Continental Tire IMSA Driver Spotlight: Leh Keen

Driver Spotlight: Leh Keen
Driver, No. 22 WeatherTech/Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America
Follow: @RaceWeatherTech

How would you rate the first two races of the season for yourself and Cooper MacNeil?

“We are off to a solid start in the WeatherTech/Alex Job Racing Porsche. We had a great race at Daytona and just missed the top step and ended up second. The team and car performed flawlessly. We had a good Sebring race going until we had to make a full brake change during the last stop and that put us back a lap. We were right in the mix before the brake change and with the way it ended we would have been a factor for the win.”

Do you feel the level of competition has changed in GTD this year?

“The GTD Class is again very strong this year. We were able to develop our 991 GTD throughout last year, so we have a better package to race with this year. The BoP is great in the class with the exception of a couple of cars.”

How do you think the new qualifying rules will impact the racing in GTD, particularly as we head into the regular-distance races?

“I’m excited for Cooper to get out there in qualifying and see what it’s like to go all out for that best lap time. I will defiantly miss qualifying though. I enjoyed some great qualifying sessions last year and was the only Porsche to get a pole for the entire year. The starts of the races won’t be as mixed up like last year with the starters being the same person that qualified.”

If you were the IMSA President for a day, what one thing would you change and why?

“If I was the IMSA President I would build a safety team like we had in ALMS that travels to each track with us. That was a great asset for the drivers who drove in ALMS as the safety team knew us and the cars.”

You’ve been lucky enough to have driven some very cool vintage cars at some historic circuits around the world. Do you have a favorite car/track combo?

“A 1974 Porsche RSR around Spa is about as good as it can get. It’s a historic track in a fast historic racing car. Going into Eau Rouge with that car is something I will never forget. The way the car moves and sounds and the old vintage tires flex in the compression then unload at the crest of the hill – awesome!”

Do you have a favorite/memorable road trip?

“Best road trip hands down is the One Lap of America. It’s a event where you do time trials at a different race track every day for a week straight. You start in Indiana and we have gone as far as Daytona Beach and Salt Lake City. There is also a drag race event and even an oval track day. It’s the king of all road trips!”