Rebel Rock Racing intends to hit then, ultimately, kiss the bricks as the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge goes to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its 2.44 miles fourteen turn Grand Prix course for Saturday’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120.
Round 9 of the Series will be a regular two-hour event twelve months on from last year’s four-hour endurance race. Along with the change of race length comes a change of machinery for the team from Deland, Florida. The trusty Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R secured a fourth place race finish in 2023 which was enough to keep the team in the hunt for its first IMPC title. This year, the car and the circumstances are a little different. The American V8 brute has been replaced by the similarly configured 2024 Aston Martin Vantage but it may take a win to keep drivers Frank DePew and Robin Liddell in with a shot of an unlikely Championship victory next Month in Atlanta.
A trip to the Brickyard’s iconic Victory Lane is not by any means out of the question. The Round 2 win at Sebring International Raceway in March would indicate that Rebel Rock Racing can certainly get the job done, but it may take fortune to frown on their closest rivals if their title chances can be stretched to the season finale.
Ultimately, both the drivers and crew know that all they can focus on are the things that they can control. Something that Team Manager and Driver, Robin Liddell is extremely keen to convey to his team. “Our position in the Championship is great but we are well aware that even that is not a reflection of the potential of the Vantage GT4,” Lidddell explained.
The Scottish veteran went on to say that “the learning curve with this car has been so steep that we always viewed the goal of ultimate success in the series as a two-year endeavor. Optimizing our results week-in-week-out has always been the goal and even that early season win at Sebring has not changed our approach or focus at each event. With that being said, we have certainly made forward progress with the car in the last few events and we now have to make sure that is reflected on track in these last couple of events.”
For Team owner, Frank DePew, Saturday’s race at the Racing Capital of the World is an opportunity to put almost a year’s worth of racing and testing into practice. “The aim, as usual, is to have a clean race and be in contention for a podium. As Robin said, based on what we have learned throughout the course of the last eight races, that is now a realistic goal for us.”
The Virginia native went on to explain how tough that proposition can be in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. “A Top 3 finish in the team Championship is the target and that would provide us with a great platform to work from as we move into year two with the Vantage GT4 in 2025. The competition in IMSA this year is incredibly strong with many great driver pairings and the whole Rebel Rock Racing crew know we need to be on top of our game.”