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TruSpeed Ready To Make Strong Start To IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge At Sebring
TruSpeed Motorsports will look to get a fast start to the 2013 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama season this week at Sebring International Raceway with a strong three-car line up as the series stages the opening two rounds of the 2013 season. Competing in the Platinum Class, TruSpeed will campaign three stout entries for the double-header race meeting on the old airfield-based circuit as the team looks to improve on a 2012 season that saw the California-based squad take fourth in the Team Championship.
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Key to that success will be the efforts of TruSpeed’s three IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge drivers, Miles Maroney (Topanga, CA), Phil Fogg Jr. (West Linn, OR), and Brett Sandberg (Allendale, NJ).
“We have a great group of drivers for our IMSA GT3 Cup program, and the guys have been working hard in the shop so we can open the season with some strong results in Sebring,” offered Team Manager Tyler Tadevic. “With Miles and Brett, we’ve got some young up and coming talent ready to show what they can do. Add to that all the experience that Phil brings to this program, and I think it is going to be a very strong line up. We’ve been counting down the days to Sebring, and everyone is pumped up about this week.”
Maroney, who will pilot the No. 45 Entrust entry, made his IMSA GT3 Challenge debut in the second half of the 2012 season with TruSpeed, and is looking to pick up right where he left off after staging several impressive runs.
“Even though I’ve never run Sebring, I’ve been studying the track and I’m confident that I’ll be able to pick it up quickly,” said Maroney, who showed his rapid adaptation skills in his maiden visit to several tracks last year. “I’ve heard some horror stories about how bumpy it is! But I am hoping to be able to hit it hard and be in a position to win races, right from the start. I’m really confident in TruSpeed and the job that these guys do preparing these Porsches so I’m optimistic heading into the week.”
The Sebring weekend isn’t the first outing of the year for TruSpeed, as the team fought back from adversity to score a finish in GRAND-AM’s Rolex 24 At Daytona with Fogg Jr. one of the selected drivers for the Rolex GT Class effort.
“I really like racing with TruSpeed--this is a very professional organization, but everyone also knows how to have a good time,” offered Fogg, Jr. “I think that this team showed how determined they can be with our run at Daytona. It takes a lot just to finish that race and we had some setbacks, but the team just never gave up and we made it to the checkered flag. So I’m looking forward to building on that experience with this group in Sebring.”
Set to make his debut run with the No. 46 Privacy Star entry in the the popular Porsche series is young Brett Sandberg, who will be busy all week long as his weekend will also see him racing in the 61st Annual Mobil 1 Sebring 12 Hours in the GTC class as he builds on his experience at Sebring International Raceway.
“Sebring could well be one of the bumpiest tracks, and I think it challenges both a driver’s mental toughness and physical conditioning,” offered Sandberg who keeps a tight conditioning regimen between race events. “The track is very hard on cars and drivers and in order to win a race here, a driver must be ready to take on the track mentally and physically. I’m excited to have the chance to race both GTC and GT3 and even though the cars are different, I think it will be a great experience.”
The Sebring event, staged as part of the huge 61st running of the Mobile 1 Sebring 12 Hours, kicks off a 2013 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge season that will be staged on arguably the most iconic tracks in North America from Laguna Seca to Mosport to Road Atlanta. The event will see race one take place on Thursday (2:20 PM ET), with round two set to take the green flag at 2:55 PM ET on Friday.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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