The Daytona 24 Hours weekend was a very busy one – and with some sad domestic issues to deal with on my return it’s only now that some of the notes and interviews are being caught up with. Apologies for the delay.

GG

First up a pair of opinions on the Prototype class

Lucas Luhr:

“Balance of Performance should mean that we have a fair chance to fight. If you are more than 10mph down on top speed, especially on an oval there really isn’t that fair chance. Even if you find a way by the other car can just blow by you, on every lap!

“You would like to believe that they wanted this to be fair and that there wasn’t a decision made that this track (Daytona) was a DP track and that there would be others where the P2s might have an advantage. That’s not for me to judge. What I can judge, because I am out there seeing it, is that the BoP is definitely wrong not just here, but, if you look at the layout of some of the other tracks, Sebring next for instance, and there are three long straights there and a lot of mid-range to top speed acceleration too, I think the DPs will still have the advantage if things don’t change.

“With all of that said you have to be fair. This is not an easy thing to achieve and we are here at the first race of the season but if the differences continue like this then it is impossible!

“This is a great team with a great package and the effort that is going in is delivering the reliability and performance that we expect, we just need to be allowed to compete!

On Le Mans in LMP2

“I really enjoyed the run I had with Jota at Le Mans last year, we were right up there until we had a suspension failure at sometime during the night.

“In my eyes now there is little or no point going to Le Mans in LMP1 unless you are a factory team. If you are really, really lucky then maybe you can finish fifth so I would rather go to win in LMP2.

“It is still, after all these years, my dream to win it overall someday but for now the chances are not there for that and my best option is in P2. The interesting part perhaps is that the competition between the Pros is strong, but the real differences between the team on track come with the strength of their silver drivers. There re arguments about some of the ratings of course but that’s not an argument for me. All I can say is that the class is great to race in and a real challenge.

If this team goes I think we would do well, I hope to be a part of that.

Richard Westbrook

“After what was a pretty frustrating 2013 I’d got all excited about the first test with all the new kit on the car, lots of extra downforce and extra power.

“Obviously it couldn’t have started any worse than it did. It was a horrible, horrible experience. I was very, very lucky and was worried when I was up in the air that I wasn’t in a carbon fibre tub, and I had never seen anyone have a really big one in a DP and didn’t know what was going to happen.

“The car though was very strong and did what it was supposed to do. I know a lot of people have their hang ups about the DPs but the main thing was that it was strong, it looked after me it really did in what was a high speed impact.

“Almost worse still though was what it did to our preparation. The flip side (no pun intended) was that it really gave everyone involved very, very focused. They spent the next two weeks building the new car, coming into this race, with all the associated pressures, it was an unbelievable performance from everyone.

“Since we have been back with the new car it seems the car likes the new rules, it’s been fast and reliable, a lot easier than before to set-up with a much larger operting window than the 2013 cars.

“As for the paddock here (at Daytona) it’s just so good to see so many people around. It really does make you think what on earth was going on before this merger. When all the political stuff sorts itself out it is going to be phenomenal.

“On the performance front people really need to get away from the thought that you have to balance the DPs and the LMP2s together, particularly around here, because you can’t. At some tracks we’ll be quicker, at others they will be miles ahead. If a DP in this configuration can’t win at Daytona then they never will win a race against the P2s! This is a track for DPs. Laguna Seca and Sebring are definitely LMP2 circuits.

“One thing that really hasn’t been talked about much has been the different way in which the cars use their tyres, at Daytona the DPs can’t double stint rubber, the P2s can double or even triple stint them, and the DPs take a while to get the new tyres up to temperature too. It really isn’t as cut and dried as some would have you believe.

“Sadly I won’t be back in British GT this year, much as I would love to do it but there are only three rounds that don’t clash with TUSCC so there’s no chance. I will though probably do the Nurburgring 24 Hours with Haribo Racing again, as I have for the last 5 years.

“The main focus though is here in TUSCC, it’s a big year for me after a shocker of a season in 2013.”