LM24: Continental Tire Challenge regulars Miller, Segal set for Le Mans

Marc Miller and Jeff Segal, a pair of regulars in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and occasional competitors in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, will be ticking off a big box on their driving resume this weekend. Both drivers are in France, where they each join a pair of TUDOR Championship regulars in American teams preparing for their first start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Miller, who drives for CJ Wilson Racing in the Street Tuner (ST) class, will join Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen in the No. 53 Riley Motorsports/TI Automotive Dodge Viper GTS-R. Segal, who joined Team Sahlen in the ST class for 2015, is co-driving with Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell in the No. 62 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia GTE. Both drivers compete in the GTE-Am class.Miller ran his first race in a Viper GT3-R last month in the TUDOR Championship race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California, qualifying second and leading more than a dozen laps at the start of the race. Le Mans was another new challenge that Miller met with initial success.“My first laps at Le Mans went smoothly,” Miller said. “I believe both the team and the officials did an incredible job of preparing me so that even on my first laps I didn't feel lost out there on a legendary eight-plus mile circuit. I was able to get my mandatory laps in without any drama and got comfortable in the car quickly, even in mixed conditions.” Miller welcomed the opportunity to get some additional time behind the wheel of the GTS-R after completing his mandatory laps, even if it was in the wet.“I was especially happy to have had the chance to go back out in wet conditions, since that is likely something that might happen during our race,” Miller said. “Having that experience in damp and wet conditions will be invaluable.“The team has such a strong presence in the paddock with the lone Viper,” Miller said. “The car, garage and team look well-prepared, which makes me even more excited as a driver. Everyone there seems so hungry to put in a winning performance.”Segal is currently doing double duty in the Continental Tire Challenge. He starts Team Sahlen’s No. 42 Porsche Cayman, and after turning that car over to Wayne Nonnamaker, he takes over for Will Nonnamaker in the team’s No. 43 Cayman. He’s finding no problems adjusting to the busy preparations for the French endurance classic. “Really the nerves haven't been an issue – the schedule here is pretty hectic so you kind of just run from point to point and never slow down, and there isn't a lot of time for everything to sink in yet,” Segal said on the eve of Wednesday’s opening practice. “Without a doubt, this entire event is incredibly special.  Already, this early in the week, the knowledge and the passion of the fans is unbelievable.  People recognize the drivers when we are walking through downtown Le Mans without uniforms.  It's really unlike any other race I've experienced.”

Segal is no stranger to endurance racing, winning the GT Daytona (GTD) class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, co-driving for a Level 5 Motorsports lineup that included Sweedler and Bell. He was a two-time champion in the Grand-Am Rolex Series in addition to winning the 2007 Continental Tire Challenge Grand Sport (GS) crown. No stranger to Ferrari, either, he was the youngest winner in the Ferrari 360 Challenge in 2003 at age 17.“The mood within the team is fantastic,” Segal said. “We already have a great chemistry from past races, so it's nice to take on this new challenge at Le Mans together.  We've all spent a lot of time over here for the various test and pre-race functions, so we have had the opportunity to get settled for the race.  Now we are as prepared as possible for practice and qualifying, and hoping that things go well in the build-up to the race.”Segal entered opening practice unsure of how his Ferrari matched up against the GTE-Am field.“To be honest, we don't know yet,” he said. “I feel like we had a good, productive day at the official Le Mans test, but with the mixed weather we encountered it was almost impossible to know how fast everyone is.  That makes things a little uneasy, but at the same time the car felt really good, predictable, and that's a great start. We have a lot to learn given that the whole group is new to Le Mans, but so far it seems like we are up for the challenge.”Miller and Segal will return to the Continental Tire Challenge for Round 4, the Continental Tire 150 at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, June 27.

Source: IMSA