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After an eventful opening round at Daytona International Speedway in January that culminated in a surprising victory for the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsport team, the #17 Audi entry will be looking for constituent stable running through the race week at Sebring International Raceway.
They say consistency is key to winning however, if Daytona was any indication that’s not always the only key. Without any practice and starting the race at the back of the grid in Daytona, Mikey Taylor and co-driver Chris Miller were able to bring their Audi RS3 LMS home at the top step of the podium to grab the championship lead in round one. They’ll be hoping for a more consistent, stable weekend schedule this time round though as the team looks to build on the strong momentum from Daytona.
BOP CHANGES AHEAD OF SEBRING
However, they won’t be without their challenges, as IMSA has already decided to make a pre-race Balance of Performance (BoP) adjustment to all of the Gen2 Audi RS3 LMS running in the Michelin Pilot Championship TCR class to slow them down relative to the other TCR cars. Taking away 2.5% of the gen2’s engine power (equal to 7 horsepower) and possibly more harsh, removing 1 liter of fuel capacity. If last season is any indication this 1 liter will prove critical as the #17 entry finished five races in the 2024 season with less than 0.4 liters remaining in the fuel tank! The BoP change comes as a surprise as IMSA usually allows a few races worth of data to be collected before making such drastic changes following the results at Daytona which is known to be the strongest track of the season for Audi competitors.
DRIVERS WEIGH IN
“I’m hoping for a nice normal weekend in Sebring after the craziness at Daytona! Looking forward to getting back together with our team after having February away and working on the items we noticed need some work at Daytona. I’m a bit surprised IMSA would make such big changes after only gathering data from one race and a track everyone knows suits the Audi better than any other track, so it’ll be much harder, but I still think we can achieve a good result with the right execution!” said the South African, Mikey Taylor.
An upbeat Chris Miller will be looking to replicate his fantastic opening stint from round one, “Daytona was obviously a great win but it was also one of the most stressful race events I’ve ever experienced! Everyone with the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team has been working hard and I’m confident we can have a smoother but similarly successful event. Sebring is such a special place and the bumpy surface makes it one of the greatest challenges on the calendar. It’s a track I love to drive at but that I haven’t yet had a win at in IMSA. Of course I would like to change that but it’s particularly important at a difficult track like this to focus on executing all of the little things and if we do that I’m sure we will be happy come Friday evening.”
UROTUNING RETURNS
Back onboard this weekend, for the second time this season, will be Unitronic Authorized Dealer; UroTuning. With many years supporting the European automotive community, UroTuning is your number one source for OEM and Performance parts for your Volkswagen, Audi or BMW vehicles. In order to commemorate their return to racing, UroTuning and Unitronic have partnered up to to offer exclusive motorsport specific swag packs for all qualifying purchases made through UroTuning.com for a limited time!
Spring break track action starts in Florida on Wednesday, 12th March with practice one taking place at 11:25 AM to 12:25 PM ET. Returning to a two-hour race format after the four-hour endurance classic in January, the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 starts at 3:15 PM on Friday, March 15th. 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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