Latest news with #TommyMilner
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Robert Wickens Checking 'a Massive Box' in IMSA WeatherTech Series
Robert Wickens' return to top level of racing will be in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He's slated to team with two-time GTLM champion Tommy Milner and race for DXDT Racing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach April 11-12. Wickens will team with veteran racer Milner to pilot a specially equipped Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with a state-of-the-art hand-control braking system. Ever since Robert Wickens was critically injured in an August 2018 IndyCar crash at Pocono Raceway that left him paralyzed, he's been on the comeback trail. And while Wickens had already made it back to racing—he's raced a TCR car and tested a Formula E car, to name just two elements, among others, of his return—the leap he's about to make to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is definitely next-level. This week, Wickens is testing a specially equipped Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with a state-of-the-art hand-control braking system at Sebring International Raceway. It's all part of Wickens' return to top-level racing. He's slated to team with two-time GTLM champion Tommy Milner and race for DXDT Racing at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach April 11-12. Wickens plans to race in the IMSA sprint races this season with designs on a full-season run at the series championship in 2026. "I think this is a big step for me to officially get that fulfillment—I want to be a full-time contender in the WeatherTech series," Wickens said in a media call on Wednesday. "But honestly, taking the green flag in Long Beach is going to be an enormous step forward in my career and my journey back to the highest levels. "Basically, you could say we did it. We're racing against the best cars, the best drivers in the whole sports-car industry. I want to win championships for myself, for General Motors, for DXDT. There's still some work to be done, but I think you can say it's definitely a massive box checked—probably the biggest box that we could check off so far in my return." The 36-year-old Wickens will be making his first start in the GTD class and first start in the IMSA WeatherTech series since the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona where he raced with Ben Keating, Chris Cumming, John Falb, and Remo Ruscitti in a Starworks Motorsport entry. Making this return to the big stage possible are the efforts of Bosch, General Motors, Pratt & Miller, and DXDT Racing. The team's Corvette Z06 GT3.R has been equipped with special hand controls that allow Wickens to control the electronic braking and throttle with hand controls that top anything the driver has experienced since his accident. "I think the biggest takeaway I have so far is that it feels like the Bosch EBS and the hand-control system that was developed by Pratt & Miller, it's like it belonged in this car," Wickens said midway through his second day of testing. "There hasn't been a single hiccup. It feels like when they designed this, this Z06 GT3, it's like it belongs in the car. "Immediately, I felt way more comfortable with the braking feeling and braking sensation than I even had in my past racing in TCR with the Bosch EBS. It was a massive step forward. So, hats off to all the men and women at Bosch and also Pratt & Miller and DXDT for collaborating to make this all possible." To get ready for the Sebring test and return to the racetrack, Wickens spent countless hours in the simulator. "Racing on my home simulator, not only is it very fun, but it made my dexterity and kind of my resolution on my hand for throttle application, in particular, just stronger and stronger," he said. "And I think after driving this Corvette Z06, I feel like the next step for me is actually to start doing more throttle application with my right hand, just to build that muscle memory. "For people that don't know, I pretty much do like 98% of the throttle application with my left hand. So that way I can freely upshift with my right hand, and then brake with my right hand, downshift with the left hand type of thing. With this car, like turn 7 (at Sebring), there's a few corners here where I feel like I need to start practicing using throttle with both hands a little bit more. "But the home simulator, it definitely didn't hurt. The brake that I use on my home simulator is very different to what we have in the race car, but for throttle purposes, I think it's very helpful." One of the first questions for any sports-car tandem in the WeatherTech series when one driver faces some of the challenges that Wickens does—and with the added technology in the race car—is how will this affect the crucial in-race driver changes. Milner says it won't be an issue on race day. "In Robbie's case, he has to do all of his driving with with his hands," Milner said. "Him being paralyzed from the chest down, he has no use of his feet, really. The systems are basically set up so that he can do all that with the steering wheel itself. And there's a brake ring, there's a throttle, throttle paddles, and those obviously take the place of what I would normally use in the pedal box. "The system is quite impressive with how it functions and how it works. With just one push of a button, the system switches from the able-bodied driver controls to the hand controls, which obviously is important for sports-car racing where we have driver changes. "It'll be especially important at Long Beach, (with) the driver change being a pretty important part of the race, because that typically ends up being kind of the limiting factor in the pit stop. The tires and the fuel typically take a little bit less energy, take a little bit less time. "Robbie obviously comes from a place where he has the sports-car racing experience, where he's had to do those driver changes. So from that side, there's no real limitations, so to speak. He knows what he needs to get out of the car." Milner added that it's hard not to be inspired by Wickens' return. Milner even called it "an honor" to be a part of it. "His drive and determination is pretty incredible," Milner said. "It's pretty inspiring to see that, and I'm excited to go racing with him at Long Beach."
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Gloves Came off at IMSA Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Result Was Strong Ratings
Fans need to see the competitive passion if IMSA wants to hit top dead center with some real torque. When Sebastien Bourdais lambasted IMSA for its post-race demotion of Tower Motorsports from first place in LMP2 over a skid-plate violation, he broke ranks. There's no racing show like one with passion, whether it's participants talking about the rules, the competition, beating the other guy or the other company. It's time to welcome IMSA back to the big leagues thanks to a raucous Rolex 24 at Daytona and some TV ratings to match. At the year's biggest WeatherTech Championship race, some drivers, teams and manufacturers spoke their minds afterward instead of kowtowing to IMSA's one-for-all party line. Instead of corporate speak, they let their opinions fly, which is what happens in Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar. Whether it's throwing punches, verbal jousting or a manufacturer like Ford not taking the usual line, fans need to see the competitive passion if a series wants to hit top dead center with some real torque. It was not enough to have a deep, high-tech field, with drivers and teams to match at the Rolex. When Tommy Milner called out BMW and its driver Augusto Farfus for questionable team tactics that stank, well, you could see the fumes as well as Milner's single finger salute. When Sebastien Bourdais lambasted IMSA for its post-race demotion of Tower Motorsports from first place in LMP2 over a skid-plate violation, he broke ranks. The Porsche Penske Motorsport team was demoted from victory for a similar violation at Watkins Glen in 2023, but that was followed by a carefully worded media release. The Rolex had an impressive fan turnout, international viewing numbers topping two million on YouTube and more-than-respectable TV ratings that averaged 901,000 viewers on NBC despite catawampus jumps between the main channel and Peacock as race fans got the usual pitch designed to generate paid streaming. Including a long-running online radio show, if the numbers in all these electronic realms are to go up, the more passion from participants the better. The biggest breach of protocol came from the biggest announcement. Ford is back in play at the top level of sports prototype racing with its first major commitment in decades. But the folks at the Blue Oval, led by Chairman Bill Ford, skipped the usual niceties. Instead, Ford's new chairman is beginning to sound like the second coming of The Deuce, the incomparable Henry Ford II, whose leadership led to the GT40, Mk II and Mk IV. 'We're coming back to beat Ferrari at Le Mans,' said the current chairman. He not only broke protocol by tweaking a competitor. There was not even a car or team in the room. He did not mention IMSA or the Rolex 24, much less an LMDh. The leadership at IMSA by Jim France, the board chairman, and John Doonan, the president, can understand Ford's point of view. After all, the current WeatherTech Championship that they have expertly built relies in no small part on a strong relationship with Le Mans. That sounds a bit like the preceding American Le Mans Series, does it not? There's a deeper historical precedent between the current GTP and the version that put IMSA on the worldwide map in the 1980s. Inarguably, the original GTP cars were as technically sophisticated as the machinery in any other major series in the world. The current LMDh hybrids can stake a similar claim to technical sophistication. The only remaining step is to beat the custom-built Hypercars such as the Ferrari 499P at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The emergence of a rivalry between Chevy's Corvette and Ford's Mustang in GTD is a tribute to IMSA growing its GT classes, albeit the GT3 category is not exactly home-grown. That rivalry is now augmented with some blood in the water around BMW and Milner's new t-shirt featuring a single digit salute that is being sold for charity. Combined with the hybrid prototypes, IMSA stands with any other major series in the world when it comes to competition, especially at the major endurance events, which comprise half the schedule. But there's no racing show like one with passion, whether it's participants talking about the rules, the competition, beating the other guy or the other company. The new developments at Daytona and the following Ford announcement in Charlotte are a refreshing break from a cozy relationship that exists between the sanctioning body and its competing manufacturers, which all pay a pretty penny to participate. This 'pay-to-play' partnership has sometimes made IMSA seem like Mr. Rogers neighborhood. Let's hope the cardigan sweater and the gloves continue to come off as a promising season and future continues to unfold.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A Rolex to remember
It was an instant classic. In the same way last May's Indianapolis 500 became an immediate thriller, but longer. Much longer. One week after the Rolex 24 At Daytona concluded, I'm still smiling, thinking about the transformative nature of the latest IMSA season opener. As I noted when the formula launched, 2023 was the year of GTP and it has continued to grow from the initial four manufacturers who founded the category to six when Aston Martin joins next month at Sebring. And with the addition of Ford and its Mustang to a packed field, 2024 was the year of GT racing in IMSA's WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. So what's 2025? It's everything we witnessed at the Rolex 24: Hardcore, hip-checking, nose-punching competition. Great cars — and a great many cars, 61 in total — locked in a torrid IMSA cage match with WWE-style fighting and dramas that won't be easily forgotten. Drivers hammered each other on the opening lap and it continued through to the end as relentless aggression, misfortune, adversity, and reliability woes ensured the 63rd edition of the race was interesting for the majority of its 1440 minutes. We even got the world's best racing meme, courtesy of Corvette Racing and Tommy Milner. Penske pulled off a remarkable back-to-back overall win. Ford broke through the first big win for its Pony car, as did Corvette with the Z06 GT3.R, but not with the factory team in the GTD PRO class; in the pro-am GTD division with the Canadian AWA team. BMW was on pole and in contention for most of the GTP race, which was an encouraging development, and LMP2 was the real test of endurance as it seemed like nobody wanted to win. And when the class was won, the Tower Motorsports team was disqualified for an indisputable technical infraction…which it disputed, of course, and its appeal was denied…which awarded the victory to United Autosports. Even after the race, the drama continued. And the range of numbers that have come in from the Rolex 24 in recent days suggest the feeling experienced on the ground at Daytona were real and trending upward for IMSA. The series' broadcaster has yet to confirm the ratings, but the race's opening stanza on NBC is said to be up eight percent over 2024, which is good; it's the overarching metrics across all of the television and streaming metrics that represent major movement for IMSA. Including cable with the USA Network and streaming on Peacock where a peak Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.4 million viewers was produced, an average TAD of 901,000 people followed the race, which was a staggering viewership increase of 140 percent from last year. The year-to-year growth in streaming was also impressive at 33 percent. Positioned against NASCAR's ratings for the Daytona 500 or IndyCar's Indianapolis 500, IMSA's Rolex 24 watchers are a comparatively small group, but the encouraging news here is in the rise of that viewing base from 2024 to 2025. With 24 hours of continuous racing segmented and spread across NBC, USA, and Peacock, the Rolex 24 is never going to be a ratings winner like the marquee 500-milers, but the spikes in linear and streaming Rolex audiences have broken a years-long trend of small ratings for IMSA's big opening race. Fans get a last look at the cars in the garage areas prior to the race. James Gilbert/Motorsport Images Like NBC, the track hasn't published attendance figures — that's fairly common for Daytona — but the rumor on Sunday as the final hours of racing were underway put the four-day crowd over 100,000, which was highlighted by a bigger assembly of fans in the Turn 1 grandstands than I've ever seen at this race. It obviously wasn't packed like the Daytona 500, but there were a lot of people — and a lot of younger and newer fans — to wade through in the infield and in the garages. Having been to far too many Rolex 24s where I can walk anywhere without being slowed by crowds, the change is welcomed. I've also been to more than a few Rolex 24s where a specific car or team dominated and had the race won long before the checkered flag was unfurled. Those Rolex 24s were tedious affairs. As the clock wound into the last 30 minutes on Sunday, the top three in each of the four classes were caught in serious battles for victory as leads changed hands, and in GTP, the first three cars to reach the finish line were separated by 4.4s. The same was true in LMP2 with the top three being close, and in GTD PRO, the top three were 5.7s apart at the stripe. GTD is where the real party took place as the top eight hit the finish line separated by 10.5s. All after 24 hours of racing. Digital growth is the arena where IMSA might have made the biggest strides at Daytona as its use of YouTube as its strongest international promotional tool, and its content on the most popular social media platforms reached new heights. The series put out a press release during the race that said its airing of the live event on YouTube — exclusively for those outside North America — had garnered 2,000,000 viewers. Once the race was over, the final tally had risen considerably and was just a tick under 3,000,000 at 2,930,130. As a result of introducing so many new people to IMSA and the Rolex 24, the series' YouTube subscriber base exploded once more. It was at 602,000 on January 1, and at the time of writing, was up to 750,583, a jump of 24.7 percent via the 148,583 people who've started following IMSA's primary digital video outlet since the new year. There was also a point during the race where the subscriber number hit 720,000, which surpassed the 719,000 held by its European friends at the FIA World Endurance Championship. At 750,583 YouTube subscribers, IMSA ranks second among domestic racing series behind its parent company NASCAR (1,340,000) and has distanced itself from IndyCar (392,000) and the NHRA (235,000). IMSA's first-time use of a drone for its full-field shoot produced over 3,000,000 views, which was record, and on social, it had 10 Rolex 24 posts with more than 1,000,000 views apiece, which was another record for the series. These are all huge wins for IMSA, but I don't view the TV, crowd, and digital metrics in a tribal manner for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. I'm hoping the numbers are indicators of what's to come for every major domestic series this year. NASCAR's return to Bowman Gray generated encouraging ratings last weekend, and with IndyCar's move to FOX, the series and its paddock expect a meaningful hike in its audience size with all 17 races featured on the network. Add in the newfound and ongoing passion for Formula 1 in the U.S. which has been setting attendance records with its three visits and continues to build an impressive fanbase and ratings across ABC/ESPN, and it feels like racing is taking a step forward at home. There's a curiosity for racing that appears to extend beyond monoliths like NASCAR and F1, and that also makes me smile. It was a Rolex 24 to remember, and if I'm right, we'll be saying the same thing when the metrics arrive after the 500s and the other keystone races we love. Story originally appeared on Racer
