Darren Law is ready to get back behind the wheel of the No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche-powered Daytona Prototype. The Phoenix driver and David Donohue of Malvern, Pa., have had almost three months to savor their win in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. Now it's time to go racing again.
The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series resumes with a trio of two-hour 45-minute races: April 25, on the 3.27-mile Virginia International Raceway road course in Alton, Va.; May 3, on the 2.25-mile New Jersey Motorsports Park circuit in Millville, N.J.; and May 17, on the 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca track in Monterey, Calif.
"David and I, and the entire team, are excited to finally get racing again. It's been a long break," Law acknowledged. "But it's going to get busy now. We have back-to-back races coming up, and three races in the next four weeks, at very different tracks.
"Virginia is the longest one we go to. It has a very long straightaway, which plays to our advantage on the top end. We had a fast car there last year. We really don't know what to expect at New Jersey – last year was the first time we went there. The Porsche powerplant was good, but the track had a lot of issues, being a new track. Laguna Seca usually goes all right for us. It's tough because it's very smooth and doesn't have a lot of grip, so setup is really important."
crew kudos
Starting the season as championship leaders instills confidence; so does returning with an experienced crew. "That's what's so great about Brumos. We've had the same group of guys for the last couple of years. Everyone's working really well together and knows their job. That's been a big part of our success," Law said.
"We're entering this race off our win in the 24-hour, which is great. We ended last season on a high note – we had several podium finishes and several near-misses for a win. Then we just got stronger and stronger, and it showed at Daytona. We have a high level of confidence in our ability, our car setup and running as a team."
preparation
The Porsche Daytona Prototype cars will race this week with a five-speed transmission, replacing the previous six-speed gearbox. But team and driver preparation remain the same.
"The Porsche DPs have had some rule changes since the 24, so we really don't know what to expect," Law noted. "But we know where we need to be fast and not need to be fast. I have my mental preparation for each track keyed on which parts are more important.
"It's so early in the season. We're starting off with good points, which is really important. Obviously, we'd like to see some more wins this year, but right now the focus is just to have some good finishes and see how things unfold."
