Q&A with 2011 GT Academy Champion and Nissan GT-R Pirelli World Challenge race driver Bryan Heitkotter at COTA

AUSTIN, Tex. – Nissan Motorsports is ready for the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) season to begin this weekend at the Nissan Grand Prix of Texas at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.

The Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 campaigned by Always Evolving and AIM Autosport will take on some of the fastest and most exotic production-based race cars in the U.S.

Nissan GT Academy 2011 champion Bryan Heitkotter and emerging IndyCar talent James Davison are piloting the two International GT3 spec GT-Rs in pursuit of a season championship.

Following is an interview with Heitkotter ahead of this weekend’s festivities.

Q1: Driving the GT3 spec GT-R is a new experience for you. What have the last couple of days at COTA have been like?

Heitkotter: It has been amazing. The car is awesome. It’s so fast, but it’s pretty easy to drive. While it’s a big step up from what I’ve been driving, Wolfie* has been helping out getting James (Davison) and I up to speed with the cars. I’m looking forward to the races.

Q2: With a sequential shifter and more downforce with the GT3 spec race car, is it challenging for you to ramp up and learn it so quickly?

Heitkotter: It’s been steady progress getting up to speed, but I felt really good this last practice session. So we’re happy going into qualifying tomorrow.  It’s a big GT car, but it has such significant downforce and grip. I’ve had to learn a few techniques to get the most out of the car, but I think it’s going very well.

Q3: You mentioned Wolfgang earlier. Is it valuable to have the council of a guy who has driven this car so many laps?

Heitkotter: It’s very helpful.  If I feel something in the car, I can ask him if it’s normal and he can tell me right away.  He has shared so many details of the car’s characteristics and how it likes to be driven that can only come from a racer who has had as many laps in it as Wolfie has.

Q4: Going back to your GT Academy roots: Do you find that being able to process information in that way still helps you at this level?

Heitkotter: The biggest thing I learned in video gaming was use of mental techniques. It’s how to stay sharp without losing my concentration for long stretches. It’s the exact same mental process in a real racing car.

Q5: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Nissan GT-R race car?

Heitkotter: We’re really good through high-speed corners because we have good aero that suits the powertrain well. Probably our disadvantage is exiting the very slow corners. It sometimes is a struggle to put all that torque down to the ground in the rear wheel drive configuration that GT3 requires. 

Q6: Any sense of how the races this weekend will unfold?

Heitkotter: I don’t thing anybody can predict a Pirelli World Challenge field will play out.  It’s a big field with a lot of talent, so all I can say is it’s going to be a lot of fun. I know that much.

* Wolfie is GT Academy Europe winner and GT3 pilot Wolfgang Reip.

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