IMSA Petit Le Mans – Simpson keen to close with another win

Stephen Simpson is keen to end off his double-2016 US IMSA season where he started at the series Petit Le Mans finale at Road Atlanta in Georgia 1-2 October. Simpson and his teammates won the season-opening Rolex Daytona 24 Hour in the PC class and he and regular teammate Russo-Canadian Misha Goikhberg won again in Long Beach. Now they want to do it again in Georgia.

Simpson will be on double duty as usual, sharing the JDC Miller Motorsports Hi-Tide Red Line ORECA Chevrolet with Goikhberg and third driver Chris Miller in the WeatherTech Prototype Challenge Petit Le Mans race on Saturday and the JDC Miller BMW 228i with disabled co-driver Michael Johnson in Friday’s Continental Tire Sports Production race.

“It’s been a bit of an up and down year in the Prototype Challenge,” Stephen admitted. “We started brilliantly with that dream win at Daytona and added Long Beach, but we’ve been unlucky since, so the objective is to close off how we started and that’s with a win. “We owe it to the team – they have put so much into the season so it would be just reward to win for everyone this weekend.”

Indianapolis-based Capetonian Simpson is also ready for further progress in his IMSA Continental Tire Sports Production race in the JDC Miller BMW 228i he shares with disabled co-driver Michael Johnson, who drives with hand controls. “The Beemer is getting stronger and stronger and Michael is getting better and better by the race. “Now we just need a little luck to go our way there too.”

“In a way I’m pleased it’s the end of the year and in another it’s quite sad – it’s been a good year overall, but like all good things, it must come to an end,” Simpson concluded. The Sports Production race is over two and a half hours on Friday afternoon, while Saturday’s Petit Le Mans finale runs over ten hours. You can follow the action live on streaming and live timing on www.imsa.com.