Seat Time, Teamwork With Wright Motorsports Help Schein Make Big Improvement - Speedway Digest

Practice makes perfect.

Perfection is not a realistic goal for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama driver Michael Schein, but consistent improvement in that direction is.

Schein, from New York City, is in his second season driving for Wright Motorsports but his fourth overall in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned Single-Make Series.

Schein drove for Alex Job Racing in 2010 and 2011 before rejoining the series in 2014 with Wright in a Platinum Cup Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

“I was out of the series since 2011, so getting back into it was definitely a process,” Schein said. “Midway through last year and continuing this year, there’s been a big improvement and more consistency.”

Schein is fifth in the Platinum Cup driver championship points after three rounds of competition this year. He placed third in the opening race in March at Sebring International Raceway.

“The whole Wright Motorsports team has been a huge help,” Schein said. “We all work together. The improvements that Porsche made with the car has helped with the drivability and made it more consistent and easier to drive. The 2015 car is better with new shocks in it. There are different springs, and the wicker bill on the rear wing definitely settled the car down a little bit.

“It’s also always easier to go back to a track when you’ve been there somewhat recently, opposed to being away for a few years. It helps you get up to speed quicker.”

With one career Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama win under his belt in 2010, Schein hopes to get back to the top step of the podium this season.

“I haven’t won a race since Mid-Ohio in 2010, and I definitely think that’s an attainable goal this year,” Schein said. “I’d like to finish in the top three in championship points. I had a bit of a hiccup in NOLA when I got a penalty, so we will have to bounce back from that and keep these podium finishes a regular thing.

“Bobby (Viglione), the team engineer, is awesome with the data. After every session we go through everything and see where we are losing and gaining. At home I have a simulator, which I like to spend some time on building up to the race weekend so I can be as fresh as possible heading into the first practice.”

If Schein continues to match practice time with trademark Wright Motorsports teamwork, a perfect finish may be in his cards.

Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama are scheduled for June 25-27 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Round 4 was rescheduled from a rainout in April at NOLA Motorsports Park.

For more information about Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, visit www.gt3cupchallengeusa.com, follow hashtag #GT3USA @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.