Testing: the action or process of checking something to reveal capabilities by putting that something under strain. That describes a large part of the last two weeks. Much like any organization taking a new product to market, there are many parallels with bringing a new, technologically advanced race car to the track.
The week before last, IMSA hosted 25+ teams at Sebring International Raceway, fresh from Rolex 24, for the latest sanctioned testing. This past week it was the turn of the next-gen NASCAR Garage 56 car to test, putting in its own 24-hour shift—the first serious test for the hybrid Camaro.
For the Garage56 team, it proved immensely valuable as all involved left the session with a better understanding of the car, were able to validate any assumptions, and redefine approaches as necessary. Our drivers, Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson, and Mike Rockenfeller got plenty of miles under their belts and could relay insights to engineers. A week earlier, the assembled IMSA teams did a similar exercise putting their accumulated data and lessons from Daytona into practice.