Mühlner Motorsports America started the new season for the established racing team with an exciting opening race. Directly a podium finish and fast lap times at the legendary Daytona International Speedway.
After the end of the IMSA Prototype Challenge, the American LMP3 teams start this year in the newly created VP Racing Fuels Sportscar Challenge (VPRC). The Mühlner team, based in nearby DeLand, fielded a Duqueine D08 equipped and supported by H&R Special Springs to kick off the new series as part of the Roar to the Rolex 24h. Bronze driver Mirco Schultis will compete in both 45-minute races.
Already in the free practice Mirco, who had never before sat in a vehicle of this series, was able to burn remarkable lap times into the asphalt and quickly made clear: I am exactly right here.
In the fiercely contested qualifying session, he secured a grid spot on row three after missing the chance for a final fast lap by a tenth of a second.
In the first race of the young season Mirco stayed away from the first fights of the starting phase and turned mostly lying on position three steadily improving lap times.
Although he had to give up the podium position in the overall standings shortly before the end, Schultis and the team are very satisfied with a third place in the bronze classification.
“IMSA has created a great new platform to give young drivers an entry into motorsport and to offer bronze drivers like Mirco a fair, genuine competition with prospects of winning trophies,” says team boss Bernhard Mühlner.
The second round of the VP Racing Fuels Sportscar Challenge will take place on Sunday, for which the team is now preparing the car.
