Joey Hand Finds Speed & Racing Beauty At Watkins Glen

Column By: EDWARD KOCHERSBERGER / RPW – WATKINS GLEN, NY – The 2017 IMSA Weathertech Championship made their annual trip to the home of American road course racing this past weekend. The scene at Watkins Glen International was energized with a vast array of motorsports fans and some of the greatest road course specialists in the world.

The Sahlens Six Hours of the Glen was round-six on the season schedule for IMSA. Racers from all over like to mark this event on their calendars as one of the favorites. Sacramento California’s Joey Hand is one of those competitors. Joey is one of two pilots of the Ford Ecoboost Ford GT number 66 car owned Ford Chip Ganassi racing.

Hand, who shared the weekend driving duties with Germany’s Dirk Mueller, is quite appreciative of the history and classic road course feel that Watkins Glen provides.

“It is one of my favorite tracks. We are lucky here in the United States. I don’t think people understand how great these race tracks are that we have. Not every single one but these ones that were built on the topography. The ones that were built back in the day that haven’t changed a lot. We are really fortunate.”

Joey expanded on what Watkins Glen means for competition.

“Watkins Glen has done a great job. I have been coming here for thirteen years. They have done such a great job lately. The repave was awesome. It makes for a fast race track. You really have to throw down to do a good lap here. It ultimately just makes the racing better. It is one of those tracks like Road America or Mid-Ohio that just produces great racing.”

Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller finished the Six Hours fourth in the Grand Touring LeMans Class. But perhaps one of their biggest weekend highlights was winning the pole award to start the race in the first position in GTLM.

“With the rain and stuff you don’t always get as much time on the track as you want. I think that is the key for us. Our Ford Chip Ganassi guys have been really good at the homework and preparation of the car. We roll out of the trailer and we have a car that we can drive and be really quick. Dirk was quickest in the first practice. I was quickest in the second practice and then the pole. You can tell we fine tune our car just a little bit. That’s the big thing here.”

Joey goes on to talk about the level of competition within the IMSA Weathertech Championship.

“You race against great teams and drivers. You gotta have it all right to get the pole and have quick car to win the race. We have just been on the right page from the get-go. It makes it a lot easier when you are fine tuning and not throwing the kitchen sink at it.”

The 2017 IMSA Weathertech Championship Series continues July 6-9 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario for the Mobil One Sportscar Grand Prix. Fans can find out more about Joey Hand and other drivers and events by visiting sportscarchampionship.imsa.com.