Bar1 Motorsports Post-Roar Report

Celebrating its fifth year racing IMSA Prototype Challenge, BAR1 Motorsports recently kicked off its 2016 campaign with a two-car Prototype Challenge entry at the WeatherTech Championship Roar Before The Rolex 24 test.

It was a busy week for the teams and competitors shaking down their 2016 packages for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s season opener, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. BAR1 Motorsports was deep in the mix putting two PC cars through their paces along with seven drivers collecting data and valuable seat time. Joining the team for the test; Johnny Mowlem, Ryan Eversley, Brian Alder, Marc Drumwright, Don Yount, Adam Merzon and Lucas Auer.

A 24 hour race is always full of surprises. The ROAR produced some interesting weather situations providing a gentle reminder that driving conditions at Daytona can change on a moments notice. The teams saw rain, sunny skies, cooler temperatures and two sessions of dense fog, one in the morning and another under the lights Saturday night. 

“I felt our time spent at the ROAR was a success on every level,” noted team owner, Brian Alder. “The cars were mechanically sound  throughout the 3 day test. In addition, we were able to surpass all of our goals for the week. That’s a huge confidence builder heading into the season opener. We are ready for a great Rolex 24.  

“It was also a great opportunity to work with the drivers,” added Alder. “All the drivers got up to speed quickly and we made big strides dialing in the set-up for both cars.”

“With the test under our belt, we feel really good about the up coming race.. it’s not that far off,” Alder noted. “We’ll spend the next few weeks working on and finalizing all the small details back at the shop. You can bet we’ll be making sure every T is crossed and every I is dotted!”

 The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will take to the track for the 50th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona Jan. 29-31.