SAMAX - Mid-Ohio & Daytona preview

The SAMAX/ Doncaster Racing drivers will tackle two very different track
configurations in less than a week, competing in Rolex Sports Car Series
races at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on June 24 and
at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on June 29. The
rolling 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio track is a natural road course, while the
3.56-mile Daytona circuit incorporates a high-banked oval and an infield
road course. Dave Lacey and Greg Wilkins, both of Toronto, will drive the
No. 17 SAMAX/ Doncaster Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in both races.

 

smooth setup

 

Dave Lacey is looking forward to racing on the newly paved surface at
Mid-Ohio, though he acknowledged the team will have to find a new car setup.

 

"The historical setup that we've had on the car won't apply, so bringing
that setup into the race weekend is not going to be that beneficial. I think
the G-loads will be higher if it's smoother. It looks like really fresh tar,
so the grip levels will be increased," he noted.

 

"It's a great part of the country, with rolling hills and a dedicated road
course, my favorite type of facility. I wish it was a bit more open - it's
not hugely high-speed corners - but still it's a terrific race track and I'm
definitely looking forward to seeing what the new surface does to the whole
setup."

 

gear change

 

The SAMAX/Doncaster crew will use a different gearbox for the Daytona race,
to cover the long banked oval portion of the track. Doncaster principal John
Lacey explained:

 

"We change the gearbox, and that's the only thing we do for the car. We work
on the same shocks, the same wing setup, the same fundamental aerodynamics
of the car. There is a Porsche-defined Daytona gearbox versus the gearbox
that we use for all other tracks. Without it, we would just run out of
revs."

 

quick prep

 

The Rolex Series teams will have a fast day at Daytona, with practice,
qualifying and race in one day. Their car setup will be complicated by track
conditions that change between the morning practice and night race. The
SAMAX/Doncaster team will start with the setup used in the Rolex 24 at
Daytona in January, with changes for the two-hour 45-minute June sprint.

 

"It's a complicated race for us in that we practice, qualify and race all in
the same day. The issue is trying to get the best setup for the car in very
short order. We remember what we did for the 24-hour race; that's where
we'll start, but you do set up a car differently to run for 24 hours than
you do for two hours," John Lacey said. "The challenge is really to get in
and get out in one day. It makes a long day for the drivers and the crew."

 

online

 

samaxmotorsport.com

 

###

 
Sylvia Proudfoot
sylvia@spurcom.ca
403 287 3945
 


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