More seat time pays off in the LMP2 title fight

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Nick Boulle said this year's LMP2 season with Inter Eurpol with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports gave him “the most driving time” in a decade, allowing him to hone his racing skills amid an increasingly tight championship battle.

Bronze-rated driver and co-driver Tom Dillmann enter the home stretch of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races with a 27-point lead over Riley's Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga, battling for the coveted title and automatic invitation to next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Originally only confirmed for a part-time run in the team's Oreca 07 Gibson, Boulle entered his first full season in the WeatherTech Championship and it was starting to pay off.

“Honestly, the whole year has been a dream come true,” he said. “As far as driving goes, I've probably driven more than I have in ten years.”

“Probably the most rewarding part was seeing the progress of the car and the team.

“We seem to be making progress, both in terms of how quickly we find a setup, how well we work together and communicate. The cooperation with Cuba [Smiechowski] and working with Tom was fun. We all seem to have very similar wishes for the car.

“And being able to develop that and keep going was just pure fun.

“I think it is also a great motivation for me to now be facing the last two races of the year, because in previous years I was happy if I could take part in one or two races.

“I was able to do seven races this year and do some testing. That allowed me to not only see progress in myself and the car, but also carry that progress over into the last two races. In the past, it was kind of bittersweet to come out of a good or bad situation and not see where it was going.

“But yes, it was indeed a dream come true.”

Boulle, who won the LMP2 main race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park alongside Dillmann, said the mentality remains the same for the final two races, both of which are rounds of the Michelin Endurance Cup.

“We made a few mistakes in the last round and it's been close for us all year,” he said. “I think the level of competition is really high in this category, especially compared to some of the previous years.”

“Things are just looking up and that’s great.

“I think the short laps definitely make for a more physical race and I love that side of the sport.

“Indy should suit us well. I like the short, tight track, I've been there before and I feel comfortable. I'm looking forward to going there again.”

The 35-year-old jeweller from Texas, who has already competed twice in the LMP2 class at Le Mans in 2018/19, said he was not too concerned about the prospects of winning the Jim Trueman Award, which would earn him an automatic invitation to next year's French endurance classic.

“For me, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world, let alone in motorsport,” said Boulle.

“It’s definitely in the back of my mind, but I try not to think about it too much because I know if we do a good job and maybe we can extend that lead [and] To allow us to have a more relaxed start to the final race would be great.

“Of course it means a lot, but the focus is on winning the championship.”

Davey Euwema contributed to this report

Johannes Dagys is the founder and editor-in-chief of Sportscar365. Dagys was a motorsport correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel for eight years and has contributed to numerous other motorsport publications worldwide. Contact John