- Giovanis, Trinkler, and the Plumb brothers complete more than 1000 miles of running at the Roar Before the 24
- Team to contest both the opening round of the Michelin Pilot Challenge and the Rolex 24 at Daytona
- Rolex 24 debut looms for team owner Giovanis
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Wednesday, January 25, 2021) – After more than 1000 miles of racing preparation at the Roar Before the 24 test last week, Team TGM is ready for its unique “Double-duty” challenge at this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The team will kick off its Michelin Pilot Challenge championship assault with a pair of Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R’s and debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the Rolex 24 Hour aboard a Porsche 911 GT3R.
Last weekend the team completed a total of 281 laps at Daytona International Speedway with its three cars. The 2018 Michelin Pilot Challenge series champion squad returns in 2021 for a full-season assault with Hugh and Matt Plumb aboard the No. 46 Camaro and Ted Giovanis and Owen Trinkler driving the No. 64 entry.
The pair of Chevrolets will compete in Friday’s four-hour opening round of the Michelin Pilot Challenge before returning on Saturday for the team’s Rolex 24 at Daytona debut.
Teaming up with Porsche expert Wright Motorsports, Giovanis, Trinkler, and the Plumb brothers will all drive the team’s new Porsche 911 GT3R in the GTD class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, which kicks off at 3:40 pm on Saturday.
While both Hugh and Matt Plumb plus Trinkler have past experience in the Rolex 24, this weekend’s event will feature the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and 24-Hour race debut for team-owner Giovanis.
While the team collected plenty of testing miles at Daytona last week, the team elected not to contest the 100-minute qualifying race – selecting to give their new Porsche its race debut in the Rolex 24, rather than risk damage in the qualifying race, which began in wet conditions.
Track action begins at Daytona today with a single session for the Michelin Pilot Challenge at 1:45 pm. While the grid for the Rolex 24 at Daytona was set last Sunday, Team TGM will be out to put their Camaros towards the front of the pack in Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying on Thursday at 2:45 pm.
Friday’s BMW Endurance Challenge At Daytona For The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge four hour race begins at 1:35 pm.
All three Team TGM cars will showcase the team’s #HealthInnovation hashtag – promoting the Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation for Health and Policy efforts. The Foundation funds innovative, emerging medical research and supports studies that rethink health care quality and uses for real-world evidence.
The team’s Porsche 911 GT3R will also feature backing from Porsche Silver Spring – the Maryland Porsche dealership, which serves the Washington DC and Baltimore metropolitan areas.
Ted Giovanis
“The Porsche GTD car is a great machine. I love driving it. It is similar in how it looks inside to my Porsche Cup car, but it behaves very differently. It is far more responsive and has a lot more downforce.
“The entire group at Team TGM is very excited about making our Rolex 24 debut next week and delighted that we are doing it with Porsche.
“But firstly, we’re kicking off our championship assault with the Chevrolet Camaros. We got plenty of time in the cars last weekend, and the entire team is very excited about returning to the championship this year.
“The Rolex 24 will be a great experience, but the Michelin Pilot Challenge is where we will be all season, and starting the year with a big points haul is certainly our target this weekend.”
Hugh Plumb
“We had a very consistent run last weekend at the Roar, and our hopes and dreams are certainly to go into this weekend back at Daytona with our sights set on getting back on the top of the podium.
“The TGM guys did a great job with the Camaros all weekend. With the Porsche, we all learned a great deal and got plenty of seat time to get accustomed to the car.
“Overall, the Roar weekend went very well. The cars were great, and the team adapted well to the new COVID rules and restrictions in the IMSA bubble.
“Today we pick up where we left off from last weekend, and everyone on the team is very confident we’ll be in good shape for the first Michelin Pilot Challenge race on Friday and then target a strong result in the Rolex 24 on Saturday.”
Owen Trinkler
“The Roar was an excellent way to kick things off for Team TGM. We worked on long-run pace with the Camaro last weekend to put us in the best position possible for Friday’s opening round.
“We are very pleased with how it went, and I think we will have a decent race car for the four-hour race on Friday.
“For the Rolex 24 we got some pretty good speed out of the Porsche at the test and were certainly moving in the right direction with the set-up.
“We’re not running the full season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, so it didn’t make a lot of sense for us to put the car in jeopardy in the qualifying race.
“We’ve had a couple of days off to prepare for this week, and I can’t wait to be back in the car today.”
Matt Plumb
“We got in a ton of laps at the Roar, and everyone was able to cycle through the cars to prepare for this weekend.
“We had a decent baseline for the Camaro before we arrived for the test, and we were able to try even more options last weekend.
“Everyone is very excited about the Porsche program. We have a lot of work to do, but we ticked a lot of boxes last weekend.
“I feel we’re in a good position in regards to pace, and the Wright Motorsports guys have done an outstanding job in preparing that car – those guys are very experienced with the car and have given us a great platform for the Rolex 24.”
Schedule
WEDNESDAY, January 27
1:45pm – 2:45pm: Michelin Pilot Challenge – Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R
THURSDAY, January 28
9:45am – 10:45am: Michelin Pilot Challenge – Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R
11:05am – 12:05pm: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Porsche 911 GT3R
2:45pm – 3:00pm: Qualifying: Michelin Pilot Challenge – Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R
3:20pm – 4:20pm: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Porsche 911 GT3R
7:15pm – 9:00pm: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Porsche 911 GT3R
FRIDAY, January 29
9:25am – 9:55am: Michelin Pilot Challenge – Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R
11:20am – 12:20pm: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Porsche 911 GT3R
1:35pm – 5:35pm: Race: BMW Endurance Challenge At Daytona For The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – 4 Hours – Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R
SATURDAY, January 30
3:45pm: Start: 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona Race for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – 24 Hours
SUNDAY, January 24
3:45pm: Finish: 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona Race for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – 24 Hours
How to watch
Cable schedule:
3:30 pm ET – 4:30 pm – NBC
4:30 pm – 8.00 pm – NBCSN
8.00 – 11.00 pm NBC Sports App
11.00 – 3.00 am – NBCSN
3.00 am – 6.00 am – NBC Sports App
6.00 am – 2.00 pm – NBCSN
2.00 pm – 4.00 pm – NBC
Flag to flag coverage: TrackPass and NBC Sports App
Cord cutters: TrackPass – with IMSA subscription – $19.99/year
International viewers: www.imsa.com/internationalcoverage/
The “28 hours of Daytona” awaits
Ted Giovanis the author
FOCUS FORWARD: Life lessons from racing
Life comes at you fast when you’re traveling 180 miles per hour. For Ted Giovanis, it’s also where you can learn the most valuable lessons. Since becoming a race car driver three decades ago at age forty-six—a ride that is still in overdrive—Giovanis has discovered how the tools of racing and the teamwork within it are applicable to life and business. In forty-eight motivating and, at times, exhilarating chapters, he shares his experience and knowledge.
