AIM Autosport heads to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, bolstered by a strong test earlier this month. Brian Frisselle of Lynchburg, Va., and Mark Wilkins of Toronto will drive the No. 61 Lexus-powered Riley Mk XI in the June 23 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series DP race on the 2.258-mile road course. The car is backed by Exchange Traded Gold, Barrick Gold Corporation, RBC Financial Group and Telus’ Mike Network.
“I’m quietly confident that we have a really good package for Mid-Ohio this weekend. We had a very positive test and we learned a lot about the car, ” Wilkins said. “I think the Riley is good at Mid-Ohio because it is a technical track. The chassis tends to work really well on technical circuits.
“Due to the high level of competition it is imperative that we run as fast as possible every lap, regardless of race length, in order to be competitive. The Lexus engine is always fast and always reliable, so we don’t tend to worry about it. With the amount of talent in the series, every race is a sprint race, so I expect to drive flat-out for the duration. “
traffic control
Brian Frisselle knows the importance of getting through slow traffic on the tight Ohio track. Although the Daytona Prototype class will race without the series GT cars (which will race on June 24), passing will still be difficult.
“It’s just all about running good, fast, clean laps, ” he explained. “It’s an extremely hard track to pass on, especially a car in your own class, so track position is going to be key, and then hopefully we’ll have a car that gets out onto the straights pretty well, because Mid-Ohio is notorious for tough passing. “
He noted the evening start time could also affect race strategy: “Ohio has a lot of thunderstorms and waiting that late in the day to race, you could definitely be looking at weather. The track should be cooling down and getting quicker as the day goes, so hopefully our car will be quick at the end and adjust well to the track temperature change. ”
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