Road America's demanding 4.048-mile road course proved to be the perfect place for the Supercar Life Racing team to complete its first two-day test in the new No. 95 Supercar Life BMW-Riley Daytona Prototype. In Wednesday's session at the Elkhart Lake, Wis., track, team Principal Scott Tucker set a new track record. Late afternoon Tucker then bested his previous time from that morning.
The last Riley chassis to set a record at Road America was in 2007 when Brian Tuttle of SCCA's Florida region posted a time of 02:10.253.
"Today was incredible," Tucker said. "We came to Road America for an initial testing; I wouldn't have expected this. For its first time on a track, this car was already posting impressive lap times. We are just now in the developing stages so I can't imagine what this car is capable of doing further down the road."
Both drivers were extremely content with the car's fast lap times and speeds. After his teammate's masterful performance on Wednesday, Christophe Bouchut tested the SCCA Challenge F430 car and Tucker's No. 55 Boardwalk Ferrari Supercar Life F430, posting times of 02:22.00 and 02:17.00.
The No. 95 arrived last Thursday at the team's headquarters in Madison, Wis. Its arrival was the first step in realizing the team's goal for the 2010 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series-to pilot both the No. 55 and No. 95 Daytona Prototypes. Both of the prototypes were built by Bill Riley's Riley Technologies (www.rileytech.com) located in Mooresville, N.C.
"We are truly excited about our new arrival," Team Manager David Stone said. "As a leading manufacturer of DP chassis, Bill Riley provides a product that is a sure fit for those that want to win. Riley chassis lead the pack every time-just look at our No. 55. It is a proven, strong contender in the Series this season, and we hope to see those same results with the No. 95 next year."
Specializing in the design and construction of chassis, Riley Technologies, LLC can stand proud as another one of its Daytona Prototypes will take to the field.
"I am looking forward to working with the Supercar Life Racing team on another Rolex Series car," Riley said Wednesday. "This season we have been impressed with the No. 55. Earlier this year it broke unofficial circuit records and the team has continued to post Top 10 results for every race. I think today's results show that this car also has the makings of a champ."
Tuesday's session was successful as well. Bouchut was first behind the wheel of the No. 95 in the first day of testing. Expecting a few of the usual new-car maladies, the team planned to focus on fine-tuning the handling and braking of the car during Bouchut's stint.
"This track is very demanding," Bouchut said. "In all, the circuit has 14 turns and a very long front stretch with multiple elevation changes. Testing here gave us the opportunity to run it through a range of technical challenges; this gives us a good starting point on the set-up of this car."
Tucker also took the wheel in Tuesday's session. This gave him the opportunity to run the course before driving in the weekend's fourth round of the Ferrari Challenge Series. Tucker has excelled on track in the Series this season, sweeping the first four races and taking second and third in races five and six. Currently in third in the standings, Tucker and the No. 55 Boardwalk Ferrari Supercar Life F430 are poised to regain the lead going into the weekend.
But today, Supercar Life team was all about the new DP. Currently, Dinan Cars is providing the engine for the No. 95 Daytona Prototype; however, that may change.
"As a team, we would love to see a five-liter Ferrari engine in this car," Tucker said. "This test session helped us realize what we need to do to make that happen. To run a Daytona Prototype in the Rolex Series with a Ferrari engine would make history."
According to Stone, the groundbreaking engine switch could happen as soon as late-August or mid-September. "Although we are still in the building stages, a Rolex 24 race may be the first time this car gets to shine," the team manager said.
As the primary sponsor of the team, Supercar Life CEO Brian Weaver likes what he sees: "We've seen what the No. 55 DP is capable of out on track. And now, with the No. 95 looking to make its debut in the 2010 season, we're thrilled. The car demonstrated a commanding performance over the past two days, proving to be a valuable asset for the team in the year to come."
Supercar Life Racing will continue in the Rolex Series' next battle towards the championship at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, July 19. For live coverage of the race tune into SPEED TV at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Catch Supercar Life Racing on SPEED TV at the following dates and times:
Rolex Series:
Sunday, July 19 at 3:00 p.m. EST
(Race 8 at Barber Motorsports Park)
Friday, August 7 at 8:00 p.m. EST
(Race 9 at Watkins Glen International)
Ferrari Challenge Series:
Friday, July 10 at 9:30 a.m. EST
(Race 5 at Infineon Raceway)
Friday, July 24 at 9:30 a.m. EST
(Race 6 at Infineon Raceway)
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