Simon Trummer: Back in LMP2
USA AND EUROPE After a year in the top class of US sports cars, Simon Trummer returns to the LMP2 category. In addition to the IMSA series and ELMS, the semi-professional from Bern will be driving Ferrari in the VLN. Simon Trummer tackled his second season in the North American IMSA Sports Car Championship in 2019 under new auspices. Previously racing an Oreca LMP2, his [...]
Simon Trummer started his second season in the North American IMSA Sports Car Championship under new auspices in 2019. Previously racing an Oreca LMP2, his JDC-Miller Motorsports team switched to a modern Cadillac DPi from the premier Daytona Prototype class.
Unfortunately, his hopes of a first IMSA podium were not fulfilled. But not much was missing, despite the bigger and stronger competition.
Below expectations
After Trummer's good preparatory work as qualifier and starting driver, his partner Stephen Simpson finished the race in Detroit in fourth place, just 163 thousandths behind the third-place finisher. Two races earlier in Long Beach, the Cadillac team finished fifth, which it also achieved at the season-ending "Petit Le Mans" at Road Atlanta.
Compared to last year, the team with start number #85 did improve from eleventh to eighth place at the end of the race. However, this did not meet the expectations of the former GP2 driver.
Simon Trummer: "The season was disappointing. The step to the DPi was too high for the team, especially since we received no support from Dallara as the constructor and from Cadillac. On a lap, sometimes not much was missing, but at the distance, when it came down to setup or strategy."
First test drives at Daytona
With no improvement in his DPi situation in sight for 2020, Trummer saw a future in LMP2 again, albeit with different teams. He contests the IMSA Sports Car Championship for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsport and the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with Pro Algarve.
Trummer has already trained with the Americans during the New Year's week at the "Roar Before the Rolex 24" for the Daytona 24 Hours (January 25/26). Of 25 LMP2 drivers, the Swiss was sixth fastest over the three sunny days of testing at the Florida speedway, although the team was not aiming for best times and Trummer was therefore only on used rubber. More important were many practice laps of his less experienced teammates with bronze and silver ratings.
Le Mans and Nürburgring
In Europe, Trummer will drive for Pro Algarve. The team has secured a starting place for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so this will be the highlight of the season for him.
Trummer's third venue will continue to be the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. At Octane126 from Wallisellen, he was already one of the drivers in 2019 on the Ferrari 488 with special approval for the SPX class (with development parts for GT3 2020). The team has already proven its speed several times, but has not yet been able to convert it into countable results.
At selected VLN races and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, this should finally be achieved in the season starting in March, not least thanks to Simon Trummer's assistance.
