Young Australian driver Tom Drewer heads to the famous Sebring circuit, Florida, this week in preparation for the 2008 IMSA Lites Championship.
Drewer is competing in Lites 2 this year in the latest generation IMSA spec WEST WR1000 ‘Tunnel car’ for Atlanta based PVM Racing after dominating and winning the 2007 Australian Thundersports Championship in a ‘flat bottomed’ factory backed WEST.
‘I am over in the USA to further my motor racing career. I believe that you have to test yourself in a new environment and I am looking forward to learning from the American drivers, from the crew at PVM and WEST, and of course to learn circuits that I have never raced on. This year is all about learning.’
The official Sebring test will only be Drewer’s second time in the brand new WEST, following a brief shake down at Little Talladega.
‘We turned only a couple of laps on Saturday to test a new dry sump system, that PVM has developed, and to bed in the brakes plus the engine. I had to take a conservative approach but the car felt fantastic. WEST and PVM have done a great job.’
‘Sebring will be my first real opportunity to test with the tunnel car and on Hankook radial tyres– we raced on cross-plies in Australia. Given that I’ll be taking the same conservative approach as I did at Little Talladega. It’s very much a matter of getting some laps in, bedding in the car and getting a little data as a starting point for the season.’
‘I am determined to reach the top levels of international motorsport and follow in the footsteps of a fellow South Australian, Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan, who has endorsed my decision to race in America, but for now this is a small step in a very big learning curve.’
Drewer’s USA race debut is at Sebring International Raceway, Florida on March 13/14.
Drewer dials in.
Drewer on track in USA.
Upon arrival in America, Tom Drewer immediately headed to ‘Little Talladega’ raceway to be with his new team, Atlanta based PVM, as part of their pre-season testing program
before the official IMSA sanctioned test to be held later this month at Sebring International Raceway, Florida.
Greeting Tom at the raceway was Eric Vassian, co-owner of PVM Racing and fellow L2 IMSA lite driver.
‘It was great to finally meet Tom,’ Eric said. ‘We are delighted to have him on-board and are looking forward to helping him achieve back to back championships on either side of the Pacific.’
PVM tested a brand new WEST ‘tunnel floor’ chassis, the same spec as Tom will race in the 2008 IMSA Lites Championship at the Talledega circuit.
‘The added downforce of the tunnel floor gives the car a noticeable performance gain. It’s clear to me that I’ll be able to corner much faster in the new IMSA spec car than in the car I won the Australian Championship last year,’ said Drewer.
‘After 35 hours in transit I advised the team it wasn’t a great idea for me to jump in the car, but it was great to finally meet my team and to see the tunnel car in action.’
While not in a WEST, Tom did complete a couple of laps of Little Talladega in an Audi Quattro road car.
‘Even though I was extremely jet lagged, I was itching to get out on the track. It was good to get behind the wheel for the first time on an American circuit. Now I’m just really looking forward to taking delivery of my new WEST and rolling out of pit lane at Sebring for the first time.’
As part of Tom’s introduction to the ‘deep south’ PVM supplied a traditional ‘bbq smoked shredded pork sandwich’ for lunch.
‘Everyone at PVM has made me feel so welcome today, and it’s great to see that I get along well with my chief race engineer, Jake Randels, because apart from the fact he’s responsible for my car. I’ll also be living with him!’ said Drewer at the end of the day.
Drewer’s USA race debut is at Sebring on March 13/14.
In the fast lane. (The Advertiser)
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Schuppan farewells Drewer to USA.
Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan has farewelled Tom Drewer just prior to his departure to the USA where he will compete in the 2008 American LeMans Series’ IMSA Lites.
‘Having Vern (Schuppan) wish me the best and give me some advice on both racing and living in the USA was the best possible farewell I could have had’, Drewer said after the two came down to the Clipsal 500 Adelaide circuit and looked over the WEST race car that took the young South Australian driver to victory in the 2007 Australian Thundersports Championship.
‘Vern is an absolute hero of mine and given what he achieved in sports cars with his Le Mans victory, his third place at Indy and his Formula 1 drives I can’t think of a better guy to give me a few tips on what it takes to succeed at an international level’, Drewer added.
‘Vern talked about his karting days here in South Australia and what sort of attitude it takes to succeed in the American racing scene. His best pieces of advice were to work extremely hard, be totally focussed, and not to worry about the other drivers. He said “I never used to worry about them because I knew I would pass them”.
Drewer flew out of Adelaide heading for Atlanta, Georgia where he is making his American base to be near the PVM team that he is contracted to drive with for the entire IMSA Lites Championship that is run in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series.
‘My new WEST ‘tunnel’ car is due to be delivered from the factory in Portland to the team in Atlanta at about the same time as I arrive, so I will be off the ground and running as soon as I arrive. We have to do a seat fitting and also the team is installing a special dry sump system and an upgraded electronic paddle shift gear selector system that they tell me gives you a bit of an advantage.
The aim is to shake the car down in Atlanta prior to heading for the official IMSA test session to be held at Sebring in Florida at the end of January’.
Drewer said he would also have to “acclimatise” to the high down force aerodynamics of the new model WEST.
‘I have been told the aero package alone is worth a few seconds a lap as compared to the car I have been driving in Australia, and the tyres are also meant to provide more grip, so it should be quite a ride’.
Drewer’s USA race debut is at Sebring on March 13/14.
