Setbacks and Bounce Backs:
While the goal was to prepare for the many road courses on both the Craftsman Truck Series and Cup Series schedules. The team also wanted to have fun and compete. The first half of the race was far from fun. First, Wallace made contact with another car in the International Horseshoe section of the Daytona road course. With what was believed to be a cut tire, Wallace made his way to the pits where it was found to be a broken wheel.
The unique aspect of IMSA and endurance racing is the driver swaps on pit road. Teams practice the swaps during the weekend long practice session called the ROAR before the 24. Nemechek had made his way into the car, but struggled with the paddle shifters leaving the pits.
Corey Heim, the last driver to go, was experiencing the Daytona road course for the first time. Wallace and Nemechek, both raced the road course in the Cup Series in 2020, when it replaced Watkins Glen. Heim brought the Supra GT4 home in thirteen place, a respectable finish for the group, overcoming the problems early in the race.
What is the Michelin Pilot Challenge?
The Michelin Pilot Challenge, is a sports car championship consisting of two different classes. The GS, or Grand Sport, class consists of cars such as Toyota Supras, Ford Mustangs, Aston Martins, and Porsches. Engines are higher horsepower compared to their production variants with Balance of Performance, adding balast to even the field. The other class on track is the TCR, Touring Car, class. Consisting of Audis, BMWs, and Hyundais, these are modified race car variants of production four door sedans.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge will race ten races this season at tracks like Watkins Glen, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and other famed circuits across the United States. Races are two hours, with Daytona being a four hour race. The season opener, the BMW M Endurance Challenge, is popular with NASCAR drivers looking for road course experience. Last year, Zane Smith and Harrison Burton won the GS class, with Thorsport drivers Hailie Deegan and Ben Rhodes joining them on the podium.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will travel to Sebring to race before the 12 Hours of Sebring, the weekend of March 13th-16th.
Both Bubba Wallace and John Hunter Nemechek will be back on track for the Busch Light Clash, with racing beginning February 3rd. Corey Heim next race will again be at Daytona, the NextEra Energy 250 on February 16th.