For Jordan Taylor and Renger Van Der Zande, a late April trip to Watkins Glen International is a chance to get a leg up on their IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition heading into this summer’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
The co-drivers of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R joined Spirit of Daytona Racing and Prestige Performance entries for a two-day test at the historic circuit, as IMSA teams ramp up preparations for the June 28-July 1 race weekend. While Wednesday’s track time was limited due to foggy and damp conditions, Thursday proved to be a full day of data gathering and familiarization with The Glen’s unique and challenging layout.
“Any time we can get up here, it’s a great test track where you can test for low-speed corners, high-speed corners, big curbs, small curbs. You get a bit of everything,” Taylor said before hitting the track on Wednesday. “We’ll be back here for the Six Hours later this year, and we’ll do some testing for that in particular, but also for our upcoming races we have in the next month,”
Van Der Zande, a two-time winner of the Sahlen’s Six Hours, counts WGI among his favorite stops on the international circuit.
“Watkins Glen is an amazing track,” he said. “For me, this place is quite magical because of the [elevation] difference, the high-speed corners. It asks a lot from the body and neck to keep yourself up. If I’m bragging about the U.S. racetracks when I’m over in Europe, Watkins Glen is the one that I’m talking about.”
Taylor and Van Der Zande participated in a noontime media availability on Wednesday afternoon, with notable quotes listed below.
On the surface of Watkins Glen International, and the commitment required to put together a fast lap:
Taylor: “It’s a unique track. It’s definitely the fastest track that we go to. Whenever you put together a lap around Watkins Glen, you know it because you were probably holding your breath the whole time. It’s always nice to be back.”
Van Der Zande: “It’s resurfaced, so it’s a high-end track now. For us to come here as race car drivers, it’s always a challenge. If you go off, you might have a ‘big one’, and that makes it only more thrilling to drive, so it’s very good.”
On Sahlen’s Six Hours as an event, and its place as a renowned race on the international motorsports calendar:
Taylor: “It’s one of the great, classic endurance races that are out there, around the whole world. My Dad won Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans, and the Watkins Glen Six Hour. He still rates the Six Hour as one of his most special wins, and I grew up hearing him say that. So, whenever I come back here, I know how special it is. I’ve finished second here a couple of times, but I’ve yet to win it. It’s very high on my list of races to win.”
Van Der Zande: “The Six Hours of Watkins Glen is always special in terms of accessibility for the fans. They have a fan walk just before the start of the race, where we sit with the car and you can talk to the driver and engineers, touch the car, and take a picture with the car. Coming here to race is always a special occasion, and it’s even better when you drive into victory lane.”
Weekend and Sunday general admission tickets are on sale now for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, which includes on-track action from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA, and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. For more information or to purchase your tickets, visit www.theglen.com or call 1-866-461-RACE.
