STEVENSON MOTORSPORTS READY FOR ROAD AMERICA RETURN WITH AUDI R8 LMS AND CAMARO GT4.R
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge
Race: Road America 120
Race Length: 2 hours
Car: No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R
Drivers: Matt Bell and Robin Liddell
The Track: The 4.0-mile course at Road America is the longest circuit on the IMSA racing schedule and boasts high speed corners that give drivers the thrill of elevation changes as well as high cornering speeds through most of the 14 corners.
Winner’s Circle Regulars: The Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT4.R continued its winning streak at the previous Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge event at Lime Rock Park. After leading 72 laps, the star duo of Matt Bell and Robin Liddell crossed the finish line first, some 2.784-seconds ahead of second place. The win was the second victory in a row for Stevenson Motorsports and the all new Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R platform.
Stevenson Motorsports at Road America: The 2017 Road America event marks the seventh appearance in the CTSC at the track and Stevenson Motorsports looks to add another victory to its tally. The team has captured two podium finishes at the iconic circuit including one victory in 2011 with drivers Matt Bell and John Edwards.
Bell at Road America: Stevenson Motorsports and Matt Bell have experienced Road America side by side, with Bell competing in all of his Road America events with the team. Bell produced a win for the organization in 2011 in his first-ever appearance at the track with the team.
Liddell at Road America: Liddell has been participating in events at Road America for a decade, six events of which were with Stevenson Motorsports. Liddell has accumulated two podium finishes and five top-five finishes at the track.
Chevy Camaro GT4.R Specs:
Chassis: Rear-wheel drive, unitized body with 2-way adjustable struts & dampers and front & rear anti-roll bars
Engine: 6.2L V8 naturally aspirated direct injection
Transmission: Six-speed sequential with paddle shifters
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Driver Quotes:
Matt Bell: “We’re going from the shortest track on our schedule, with no real straightaway, to one of the longer tracks, with a couple of the fastest straights we see all year. We have proven that we know how to race a consistent, well-balanced, and very competitive car, but there are still a few chinks in our armor. We’ve won here before with a terminal velocity-limited Camaro (GS.R), so I’m confident that we can do it again, if everything goes well. Strategy has really been key in our two back-to-back wins. Mike Johnson (Team Strategist) has been decisive in getting us to pit when it is most likely to pay out by the checkered flag. He’s really good at reading races. It seems, as long as he’s tuned into what’s going on with the flow of the event, and we’ve got a little luck on our side, we wind up being right where we need to be. We’re all incredibly surprised and impressed by the early success we’re experiencing with the new Camaro GT4.R. We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing and ride this wave as long as we can!”
Robin Liddell: “We tested at Road America and it turned out well. It’s a fun track to drive but it’s not the easiest track to set the car up for because it tends to change a lot. I think the track will have changed since we tested there. Although we had a good test I don’t think that will necessarily correlate to when we get back there in hot weather. On the plus side, the car is really good on the brakes, on the downside we struggle for top speed and Road America is a high-speed circuit with a couple of long straights. I expect us to have a decent race and be somewhere close to the top at the end.”
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Race: Continental Tire Road Race Showcase
Race Length: 2 hours and 40 minutes
Car: No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Audi R8 LMS
Drivers: Andrew Davis and Lawson Aschenbach
Lime Rock Look Back: Stevenson Motorsports’ GTD pairing of Lawson Aschenbach and Andrew Davis didn’t let a midrace set back affect their drive through the pack as they drove to a fourth-place finish. After serving a drive-through penalty, Aschenbach drove the wheels off his Audi R8 LMS which landed the team with a well-earned fourth place finish.
Aschenbach at Road America: Aschenbach is no stranger to the 4.0-mile course at Road America having raced at the track already this year in the Pirelli World Challenge and capturing two second-place finishes. Aschenbach has also stood on top step of the podium at Road America in 2014 while racing in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge GS category with CKS Autosport in a Camaro Z/28.R.
Davis at Road America: Davis has raced with Stevenson Motorsports at Road America in the three most recent events, with a best finish of second in 2014 in the No. 6 Camaro Z/28.R with Robin Liddell. Additionally, Davis has collected three top-five finishes.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Driver Quotes:
Lawson Aschenbach: “The key to being successful at Road America is going to be maintaining focus on braking and high speed cornering, areas that our Audi R8 LMS excels. I think this track suits our car because of the Kink, Carousel and heavy brake zones. The long straights will create issues for us, but if we can gain time in other areas we can minimize the problem. It’s going to be a battle out there, but we are primed to continue our momentum from the previous two races. The team has been firing on all cylinders and everyone has been pushing to take our game to another level.”
Andrew Davis: “Road America is certainly a driver’s favorite type of track with long straights for top speed, heavy brake zones for passing, and technical sections that challenge the handling of the car. Since our Audi R8 LMS isn’t the quickest car down the straights, we will work hard on the set up to ensure we are maximizing performance in the handling department. We had a great run last season, so we will use the lessons we learned last year along with our current momentum to get our No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Audi R8 LMS back on top of the podium. Stevenson Motorsports is a proven winner, so we simply need to stick to the formula that we know works. It’ll take a lot to claw our way back to the top of the championship standings, so we will keep our heads down while focusing on one race at a time.”
Source. Sunday Group
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