Full Week Of ‘Motor City Madness’ On Tap For IMSA
Here are the highlights:
– On Tuesday, TUDOR Championship driver Scott Pruett visited Ford Motor Company world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. The winningest driver in North American endurance sports car racing history visited Ford Motor Company and Ford Racing engineers who work together with Roush Yates and Chip Ganassi Racing on the Ford EcoBoost engine program. He answered questions and signed Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida victory posters for the engineers. The No. 01 Telcel Ford EcoBoost/Riley DP also was on display alongside the team transporter in front of the Ford Powertrain buildings. The event is not open to the public.
– On Tuesday evening, NASCAR Vice President of Marketing Kim Brink will be honored at Wayne State University in Detroit as part of the annual “Women of Wayne Headliner Awards." The awards are given annually to recognize notable alumni who have made headlines for achievements in their respective fields. Brink earned a business undergraduate degree and an MBA from Wayne State. IMSA is a company within the NASCAR group.
– Current Prototype (P) championship leader Christian Fittipaldi has a busy couple of days in Detroit. On Wednesday afternoon, Fittipaldi will participate in a technology conference co-hosted by AutoWeek and MSX International as part of a panel that also will include Verizon IndyCar Series driver Charlie Kimball. A few hours later, Fittipaldi will be joined by co-driver Joao Barbosa and the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP at the Quicken Loans Grand Prix Street Fest powered by Chevrolet. The Street Fest will be held in downtown Detroit at Campus Martius Park and Cadillac Square, and will include live music, racing demonstrations; car displays food trucks and opportunities for fans to meet drivers who will compete throughout the weekend at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.
– On Thursday, Fittipaldi and fellow TUDOR Championship driver Townsend Bell will participate in the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix media luncheon at the Rattlesnake Club in downtown Detroit on the banks of the Detroit River. Bell and No. 555 AIM Autosport Ferrari 458 Italia co-driver Bill Sweedler currently lead the TUDOR Championship GT Daytona (GTD) point standings. Bell returns to sports car competition this week after competing in the Indianapolis 500 last Sunday.
– Earlier in the day on Thursday, Barbosa and No. 35 Flying Lizard Motorsports Audi R8 LMS driver Dion von Moltke will visit oncology patients at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in downtown Detroit. TUDOR Championship drivers visit children’s hospitals on every race weekend as part of the Austin Hatcher Foundation’s Diversionary Therapy program. The Austin Hatcher Foundation is a proud charity of IMSA.
– On Friday evening, No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP co-drivers Jordan and Ricky Taylor will represent the TUDOR Championship at the PwC Grand Prixmiere presented by Chevrolet. The event, which benefits the Belle Isle Conservancy, will be held at the Penske tent overlooking the iconic Scott Fountain on Belle Isle. Max Angelelli, who co-drove to victory alongside Jordan Taylor in the 2013 Chevrolet Sports Car Classic, also will attend.