AIM's Daytona Prototype Debuts at Daytona
Team Learns the Ropes in Preparation for 2007 Campaign

2006.06.30: Having left Montreal on June 24 with three wrecked Formula Mazda cars, crew members pulling double duty on AIM Autosport's Daytona Prototype programme had little time to get reacquainted with their homes before heading off to Florida for the team's debut in the Rolex Sports Car Series on Thursday, June 29.

At Daytona International Speedway, a field of 28 cars was registered for this burgeoning class. AIM's drivers, Mark Wilkins and James Hinchcliffe were looking forward not only to the opportunity of racing a sports car, but doing so with the likes of Scott Pruett, Butch Leitzinger, Andy Wallace, Paul Tracy and Adrian Fernandez.

Testing and Practice
The one-day event format placed great emphasis on the team's ability to work together and highlighted what had to be learned in order to race a Daytona Prototype. From that standpoint, it was an ideal event for AIM to jump into the sports car series. On the down side, it was extremely hot and humid, and there was lots to do. Ian Willis, AIM's Daytona Prototype Team Manager, reported that the team was, "Exceptional. Everyone did a tremendous job."

The day was to begin with three practice sessions, providing a full two hours of track time, but a communications glitch left race control disconnected from the corners resulting in the loss of the important final session. This was a bit of a set back for AIM, but considering they were planning to keep set up changes to a minimum and stick close to the baseline, it was not a major issue. AIM's participation in this event was a learning experience not an attempt to set fast laps or win.

Mark and James swapped back and forth during the sessions, accumulating a total of 42 laps and practicing driver changes. During session one, AIM's car was 20th: pretty good considering the crew and drivers were in unfamiliar territory. Much of the field was slightly slower in session two when AIM ranked 21st.

Qualifying
The communication problem that had prevented the final practice session persisted into the afternoon and resulted in the cancellation of the qualifying session. For AIM, this was unfortunate as grid positions would be set by championship points and, since this was their first race, they had none. AIM's car would start dead last when a starting spot on the tenth or eleventh row had looked possible.

The Race
The 70-lap race began with Mark at the wheel. He quickly settled in and began gaining places, reaching seventeenth before heading to the pits on lap 33. The pitstop went smoothly with James jumping into the car while the crew installed fresh tires and filled the fuel tank. The only stumble came when James had trouble re-firing the hot engine when the service was complete.

James joined the action in 22nd place, but, picking up where Mark had left off, soon had the AIM car on the march again. Despite trying to conserve fuel, he worked his way up to fourteenth before heading to the pits with five laps remaining for a quick splash of fuel.

The stop went well and cost only one place, but driving at night with a filthy windshield, James misjudged his breaking at the "Bus Stop" and slid off. He scrambled back on to the track, but dirt had collected in the radiator and the engine began to overheat, so James shut it down and parked the car. The final ranking was 21st.

Afterthoughts
The AIM Autosport Daytona Prototype Team performed extremely well under trying conditions. The hectic one-day schedule and oppressive weather were a true test, but everyone did a fantastic job. The drivers did a fine job, doing the best they could with the baseline set up, and crew members completed their pitstop duties with speed and precision. Running ahead of many experienced teams and drivers was a welcome and well-deserved bonus.

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