News
Preview
The IMSA SportsCar Championship heads into the new season on 30/31 January with the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The race
Next to Le Mans, Daytona is the greatest long distance classic in international motor racing. The 24-hour event is held on the 5.729-kilometre Daytona International Speedway, one of the most famous racetracks in the world. Combining the original oval and the infield, the circuit includes twelve turns, two of them banked.
The
Nine
The
The 911 RSR received not only a new factory finish for the 2016 season. The 470 hp winning racer from Weissach, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, received modifications to the aerodynamics to comply with the new regulations. The position of the rear wing was moved further to the back, with the rear diffuser now considerably larger. Moreover, the 911 RSR received a modified front spoiler lip as well as wide side sills. The new 911 GT3 R celebrates its race debut at Daytona mounted with the new ultra-modern four-litre flat-six engine with direct fuel injection.
The first of 22 outright victories for
The schedule
The Daytona 24-hour race starts on Saturday, 30 January, at 14.40 hours local time (20.40 hours CET). Outside the USA, the race can be seen live on www.imsa.com.
Quotes before the race
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of
Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Leader GT Works Motorsport: “The fact that we’re fielding the new 911 RSR at Daytona for the first time at this very demanding race poses an even greater challenge for us. This makes it all the more important for the drivers and teams to quickly find their rhythm and to work together optimally over the 24-hour duration. This worked so well during our preparations that we’re feeling very confident for the race.”
Sascha Pilz, Manager GT Customer Racing: “With the new 911 GT3 R, our customer teams have prepared very well for the start of the season at Daytona. We’ve received a great deal of positive feedback and at the Daytona tests we saw that they familiarised themselves quickly and effectively with the new car.”
Nick Tandy (911 RSR #911): “I’m looking forward to the first race with the new 911 RSR. We’ve tested extensively and we’re heading into the season well prepared. Last year we had to wait for our first victory in the USA until the second half of the season. I hope it doesn’t take that long this time.”
Patrick Pilet (911 RSR #911): “It’s a great feeling to start the season as the title defenders. But that doesn’t make the task with the new 911 RSR easier. Daytona poses a very special challenge, it’s somewhat of a yardstick for the rest of the season. Last year we experienced a lot of bad luck. This time I hope we can fight for victory to the finish.”
Kévin Estre (911 RSR #911): “Daytona is my first race as a
Frédéric Makowiecki (911 RSR #912): “Daytona is a classic that every racing driver wants to win. We definitely have a chance to win. The advances that we’ve made with the new 911 RSR at the official Daytona tests and the lap times that we drove give me confidence for the race. Now we just have to deliver a good performance over the whole distance.
Earl Bamber (911 RSR #912): “The Daytona International Speedway is a unique racetrack. You don’t find this demanding combination of steeply-banked corners and a twisty infield anywhere else. The challenge for drivers and teams at such a long race is enormous. They have to work together under immense pressure for 24 hours and they can’t make the slightest mistake. Only those who manage this have a real chance of winning.”
Michael Christensen (911 RSR # 912): “This classic is a great start to the new season. The successes that
Wolf Henzler (911 GT3 R #23): “This race will definitely be an interesting experience. The new 911 GT3 R is a great racing car for customers. The ABS and the well set-up, sophisticated traction control helps me as a professional, and, of course, it’s particularly helpful for amateur racers. Its grip level is amazing and the car stays nice and stable even over the bumps and kerbs. This is definitely a major success for the engineers at Weissach.”
Patrick Long (911 RSR #540): “The recipe for success at Daytona is actually quite simple: You just have to survive the first 20 hours well and secure yourself a good position so that you’re ready to fight for victory in the last hour of racing. That’s what we aim to do with the new 911 GT3 R this time. The car performed well in tests with its good aerodynamics, it’s great on the straights and under braking. That’s very important at Daytona.”
Jörg Bergmeister (911 GT3 R #73): “It’s been some years since I drove a GTD car at Daytona. But the new 911 GT3 R is a lot of fun. Daytona is a great start to the season. I’ve won there three times, and every year I can’t wait to contest this race.”
Sven Müller (911 GT3 R #30): “I’m really excited about my first race at Daytona. Even the test was a great experience. I hadn’t expected it to be so extreme. You have to be extremely careful, because you’re constantly overtaken by the faster prototypes and GTLM cars. The new 911 GT3 R is easy to drive. It almost feels like my 911 from the Supercup, except it has much more downforce.”
This is the IMSA SportsCar Championship
The IMSA SportsCar Championship is a sports car race series contested in the USA and Canada, which was run in 2014 for the first time. The series was formed from the merger of the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Series. Sports prototypes and sports cars start in four different classes: GTLM (GT Le Mans), GTD (GT Daytona), P (Prototype) and PC (Prototype Challenge). The
The 2016 races
30/31.01 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona/Florida *
19.03. Sebring International Raceway, Sebring/Florida *
16.04. Long Beach Street Circuit, Long Beach/California
01.05. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey/California
04.06. Detroit Belle Isle, Detroit/Michigan (only GTD/P)
03.07. Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen/New York *
10.07. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville/Ontario
23.07. Lime Rock Park, Lime Rock/Connecticut (only GTD/PC)
07.08. Road America, Elkhart Lake/Wisconsin
28.08. Virginia International Raceway, Danville/Virginia
17.09. Circuit of the Americas, Austin/Texas
01.10. Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton/Georgia *
* These races count towards the North American Endurance Cup.
Model range 911 (Type 991 II): Fuel consumption combined 9.3 – 7.4 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 216 - 169 g/km; efficiency class (Germany): F - D
911 GT3 RS: Fuel consumption combined 12.7 l/100 km; urban 19.2 l/100 km; extra urban 8.9 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 296 g/km; efficiency class (Germany): G
All reports on the previous season can be found in our archive.