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Category: Latest News

Created on Tuesday, 11 June 2013 09:51

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THE BASICS

Who’s Racing:

Rolex Series – June 15, 2013 CTSCCS – June 15, 2013

Track:

Mid-Ohio - 2.258-mile, 13-turn natural road course

Length:

 Rolex Series – 2.75 hour timed race CTSCCS – 2.5 hour timed race

 See For Yourself:

No one said Mid-Ohio was easy.  The 13-turn natural road course provides a variety of elevation changes that will challenge drivers in both series.  Watch for the keyhole and a section they call “madness” to be particularly action-packed.  Watch now: Mid-Ohio preview

Tire Sets:

DP, GT and GX teams will all be allowed 6 sets of tires for the race (including slicks and rain tires).  A team that has a Truman/Aiken driver, or “young gun” driver, will be allow one extra set.  There is no set limit for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series (CTSCCS).

Where Else Does This Compound Race:

DP-I –this tire compound is used at Daytona, Austin, Barber, Road Atlanta, Belle Isle, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Road America, Laguna Seca and Lime Rock. GT-R – this tire compound is used at Daytona, Austin, Barber, Road Atlanta, Belle Isle, Mid-Ohio, Road America, Laguna Seca, and Lime Rock. CTSCC – this tire compound will be used at all tracks this year.

Pit Window:

The pit window (fuel run) for the weekend is approximately 40 laps for DP and 36 laps for GT.  Expect both the DP and GT cars to use all the Continental tires in their set limits.  These are just approximations and does not account for fuel mileage, weather or caution flag laps.  It is not expected that teams will double stint on tires.

Track Characteristics:

Mid-Ohio provides numerous elevation changes which is a significant departure from last week’s street circuit at Belle Isle.  The apexes of the corners are quite slippery with the carousel and keyhole presenting the most challenges for teams.  While the track is asphalt, a sealer that is used on the track can challenge the tires but no problems are expected.  The Continental tires work really well on the track.

DID YOU KNOW

• Prepared rain or shine – Continental will bring approximately 2,300 tires to Mid-Ohio (1,600 slick and 700 rain tires).  According to the weather, rain should not be an issue at Mid-Ohio as it has been for the last few races.

• 50/50 chance for rain tires – The Rolex Series has used rain tires at three out of five races this year (60%).  The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series has used rain tires at two out of four (50%).

• 3 – The three Rolex Series classes have seen three teams win in each class on Continental tires.  The breakdown is as follows:

  • DP – Chip Ganassi Racing w/Felix Sabates, GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, Wayne Taylor Racing;

  • GT – Stevenson Motorsports, Audi Sport Customer Racing/AJR, Turner Motorsport;

  • GX – BGB Motorsports, Napleton Racing, Visit Florida Racing/SpeedSource.

RACE REWIND

Bill Auberlen and Billy Johnson made a trip to victory lane last year in GT and GS respectively.  Let’s rewind and see what they had to say following the race:

“The Continental Tires never fell off.  From the beginning of the end the car just got faster and faster and faster as it burned the fuel off and you can’t ask for any more than that” – Bill Auberlen, driver No. 94 Turner Motorsports BMW

“Us and the the BMW’s are the two heaviest cars in the field so that’s been a real disadvantage for us.  The tires are great and they hold up really well, but when you have a car that’s 400 pounds lighter you can’t cheat physics, he’s running the same tires as you.  So having a car that’s that much lighter will work the tire less.  So the yellow flags made our heavier car not have to do as many hard laps on the tires as a lighter car.  The tires did great.  They held up and had a lot of grip right at the end.  But for us pitting so early and running on them longer with a heavier car, I was a little bit concerned and would have preferred if all the cars weighed the same.  They were great and had a lot of grip at the end except for my little drift session in turn two after the checkered.” – Billy Johnson, driver No. 61 Roush Performance Ford Mustang

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