WeatherTech Racing is ready to take on the streets of Long Beach at this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 8-9.
The IMSA WeatherTech Championship transitions from its two longest events to one of its shortest. The Long Beach race, only 100-minutes long, is always a strategy event for the team and drivers. The WeatherTech/Proton team will need to decide on when to pit the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Mercedes-Benz of Billings, Montana support for its one and only pit stop. The drivers will have to keep the car clean and navigate the 1.9-mile, 11-turn concrete wall lined Long Beach circuit which is much easier said than done.
Joining Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, Ill) will be Raffaele Marciello (Switzerland) for this weekend’s race. Marciello won the Blancpain GT Series in 2018 and the FIA GT World Cup in 2019. The Swiss driver will be visiting the Long Beach circuit for the first time. The duo hopes to repeat the team’s success of 2017 when they won the GTD race, also in a Mercedes-AMG GT3.
“I am looking forward to driving with Raffaele this weekend,” MacNeil said. “He brings a lot of experience behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 car. Although it’s his first visit to Long Beach he’s a pro and will get up to speed quickly.
“Long Beach is a historic race. It’s the longest running street race in America. There is a lot of history from Formula 1 to IndyCar as well as IMSA. We made a little bit of that history in 2017 when we won in the Mercedes, and we are looking to add to that story this weekend.”
Marciello is doing his homework on Long Beach and is excited to add a new circuit to his racing resume.
“I know the Long Beach circuit from iRacing and have done quite a bit of laps on the simulator as well,” Marciello said. “I am looking forward to driving it for real this weekend. I have one start in IMSA competition at the Rolex 24 and one other race at Lime Rock in America. I have seen Cooper drive and others have said good things about his pace. The team had a great podium finish at Sebring, I hope we can have another good run at Long Beach this weekend.”
Source. Kyle Chura/WeatherTech Racing
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