Continental Tire IMSA Spotlight: Eric Foss

IMSA Spotlight: Eric Foss
Driver, No. 56 Murillo Racing Porsche (CTSC)
Follow:  @ericfossracing

What makes Daytona special and different from other tracks?

“Daytona has such a rich history in Motorsports and it’s always fun to race a venue with so many highlights.  Additionally, the upgrades done to the facility make it even more impressive than ever. 

“The high speeds on the oval into the tight infield sections require a lot of courage and precision. The bus stop is one of my favorite sections of any race track.”

How important is it to get a win in the CTSC to start the year?

“Even though the off-season in CTSC is pretty short, a lot of teams do quite a bit of testing. Daytona is the first true measure of that testing. Starting off with a win gives the team a lot of confidence and keeps everyone motivated.

“I feel that after struggling last season that the Murillo Racing team really wants to get back to the top of the championship.”

What was it like racing both series and going back and forth between the Porsche and the Viper?

“Racing in both the 24-hour and the CTSC makes for an extremely busy weekend.  Jeff Mosing and myself were constantly running from one trailer to another and having to change our full gear.

“Fundamentally I drive every car the same, so transitioning from the Cayman to the Viper and vice versa was not a big deal. 

“Interestingly enough the braking points were almost identical.  I honestly really didn’t focus on the Viper much until the 24. I really wanted to make sure we had a good start in CTSC, since I could use that success to build on for the 24.”

What did your 24 hours look like from a drivers perspective?

“I’ve been fortunate enough to do many 24 hour+ races in my career, so I knew what I needed to do as a driver to get ready.  Having said that the race was a bit sporadic.

“We had four new drivers to the Riley Motorsport team and I think they may have tried to assess everyone along the way in terms of pace, stamina, racecraft, etc. This meant that our driving order was flexible. 

“A few times I found myself prematurely relaxing between stints as I shortly thereafter received the call to start getting ready for the next one.

“Overall I felt really good at the end of the race and I think the charge we put on during the last four hours was pretty amazing.”

What was your most memorable road trip growing up?

“One of my best road trips occurred about 15 years ago. My brother and a few of my high school buddies picked me up from the Atlanta airport one evening after a driver training event. We had two vehicles with jetskis in tow and drove straight from Atlanta to Western Michigan. 

“At about 6 a.m. in Indiana we were pulled over for [going] 82mph. The officer was more upset at the little wheels on the jetski trailers going 82mph than our actual speed over the posted limit.

“The rest of the week was great as we were in the same scenic town where they shot most of the movie American Pie. All other stories from that trip can’t be repeated (he says with a laugh).”