PARSIPPANY, New Jersey (January 15, 2016) Paul Miller Racing put the first 754 miles on the team’s new No. 48 Castrol/UIS Lamborghini Huracán GT3 and recorded the second-fastest GTD class time during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, Jan. 8 to 10. Italian Mirko Bortolotti and U.S. drivers Bryce Miller, Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow alternated driving stints on the 3.56-mile infield road course. They will return to Daytona Beach, Florida, for the Rolex 24 At Daytona Jan. 30 and 31 – the 24-hour endurance classic that starts the season for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
“We are ecstatic with the ground we gained learning about the car and getting the setup to a place where each of the drivers is comfortable with it,” team owner Paul Miller said. “We’re pleased with the level of commitment Lamborghini has to this project. It’s impressive for such a small company to be able to have the high level of commitment and support they have. We’ve learned a lot and we’ve also learned a lot having Mirko here. He’s a huge asset to help accelerate our whole learning process. We have a high level of confidence that we have the potential to have a good race result here.”
As a Lamborghini factory driver, Bortolotti already has a year of experience with the Huracán GT3, but he had not previously driven in North America, so he also acquired more knowledge during the Roar test.
“It’s been a really important test,” he noted. “It was the first time for me on this track and it was the first time for me with the Continental tires. I liked the track straight away, and the tires. It’s been the first time on the banking – it’s good fun! We started working on how to get the maximum out of the tires and did a great job with the team. We improved step by step. There’s always something you can improve, but for now it’s been a really important three days of testing.”
Miller, Sellers and Snow all have experience in the Rolex 24 and they know the track well. Although the track conditions will change before they return for the race, the test gave them the chemistry and confidence they’ll need for race week.
“I feel really good about this test,” Miller said. “I found my comfort level very quickly. It’s important for a driver to feel comfortable because that’s what gives you confidence. The driver lineup we have and the chemistry between the guys is really good. The team has done a phenomenal job to give this car a setup that’s working well. I feel optimistic for the race, I feel confident in the drivers, I feel confident in the car and the team’s ability to set the car up. If we just stay focused, we can go into the race with high hopes.”
“It takes time to develop chemistry with the program and to learn the new car, and I think we checked those boxes.We ran the test issue-free and when you come to the Roar, that’s the main thing, to be able to put the laps in because when you come back for the race, you don’t get much time,” Sellers said. “I’ve been at the Roar before when we had a really good car and came back for the race and the car was terrible. And I’ve been in the opposite position, too, so I try not to read too much into it.”
“We have a really quick car. It’s consistent, it’s fast and we feel very ready. We definitely have to fine-tune for the race, but we’re set up well,” Snow said. “What [is challenging] about the Roar is when you come back, the track changes so much. So what you may have had at the Roar, you can easily lose before you come back for the race. It’s a completely different game. But the crew did a great job this week getting where we did, so I know we can do it when the race comes.”
Paul Miller Racing is a leading GTD team in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team placed second in the 2014 IMSA series GTD standings and third in 2015.
