By: GRand Solutions
March 11, 2014
Stouffville, Ontario - Berg Racing's James Vance is physically and mentally ready for every bump Sebring International Raceway can offer as he gears up for the second Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race of the season March 14 at the legendary track in central Florida.
The race will take place in conjunction with the 62nd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on the notoriously rough, 17-turn, 3.74-mile circuit that includes part of airport runways built as a World War II training base.
The physical nature of the circuit has forced series rookie Vance into the gym for grueling two-a-day workouts. After strengthening his core muscles, he sharpens his mind on simulators that help him learn the course, which he has yet to see in person.
The business-minded Vance also has spent time organizing promotions with sponsors leading into Sebring. Vance plays a crucial role in helping his sponsors Bionic Environments and ExpoSystems USA create platforms to generate fan interest. His knowledge of the inner workings of race weekends gives both companies better insight into successful activation programs. Both sponsors will sport displays around the Sebring circuit, which attracts six-figure crowds during race week.
Business and simulators aside, Vance is excited to get back into the car after an impressive first run at Daytona International Speedway. He climbed 13 positions to finish fifth in class at Daytona, with the podium just out of reach. Vance is focused on taking his No. 50 Bionic Environments/ExpoSystems/REDCOM Labs Porsche Cayman ST to the top of the charts with consistency.
"I'm really excited to get to Sebring and get to work," Vance said. "I enjoy the challenge of a new track more so than going back to a track I already know. I proved at Daytona that learning tracks is definitely a strong trait, and I hope to carry that forward to Sebring. I have been on the simulator a lot, trying to get the basic landmarks memorized, as the reference points on the simulator are always somewhat relative.
"The biggest challenge I think I will face is learning the bumps around the Sebring road course and learning how they can help or hinder me. We performed great at Daytona even though there was damage to the car during my stint. We managed to bring it home in the top five. That is going to be the name of the game this year, finishing races and trying to be as consistent as possible. It's a long road to the championship, and we have a lot of momentum coming off of Daytona to put the Berg Racing team back in the top five!"
The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge will first take to the track Wednesday, March 12 for an 11:20 a.m. ET practice with qualifying Thursday, March 13 at 12:55 p.m. Vance will attempt to race to his first podium finish of the season when the green flag drops at 1 p.m. Friday, March 14.
The entire two-hour, 30-minute race will be streamed live on IMSA.com starting 1 p.m. Friday, March 14. FOX Sports 1 will provide delayed coverage from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, with a re-air from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday, March 23 on FOX Sports 2.
For more information on James Vance, visit jamesvanceracing.com. For updates on Vance, follow him on Twitter at @James_Vance and on Facebook.