@DamienFaulkner @circuitamericas #COTA #IMSA #Porsche
International Porsche driver, Damien Faulkner from Donegal, is on his way to Austin, Texas today to compete in the Lone Star Le Mans at the prestigious Circuit of the Americas (COTA) track this Saturday, 20th September. This is his 10th race in the new North American super series – the Tudor United SportsCar Championship, and he’s the only Irish driver competing in the whole series.
“I have good memories from my first and only visit to COTA last year, when I won with TRG,” says Faulkner. “The track itself differs from typical US circuits, like day and night. It’s built to Formula 1 standard, great facilities, very smooth surface, lots of run-off and technically challenging but in my view, lacks that character which an older circuit provides.”
“The weather looks a little dodgy this week which could suit us. Ben Barker returns as my team mate, which is great news, and we are gunning for a podium position. There’s nothing more that I’d wish for now than to give the crew at GB Autosport a top result”
The Lone Star Le Mans starts on Saturday afternoon at 12.30pm EDT – that’s 6.30pm Irish time. Viewers at home can watch the 2hrs 45 minutes long race live on www.imsa.com Faulkner is lead driver for the Global Barista (GB) Autosport team in car No. 81, the Tully’s Coffee Porsche 911 GT America. The team was founded by owner Mike Avenatti last year specifically to race in the new Tudor USC championship.
One of the world’s finest Porsche drivers, Faulkner is a two-time Porsche Carrera GB Champion (2005-2006), two-time Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Vice-Champion (2007-2008) and the winner of his first American Le Mans race, at the 2011 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
The 3.4 miles COTA track was the first in the United States to be purpose-built for Formula One, hosted the Formula One United States Grand Prix in 2012 and 2013 and also hosts the Motorcycle Grand Prix of The Americas.