On the Road Again

Performance Tech Motorsports is back in its groove with the IMSA summer racing schedule continuing at Road America, July 31-Aug. 2.

The team heads to Road America with its two IMSA Prototype Challenge entries and one IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entry for the second race post-pandemic hiatus. The 14 Turn, 4.048-mile track represents the longest and most grueling course of the season. With no room for error, Team Principal Brent O’Neill stresses the importance of consistency as the crew and drivers prepare for the weekend.

“Road America is a tough track but it’s one we’ve always done well at,” O’Neill said. “We saw at Sebring that this condensed weekend leaves no time for mistakes. The key will be clean and steady racing. Everyone’s driven here before so they know the track and can work together to get up to speed as quickly as possible.”

Performance Tech Motorsports welcomes back a familiar face as James French, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, takes the reins of the No. 38 Centinel Spine ORECA LMP2 with Cameron Cassels, British Columbia. The Wisconsin native last drove the No. 38 at Road America in 2019, earning the team the Motul Pole Award and a second-place finish. French and Cassels have logged countless hours together as a driver pairing making this transition seamless.

IMSA Prototype Challenge has not raced at Road America since before the ALMS and Grand-Am merger in 2014 when the prototypes were still open cockpit Èlan DP02. The weekend serves as a blank slate for the field aside from driver’s personal experience on track. This gives the No. 75 VB Enviro Care LMP3 the upper hand as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native Max Hanratty, and Cassels both have raced numerous times at Road America. The duo enters the halfway point in the season fifth overall in the championship; a podium position finish gives them the push they need to make a charge up the leaderboard.

The No. 6 is back with its season-long pairing of Dan Goldburg, Delray Beach, and Blake Mount, Littleton, Colorado. Mount is back after having to sit out of Round 2 at Sebring International Raceway due to exposure to COVID-19. Goldburg brings priceless knowledge to the pairing as he is the only driver on the team who competed at Road America during the last outing of Prototype Challenge at Road America.

Performance Tech Motorsports moves in at Road America Thursday, July 30. Upon unloading the team will receive a VB Enviro Care disinfecting treatment as well as installation of air purification systems. The weekend schedule mirrors that of a more traditional race weekend featuring three days rather than two. Road America in conjunction with IMSA will allow limited amounts of fans into the venue on Saturday and Sunday. For ticket sales and event, details visit https://www.imsa.com/events/road-america/.

Quote Board

Cameron Cassels, Driver of the No. 38 Centinel Spine ORECA LMP2 and the No. 75 VB Enviro Care Ligier JS P3

“We definitely have some unfinished business from last year here in the LMP2 car,” Cassels said. “I’m looking forward to sharing the car with James this weekend. Especially after his incredibly successful season in Asian LeMans last year with an LMP2 championship. And hey, it doesn’t hurt that this is his home track!”

“Hopefully IMSA can balance the performance between the LMP3 Ligiers and Normas M30’s before the green flag waves this weekend. It will be a tough race with the obvious straight-line advantage of the Norma M30’s. Even though the LMP2 and LMP3 cars are very different, seat time is seat time. Having experience with the LMP2 car should prove handy with so little track time available. The challenge is always adapting as I jump between two different cars. We had a great LMP2 car here last year. So hopefully we can get right after it and put the #38 Centinel Spine Oreca on the top step.”

James French, Driver of the No. 38 Centinel Spine ORECA LMP2

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to compete again with Performance Tech,” French said. “It’s always special to be racing at home in front of my friends and family and can’t wait to build on the success we had last year at this event. I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time in an LMP2 since then and can’t wait to apply that experience here and fight for a good result.”

Max Hanratty, Driver of the No. 75 VB Enviro Care Ligier JS P3

“It’s always good to return to my home track, Road America,” Hanratty said. “It’s where it all started for me back in Skip Barber so it’s a very special place for me. I have a lot of laps there, so I plan on using that to my advantage and quickly getting up to speed. After a disappointing race at Sebring I look forward to a strong result at Road America."

Dan Goldburg, Driver of the No. 6 Motel 6 Ligier JS P3

“I feel pretty good coming into this weekend,” Goldburg said. “I ran at Road America in the IMSA Lites car in 2013. It's definitely been some time, but I still have the track in my head, and I've been putting in some time on my SIM to refresh. My goal this weekend is a clean stint. I had great pace at Sebring, but our finish position would have been much better if I had avoided the car-contact I had. This weekend for me is about a good pace and a clean stint!”

Blake Mount, Driver of the No. 6 Motel 6 Ligier JS P3

“I personally have not ever been to Road America, although I have plenty of experience with it on the simulator over the past few years,” Moutn said. “That being said, a track will always save its quirks and true attributes for when you're there for real. Getting to race at this historic track has been on my list for a few years now, I'll have my work cut out for me. I am excited to finally get back to racing after this long hiatus, and I feel having to break down and learn a completely new track is a great challenge to tackle. I feel very optimistic heading into this weekend, especially after my co-driver Dan Goldburgs incredible drive at Sebring in the Motel 6 Ligier JS P3. I am very much so looking forward to getting back to work with him and everyone else in the family at Performance Tech.”

To Do List

Friday, July 31

IMSA Prototype Challenge Practice 1: 8:45-9:30 a.m. CT

IMSA Prototype Challenge Practice 2: 12:45-1:15 p.m.

IMSA Prototype Challenge Qualifying: 3:30-3:45 p.m.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1: 4:35-5:35 p.m.

Saturday, August 1

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 2: 8:55-9:55 a.m.

IMSA Prototype Challenge Round Three: 10:35-12:20 p.m.

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying: 2:40-2:55 p.m.

Sunday, August 2

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Race: 11:05-1:45 p.m. Live on NBC