Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow Seek First 2016 Victory in Paul Miller Racing No. 48 Lamborghini Huracán GT3
ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 3, 2016) – Paul Miller Racing and No. 48 Castrol EDGE Lamborghini Huracán GT3 co-drivers Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow are riding the team’s best two-race stretch of 2016 race results in their return to Road America for this weekend’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, August 5 – 7.
Round eight of 11 races in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) class, the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase can be seen live this Sunday, August 7, on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) at 4 p.m. EDT.
Paul Miller Racing, and the team’s first-year driver pairing of Sellers and Snow, hit its stride in July in the two most recent rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
A fourth-place finish in the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut two weeks ago followed a season-best third-place showing one race earlier in July at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
“I think we can for sure get good results at Road America due to the learning curve and momentum we’ve had lately,” Snow said. “It’s a fast track that has some great passing points, so it will be interesting to see what our Huracán can do this weekend.”
In both Canada and Connecticut, the No. 48 was the top finishing Lamborghini, the legendary Italian manufacturer that is racing for the first time this year in IMSA competition.
The third-place finish in Canada was the first podium race result for Lamborghini in IMSA competition.
Sellers also gave Lamborghini its first IMSA pole at Detroit in early June where he and the No. 48 team were the top qualifiers.
“I think the main thing has been figuring out what the car needs to be fast,” Sellers said. “The Lamborghini lacks downforce to the other cars so we have to make the time up in other areas. We are learning when and where to make the sacrifices and hopefully how to minimize our weaknesses.”
Snow drove the Lamborghini to the front in his race-opening stint at Lime Rock, leading the GTD field for 25 laps.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned from the Huracán is being able to drive with ABS and traction control,” Snow said. “Previous cars I have driven were more grassroots in terms of technology were as the Huracán integrates the feel and durability of an old-school race car with the safety and enhancements of the modern world.”
The longest track on the IMSA tour at 4.048-miles in length, Road America is a universal favorite of teams and drivers.
“Road America is what I would consider to be one our most prestigious race tracks,” Sellers said. “One of the reasons for its prestige is that it’s always inviting. It is a place you feel like you can be successful in any type of car with any type of performance. It has long straights but also a lot of corners, so a diversity of cars can be fast here. I think it would be a great time to capitalize on our recent momentum swing and get another podium under our belts.”
Snow has been on the GTD podium before at Road America.
“In 2014 Jan Heylen and I finished on the podium in third,” Snow said. “Although I had previous podiums there with my GT3 Cup car, that 2014 podium was great because we fought so hard for it.”
Another hard fight is expected this weekend on a Road America road course that is among the fastest teams visit each season.
“Straight-line speed and braking are always important at Road America,” Sellers said. “Something that is always overlooked is the car’s balance and capability through the carousel. In my opinion, if you can have those three items you will be fast.”
Fuel management in races is particularly important on the long Road America circuit. More than one race has been lost there when cars have run out of fuel on the last lap.
“During the race, fuel conservation is for sure always in the back of our minds,” Snow said. “I try to stay more focused on the task at hand, delivering the car back to the team with the results they want, and our Paul Miller Racing crew is awesome. I can trust them to watch my fuel for me and tell me when I need to start practicing conservation techniques toward the end of a stint. The track length doesn’t change our approach too much because, at the end of the day, we still have the same goal to win.”
A full-weekend event, opening practice for the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase begins Friday, August 5, with a pair of one-hour sessions at 12:40 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. CDT.
Saturday, August 6, features a third and final one-hour practice at 9:25 a.m. CDT before GTD qualifying that afternoon at 2:50 p.m. CDT.
Race-day Sunday, August 7, begins with a 20-minute warm-up at 9:40 a.m. CDT before the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase main event, which goes green at 3:05 p.m. CDT.
Noteworthy
– Although he is only 33-years-old himself, Sellers – who turns 34 on August 19 – recalls his first race at Road America through the context of his 20-year-old co-driver. “The first race I ever did at Road America was is 1998 in a Skip Barber Formula Dodge,” Sellers said. “I think Madison was born somewhere in that time frame, give or take a couple years!”
– Snow pulls no punches when describing what it takes for a fast lap at Road America. “The key to a fast lap is focus and a “balls to the wall” attitude,” Snow said. “It’s a fast track, so you come up on everything and everyone so fast. You really need to be on your toes the whole time.”
Follow Paul Miller Racing at www.PaulMillerRacing.com, on Twitter @PaulMilleracing and at the Official Team Page on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PaulMillerRacing.
