Strategic Wealth Racing Race Report: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

With five rounds in the books, and five rounds yet to run, next weekend’s IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge visit to Lime Rock Park marks the halfway point of the 2015 championship campaign for Strategic Wealth Racing. 

The team, which features the No. 36 Strategic Wealth Designers  Porsche Cayman prepared by Goldcrest Motorsports, saw drivers Matt Dicken and Corey Lewis team up to share the car starting with the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca round in May.

Dicken is not only a series rookie, but also one who has made a significant step up in racing categories with the move to the highly professional IMSA-run series and is taking on a lot of firsts in his rookie year. From learning how to make the most of the pit stop driver changes to having to quickly learn each of the tracks that the series runs on, Dicken has a lot to take on each weekend. But that progression has been feeding on itself as he builds his databank of corners.

“From when we started, Matt always had a hard time getting back up to speed at each track,” said Goldcrest Motorsports Partner and Crew Chief Steve Cosgrove. “But in the last three races, he's able to pick up where he left off the last time he was here. And even learning new tracks he's picking up on it much much quicker and making progress getting up to speed much faster.” 

Dicken’s run in qualifying at the daunting and high speed Canadian Tire Motorsports Park last weekend underscored that progression as he shaved over four seconds off his lap time from the first practice to the qualifying session. 

“What he (Dicken) did in qualifying there, he felt disappointed in the result, but the actual time he did was very impressive for him,” said Cosgrove. “This is only the second time he'd ever been there and he did an excellent job. He's not seeing the results at this point, but it's coming. And by the end of the year I think he'll be a solid qualifier. I think the relationship with him and Corey (Lewis) is really starting to pay off. Corey's teaching him a lot of good things and he's picking it up really quick. He's still learning the basics at the same time because he's only got 2 years of experience overall so it is a lot to learn, quickly!”

Dicken, who built his racing base with a lot of laps at Sebring behind the wheel of a Porsche Cayman in club competition, has a big picture focus on his first year at this level. While he is eager for the big results to come, he knows that it takes practice and patience for all the potential to be realized.

“It was a bigger step up probably than what I anticipated from doing the club racing,” said Dicken. “So it's taken a little longer for us to get to where we ultimately want to be. But I feel like I'm developing as a driver, getting faster. Goldcrest Motorsports is doing a fabulous job, and we really want to fight hard for great results because it's a great car.”

For a driver looking to get as much time behind the wheel as possible, the eight-week break between the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen rounds earlier this year presented its own particular challenge.

“Before, when I went five weeks or eight weeks out of the car, it took me about a whole day to get caught up and back up to speed,” said Dicken. “Now though, I'm kind of able to pick right up where I left off, which is good.  I was glad that I got the time that I got in qualifying, but I would like to see myself, in the next few races, getting more in the top 15 in the qualifying aspect. I think that will give us a better shot of being able to compete for the win.”

His co-driver Lewis has also been a part of Dicken’s continued progress, sharing coaching ideas as well as an intensive data study all weekend long. 

“Corey (Lewis) has got the pace, and I've got to pick it up a little bit in the qualifying aspect,” said Dicken. “And hopefully we don't get hit again! We should be looking a lot better right now but with the last two races, getting hit and basically knocked out towards the back. We're not where we should be, but that's part of it. We just want to have clean races so we can keep building and learning.  The only clean race we've had we had a decent result, so hopefully we get more of those!”