Tequila Patrón ESM logged its first official laps in its Ligier JS P2s cars during practice for Saturday’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC).
All six Tequila Patrón ESM drivers completed laps in the two 90-minute practice sessions. The added factor of rain made learning the 20-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) circuit and nuances of the Ligier JS P2s challenging, but the Florida-based team persevered. In total, Tequila Patrón ESM completed 35 laps around Circuit de Spa Francorchamps.
Heavy rain greeted Ryan Dalziel, co-driver of the No. 30 Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier, and Johannes van Overbeek, co-driver of the No. 31 Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier, during the opening session. The rain was relentless through the session as the team worked through the driver rosters.
“Although I’ve been here before and competed in the 6 Hours of Spa, it was probably one of the most intimidating first runs I’ve done, with regard to knowing what to expect, hear or feel from the car,” Dalziel stated. There is a lot going on.”
Rain continued to fall during the second practice as Jon Fogarty, co-driver of the No. 31 Ligier, was the lone Tequila Patrón ESM pilot to drive in the session. The No. 30 team of Dalziel, Scott Sharp and David Heinemeier Hansson opted not to participate in the session to focus on completing adjustments to their Ligier’s cockpit.
“It was a challenging day for everyone,” van Overbeek added. “For those of us who haven’t been to Spa, this is a very fast, daunting, and challenging place. Add rain and a new car on to that, and it makes for an eye-opening day. The car seems to work really well.”
On-track action resumes on Friday with an hour-long practice session starting at 2 p.m. CET/8 a.m. ET. LMP2 qualifying begins at 6:35 p.m. CET/12:35 p.m. ET on Friday.
Green flag for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps takes place at 2:30 p.m. CET/8:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Where to Watch
The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will be televised globally and on the FOX Sports Network of channels.
For U.S. viewers, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will air on Saturday, May 2:
8:30 – 11 a.m. ET — FOX Sports 1
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET — FOX Sports 2
1 – 2:30 p.m. ET — FOX Sports 1
The race can be viewed via the FIA WEC second screen app or online at www.fiawec.com.
To listen to the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, tune into Radio Le Mans at www.radiolemans.com.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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