Meyer Shank Racing drivers Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry will make their debut at the inaugural race on Saturday at the 2.32-mile Charlotte ROVAL 8:00pm ET.
The event weekend will be the first time that the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar championship heads to the ‘road course oval’ which will run in conjunction with NASCAR.
Holding a three point advantage in the IMSA championship, Farnbacher and McMurry are aiming to extend that lead in the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3 with a strong showing in the 100 minute event on Saturday.
The Charlotte ROVAL event will be staged as part of the NASCAR playoffs race weekend as the 2.32-mile circuit combines the oval and infield road course sections for what promises to be a challenging circuit for the all-GT field.
Having tested there just a few weeks prior to the event, Farnbacher is eager to see how the race plays as he anticipates a dynamic sprint race under the lights. Farnbacher is also coming off of a podium finish with the Jas Motorsport Acura NSX GT3 at the SRO Intercontinental GT Indianapolis 8 hour.
“This weekend should be interesting, we will be racing with NASCAR,” said Farnbacher. “With it being a ROVAL it’s definitely a different style of racing but we had the chance to test there and we learned quickly that the track is not easy. It’s very technical, tricky and hard to overtake. It’s a short sprint race so it’s for sure going to be really exciting. It’s difficult to know what to expect because a lot of cars have not tested there. We will approach this weekend just like we approach every race. We will also have AJ (Allmendinger) there as well, so hopefully he will be able to give us a few pointers.”
“I’m excited for this ROVAL race,” said McMurry. “We had a very productive test there last month, so we have a very good car to start the weekend with. It’s not easy to pass there and the race is only 100 minutes, so qualifying up front will be critical. I plan to get the pole this weekend after barely missing it at Mid-Ohio.”
It will be a quick weekend for the MSR squad, with just one practice session on Friday afternoon. Saturday will stage practice, qualifying 2:00pm ET, and the 100 minute race at 8:05pm ET
Source. Sunday Group
Comments
