The team heads into the GT-only weekend ready to battle in the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup Round 4 and IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge Round 5. After a 10-day stay at the smooth and rolling Watkins Glen International, the 1.50, 7 turn, Lime Rock Park is a stark change for the drivers and crew. Fortunately, the Audi R8 chassis thrives on short and fast tracks, making Lime Rock Park its ideal circuit.
The No. 39 Audi R8 GT3 LMS will compete in the ultra-competitive GTD class with drivers Richard Heistand and Jeff Westphal at the helm. The pair has demonstrated immense strength at the shorter circuits with little passing opportunities marking them a threat to all competitors headed into this event.
Heistand has GTD experience at Lime Rock Park and attests to how hard the fight will be this weekend.
“Lime Rock Park is a track that should suit our car on the long run,” Heistand said. “Having said that, the competition will be strong. It’s going to be a knife fight in a hot phone booth. Let’s go see how this shakes out.”
Teammate Westphal has wheeled the Audi R8 GT4 around Lime Rock Park twice before providing him with in dept knowledge as to how the Audi platform will handle.
“Typically, the R8 is quite strong around the bullring known as Lime Rock Park,” Westphal said. “It tends to have good traction with a mid-engine balance so I think we should be fairly strong. The opportunity to race it tough there, it’s probably the hardest track to pass on, so keeping the car upfront will be paramount.”
The No. 93 Audi R8 GT4 LMS also will partake in the festivities this weekend with Nolan Siegel and Tom Dyer behind the wheel. The 16-year-old Seigel will make his debut at Lime Rock Park this weekend as he joins the No. 93 for his IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge sprint race debut. With coach and teammate Dyer’s guidance Sigel and the No. 93 will be up to speed in no time.
“I am really looking forward to my first time at Lime Rock Park,” Siegel said. “I’ve driven most of the major tracks in the US, so it is an exciting challenge when I get to drive a new track and explore a new location. It will be great to team up with Tom Dyer for this event. We have known each other for a long time so it’s really fun to co-drive with him and work with the whole CarBahn with Peregrine Racing team again. I can’t wait to get started.”
Co-driver Dyer is eager to get to Lime Rock Park to see what he and Siegel can do in the No. 93.
“I’ve always enjoyed Lime Rock and I really think Nolan will too,” Dyer said. “It’s a quick and short lap in terms of distance and overall lap time, so a lot happens in a short amount of time. I describe it as a track where a road course meets an oval based on the fact all the corners go in one direction sans one. There’s a go-kart trackback home Nolan and I are super familiar with and it drives virtually the same to Lime Rock so I think it won’t be a totally new thing for him. Besides, he learns track so quickly he is going to be on point right away, I’m sure. It’s going to be awesome to race with Nolan again and he’s done amazing in his first two IMSA races this year. I think the No. 93 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Audi R8 will be fast and the perfect car to push forward to the front.”
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