Pirelli Paddock Pass: Sean Quinlan

Sean Quinlan teamed with Greg Liefooghe And Stephen Cameron Racing to score a win and a second place finish in Pirelli GT4 America West competition at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca over the weekend.

This week in the Pirelli Paddock Pass, he fills us in on the win, his transition to GT4 machinery, his background in motorsports, and more.

How gratifying was it to earn that first Pirelli GT4 America win in Race 1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca?

“The win was very satisfying. My co-driver and coach Greg Liefooghe had great pace all week, so our goal was to leave him enough tires that he could work his way through the field after the driver change.

“The full course yellow gave Greg a chance to take the lead and then we had the thrilling and nerve racking battle with the Ginetta to hold onto the win. A thoroughly enjoyable and exciting race!”

What has the transition from the TC ranks to GT4 been like?

“Overall the transition has been smooth. The BMW M4 GT4 has more power, more aero, and a much stiffer brake pedal than the BMW M235iR I drove in TC.

“I also switched to left foot braking. I loved the large field and wide variety of cars in the GT4 races at COTA last month, which was my primary motivation for switching classes.”

How beneficial has it been to stay within the Stephen Cameron Racing family for that transition?

“The team at Stephen Cameron Racing has extensive experience with the BMW M4 GT4, having run the car in multiple series last year. Leveraging this experience certainly simplified the transition from my point of view.”

Where did your interest in motorsports come from?

“Seven years ago I went to a track day experience at Laguna Seca for a friend’s 40th birthday. At the end of the day, there was an autocross session where we drove the cars near the limit, and I was hooked.

“After a few track days, I went to racing school, bought a race car, and started club racing in the Spec E30 class.

“With coaching from Greg, I slowly improved to the point where I felt comfortable making the jump to TC and now GT4. It is an addictive and rewarding sport!”

What are your goals for the remainder of the season?

“Greg and I are entering all nine GT4 SprintX events this year and are competing in the overall SprintX championship in the Pro-Am class. With a little luck, we can be a contender as we showed at Laguna Seca.

“I will also double up and do some of the GT4 Sprint events and am aiming for a few individual podiums in the Am class.

“I am particularly looking forward to the Sonoma event as that is the home track for Cameron Racing, Greg, and myself.”