The recently crowned TC class champion, Jeff Ricca, knows a thing or two about winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He claimed the Race 1 victory in last year’s event, and has taken home another seven wins in this season’s campaign. It’s safe to say that his pedigree makes him a trustworthy source on how to master a place like the Brickyard.
As a previous winner at IMS, the driver of the No. 780 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC is ready to repeat his prior success.
“We have so much data from last year, and the same car, so that’s a huge bonus for us,” Ricca explained. “It allows us to think about making more drastic changes in the practice sessions just to do some experimenting. A key thing for us would be to find a way to gain some more speed and apply the things we have learned over this course of this year.”
Although Ricca has already wrapped up his championship early, he insists that IMS being the last stop on the calendar gives it all the more reason for why no mistakes can be made.
“We always strive to get the most out of the car,” he said. “Being flawless the entire week is the only way to do it. Our cars do very well in the heat, but when it comes down to the colder temperatures, we can be on the back foot in comparison to others.”
This is exactly why he strongly believes that understanding your disadvantages is all part of the crucial preparations that go into a race weekend. Another element is acquiring a strong comprehension of the elements of the circuit itself, without overcomplicating your approach.
“It’s a track that has three sectors, all of which are different types that you can find similarities to in all the various tracks around the United States that we have raced at already,” he elaborated. “IMS provides a good mix where you may do very well in Sectors One and Two, but then struggle in Sector Three. It’s something that we’ll definitely have to work on leading up to the races, because you need to have a plan of attack when you know where your competitors will be stronger.”
He credited the importance of time spent on simulators in order to learn the ins and outs of the cars and the layout, stressing the value that it brings across the board.
“It can be so costly to do a test day at the track,” he continued. “We use the simulator to try out different setups, and sometimes I’ll do over 300 laps before an event just to try out different things and see what may work and how it translates into real competition.”
When reflecting on his previous victory, Ricca recognizes the significance for multiple reasons, stating that “there's not many people to get the race at IMS, so to have a victory there is something special. It’s the Brickyard! It's nostalgic and it’s known not only in America, but worldwide. A podium there is great, but a win is just icing on the cake.”
He also noted that winning in Indianapolis not only serves as the perfect way to conclude the year, but also the most positive way to go into the following season.
“The team championship is always the number one priority,” he concluded. “I can’t do everything on my own, it’s the massive team effort that makes this all possible. The manufacturer championship is also a big deal because we represent a brand that fully stands by us. So we definitely want to be able to finish off the season with some huge results so we can continue to build for 2025 when we bring in more members.”
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