Continental Tire Keys to the Race: Monterey

Race: America’s Tire 250

Track: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Length: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Entries: 33 cars spread across three classes: 8 cars (P), 9 cars (GTLM), 16 cars (GTD)

Schedule:

Friday, Sept. 22 (all times PT)
Practice 1  – 10-11 a.m.
Practice 2 – 2:50 -3:50 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23
Practice 3  – 8-9 a.m.
Qualifying – 11:30 a.m. -12:35 p.m.
CTSC Race – 2-6 p.m. (4 hours)

Sunday, Sept. 24
Warm-up – 9:10-9:30 a.m.
Race – 2:05-4:45 p.m. (2 hours, 40 minutes)

Previous Winners: Michael Shank Racing (P), Ford Chip Ganassi Racing (GTLM), Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing (GTD)

Previous Polesitters: Tristan Nunez (P), Daniel Serra (GTLM), Alex Riberas (GTD)

Driver Insight: “Monterey is so different from anything else that we’ve got to come up with [a setup] specific for the track. There isn’t much grip, so the car can slide around a lot and that can make it hard on the tires. You’ve got to be able to find a balance where the car is stable through the stint so you can deliver the lap times all the way through. The car does so many things in a short time when you are going through the Corkscrew with how you are loading and unloading it through the corner-it is very technical.” — Joao Barbosa, No. 5 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.

Drive Times: Minimum: 45 minutes for GTD Bronze/Silver drivers; Base Drive Time: 10 minutes for P/GTLM, 45 minutes for GTD. Maximum: None

Tires: Continental Tire “Black” for P and GTD. Multiple tire brands/compounds for GTLM

Pit Stops: 45-50 minute stint length for P; 55 minutes for GTLM, GTD

Weather: Sunny, High: 72 F, 0 percent chance of rain

TV: Sunday Sept. 24, 5 p.m. ET (FS1)

Radio: Complete session-by-session coverage on IMSA Radio

Spotter’s Guide: Click Here