ANSA MOTORSPORTS ROAD AMERICA PREVIEW
The upcoming Kohler Road America Grand Prix event already marks the mid-point of the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge GTS championship. The iconic racetrack will also welcome the stars of the Verizon Indy Car championship, as well as the Road to Indy series competitors, this weekend.
Ten of 19 races have been contested so far, and ANSA Motorsports driver Brett Sandberg now has nine races left to shine and win, if he wants to collect his first GTS driver championship. After the first half of the season, Sandberg is now seen as one of the top three championship contenders to win the 2016 driver championship, but the summer is going to be “hot”! The next eight races at Road America, Mid-Ohio, Utah and California, before the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca championship season finale, will be hardly contested.
ANSA Motorsports is taking two Reiter Engineering KTM X-Bow GT4s to Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The No. 9 Swisher Racing will be driven by Bill Ziegler and the No. 13 by Brett Sandberg.
With 835 points, Sandberg is ranked second in the 2016 GTS championship-driver point standings, after ten of the 19 rounds scheduled this season. Sandberg trails championship leader Lawson Aschenbach, who has 884 points. Parker Chase is third with 828 points.
The driver from Allendale, New Jersey, comes to Road America with high hopes. Road America is one of his favorite racetracks and he is super motivated and ready to redeem himself after Lime Rock race 2, where he was on his way to victory lane, but forced to retire after a racing incident.
“Coming off an extremely disappointing end to great battles at Lime Rock, I am very much looking forward to coming back strong, as we are in need of a strong points weekend at Road America,” Sandberg said. “This is one of my favorite tracks in North America, as it rewards consistency and a race craft. I feel that our Reiter Engineering KTM X-Bow will struggle a bit down the long straights, but am looking forward to being right there at the end of the race!”
Ziegler is racing his second Pirelli World Challenge event this season. The driver from Ponte Vedra, Fla. had a discovery weekend at Lime Rock, since it was his first race after a nine-month break from racing and a first time behind the wheel of a KTM X-Bow race car. He too, like Sandberg, likes the 14-turn 4.048-mile Elkhart Lake road course. He raced three times last year and is ready to race hard on Saturday and Sunday.
“Have always considered Road America to be the best track in America,” Ziegler said. “I Hope that World-Challenge gives the KTM X-Bow a little something in a straight line here as there are three pretty lengthy straights. Can't wait to get my hour count in the car above four.”
The two ANSA Motorsports drivers will be on track during the promoter test day on Thursday, June 23. Official practice for the Road America event starts on Thursday afternoon with a single practice session at 5 p.m. A second practice session is set on Friday, June 24, at 4:30 p.m., followed by qualifying at 5:15 p.m. Road America GTS race 1 (round 11) is scheduled on Saturday, June 25, at 5:45 p.m., and race 2 (round 12) is set for Sunday, June 26, after the Indy Car race, at 3 p.m. (all CDT times).
The Pirelli World Challenge GTS Championship rounds 11 and 12 at Road America will air on CBS Sports Network, Thursday, July 7, at 9 p.m. EDT.
Ten of 19 races have been contested so far, and ANSA Motorsports driver Brett Sandberg now has nine races left to shine and win, if he wants to collect his first GTS driver championship. After the first half of the season, Sandberg is now seen as one of the top three championship contenders to win the 2016 driver championship, but the summer is going to be “hot”! The next eight races at Road America, Mid-Ohio, Utah and California, before the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca championship season finale, will be hardly contested.
ANSA Motorsports is taking two Reiter Engineering KTM X-Bow GT4s to Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The No. 9 Swisher Racing will be driven by Bill Ziegler and the No. 13 by Brett Sandberg.
With 835 points, Sandberg is ranked second in the 2016 GTS championship-driver point standings, after ten of the 19 rounds scheduled this season. Sandberg trails championship leader Lawson Aschenbach, who has 884 points. Parker Chase is third with 828 points.
The driver from Allendale, New Jersey, comes to Road America with high hopes. Road America is one of his favorite racetracks and he is super motivated and ready to redeem himself after Lime Rock race 2, where he was on his way to victory lane, but forced to retire after a racing incident.
“Coming off an extremely disappointing end to great battles at Lime Rock, I am very much looking forward to coming back strong, as we are in need of a strong points weekend at Road America,” Sandberg said. “This is one of my favorite tracks in North America, as it rewards consistency and a race craft. I feel that our Reiter Engineering KTM X-Bow will struggle a bit down the long straights, but am looking forward to being right there at the end of the race!”
Ziegler is racing his second Pirelli World Challenge event this season. The driver from Ponte Vedra, Fla. had a discovery weekend at Lime Rock, since it was his first race after a nine-month break from racing and a first time behind the wheel of a KTM X-Bow race car. He too, like Sandberg, likes the 14-turn 4.048-mile Elkhart Lake road course. He raced three times last year and is ready to race hard on Saturday and Sunday.
“Have always considered Road America to be the best track in America,” Ziegler said. “I Hope that World-Challenge gives the KTM X-Bow a little something in a straight line here as there are three pretty lengthy straights. Can't wait to get my hour count in the car above four.”
The two ANSA Motorsports drivers will be on track during the promoter test day on Thursday, June 23. Official practice for the Road America event starts on Thursday afternoon with a single practice session at 5 p.m. A second practice session is set on Friday, June 24, at 4:30 p.m., followed by qualifying at 5:15 p.m. Road America GTS race 1 (round 11) is scheduled on Saturday, June 25, at 5:45 p.m., and race 2 (round 12) is set for Sunday, June 26, after the Indy Car race, at 3 p.m. (all CDT times).
The Pirelli World Challenge GTS Championship rounds 11 and 12 at Road America will air on CBS Sports Network, Thursday, July 7, at 9 p.m. EDT.