Let’s See How Motivation in Its Various Forms Plays Out This Weekend
By Jeff Olson
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Motivation.
It’s defined as the mental process that drives an organism to action, and it’s abundant this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.
The motivation doesn’t emerge from a single source, though. Whether it comes from the desire to continue, improve or recover, motivation of all forms and sources is driving teams this weekend for the Chevrolet Grand Prix, the sixth race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
In the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class alone, there are several examples of how motivation could play a pivotal role this weekend. Take the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and co-drivers Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor, for example. Championship runners-up the past two years in the former Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class, they’ve been fast nearly everywhere in their new GTP but have yet to convert it into a race win.
Then there’s the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 with drivers Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy, eager to rebound from the penalty that erased a victory June 25 at Watkins Glen International. Or how about the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8 with pilots Nick Yelloly and Connor De Phillippi? Surely, they want to show that the win they inherited at The Glen was no fluke.
For Corvette Racing, motivation arrives in a different form. In the shadow of an outstanding season by Vasser Sullivan – whose No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 co-driven by Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth is leading the GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class – Corvette finds itself in the unusual position of pursuing – and not being – the leader.
Corvette Racing, whose No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD is third in class standings, will aim for its first victory of the season with co-drivers Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia, who noted the team’s strength in a third-place finish at Watkins Glen.
“I was happy with our race at Watkins Glen, with our pit stops, how clean we were and always gaining positions with strategy,” Garcia said. “We’ll hopefully carry on doing that.”
Meanwhile, the motivation is altogether different for Robert Wickens, who returns to CTMP to bring down the house one more time.
Last year, Wickens and fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins teamed to win the Touring Car (TCR) class of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at CTMP in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR.
The victory came after a week of joyful mayhem for Wickens, who won with Wilkins at Watkins Glen International, then traveled to Indianapolis to welcome son Wesley to the world, then traveled to Ontario to win again, this time without practicing or qualifying.
All of which further amplified the legend of Wickens, whose return to racing after being paralyzed inspires casual and serious race fans alike.
“I didn’t become a racecar driver to influence or motivate, but it’s the power of the sport,” Wickens said last year before winning at his home track. “I’ve always believed that my voice is in my work. I’m not a particularly overspoken person, but I always like to lead by example and by showing that hard work will always pay off.”
The hard work begins Friday at CTMP with practice sessions for the WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge. Live coverage of Saturday’s WeatherTech Championship qualifying begins at 12:40 p.m. ET on Peacock and IMSA.com/TVLive. The Michelin Pilot Challenge race, the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, beginning at 4 p.m. on Peacock (in the U.S.) and IMSA.com/TVLive (outside the U.S.).
Sunday’s live coverage of the two-hour, 40-minute Chevrolet Grand Prix begins at noon ET on NBC.