Keeping busy during three-month break in LMP2 action, SCM tested at WGI and visited Camp Boggy Creek
JUPITER, Fla. (17 June 2024) – The Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) squad is more than ready to get its No. 33 SCM Focal One Ligier JS P217 back in action after an IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season that included a three-month gap between races for the LMP2 class.
SCM drivers Lance Willsey, João Barbosa and Jonny Edgar are set to tackle the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen – the third straight Michelin Endurance Cup event for the class.
The team had six test days at Watkins Glen over the past six weeks, including a two-day Michelin tire test, as development of the re-introduced Ligier JS P217 continues. The test days gave Willsey and Barbosa the chance to get back into the racing groove – though Edgar had paced plenty of miles in the interim, racing in two four-hour European Le Mans Series races (earning a podium at Circuit Paul Ricard) and testing the DS Penske Formula E car. The Whitehaven, UK native got up to speed quickly at Watkins Glen, and appreciates that the track lives up to its fast reputation.
“I enjoyed driving the track a lot,” said Edgar. “But it did take a few laps to get used to how much speed can be carried into each corner. The car has definitely improved since Sebring: the balance was better, as we have managed to fix some rear instability without losing any rotation – which is where we knew we had to improve, especially in hot conditions. For the race weekend I expect us to be much closer to the others in pace than we were at Sebring. We’re going to focus on finishing all the laps and having a clean race, while showing the progress we have made with the car. And after such a long time away from the IMSA series, it was good to be working with the team and improving the car each day.”
Barbosa looks forward to the Watkins Glen race every year, given his impressive history at the track (two poles, four wins and six podium finishes). He also echoed Edgar’s comments regarding the increased performance for the Ligier.
“The test went really well, we are making steady forward progress with the Ligier,” said Barbosa. “The car is feeling better and better, and we are starting to understand where the car likes to be setup-wise – and it’s really fun to drive the Ligier there. There has been a big break since Sebring, so we are looking forward to the race weekend! And I love Watkins Glen, I’ve had a lot of success there.”
“We were able to work on the car a great deal over the test days that we had,” said team principal Sean Creech, “as opposed to the winter testing, when we lost half the days to bad weather. We were able to try all the different set-up combinations we’d wanted to try and check off the ones that worked versus the ones that didn’t, and it was clear that the car has gained pace. We believe that we’ve got a good plan for the race weekend – though we know conditions will be very different.”
Adding to the weekend variables will be new curbing at the entrance of the Bus Stop, with “sausage” curbs added to the inside. Barbosa feels that the prototypes will be affected.
“The prototypes especially really take the curbs through the Bus Stop,” said Barbosa. “So there will have to be an adjustment through that corner. But we’ve also found that the Ligier handles the curbs well, so we’ll see if that’s an advantage.”
Not all of the break was spent chasing performance as the team took the time to support an initiative that is close to home and close to the heart of the Florida-based squad. On Thursday, June 13, the team made its second visit to Camp Boggy Creek, located three hours north of the team’s shop in Jupiter, Fla. SCM plans to visit the camp each year, this year bringing its Ligier JS P320 to entertain the kids and hand out team gear and hats. For SCM, it’s a chance to raise awareness of the camp, which relies on sponsors and donors to keep the camp free to children with serious medical illnesses.
Founded in 1996 by actor and entrepreneur Paul Newman and General Norman Schwarzkopf, Camp Boggy Creek hosts children dealing with serious illnesses, ranging from cancer and heart disease to sickle cell anemia and spina bifida. The camp gives kids the chance to just be kids, to enjoy a camp experience surrounded by other children just like them, who share their life experiences. A year-round retreat, the camp serves thousands of campers and their families every year.
“We’re so close to the camp so it’s easy for us to get up there,” said Creech. “We really appreciate the chance to go see the kids and to give them something different to do, and to talk about. And it’s great for our team as well – we really enjoyed our visit last year. The kids were really interested in the car and were pretty excited when we fired it up. We definitely intend to make the trip every summer.”
Camp Boggy Creek relies on donations and sponsors to keep the camp free for all campers – for more information, to go boggycreek.org.
SCM thanks partner Focal One for its continued support.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen takes the green flag Sunday at 11:10 a.m. Eastern. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Peacock, with the first three hours also on USA Network. International viewers can watch via IMSA.tv, with IMSA Radio also available at IMSA.com.
About SCM
Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2024 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/
About Focal One
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime in the United States. The Focal One® HIFU Prostate treatment offers patients a non-invasive outpatient procedure to target prostate tissue while avoiding the common side effects such as loss of urinary continence and sexual function. The Focal One treatment uses high-performance, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to precisely target and ablate the prostate, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities. http://www.focalone.com/
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