Passing Preview: Performance Tech Prepares for Tough Lime Rock Track

Lime Rock’s 7-turn, 1.50-mile course features tight turns with little to no room to pass. Drivers barely have time to blink as they turn laps on track. With lap times measured at under one-minute Lime Rock makes for a spectator friendly track. Spectators are also sure to catch rough racing with drivers testing breaking zones and swapping paint as they pass competitors.

Needless to say, where NASCAR has Bristol, IMSA has Lime Rock.

The close racing ended Performance Tech Motorsports run last year. After winning the TOTAL Pole Award and leading a majority of the race the No. 38 was brought back to the garage after a racing incident brought a close to the team’s day.

This year James French will aim to earn the team’s first pole while Kyle Marcelli will hope to bring the car home safe and finish on podium. Both drivers come to the track with experience under their belt, understanding of the nuances of Lime Rock will be necessary to keep the No. 38 NeuroSpine Institute Prototype Challenge either out front or in good position to pass.

This year the GT Le Mans class will join the PC and GT Daytona. The addition of traffic to the 2-hour 40-minute spectacle will only up the level of difficulty for French and Marcelli.

Team Principal Brent O’Neill has his game plan set, but is waiting to see if it’s game, set, match for the track.

“GTLM adds an extra obstacle because there’s already no place to pass and they’re quick,” O’Neill said. “With the short amount of practice we have we hope to have the car dialed in to the track. I think if James can put it on pole for qualifying the key would be to stay out front. At Lime Rock passing is just impossible, the goal will be to not knock a splitter off a car trying to get by anyone. Lime Rock has difficult, tight corners, lap times under one minute but it’ll make for a good race.”

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