Trackside Chat: IMSA’s Timing Stand
Elkhart Lake, WI – August 17, 2021: CTech’s fruitful partnership with IMSA originally began in 2019 with a conversation about building their race officials a new Timing Stand. From that stand, stewards are able to keep a closer eye on the competition.
Now that it’s been officially put to the test, CTech’s Motorsport Product Line Manager; Nate Birkenmeier, took some time at Road America to chat with IMSA’s Geoff Carter. The full interview below covers a variety of topics regarding the cart’s use and importance, along with IMSA’s experience working with CTech.
A Partnership Built On Performance
CTech and IMSA have enjoyed a short but fruitful partnership, beginning just a few years ago. However, CTech’s involvement in IMSA pre-dates the merger of Grand-Am Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series. A large majority of teams competing in IMSA’s premier series “ WeatherTech SportsCar Championship” utilize CTech storage of some kind either on pit lane, in the trailer, or at the shop.
As it turned out, racing teams aren’t the only ones who can benefit from pit carts engineered and manufactured by CTech. Race officials, whose job depends on running a smooth and competitive race, also need their own space on pit lane to work.
“ It was critical for us to be here in the pit lane with the teams… In pairing with CTech, we were able to engineer a stand that met our needs.” -Geoff Carter, IMSA
What Is IMSA’s Timing Stand Used For?
In many ways, IMSA’s Timing Stand is no different from other examples found in the pit box of many other road racing teams. However, race officials have a very different set of responsibilities to uphold. IMSA’s timing stand helps support a variety of activities:
- Maintain Balance of Performance
- Ensure Pit Stop Safety & Compliance
- Support Race Control Operations
- Provide Comfortable Workstations
In endurance racing, longevity and performance are both equally important. With races on the schedule lasting anywhere from a little over two to twenty-four hours, providing pit equipment that’s dependable, comfortable, and efficient is an essential focus for CTech engineers. The same standard of quality and performance goes into every storage solution built at CTech’s Weston, Wisconsin headquarters.
“ It was really easy to work with you and your staff. Everything was very intuitive for us, you knew exactly what we needed. The timeline was unbelievable, and we’ve got an amazing product with a really professional process to work through.” -Geoff Carter