WEC Drivers Looking Forward to “Spectacular” COTA Return

Photo: James Moy/Toyota

FIA World Endurance Championship drivers are looking forward to returning to Circuit of The Americas next month for the revival of the Lone Star Le Mans FIA World Endurance Championship event.

The Aug. 30-Sept. 1 Labor Day weekend race will mark the first time the globe-trotting series will be back at the highly regarded Austin venue in more than four years, while also being the only opportunity of seeing the WEC’s top Hypercar class on U.S. soil.

“I’m looking forward to being there with Cadillac, because I think it’d be something really special,” said Cadillac Racing’s Earl Bamber.

“Obviously it’ll be our home race, so hopefully we can get a really great turnout.

“It’s America, so then there will be a lot of stars and stripes around the place and stuff like that, which is always really good fun.

“[With] the popularity of Formula 1 and then I think sports car racing is on the rise over here so like I said I think it would be an all-around a great event.

“The track is spectacular.”

Bamber’s co-driver Alex Lynn added: “Austin as a place is super cool and then being a home race for us being back in the U.S. is really important for us and GM.

“I think we dream of putting on a good result. That’s what we’d like to do.

“Hopefully it suits our car. It will also be interesting with the resurfacing.”

The Grade 1 FIA-specification 3.426-mile track has undergone resurfacing upgrades over the winter and is due for additional updates next week, ahead of the highly anticipated six-hour WEC contest.

Bamber and Lynn’s Hypercar competitors have also praised the circuit’s fast and flowing nature, as well as the city itself, for offering a plethora of entertainment away from the track for fans.

“It’s a really cool circuit,” said Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Kevin Estre. “Out of the modern circuits, it’s one of my favorites, with a really cool flow.

“It’s also a really cool place to be [in Austin]. I have to say I’m really looking forward to this.”

Estre said he enjoys the Turns 3-5 section of the track, modeled after the famous Maggots, Becketts and Chapel corners at Silverstone, the most.

“For sure you have the first section, which is more challenging and exciting,” he said.

Ferrari AF Corse’s James Calado added: “I like the first sector. It’s really, really quick. It’s a good track.”

“I think it’ll produce great racing, to be honest,” Bamber added. “It’ll be very high on tire degradation as well, so I think strategically it’ll be a real challenge.”

Porsche Penske driver Matt Campbell, expects the engineers to be working overtime to perfect each cars’ setup given the sophistication of the Hypercar class entries, which will be making their COTA race debuts.

“For sure it’s going to be challenging in these cars, also with the systems and everything,” he said.

“Now the track is quite challenging and a good mixture of corners. It will be just as busy off track trying to really fine-tune the car a lot.”

Campbell: COTA to Be “Important Race” for Penske Group

The Australian, who has returned to full-time WEC competition this year, stressed the importance of the COTA race for the U.S.-based Penske organization.

“There’s definitely always a big influence and push for getting these good results at our more-or-less home races,” Campbell said.

“This one will be no different. “We want to get a good result and being a home race, there will be a lot of people from the Penske groups there on-site.

“It will be a big and important race for the group.”

In addition to Cadillac and Penske, Heart of Racing Team will also be flying the stars and stripes at COTA with its Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo entry in the LMGT3 ranks, offering U.S. fans plenty of teams to root for.

Davey Euwema contributed to this report

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