Bryan Sellers Has Win at Indy, Now Seeks GTLM Brickyard GP Title
Falken Driver Eager to Post TUDOR Championship Win at The Speedway
Indianapolis, Indiana, July 21, 2014 – In July of 2013, Bryan Sellers was able to make a childhood dream a reality. He won at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) taking top-honors in the track’s Sports Car Challenge race. However, the Braselton, Georgia-resident, who grew up just hours away in Centerville, Ohio, is eager to place his name on trophy for the top sportscar race at world famous facility, the Brickyard Grand Prix. Sellers and teammate Wolf Henzler (Germany) will challenge for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans class victory in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR on Friday evening, July 25.
Sellers chased his dreams of an Indianapolis 500 victory from his first kart race at the age 11. He won multiple open-wheel championships and tested ChampCar open wheel machines. Sellers moved to sportscar racing in 2005 and became a Team Falken Tire factory driver in 2009. His win last year in the Brickyard Grand Prix’s support event fueled the fire to return and fight for top-honors on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. With the world’s most competitive GT racing class now eligible to compete at Indianapolis, by virtue of the formation of IMSA’s TUDOR Championship, Sellers now has the opportunity.
The Indianapolis road course underwent major modifications in the last year removing some of Sellers’ “inside knowledge”. However, expectations of success for the two-hour, 45-minute “sprint” race were increased when the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche, the only customer team-owned Porsche 911 RSR competing in the TUDOR watch-backed series, qualified third and raced near the front for much of the most recent round of the season. Falken Tire brought a new Azenis racing slick to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) for that race and the gains proved to be a significant breakthrough. The new tire provided the longtime driving duo predictable and consistent handling over the course of a race stint increasing their competitiveness against the field of factory teams.
The week between the Canadian round and the Indianapolis stop has had special significance to Sellers. The Ohio-native and his wife Jamie announced they are expecting their first child in November.
The Brickyard Grand Prix can be seen live on FOX Sports 1 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, July 25. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the race live on its network of stations. Friday’s race will also have live timing and scoring available at IMSA.com . Streaming of the qualifying show is available on the IMSA web site beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 24.
Quotes
Bryan Sellers:
On the Brickyard Grand Prix: “I am beyond excited to race at Indy in the Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR. Getting to race and win here last year with Fall-Line Motorsports in the support race was an amazing experience. However, as a racecar driver, you always want to be on the biggest stage and in the most intense environment. This week I have the chance to do that in the most competitive GT class in the world on the most famous racetrack in motorsports in the best Porsche 911 ever created in the top event. It is a huge honor to just be here in this position. I am eager to get on track and put on the best show we can for the fans.”
On being a winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway: “I think every win stands out because victories can be so few and far between. However, there are always some that stand out more than others and Indy will always be one of those for me. Standing on the high-rise podium and looking down has been one of the greatest moments of my professional career. It’s a feeling that you want to re-create weekend after weekend. I am so honored to be able to have that on my resume, as it is something that can never be taken away. The flavor of the bricks is something I think I will always be able taste.”
On racing the No. 17 Porsche at the IMS: “The Team Falken Tire Porsche has become a fan favorite with the blue and teal colors. I am ready to help get the first win of the year for the team and all of the Falken fans. What better place to do that than Indianapolis? It would mean so much to the program. Last year, I raced at Indy but it wasn’t the feature event, this time, returning as the main event, will be great.”
On finding the car setup at IMS: “Indy is difficult for car setup but not necessarily because of the oval. It seems to be difficult because of the infield surface. The infield gets run on so infrequently that it is very low grip and it takes a long time to rubber in. This makes it difficult to get the car to do what you want. It is important to not change the car too much until the track comes to you a little bit.”
On how to keep the momentum of the last race moving forward to Indy: “I think it is simple to keep the momentum really. The execution needs to be a little better. We had the speed in Mosport [Canadian Tire Motorsport Park] but I had a slight bobble that put us a little behind in my stint and with the lack of yellows we couldn’t recover. The GTLM class is just too close to have even the smallest hiccup. Indy will be different. We will execute at a high level, and if we have the speed, we will get a result.”
On the announcement he is expecting his first child: “Everybody in motorsports are more than friends, they are family. I was excited to be able to share that Jamie was pregnant. I am so excited to take on this next portion our lives. One thing I know for sure is there will be no shortage of people I can turn to for help!”
For more on Bryan Sellers, please visit him on the web at "> www.BryanSellersRacing.com . Follow Bryan on Twitter ("> www.Twitter.com/BryanSellers ) and LIKE him on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/BryanSellersRacing . Tune-in to Bryan’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/BryanSellersRacing .
Visit www.FalkenTire.com for more on Team Falken Tire.
Learn more about the TUDOR SportsCar Championship, please visit www.IMSA.com .
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