With the TUDOR Championship race in Detroit running on Saturday afternoon, that didn’t leave much time for five drivers to get all the boxes checked before the end of practice on Sunday. Chris Cumming, Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell shared a flight on a private jet directly to Le Mans; Jordan Taylor – whose test participation was optional – went the public route, flying commercial to Paris and taking a train to Le Mans.

 

“The logistics worked pretty well,” said Cumming, who will drive for OAK Racing in the LM P2 class. “We arrived in Le Mans about 6:30 a.m. local. We all got a few hours of sleep during the flight. 

 

“Once we arrived, we all had to do administrative checks, photos, and meetings with the stewards and race director; this took until 9:45 a.m.”

 

Racing at Detroit prepared the group for the weather at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The event at Belle Isle began in dry conditions but ended with rain; showers prevailed during the Le Mans test.

 

“Once we got out on track we only had a short time before the rain began,” Cumming said. “I got about 20 laps, but only five in the dry.”

 

The logistical struggles of making the test somewhat alleviated any first-time jitters for the drivers. 

 

“I would say the weight of the ‘hallowed ground’ hasn’t hit yet,” said Keating, who will share the No. 53 Riley Motorsports-TI Automotive Dodge Viper GTS-R in the GTE-Am class with regular TUDOR Championship co-driver Bleekemolen and Marc Miller, a regular in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. “When going out in the rain, I wasn’t able to think about anything other than keeping the car on track. The weather was tough; I did not get any dry laps, so I still have a lot to learn next week. I expect to see big gains from additional track time, but I got valuable time in wet conditions at the test and that could be great for the race.”

 

“I like the car,” said Bleekemolen, who races the No. 33 ViperExchange.com Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R in the GT Daytona (GTD) class of the TUDOR Championship. “It’s very different to the GTD car, as the regulations and tires are different, but as the team proved last year winning the championship, it is a great car.”

While Taylor was not required to participate in the test due to his recent experience, he opted to attend.

 

“I was only at the track for about six hours, and I only did about 10 or 15 laps in the wet,” Taylor said. “But it’s always nice to do laps around Le Mans. I didn’t have to go, but I wanted to get laps in the car – race week is short and really intense. It’s good to learn things before going back. It was raining on and off, and the races at Le Mans can be like that – you never know how the conditions will be. We tested to see how the tires worked in those conditions, so if we have similar conditions in two weeks, we’ll know what tires to use.”

 

Taylor traveled alone on his out-and-back trip, getting back home late Monday afternoon. 

 

“I just put in my headphones and try to zone everything out,” said Taylor, who will drive the No. 64 Corvette C7.R in the GTE-Pro class with TUDOR Championship with GT Le Mans regulars Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner.

 

Now, the TUDOR Championship drivers will get a few days to relax – and work – at home before returning to France at the end of the week.

 

“It was good to get out to the test and get a few laps into the mental database,” Cumming said. “It will give me something to work on so I’m ready to hit the track Wednesday of race week.”

 

Unlike the rush to get to France from Detroit, drivers now have more than a week to think about the upcoming endurance classic.

 

“I think the magnitude of the event will all come like a ton of bricks next week,” Keating said.