IMSA: MOBIL 1 TWELVE HOURS OF SEBRING PRESENTED BY CADILLAC

March 15, 2024

PJ Hyett

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: As I mentioned, we are now joined by our LMP2 pole winner for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Cadillac, driver of the No. 99 AO Racing Oreca LMP2 07, PJ Hyett. PJ's best lap was 1 minute 52.142 seconds. This is his first career IMSA pole. He's co-driving with Paul-Loup Chatin and Matt Brabham.

Note that I thought was semi-interesting, AO Racing did have the pole at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with Rexy, now today Spike gets one. Looking for your first win.

Talk about at least the qualifying momentum that your whole team has gotten going so far this year, what it feels like for you to get your first pole here.

PJ HYETT: There's a lot of emotions going through me right now just because of how special this feels. Yeah, the dragon was definitely the breathing fire today, I'll say that.

The really cool thing about what's happened this season between pole at Daytona and Spike at Sebring is that we tried to build this team in a new, fun way to attract a whole new generation of fans and get people excited about these fun-loving characters racing around the racetrack, the green dinosaur and the purple dragon, to be able to back that up with really strong performances in qualifying to show we're not just screwing around, we're out here trying to win and get poles. We've been able to do that this year.

It's been a lot of work, a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. But I love that we've been able to now marry our fun new approach to sports car racing with actual results now. Obviously we got to do our job tomorrow. It's going to be a long, hot race. Yeah, I couldn't be more thrilled about what's happening.

THE MODERATOR: A lot of tough competition, this year especially. To come out on top today, what does that mean to you?

PJ HYETT: Guys like Ben Keating are my hero. To have sort of this late-in-life sports car racing career, I see him as one of the pinnacles of the Bronze driver, if you will, of the sport.

To be out there racing with him and getting to go faster than him today, it's really hard for me. It's unbelievable. Honest to God, I'm not trying to be modest, it's like a childhood dream coming true that I get to race car and go real fast. It's amazing.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for PJ.

Q. It looks like you're really clicking. Good qualifying in Dubai last month. Is it just an occasion finding out you really get along with the LMP2 car really well?

PJ HYETT: There is something about that P2 car that I do enjoy. I like the extra aero. I like how physical it is. I like going fast as hell around the corners. All of these things that the P2 kind of lends itself to.

It's not that I disliked driving the GTD car last year. It's just think I for me the P2 car and I get along very nicely together.

Q. Suits your style a bit more, perhaps?

PJ HYETT: Yeah. I think with the Porsche last year, there's a little bit of finesse. There's always finesse with racing cars. But, yeah, I just like the physicality of the LMP2. I enjoy driving it. Hopefully that's reflected in my lap times.

Q. (Physicality of the track.)

PJ HYETT: That's what I'm talking about with behind-the-scenes work. We worked not only in testing but with the engineer how to get the best performance out of the tire, how to warm up the tire correctly, how not to over-push too early.

You come up with a game plan prior to going out for qualifying. I think we executed that basically perfectly today where on that second timed lap, the tires were in, the brakes were in. I was able to push as hard as I could and the car responded positively to that.

Obviously - not obviously - but when we came here to test, it was 30 degrees cooler out. You come on a weekend like this when it's 85 or 90 degrees, obviously the car needs to be set up differently.

We worked as best as we could yesterday in practice how to maximize the car, not just for qualifying, but also for the race tomorrow. So I think, yeah, we did a great job.

It's not me, it's the whole team that's able to put a lap like that together.

THE MODERATOR: PJ we appreciate you coming in. Congratulations.