DAYTONA BEACH, FL (January 7, 2018) - In preparation for this month’s 56th running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, Wright Motorsports completed a very productive three-day Roar Before the 24 test at Daytona International Speedway. The weekend saw Patrick Long, Christina Nielsen, Mathieu Jaminet and Robert Renauer each turn their first laps in the No. 58 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
This marked the John Wright-led group’s return to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship paddock after a two-year hiatus from endurance competition. It was the start of the team’s recently announced full-season GT Daytona class campaign with their newly acquired Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Throughout the span of seven test sessions, the Wright Motorsports group worked on developing team chemistry and dialing in a strong baseline for the 24-hour classic. All four of the team's high-accomplished drivers proved to make huge strides over the course of the weekend, as they logged over 170 trouble-free laps around the 3.56-mile Florida circuit.
Sunday’s series of on-track activity featured IMSA’s newly established 15-minute qualifying-style session. The times turned during this session determined pit stall and garage locations, which would be guaranteed during this month’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
Long, who was elected to qualify the Porsche, clocked in the third place time, earning the Ohio-based squad a great pit and garage slot for this month’s season opener.
With a new spark of momentum, the Wright Motorsports team looks to impress as they return to Daytona International Speedway January 25-26 for the 56th running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
Driver Quotes:
Patrick Long // Driver, No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R - “It was a pretty straightforward three days. We ran every single session and stuck to our original plan. It was great to get to know my co-drivers- Robert, Christina and Mathieu. It didn’t take long for us to jell as a team. It’s also great to be back in IMSA. We’ll be working hard between now and the race weekend because as always, things will happen very quickly between when we load-in on Wednesday and when we start the race on Saturday afternoon. We’ll have to make good use out of every single minute."
Christina Nielsen // Driver, No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R – The Roar is always a great way for drivers and teams to get back into their rhythm at the start of a new race season. It was great to get back in a Porsche. The last time I drove a Porsche at Daytona was in 2014. Everyone did a really great job this week. It was a great experience to connect as a new team with Wright Motorsports, but also with the drivers. I’ve known Patrick for a while because my dad raced with him, I raced a little bit with Robert back in 2016, and it was great to get to know Mathieu. There are still some improvements to make, but I feel like we have a great baseline for the 24 Hours of Daytona and I can’t wait to be back.”
Mathieu Jaminet // Driver, No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R - “This was my first weekend with Wright Motorsports and my new teammates and it went quite well. As in any test we did have some issues, but in the end we managed to do a good job. The team provides a really great atmosphere, which I really like. I also worked really well with each of my teammates. Now I’m just looking forward to the race and hoping to start the year in a good rhythm.”
Robert Renauer // Driver, No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R - “It’s been a very productive three days here in Daytona. We made a lot of improvements throughout the week, but as always we still have some work to do. Wright Motorsports is a great team and I really enjoyed getting to work with them as well as my new co-drivers this week. I’m looking forward to coming back for the race.”