Continental Tire IMSA Driver Spotilight: Kuno Wittmer

Driver Spotlight: Kuno Wittmer
Driver: No. 93 SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R
Follow: @kunowittmer

Is the GTLM championship sinking in for you yet?

“I think only now that it’s starting to sink in. Right after the race, I was just white as a ghost when we won it. I think it really only started to sink in when I was in New York City for the TUDOR Night of Champions. We saw everybody get their awards. I was backstage, just about to go on stage, and they were showing a preview video of the champion. It was quite something and really got to me. I was quite nervous to go up on stage, but once they showed that video and I walked up there, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we did it! We won the championship.’ From there on, this entire week has been glorious. Being champion right now is quite an achievement.”

Was it a little bittersweet not having Jonathan Bomarito alongside you as co-champion, having shared the No. 93 car for all but the final race?

“Do I feel like I did it on my own? Not at all. That’s why I feel Jonathan deserves some recognition. I mentioned that in New York City during my speech. He and I both did it together. It came down to the last race, where I could have finished second and he could have been champion. It’s one of those things. Emotionally it’s very tough, but strategically it was very smart [for the team].”

Heading into Petit Le Mans, did you feel more pressure having moved into the No. 91 Viper and in somewhat new surroundings?

“Not really. The cars are pretty equal and almost identical as far as drivability. The only thing I was a little concerned about was if the seat insert fit with Marc, and that kind of stuff. That was solved after the first practice session. Everything was pretty seamless. Emotionally, it was pretty tough on me because we’re all human, and I had been on the No. 93 car all year. I was now working with a different crew. For the race itself, it was really good to work with Bill Riley on the radio. It was different and he had some great strategy.”

Do you feel that there was a specific turning point in the year that put you in championship contention?

“I think the fact that we did not go to Le Mans, although being a tough decision, ended up being the right call. Instead of spending all this money overseas, where with BoP, we don’t know what we’d be getting and we might do pretty good over there or might not, [the decision was made] to go testing. All the testing we did at Watkins Glen and on the in-house simulation helped a lot. I think at the Watkins Glen 6-hour, that’s where everything turned for us. It’s quite funny but it’s almost like as soon as we changed the livery, everything got better.”

Do you have any off-season plans?

“Right now, it’s all about personal time. I just want to spend as much time as I can with my newborn son and wife. That’s number one on my books. As far as going on vacation and that kind of thing, not so much. I’m more focused on looking for a ride for 2015 and beyond. Daytona is coming up quickly.”