The IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship is heading into something of an unknown for the upcoming round of the 2020 calendar as, for the first time ever, the championship will hold a race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ‘Roval’ course. With an all-new track and little time to prepare, what can drivers expect?
IMSA’s calendar has always been one of stability and tradition ever since the series was created in 2014. Tracks have been added to the calendar, most notably Lime Rock Park in 2015 and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as a replacement for Circuit of the Americas in 2018, but apart from that, it’s quite unprecedented to see an entirely new venue added to the calendar.
The Roval was, of course, never originally intended to be a part of IMSA’s 2020 schedule, but was added as the series sought new locations to add rounds when the original calendar was severely disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking at the current schedule, the choice for the Roval makes sense from a geographical and logistical perspective. The track’s location in Concord, North Carolina is just 212 miles removed from Michelin Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, which hosts Motul Petit Le Mans just a week later.
The Roval made its debut in 2018, when it hosted its first NASCAR event, but has never hosted GTLM and GTD machinery before. For the 18 cars entered into the Motul 100% Synthetic Grand Prix, as the event is named, the 2.32-mile track will provide a unique challenge.
In order to give the teams some level of preparation, manufacturers has the chance to complete a test day in September. Steffen Höllwarth, Porsche’s head of operations, thinks that that additional bit of running will prove crucial.
“The test day in Charlotte gave us important insights. At first glance, the layout looks similar to the Daytona racetrack, but there are differences: the infield passage portion is larger; the stress on the vehicle and tyres in the oval is massive.
This has to be taken into account when working on the setup. What’s more, we’re competing as part of the NASCAR weekend. We have no experience with how the rubber that’s left on the track by these cars will affect the grip level of our vehicles. It’ll be an exciting 100-minute sprint.”
Höllwarth points to an often made comparison between the Charlotte track and the Daytona International Speedway, home to the series’s twice-around-the-clock enduro at the start of the season. While the similarities are there, the Roval does provide a different challenge. While Daytona’s infield is spacious and leaves room for error, drivers claim that the Charlotte circuit tends to feel more like street circuit.
“We will be racing into the unknown,” said Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia, GTLM championship leader. “It’s a new track for everyone, although all of the GTLM manufacturers tested there for a day. It will be different… feeling like a single-day event with just two practices and racing at night with some potential poor weather coming, too.
“Things could be very unpredictable. It feels kind of similar to a street circuit in some parts. There are few places where the walls go by very fast because you are so close to them. There won’t be much resting, especially on the infield.”
To add to the challenge, not all of the top drivers have had the chance to drive on the actual track, inside being forced to practice the layout in the simulator.
“All three of my teammates came back from the test and said, ‘Whoa… that place is intense!’ I’ve not actually been on the track yet. I’m doing some simulator work a day or two beforehand to familiarize myself, and I’ve had a look at it on iRacing,” said Oliver Gavin, one such driver. “In talking to the other guys about Charlotte, it feels quite tight and intense. It has a street circuit feel to it.
I did a little bit on the simulator that I have at home, and I’ll be going to our Chevrolet simulator Thursday and Friday before the race. We’ll be at the simulator Friday morning and then at the track Friday afternoon – going from the virtual world to the real world all in one day.”
“I only know Charlotte from the simulator. I’ve turned a lot of virtual laps there and discovered that the course is a big challenge,” added Porsche’s Laurens Vanthoor. “The stresses on the cars and tyres are enormous. It’ll be tricky for us drivers because there are massive barriers right next to almost all of the track. You need to be careful. Since we’re no longer in contention for the championship title, we can thoroughly enjoy the events and we want to achieve as many individual successes as possible.”
The race is GT-only, and features just 18 cars – six in GTLM, twelve in GTD. Similar to the traditional April round at Long Beach, the race is a mere 100 minutes, but with the start not taking place until eight o’clock in the evening, there is little room for mistakes on a track that drivers reckon will be punishing for cars.
It’s a race that has never taken place before. Only time will tell if it pays off!
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