Grosjean returns to SC63 alongside Caldarelli and Cairoli for penultimate Endurance round of the year
Lamborghini Iron Lynx returns to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend for the penultimate round of the Michelin Endurance Cup (MEC) at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Having contested the previous MEC round at Watkins Glen with a two-driver line-up, Lamborghini Iron Lynx returns to full capacity this weekend as Romain Grosjean teams up with fellow factory drivers Matteo Cairoli and Andrea Caldarelli in the #63 Lamborghini SC63. The trio last raced together at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they finished a creditable 13.
Despite their race ending in retirement due to a cooling issue with the SC63, Caldarelli and Cairoli were able to showcase the improved performance of the #63 car in the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen in June. The car recorded its best qualifying performance of the season so far and ran strongly inside the top five during the race, running as high as third due to good strategic calls amid changeable weather conditions.
The GT Daytona (GTD) line-ups remain unchanged, with Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey, and Michelle Gatting again joining forces in the #83 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. Fresh off the back of a podium finish in the Sprint race at Virginia International Raceway last month, the #78 Forte Racing Huracán of Loris Spinelli and Misha Goikhberg is once again completed with the addition of Devlin DeFrancesco. Meanwhile, in the other full season entry, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America regular Graham Doyle returns to the #45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti car alongside Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal.
Due to a calendar clash with the Fanatec GT World Challenge Endurance Cup race at Monza, the #19 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 features a revised driver line-up this weekend, with DTM regulars Maximilian Paul and Luca Engstler joining the team, the latter making his IMSA debut. The German duo are both members of Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s young driver talent pool, with Paul an official Young Professional Driver and Engstler part of the GT3 Junior Driver roster.
Track Description
The Indianapolis Road Course is a 14-turn, 2.439-mile (3.925km) track which starts and finishes on the famous main straight – running in the opposite direction – of the Speedway, crossing the line of bricks which gives the venue its nickname, the Brickyard. A narrow and technical track, there are three big braking areas, namely the first turn where the cars arrive at maximum terminal speed and turn seven following the high-speed chicane of turns five and six and the backstraight. Overtaking and negotiating lapped traffic will likely cause a few headaches during the race, particularly in the final sector. Additionally, with a lap-time of just over 70-seconds, quick pit work and effective strategy will play a key role in staying on the lead lap for as long as possible.
Q&A with Romain Grosjean (#63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx)
How keen are you to get back in the car after missing Watkins Glen?
“I’m very excited to be back in the car this weekend, I kept an eye on Watkins and the recent WEC round at COTA, but I was able to get a bit of a refresher in the SC63 with the tyre test at COTA. But I’m very keen to get back, IMSA is a great championship with really high competition, and I know the track very well.”
What are the main challenges of the Indy Road Course and what is the key to a good lap-time?
“It’s a very flat track, and it has a lot of big braking zones into slow-speed corners, so this is quite a big challenge. And then the 7, 8, 9 sequence of corners is quite tricky, so you need to use a lot of kerbs. I think the flat nature of the track should help us a bit compared to the bumpy tracks we’ve been at before at Sebring.”
You’ve done well at this track before in IndyCar, what are you hoping to achieve in IMSA?
“The aim is to keep improving the car and continue the development and learning curve this weekend. I think we are getting better and better, and so the objective is to try and get the best result we can with this beautiful car in Indy.”
How do you assess the first season with the SC63 so far?
“The reliability has been one of the biggest strengths of the car which is great. I think we have a very good baseline to develop for the future; of course, there are a few things which all of us drivers and engineers want to see on the car going forward but overall, I would say that it has been a very positive team with the entire Lamborghini Squadra Corse team.”
The weekend at a glance
Friday 20th September
Free Practice 1 (11:15-12:45)
Saturday 21st September
Free Practice 2 (08:55-10:25)
Qualifying – GTD/GTD Pro (15:40-15:55)
Qualifying – GTP (16:30-16:45)
Sunday 22nd September
Race (11:40-17:40)
All times Eastern Daylight Time (CET-6).
