K-PAX Racing recently announced the return of drivers Rodrigo Baptisa, Alvaro Parente, Maxime Soulet, and Andy Soucek for the upcoming Blancpain GT World Challenge America series.
This week in the Pirelli Paddock Pass, team principal Darren Law discusses the significance of bringing back the entire driver lineup from last year, the new Bentley Continental GT3, and what has him most looking forward to the upcoming season.
How significant is it to have the same four drivers back for a second consecutive year?
“That’s super important. We’re glad all the same guys are back for multiple reasons. It’s great to have the continuity and a second year with everybody as a group together.
“For us with the development of the new car, the Bentley factory guys, Andy Soucek and Maxime Soulet, they had a lot of time in that car. That will help speed up the learning process.”
How much testing has K-PAX done with the new car?
“We did a test last week and that was the first time we had been on track with it. It’s amazing. It’s a huge jump and they’ve addressed a lot of different things with the car. It’s a big improvement.
“Both Alvaro and Rodrigo had not driven the new car, and they said it was night and day. It’s a great car. Everyone is excited. Lap time-wise, we were quick. It was really good.”
How would you characterize K-PAX Racing’s relationship with Bentley?
“I would call it a factory-supported effort. We’re not a full factory team, but we’re very well supported from all different sides. We’ve dealt with a lot of manufacturers and these guys are one of the best ever to work with.
“Their willingness and openness to work with us and trying to improve everything, the sharing of data between teams sets them apart.”
What are you most excited about for the upcoming Blancpain GT World Challenge America season?
“It’s exciting that we’re falling under the umbrella of the Blancpain group, the SRO. I think there’s a lot of positives to that.
“It’s a new race format so it’s a wait and see how it turns out but I feel good about how it’s laid out.
“The last I heard, we’re going to have a pretty decent sized GT3 field this year and some stiff competition. I’m excited about the competition. It looks like it’s going to be a really, really great series.”
What can you do to prepare for the change in race format?
“It’s a different approach because this is really unique here in the U.S. They don’t have hour and a half races in Europe, they have one hour, three hour, and, obviously, the endurance races.
“There isn’t a format like this so I don’t think there’s a specific model that you follow. Our race program, our race team, has a lot of experience with the endurance racing and refueling so I feel good going into it.
“We have a lot of experience in this area, we haven’t just done sprint racing.”