They have to cut apexes, hit brake marks and maximize cornering speed, but that's only part of the job, especially in modern times. Endurance racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is a multi-class discipline, and dealing with slower or faster cars, or both, is a key part of the game. Then there's the challenge of optimizing the electronic systems that are becoming part of modern motorsport in the name of performance.
IMSA has four classes. The high-tech GTP hybrid prototype at the forefront of the field is joined by his LMP2's slightly slower sibling, a more controlled category that uses spec naturally aspirated V8 engines, and furthermore his twin GT Daytona division. I have a GT3 machine. These cars are divided into two depending on the composition of the driver lineup. GTD Pro, as the name suggests, is open to all professional crews, while GTD is a pro-am category and amateurs can participate. The important things in an endurance race are clearly stated in the rules.
“What makes IMSA special as a series is that there are multiple categories,” said Jenson, who drives for the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura GTP team and finished third at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.・Baton says. “The speeds are so different on the track that whether you’re in a GTP, LMP2 or GTD car, you’re never going to run out of traffic.
“You can never achieve a clear lap. For the drivers it's 24 hours of mayhem, but also for the fans and spectators because there's always something going on. A GTP car overtakes another GTP for an hour. Even if you didn’t, you would have passed 100 times in that hour.”
Drivers also need to remain aware of what's happening inside the cockpit. Nothing is more important than a GTP car built to the LMDh ruleset. This ruleset also allows entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship's Hypercar class. This is a high-tech category that utilizes a common hybrid system developed with Bosch Motorsport as one of its key partners.
The driver's role in getting the most out of electronic systems is complex. Button may be an F1 world champion and a veteran of 306 Grands Prix, but his job in the LMDh cockpit is far more complex than what he has experienced in single-seaters.
Button explains that sports car mechanics have far more driver control than F1.
“In F1, you were very limited in what you could do,” says the Brit, who will compete in the 2024 WEC in a Porsche 963. “We didn't have traction control and we didn't have a lot of other controls left” to us. Meanwhile, there are hundreds of switches here!”
Bosch has a long history of involvement in motorsport across a variety of sectors. This is an involvement that has grown and continues to grow as much as his IMSA with LMDh mechanism.
“When it comes to racing electronics, Bosch has been deeply involved from day one in some of the most basic components: the internal combustion unit, the spark plugs and the fuel injection system,” said Jacob Bergenske, Bosch Motorsport Director. Masu. North America. But in today's world of high-tech motorsport, which he calls the “computerized age,” the scope of Bosch's involvement has expanded dramatically.
“It starts with really small things like pressure sensors, temperature sensors, vehicle motion position sensors. This is really amazing technology,” Bergenske explains. “Then we move on to the hybrid side and specification components, the motor, motor controller, hybrid control unit, and electronic brake system.”
This is not the only list of Bosch components installed in the car. There is also a low voltage wiring harness, which allows the loom to allow all electronic systems to communicate with each other. There is also a high voltage harness between the battery and the motor generator unit.
“There is a dash display that provides information to the driver,” Bergenske continues. “We have inspection data loggers and a telematics system based on LTE technology that captures information from race cars in real time to the cloud, and from there we can distribute the data.”
Bosch products can be found in various classes at IMSA.
Although GT3 cars are not hybrids, Bosch products are still used in cars competing in the GTD ranks.
“If you look inside some of these GT3 cars, there's literally our catalog in there,” Bergenski says. “We have our driver display, collision avoidance system with world-renowned radar technology, ABS system, engine control unit, fuel system. I'm sure there are a few things missing!”
The integrated approach that Bosch offers is critical, Bergenske says.
“Technology is changing so rapidly that it’s important to have everything under one roof,” he explains. “For someone to go out and say, 'Okay, we've got to find this gadget, we've got to find that gadget, and we've got to find a way to get everyone talking together.' , it is very time consuming.”
For the driver, mastering all the electronic controls and systems is not an instant task. WTR When Andretti was doing his first laps in his Acura, Button says, “I didn't have enough lap time to get it all going through my head.'' He revealed that while he was getting back on track, he asked himself, “Which switch is on? It's going to take a while to turn on.''