Sellers: “These Cars Are Such Different Animals”

Photo: Bob Chapman/Autosport Image

Bryan Sellers believes he and Paul Miller Racing’s Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America series debut at Virginia International Raceway will strengthen their overall program with the Italian manufacturer.

Sellers and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship co-driver Madison Snow have been a late addition to the Super Trofeo lineup this weekend, marking the team’s foray into the world’s fastest single-make series.

“I think the good thing is that it expands Paul Miller Racing’s Lamborghini experience,” Sellers told Sportscar365.

“It entwines us more with the manufacturer. I think certainly any time you get to race, it’s a good thing.

“For me when they called and asked if I wanted to do it, it was an easy decision.”

The program, utilizing Snow’s Lamborghini Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo car he drove last year as well as the 2016 season-opener at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, came together just in the past week.

It’s, however, enabled the pairing additional track time, with Sellers and Snow, along with Dream Racing’s Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, the only drivers pulling double duty between WeatherTech Championship and Super Trofeo races this weekend.

“Madison and I are now far enough into the season to have an idea of what the other person wants out of the car and what it needs,” Sellers said. “So in terms of that, I don’t think it’s a huge advantage.

“But in being able to keep up with the changing track conditions, to be able to tell what it’s like in the morning and afternoon to be able to compare and contrast with the two cars, it’s helpful.”

Sellers, who got his first laps in the Super Trofeo car on Thursday, admitted he’s still coming to grips with the 620-horsepower beast, which delivers more straight-line speed but has different handling characteristics to the Huracán GT3.

“To be honest, these cars are such different animals and for me right now it’s just trying to get my head wrapped around what this thing wants and needs,” he said.

“We’re taking it step by step… For me, it’s feeling out the [Pirelli] tire, the aero, the feelings of it all. This is a difficult place to hop in when you don’t know a car and just trust it. It takes some time.

“Madison has been good at this thing. He’s fought for [Super Trofeo] race wins so we’ll do our best to do that here as well.

“But the competition is still deep; there’s still some really fast guys. It’s not going to be easy. We’ll definitely have our work cut out for us. But I think we’re up for the challenge.”

On the WeatherTech Championship side, the duo are still seeking their, and Lamborghini’s first GTD class win, after a challenging season that saw a handful of potential race-winning runs slip away.

A class pole at Detroit and podium finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park stands as their highlights, heading into the final three races of the season.

“We need to deliver on the WeatherTech [Championship] side,” Sellers said. “We’ve definitely had a good race car and have had some good opportunities but they just haven’t all fallen into place the way we needed it to.

“At Road America, we were really good and should have picked another direction with strategy. But it worked for us earlier in the year, so it’s hard to be too upset with it.

“We just need to get it all right together and hopefully get one.”

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