Dillmann: Consistency Led Inter Europol By PR1 to LMP2 Title

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Tom Dillmann believes that Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 title on pure consistency, having claimed only a single race win over the course of the seven-round season.

Dillmann and Bronze-rated driver Nick Boulle came out on top in the Pro-Am prototype ranks, marking PR1/Mathiasen’s second consecutive LMP2 title but first with its alliance with the Inter Europol team.

It came after Dillmann, Boulle and third driver Kuba Smiechowski combined to finish fourth in last weekend’s season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans, in what turned into a strategic race for the Sascha Fassbender and Bobby Oergel-led operation.

“It means a lot,” said Dillmann. “It’s my first year in the U.S. to discover all the tracks and all the events, legendary events, which you come to race here. You hope to put one of those races on your CV. That’s awesome year.

“For me personally it was a choice to go to LMP2. I’m fortunate enough to have done that in a really good team.

“That allowed me to fight for the championship with great teammates. It’s been fantastic.

“We’ve been very consistent, intelligent.

“We did this weekend — in particular for me it was — for us it was more of a relief to win the championship because when you come with 100 points lead, you really don’t want to lose because it would have hurt for a long time.”

While winning the LMP2 headline race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the duo, along with Smiechowski, also scored podium finishes in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was crucial to their success.

“Certainly surreal,” said Boulle. “Everybody has worked so hard at Inter Europol and PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports to make this year happen and to do it at such a high level.

“We were really consistent. Tom has been so helpful to me personally developing through the year and so has Kuba.”

Dillmann admitted that he didn’t want to take any risks in the closing stages of the race, knowing that a sixth-place or better would have been enough to seal the title, no matter where the No. 74 Riley Oreca 07 Gibson of Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga and Josh Burdon finished.

“It was not an easy position to be starting the race because we had all to lose basically,” he said.

“We had a few setbacks in the race, and it got us a lap down. The Riley [car] was leading at some points together with the TDS depending on the pit sequence.

“We had some tension there because if Riley wins, we have to finish sixth, and we were between sixth and seventh.

“Then at the end I knew I just needed sixth. I was sixth at the restart, so I just led the other fight on bent wheels. It was kind of crazy to see it.

“I was just coasting and letting them fight because I didn’t want to take any risk.

“Then I overtook a couple of cars and was hitting on P4. The podium was really close, but I also decided as a team to not fight for the podium and also validate the Trueman. That’s what went on.”

Boulle, meanwhile, picked up the Trueman Award, which includes an automatic LMP2 invite to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans that he indicated he will take to the Polish squad.

“It’s great that Nick also won the Jim Trueman award, and with that, our goal is to have two cars at Le Mans next year,” said Fassbender.

“We’re all very happy, and I am already looking forward to the Rolex 24, where we run as Inter Europol Competition.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John