test in the XM SATELLITE RADIO VICI RACING Porsche will be Robert Renauer: the twin brother of race one winner Alfred.
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The two XM SATELLITE RADIO VICI RACING Porsche GT3 Cup racers in the pits during the last round of the IMSA GT3 Challenge Cup at Mid-Ohio during May. |
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After two strong points scoring finishes in the opening two races, 19-year old Californian Nathan Swatzbaugh is now in with a very good shot of claiming the inaugural IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge title. |
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XM SATELLITE RADIO VICI RACING got their IMSA GT3 Cup off to the best possible start when Alfred Renauer won the season opener at Road Atlanta. |
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20-year-old Robert is another promising young driver - who just like his twin brother - has raced in the European-based Porsche Carrera Cup, and thus knows the GT3 Cup intimately, and will be an ideal teacher for Nathan. "Robert is an expert with the Porsche for sure, and he knows it very well from his time in the Carrera Cup, in fact he's really grown up around these cars! He will be able to teach Nathan an awful lot, and between the two of them we should be able to harness a lot of very useful data, commented VICI RACING boss Ron Meixner this week.
The "Willow Springs International Motor Sports Park" - to it its full title - is a 600-acre complex comprising of six race tracks embracing almost every conceivable motor sports discipline. The park is located around an hour's drive north of Los Angeles, California, near Lancaster. A super fast 2.5-mile and nine-turn road racing circuit, it was modeled on the great courses, and road racing traditions of Europe, and is in fact unchanged from its original 1953 configuration. With its substantial elevation changes and high average speeds, Willow Springs is one of the fastest and most challenging tracks in the country.
Willow Springs is also known as the Fastest Road in the West, this track is one of the safest road courses in the world, despite its high velocities. Cornering speeds on this track range from about 70 mph to over 170 mph, with straightaway speeds nearing 200 mph possible with fastest cars and motorcycles. These factors make it an ideal venue for VICI RACING to undertake this weekend's testing.
"Technically its a very demanding track with a lot of different character turns and quick straight section," comments Ron, himself a real veteran of the US racing scene. "It's a great place to hold a test - both the drivers and the technicians can learn a lot on a track such as this."
The existing Willow Springs lap record of 1 min 6.050 secs - set eighteen years ago - was actually posted by Mario Andretti at the wheel of an Indycar, who covered the distance in an average speed of 136mph. He is closely followed in the history books at this 50-year-old circuit by Nigel Mansell - who tested an F1 car on the track in 1982 - and previously held the record with a lap of 1 min 06.300 secs. Next up comes Ricky Moran piloting an IMSA GTP machine, although his time - set back in 1987 - is just over two seconds adrift of the two single seater former F1 World Champions.
"Very high temperatures will undoubtedly be a major factor in the test," concludes Ron Meixner. "The track is situated in the desert and 40 degree heat has been forecast for both days. It will help to create a testing environment for Nathan to learn more - especially about managing the tyres - ahead of Portland's race, which will be warm - although I expect it to be not that hot!"
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