The Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports Team rolled in to Sebring, FL looking to build upon their momentum from Daytona with another consistent result. Knowing this would have to be done with less power and less fuel after all GEN2 Audi TCR's received a BoP adjustment from IMSA, it was going to be a challenge. Nevertheless, the team persevered with great strategy in the pits and flawless driving from Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor to go on to take the victory and sweep Florida to start the season!
The weekend kicked off smoothly as the drivers got to grips with the new setup. One practice lap after another, Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor both felt the car could still be competitive on this highly demanding road course. Practice one would see the team place P5 while practice two went even better, ending the one-hour session in P1 under the morning sun.
MILLER QUALIFIES P2
The strong showing at practice would give the team confidence going into Thursday afternoon's qualifying session. Chris Miller went straight to work with his eyes set on the pole. With only 15 minutes to push, Miller quickly moved the #17 Audi into P1 but after exchanging top spots with the #33 Hyundai, the team would ultimately have to settle for a P2 result. One mere second would separate the top five TCR contenders, setting the stage for a great race Friday afternoon.
TWO-HOUR RACE KICKS OFF
With plenty of time to recuperate and a solid result in qualifying, Chris Miller would start Friday's two-hour race with confidence. As soon as the green flag dropped, Miller immediately kept pressure on the leading #33 Hyundai. It wasn't long until the Audi swapped positions with the Hyundai and all of a sudden, the hungry pack of fourteen TCR entrants were chasing Miller around Sebring's grueling 3.74 mile course. A mid-race incident involving an Aston Martin GS car up ahead would ultimately cause the first yellow flag and with 40 minutes of minimum drive time complete, the team quickly called in Miller to pit the #17 Audi.
With fresh tires and a full tank of fuel, Mikey Taylor set off to finish the work Miller began while keeping a close eye on fuel burn. After leaving the box with negative 4 minutes of fuel on hand, the pressure was on Taylor to move up the pack while conserving fuel and he delivered. Thanks to a couple late-race caution periods, Taylor was able to claw his way back from P7 to P1 and ultimately hang on to a 3 second lead to take the victory after 47 laps of tough racing.
VICTORIOUS AT SEBRING
A thrilled Mikey Taylor said: "I can’t thank the entire Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team enough for the countless hours of hard work that has got us here! We had a solid weekend from start to finish with a fun fuel saving challenge for me in the race. Chris Miller had a great stint and our strategy and execution in the pits made my job easier!"
ROUND THREE AT LAGUNA SECA
The next race takes the team to Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca for the only west-coast event of the season. The team will look to build upon their current 100 point championship lead on Saturday, May 11th, 2024. US fans can follow along on Peacock Network while international fans can follow along on IMSA.tv. Stay up to date on all our activities, learn more about the team, our pro drivers, the #17 RS 3 LMS TCR race car, our tremendous sponsors and shop for team merch HERE. Tune into the UNITRONIC social media channels or IMSA.TV for race coverage of all ten championship events!
Photos by Sideline Sports Photography LLC
About UNITRONIC®
UNITRONIC® engineers industry-leading aftermarket performance enhancing software and hardware for Audi®, Volkswagen®, Seat®, and Skoda® cars worldwide. Best known for its performance software engine and transmission calibrations, Unitronic enhances vehicle performance while maintaining complete OEM-like reliability and drivability. Unitronic’s UniCONNECT+ Programming and Diagnostic Interface empowers Unitronic Clients to safely reprogram their engine and transmission control modules from the comfort of home, anywhere in the world. Learn more about Unitronic's competitive advantage at www.getunitronic.com
About JDC-MILLER MOTORSPORTS
JDC-MILLER MOTORSPORTS is a world-class multiple championship winning sportscar racing team, with a total of 18 championships, 60 wins, 57 pole positions, and 195 podiums, most of which coming by way of their Prototype class programs running in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. Highlights include an Overall Win at the Six Hours at Watkins Glen in 2018, 2017 Winner Extreme Spirit Award, and 2017 Winner Jim Trueman Award, providing the team an automatic entry into the 2018 24 Hours of LeMans. Learn more at www.jdcmotorsport.com
About LIQUI MOLY USA – Canada
LIQUI MOLY USA – Canada is a subsidiary of LIQUI MOLY GmbH, a global motor oil and additive company based in Germany selling products in more than 150 countries. LIQUI MOLY offers more than 4,000 items globally covering automotive, powersports, commercial vehicles, boats and watercraft and more. LIQUI MOLY USA - Canada is actively involved in motorsports in numerous capacities highlighted by teams in IMSA USA and IMSA Canada, TC America and Trans AM. Learn more at www.liqui-moly.com
About OUT THERE BRANDS
Out There Brands was founded by professional racing driver Mikey Taylor. He saw a need for a company that offers extreme personalization and customer service in the branding industry and founded OTB in order to fill it. Producing custom-made displays and apparel to bring attention to our customers. Using his experience in the motorsport industry, Mikey focused on working with suppliers and forming partnerships to utilize only the best materials and products from around the world to deliver durable, cost-effective and stand out products! Learn more at www.OutThereBrands.com
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