Aussie Tom Drewer overcame overheating brakes in his IMSA Lites L1 Championship debut to finish 11th and 7th in the two Sebring races last weekend.
Article appearing in Auto Action Magazine March 29, 2009. (Click image to read article).
Drewer's spritely start at Sebring. (Auto Action)
Hectic Time for Drewer. (The Advertiser)
Adelaide driver Tom Drewer has mixed feelings after his first race in the IMSA Lites 1 class at Florida's Sebring track.
Overheating brakes and other distractions kept him to an 11th place in Race 1 but a promising seventh in the 75-minute Race 2... Article appearing in The Advertiser Newspaper March 19, 2009. (Click on image to read article).
Drewer strong at 2009 Sebring Opener.
Tom Drewer, the 2008 IMSA Lites 2 Champion, made a solid transition to the Lites 1 class at Rounds 1 and 2 of the IMSA Lites Championship Presented by Frisby Performance Tire, as part of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Event, Florida USA.
Throughout the weekend’s practice sessions the young up-and-coming Australian, who dominated the Lites 2 class last year winning ten races in his first year of competition in America, hovered near the top of the time sheets and despite brake over-heating issues took his number 1 Daily Planet Racing / Comprent Motor Sports car to strong finishes in both races, 11th in Race 1 and 7th in the 1 hour 15 minute endurance event.
Drewer is running the number 1 plate signifying his Lites 2 Championship win and the fact that Comprent are reigning Lites 1 Team Champions.
“We were immediately around the pace and after P3 (practice session 3) I felt very positive about the speed we showed. We were third fastest for quite some time and I brought the car in relatively early, feeling I still had a little up my sleeve for qualifying.”
Drewer finished practice three 5th fastest completing only around half of the number of laps as compared to the other front-runners.
“Qualifying didn’t exactly go to plan, though we still made it into the top-ten. We had a random glitch in the car as I arrived at the form-up grid. We got dispensation to fix it and start the session from pit-lane. The team did a tremendous job to solve the issues and get the car out before 1 lap had even been completed.
As I left pit-lane I received a pit-lane speed violation, something that over half the field received throughout the session. It turns out the rule change in where the car’s timing transponder is mounted made it possible for you to switch off the speed-limiter as the front wheels passed the control-line and still have the car technically speeding by the time the transponder passed the control-line.
Then just as I got some clear track my fire extinguisher became faulty- never mind it was brand new- and I had foam spraying all over my visor as I turned through turns 4, 10, 13 and 16.”
Drewer started Round 1 in 9th position and after a blinding start, which saw him as high as 7th, he had to settle for eleventh while managing overheating brakes.
“I got an amazing start. I think I jumped two rows and as I came into turn 1, I was sandwiched between my team-mates Charlie (Sheers) and Jonathan (Gore). As we approached the corner I started to get squeezed on both sides- we were actually all touching. All I could picture in my mind was three Comprent cars in the wall on the first lap of the first race of the season. That’s no way to win a Championship and I backed out.
After that I ran slightly wide into turn seven but recovered and then my brake pedal got longer and longer as my brakes began to overheat. I pushed as hard as I could but I had to be a little careful with the brakes. It was a shame to finish slightly lower than what we started but a fantastic feeling to finish my first race in an IMSA Lites 1 car.
In the Endurance race, Round 2, I got another great start, which was important as I started in 12th position. Even though the race was longer I just tried to push as hard as I could the whole way. Unfortunately the brakes began to overheat again and it was a case of balancing how hard I could push and managing the brakes.
When I came into the pits for the fuel stop brake dust went everywhere and with the amount of heat haze and smoke coming from the front rotors I thought they were on fire.
After the stop the brakes came back for a while before I had to manage them again. I could push for a few corners and then I would have to ease my pace. Still, I caught up to sixth and seventh place. Every time I pushed just a little harder to get closer the brakes were locking and overheating and the pedal got longer and I lost a few tenths. It was quite difficult to manage but I eventually passed (Jon) Brownson for 7th, around the outside through the fast turn 1.”
The results are impressive given Drewer has only spent limited time in Lites 1 car over the off-season while the majority of the opposition are going into their second or third year of driving in Lites 1.
“This has been a really positive result. Sure it would have been fantastic to repeat last year’s success in Lites 2 and take out both rounds here at Sebring, but I’m really happy with the pace we showed and the strong top-ten result in the endurance event.
A couple of mechanical glitches probably prevented us from an even better result but as they say, ‘that’s motor racing’.
It’s just fantastic to be back here at Sebring racing for my second year in America.
I really want to thank everyone back home for again supporting me this year. I have had amazing support yet again from friends and family. I would especially like to thank John Trimble and the Daily Planet for their continued support this year.
I feel really comfortable here with Comprent. The team is so professional and well equipped. I think it’s going to be a great year and I can’t wait for Utah.”
Drewer and IMSA Lites head to Miller Motorsport Park, Utah for Rounds 3 and 4 on May 15-17.
Comprent ready for biggest assault yet on IMSA Lites title.
Reigning IMSA Lites 1 Team Champions Comprent Motor Sports will field five cars at Rounds 1 & 2 of the 2009 IMSA Lites Championship, Presented by Frisby Performance Tire, to be held this weekend, the beginning of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Event.
The legendary Athens, Georgia, based team headed by Kevin Kloepfer ran two cars at last year’s event, but for the majority of the season focused solely on preparing the season dominating car for 2008 Lites 1 Champion Jonathan Goring (Torrington, CT).
Ten race wins and what Kevin described as a “near perfect” season has attracted three star drivers to the Comprent outfit to spearhead the team’s campaign alongside father and son duo Wayne and David Ducote (New Orleans, LA) who will compete with the team at selected rounds.
2008 IMSA Lites 2 Champion, Australian Tom Drewer (Adelaide, AUS), steps up to the Lites 1 category after a stellar first year of competition in North America. Without ever setting foot at any of the tracks last year Tom won ten rounds of the Lites 2 Championship including Round’s 1 & 2 at the Sebring event, consistently mixing it with the fastest L1s and placing as high as second over-all.
“It’s fantastic to be racing back here in America this year, and especially with Comprent. We ran up the front of the field last year, but this year I have the opportunity to win outright.
Last year was a big learning curve for me. It was my first year racing in America and the circuits were all new. I came over here by myself and didn’t know anyone. I feel much more comfortable heading into this season. There are a few familiar faces in the paddock and I feel right at home with Kevin and the Comprent boys. We watched each other winning last year, and it felt like a logical step in my progression toward American Le Mans to drive L1 with them.”
Drewer will be running number 1 on the car this year signifying Comprent’s 2008 team and drivers’ Championship wins, and Drewer’s win in the Lites 2 Drivers’ Championship.
However, it isn’t only Drewer who has the desire to give the Comprent team back-to-back championship wins.
Young American hot-shot Jonathan Gore (Franklin, TN), who placed 5th in his first year of L1 and was a podium finisher at the Petit Le Mans Round looks set to make 2009 his year, and hopes his initials are a good omen.
“Last year Comprent won with a JG. This year they have another- me. I’m not one for superstitions but I feel I’m ready to make 2009 mine and those initials another Drivers’ Championship.
2008 was my first year and I feel I have a really good knowledge base for this year. I think that, with my transition to Comprent has put me in a very good position to build on last year. I’m going for it this year.”
The third driver spearheading Comprent’s championship assault is long time racer and Real Estate Developer Charlie Sheers (Houston, TX). Charlie is attempting to take two titles this year, the outright Lites 1 Championship and the Masters’ title.
Charlie progressed to Lites 1 in 2007 after running selected Lites 3 races in 2006. His podium at last year’s Lime Rock race shows Charlie is a serious contender. Even after a series of mechanical failures last year Charlie still finished sixth in the 2008 Lites 1 Drivers’ Championship. He expects with his move to Comprent will come the consistent reliability he’s after.
"I am extremely excited racing with Comprent, their knowledge of the car and their support staff makes it a top of the line race team.
I’m very happy with how pre-season testing has gone and the times suggest I’ll be right there. I’ll definitely give these young boys a run for their money.”
Team owner Kevin Kloepfer also thinks he could have three potential Champions and possibly take out the top 5 at the Sebring Event.
“Charlie, Jonathan and Tom all share the same goal as we do- winning the Championship.
“We committed everything and worked extremely hard last year to win, and dominated with ten race wins.
I know we are going to have to dig even deeper this year to make it two in a row, but I’m extremely impressed at the way the team, is working together, particularly the drivers.
I think we could have all three drivers fighting for the Championship, and I know the competition will be strong so it’s going to make for one exciting year.
Certainly everyone in the team has the same aim, to win and win the Championship. Our goal is to be first, second and third all year regardless of the order. There will be no team orders.
And, for Sebring, and I’m sure most of the rounds this year, we also have David and Wayne Ducote. Given the speed they show I think it could be possible to take all top five positions.
David Ducote is just as excited about his, his father’s and the team’s prospects.
“I won the Radical RS3 Cup and we’re really enjoyed making the progression to IMSA Lites and the Élan DP-02.
“We’re both hoping to do as many rounds as possible, but it seems our personal and business schedules have a habit of conflicting with the race weekends.”
The 2008 IMSA Lites Presented by Frisby Performance Tire season begins at Sebring, Florida as part of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring event. Round 1 is a 30 minute race to be held tomorrow, Saturday March 14, and Round 2 is a 1 hour 15 minute enduro to be held Sunday.
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