DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (January 7, 2020) – New IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship team Era Motorsport has just completed the first full-series test of the season, the Roar Before the 24. With eight sessions over the course of the three days, the team made massive strides with their new Oreca LMP2 07 with drivers Kyle Tilley, Dwight Merriman, Ryan Lewis, and Nicolas Minassian.
“To say I’m happy with the Roar would be an understatement,” said team owner and driver Kyle Tilley. “It was a manic few weeks to put the team together, so to run competitively without issue was very satisfying, and a credit to everyone we have brought on. The Rolex 24 at Daytona will be a challenge to even the most experienced teams on the grid, so we are now looking forward to getting our car back to the workshop and fettled before the big one!”
In true Florida fashion, IMSA participants at Daytona International Speedway were presented with varying weather conditions from sunny and warm to cold and rainy, allowing teams to experiment with various car set ups during the race. The range in conditions also allowed each of the drivers to get comfortable in the car no matter what Florida weather may choose to gift the Rolex 24 at Daytona competitors on race day.
The LMP2 team ran almost 450 miles over the eight sessions, improving their initial lap time of 1:42.802 in the first session to 1:37.535 on the final day. While the Roar 24 at Daytona is not about outright speed, the progress is welcome to the young team, kicking off the season with the longest race on the IMSA calendar.
Over 40 cars will compete at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, January 25th, and race around the 3.56 mile roval course. Split into two prototype classes and two GT classes, the competitors of the Rolex 24 At Daytona face 24 hours of intense competition in various conditions, all fighting to be the first across the finish line at the end. Car performance, pit stop execution, driver changes, pit stop strategy, and driving ability will all be put to the test, with every second counting toward the end goal on Sunday, January 26th. Television coverage for the event will begin on Saturday, January 25th on NBC at 1:30PM Eastern. For full broadcast and event information, visit imsa.com.