“I’ve actually never been to that circuit,” said Drewer as he answered the phone call from Steve Loudin about coaching him around the Daytona International Speedway road course.
But that’s been typical for Australia’s Tom Drewer who has only been racing in America for two years. In 2008 every circuit he ventured to with the American Le Mans Series’ IMSA Lites category was brand new to the young up and coming Aussie, and this year Drewer had another two new circuits to deal with.
“I love racing here in America. They’re not just new circuits to me. They’re the circuits I’ve always dreamed of racing at; Sebring, Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta, and I won and got track records at all of them last year. This year I put the Lites 1 on pole with the fastest lap of the weekend at New Jersey, first time there.
So I didn’t mind taking on the challenge to learn Daytona, and make sure Steve got the most out of his weekend. The biggest Challenge was I wouldn’t actually ever be driving the track. The closest I got was sitting in the passenger seat.”
But that didn’t seem to sway Drewer who coached Steve Loudin and his gold ‘007 Bond’ Tricel Honeycomb Dodge Viper Competition Coupe to all three victories, in class, during the event...
“It was fantastic to work with Steve and get the most out of him and the 007 Viper around probably the most famous circuit in North America.
I tell you, I think everyone says the same four-letter word when you drive out of the tunnel into the infield of Daytona for the first time. The banking is amazingly steep. I have a newfound respect for those NASCAR boys. Those turns are rather bumpy and a lot narrower than they look on TV.
Steve did a tremendous job. I have a few procedures I like to do, to learn a new circuit and Steve used those to quickly find the limit without over stepping it, which is pretty important given the walls are right there.
He pushed as hard as he could, and never gave up, and kept reeling off the lap-times.
I must also thank Steve's car owner, his wife Kit, for entertaining my girlfriend Sarah over the weekend.
It was another very successful weekend for the NARRA / Viper Days organisation, a fantastic result for Steve, and it gave me great insight to Daytona for when I finally get to pound-around-it in anger.”
