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Speedway, IN | October 3-6, 2024
Coming soon…
Matt wants to thank AutoTechnic Racing’s Rob and Charlie for the commitment to him over the past year.
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Speedway, IN | August 30st, 2023
On a sunny afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late August, I achieved what many young professional drivers hope to get realize; get to drive a modern GT4 category racing car. At the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway nontheless!
Although it would technically be my second time in a GT4, taking part in a driver evaluation shootout in early 2021 with another manufactur. However, this opportunity felt a lot different. With aspirations to make the GT4 class and the new BMW M4 GT4 my next step as a professional driver, this was a very special and important day.
AutoTechnic Racing chose to take advantage of a BMW Motorsport-hosted track event at Indianapolis to help prepare their teams for upcoming IMSA and SRO races here. All three of their BMW M4 GT4’s would be present; the #51 for Zac Anderson, the #253 for Rob Walker and Satakal Khalsa, and the #24 for Adam Gleason.
Lacking the funding to place myself as a driver in the test, I chose to work for the team. Manning radios, assisting drivers, and completing other tasks to help the test run efficiently. Although I’d prefer to be strapped in instead of strapping in others, I understand my current situation of sponsorship and finances. I’d rather be present and working with a team I truly enjoy than sitting at home!
Through my work for the past three SRO/IMSA events and a close relationship with many at AutoTechnic, I was given a chance to test the M4 GT4 on the afternoon of the test’s second day. It’s rare to find yourself in the right place, right time, with the right people to where this can occur. I’m immensely grateful and honored at their belief in me and my talents.
Thank you Rob and Satakal for allowing me to drive their current SRO GT4 America chassis to begin my journey in the BMW M4 GT4. Thank you Rob Driscoll and Charlie Scott for supporting this plan, team drivers Zac and JCD for speaking highly enough to put me in this position, and the San Diego-based crew with Keeley, Lindsley, and Pete Bush for introducing me to the team.
I was able to have two sessions. The first, a short 10-15 minute run, was primarily to learn the fundamentals. I improved about one second per lap, starting at around 1:37 and ending at a 1:32. The second session was about 20 minutes on an older set of tires. I dialed back the traction control to as much as possible and focused on being smooth, consistent, and calculated. Multiple laps from 1:32.2 to 1:31.8 followed. All the hours studying the car’s operational manual as well as hours on the simulator did help me come to speed quicker than I would’ve otherwise.
What a race car. Similar in ways I’d thought it would be, very different in ways I didn’t consider. Visibility, tire feel, pedal feel, and overall weight transfer all felt noticeable different from what I expected and needed to adapt quickly. It soon began to feel normal after a dozen-or-so laps… nearly. Blasting down the front straight and across the most famous brick finish line in the world was an unbelievably cool feeling. A special one I won’t forget any time soon.
In the moment, I felt I could’ve been a better in many areas. Braking force, brake timing, car positioning, throttle management, etc. And I was right, I could’ve been better. But for a first half hour in a completely foreign race car at a new circuit, I’ve come around to the idea that… I should be immensely proud. It was a heck of an effort to be thrown into the situation. Thank you Zac for helping instill this perspective after the sessions. I’d love to one day reach your level in these cars!
I believe I’ve proven the potential needed to compete at a high level in GT4 in the future. Now, I am constantly searching for ways to make a GT4 season happen in 2023. With SRO’s GT4 America my primary aim, I will need to locate the right opportunity or finding a significant amount of sponsorship to make it happen.
It would mean the world to me to begin my GT4 journey in full during 2024. It would mean even more to do it with AutoTechnic Racing in their incredible M4 GT4’s. In the meantime, I’ll continue to work hard at making dreams… a reality. :)
- Matt Million
9/9/23
