ROCK HILL, S.C. (Jan. 3, 2019) – CORE autosport will debut its Nissan DPi this weekend in the Roar Before the 24, the official IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship test for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The three-day test at Daytona International Speedway marks the team’s first track time with its new car, acquired in December. Just as important, the Roar test will be CORE’s first time on the new Michelin tires mandated for the DPi class.
Unchanged from 2018 is CORE’s driver lineup, which features Jon Bennett and Colin Braun for the full season, Romain Dumas for the Michelin Endurance Cup races and Loïc Duval for the Rolex 24.
Noteworthy
- The Nissan DPi cars arrived at the CORE shop on December 3.
- In preparing for Roar, the team has achieved in three weeks what most do in three months.
- A special livery will be unveiled at the Rolex 24 race week.
JON BENNETT
Driver: No. 54 ORECA 07 LM P2
“The nature of professional motorsports can be fluid and dynamic. We welcome this new opportunity to join Nissan and compete in IMSA’s pinnacle class. While we would have preferred a more relaxed schedule this offseason, our preparations are going extremely well and we are on course for a strong debut race at the Rolex 24.
“Our new Ligier/Nissan DPi shares many attributes with our ORECA LMP2. We are transferring last year’s developments and ideas to the new car with some minor modifications.
“Consistency is always a positive attribute and Colin, Romain, and Loïc are true professionals who will adapt quickly. Our driver lineup will be one of the foundations for our success in 2019.”
COLIN BRAUN
Driver: ORECA 07 LM P2“It’s been a challenge for the guys. Before the decision to go with the Nissan DPi, a lot of work was done to get the ORECA ready for Roar, so hats off to them for putting that task aside and in short order getting the new cars ready to go.
“We’ve proven over the years that we’re ready to get after it and do the best job we can. It’s a big step to get a new car and new tires. It’s a lot to sort out, but if anyone can do it and succeed it’s us.
“I don’t have too many preconceived notions about the Nissan. We saw the ESM guys were quite fast last year. I think IMSA is talking about ramping up the power and speed of the DPi cars, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what kinds of lap times we can achieve. All those things put together couldn’t have come at a better time for us to make the transition. The playing field has definitely evened out with those changes.”
ROMAIN DUMAS
Driver: No. 54 ORECA 07 LM P2“I’m very happy to be back with CORE. I was looking forward to it even at the end of last season. It’s a nice team with a great atmosphere and I feel good there.
“I have never driven the Ligier, but I’m happy to be in the DPi class. I think it’s a great step forward. We had a strong performance last year and I think with the DPi car, we now have all the tools to go for the overall win.
“The most important things that needs to happen at the Roar is for the team to figure out the car and for the drivers to feel comfortable in the car. We have the same drivers as last year and we all know how each other works and are confident. We just need, together, to learn the car.”
LOÏC DUVAL
Driver: No. 54 ORECA 07 LM P2“I’m super happy to be back with CORE. It’s only been a single experience for me so far, but it went very well. The first race together we finished third at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, so I’m looking forward to coming back and doing even better than last year.
“I don’t have any experience with the Ligier, but I don’t think it will be massively different than the ORECA. It’s not the chassis or the engine that will be the biggest change; it will be the Michelin tires. Maybe in terms of aero there is a difference between the Ligier and the ORECA, but this we will figure out.
“Going into Roar with a brand new package, it will be important to feel comfortable with the car. We’ll need to work on the seat position. Then we want to do as many laps as possible, this will bring us a lot of confidence and give the engineers a lot of feedback. We have the same package in terms of drivers and engineers, so that is very positive. We’ll need to work together to make sure everyone is happy and learning.”