ROCK HILL, S.C. (April 9, 2019) – Following the two longest races of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, CORE autosport heads west for the shortest round; the BUBBA burger SportsCar Grand Prix at Long Beach.
At 100 minutes in length, the Long Beach race will have just one pit stop and driver change, provided one avoids any damage on the wall-enclosed street circuit.
The nature of a temporary street circuit also means that passing is a much more risky and limited enterprise at Long Beach.
The race length and track characteristics combine to create a race strategy wholly different from the first two races of the season.
Noteworthy:
- Jon Bennett and Colin Braun are fifth in the DPi Drivers’ Championship as is CORE in the DPi Team Championship.
- CORE has recorded three Prototype Challenge wins at Long Beach (2011, 2012, 2013).
JON BENNETT
Driver: No. 54 Nissan Ligier DPi
“I love street courses. They reward precision and rubbing a wall provides feedback that you are at the limit.
“In a 100-minute race, the pit stop efficiency plays an incredible role for all drivers. Done correctly, there is no difference between a pro and an am in the driver change. This will be an advantage for us.
“The new Michelin prototype tires tend to achieve full grip quicker and similar to the GTLM cars. On tight street courses in the past, some GTLM cars on proprietary tires have had an advantage over the prototypes for a couple of corners because grip is more immediate.”
COLIN BRAUN
Driver: No. 54 Nissan Ligier DPi
“I like street courses a lot. I’m excited to get to Long Beach. Last year we learned a lot in the ORECA LMP2 car. Unfortunately, we’ll need to start from ground zero with the Nissan Ligier.
“A short race presents challenges, but also some opportunities depending on how the day goes. With a short race, there’s not a lot of chances to makeup for any ground you lose, so you need to be perfect in execution. It can come down to a really quick pit stop and driver change to gain track position.
“As we’ve seen this year, the Michelin tires have done a great job on grip and pace. I imagine at a track like Long Beach the peak grip we get from Michelin will produce a fast lap time. The fact that it’s such a short race and with the tire allocation we have, we don’t have to worry about double-stinting tires.”