EVENT: Round 7 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, 2 hours & 40 minutes.
TRACK: At 2.459-miles long, the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park circuit is a challenging one – well known for its high speed segments.
DRIVER LINE-UP: Marc Goossens (Belgium), Renger van der Zande (Netherlands)
HONORING OUR TROOPS: In celebration of the fourth of July, the No. 90 VISIT FLORIDA Racing Riley-Gibson continues to feature a new paint scheme – a camo blue with branding from each of the United States military branches.
CARRYING MOMENTUM: VISIT FLORIDA Racing is carrying momentum into the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park event after finishing fifth in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen last weekend. After having taken a podium finish in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Dayton, the team has faced frustration in the following events. The top-five at the Glen has given the group a boost as the squad heads to Canada for this weekend’s IMSA event.
TEAM HISTORY AT CTMP: VISIT FLORIDA Racing has made three starts at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park while competing with the team’s Daytona Prototype. The 2017 event marks the first time utilizing LMP2 machinery. The VISIT FLORIDA squad has never finished outside of the top-five at the track with two fourth place finishes (2015 & 2016) and a runner-up in 2014 (Richard Westbrook, Michael Valiante).
GOOSSENS & VAN DER ZANDE SUCCESS AT CTMP: Both Marc Goossens and Renger van der Zande have sprayed the podium champagne at the Canadian road course. In three starts at the track, van der Zande has finished runner-up twice – the first in 2013 while driving for Dragon Speed and the second in 2016 while driving for Starworks Motorsport. Goossens has also stood on the CTMP podium twice. He finished second in 2013 and third in 2014 while driving the SRT Viper GTS-R.
NEW IN 2017: With all-new regulations for the top Prototype class in 2017, VISIT FLORIDA Racing fields a Gibson-powered Riley Mk. 30. The Gibson engine is a 4.2-liter V8, and is the specification engine for all competitors in the World Endurance Championship LMP2 category. Riley Technologies has an unparalleled history in the sport, and the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona marked the competition debut for the Mk. 30.
CAR SPECS:
Chassis – Multimatic / Riley Carbon Fiber semi stressed engine
Safety equipment – Crushable Nose box, 6 point safety harness, Onboard fire suppression system, Air conditioned cockpit for driver safety and comfort.
Transmission – X-Trac six-speed sequential, paddle operated rear wheel drive.
MICHAEL HARVEY: Prior to the 2017 season, VISIT FLORIDA Racing added Michael Harvey to the team as Director of Race Operations. Harvey, who has a long and varied range of experience in the sport, most recently managed the competition efforts for Fall-Line Motorsports’ multiple-championship winning programs in IMSA and SCCA competition as well as serving as a Series Director for the Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA series.
NEW PARTNERS FOR 2017: In addition to longtime partner VISIT FLORIDA, VISIT FLORIDA Racing has partnered with: Speed Chills, iRacing, Motegi Racing, Riley Technologies, Go Puck, GoPro, Burt & Scheld, Under Armour, and Whelen.
DRIVER QUOTES:
MARC GOOSSENS: “It’s a good, fast track. As racecar drivers, we want to go fast and have challenges. I’ve done four races there now. I like it a lot. I don’t necessarily like stop and go tracks with slow corners and slow chicanes so this is a track that I really enjoy. Unfortunately, our car right now doesn’t really suit that track because we are missing some speed and have too much drag on the car. We have to wait and see, the Glen wasn’t in our favor either. You never know. It’s a shorter race and a lot of things can happen in the shorter timeframe. Anything can happen.”
RENGER VAN DER ZANDE: “I like the track. It is a great thrill to go to an old school track like Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with the high speed corners. The speed that you carry through some of the corners is just incredible. It’s very authentic. I’ve always been fast there in LMPC so I’m looking forward to giving it a go in the LMP2. It’s great to be racing two weeks in a row. It gives us the opportunity to spend a lot of time with the team and work and get better with what we have. We’re carrying good momentum from Watkins Glen.”
Source. Sunday Group
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