Workforce Penske’s two-time IndyCar champion made his top-class debut in IMSA SportsCar Championship competitors at Petit Le Mans at Street Atlanta, partnering Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr within the manufacturing unit Porsche entry which completed fourth.
When requested to elucidate how driving the 963 in comparison with an IndyCar, he replied: “It’s all fairly difficult in comparison with the place I’ve come from. The IndyCar may be very mechanical in that there’s not many techniques that you just’re altering on the fly, whereas this automotive may be very technologically superior.
“It’s a formidable race automotive that calls for plenty of the driving force, so studying the entire techniques and potential requests that the staff has at any given time, that’s the problem I’ve needed to undergo.
“On this automotive, it’s a must to respect the restrict greater than an IndyCar. An IndyCar lets you assault continually at one hundred pc, with minimal loss. If I overdrive a nook [in IndyCar] I can possibly lose a tenth. On this automotive, I can lose half a second.
“It calls for a bit extra respect. There’s a excessive stage of functionality however you’ll be able to overstep it simpler. It’s onerous to seek out that time initially. I can nonetheless assault on this automotive, however you accomplish that with somewhat extra discretion. Discovering that steadiness was essentially the most tough half firstly.
“Then there’s small issues like [the potential for a] crimson mild at pit exit, we don’t get that in IndyCar. That’s only one instance, however the procedural variations it’s a must to get proper, and that’s the place my thoughts has been targeted too.”
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Pictures
#7 Workforce Penske Porsche 963: Matt Campbell, Felipe Nasr, Josef Newgarden, #24 BMW Workforce RLL BMW M Hybrid V8: Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus, Marco Wittmann, #74 Riley Ligier JS P320: Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga, Josh Burdon
Newgarden made his high flight IMSA sequence debut within the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours in a Tower Motorsports LMP2 automotive, and says he enjoys the multi-class racing side of sportscar competitors.
“It’s enjoyable, it’s completely totally different from what I’m used to,” he added. “You’ve obtained to be very heads up as a result of there’s a lot occurring.
“In IndyCar, everybody runs a really comparable tempo however right here, [the speed differences] may be very drastic. Particularly on this observe [Road Atlanta], I believe it’s essentially the most focus [of cars] you’ll see with over 50 vehicles on a two and half mile observe.
“It’s a unique fashion of racing, a unique demand, however I believe that’s what I’m having fun with essentially the most. It’s entertaining.”
