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00:00Alright, so we're here with Pippo Durrani as he gets set to run with DXTT Racing in
00:05their first IMSA race as a team here in the Rolex 24, Pippo.
00:10Back in GT3 machinery for the first time in a bit, so how excited are you to be back running
00:14with a Corvette brand that's had a lot of success here at the track, but also is developing
00:22their new car as well after one season last year heading into year number two, so how
00:27excited are you to be a part of GT3 racing here this season?
00:30I'm very excited to be here obviously, it's a different year for myself as everybody knows,
00:37so getting the chance to be at Daytona with a team that's had so much success last year
00:42it's fantastic.
00:44I've had the pleasure to work with Erin in the past back in the Patron days, so when
00:50she knew I was let's say available for Daytona she was quick to ask me if I wanted to do
00:56it and also myself quickly accepted it with the okay obviously from Genesis allowing me
01:02to do this race, so a great way to start the year, different obviously because I don't
01:08think I've ever raced Daytona in a GT, but it's great to be on the other side of the
01:13spectrum as well because it gives me more, it takes me out of my comfort zone and it
01:19gives me more experience and it keeps me sharp, so that was the whole goal about being here
01:26this year is to stay sharp and to stay race active let's say, so nothing better than doing
01:32it with a team that's had success last year but also looking to learn more from IMSA so
01:39I can bring in some experience on that side and with people that I've worked with in the
01:45past and I've had fun working with in the past, so a great opportunity to be with the XT team.
01:50Yeah, this is your first time running in a GT car since 2017, it's pretty wild to think
01:55about, what has it been like learning this new Corvette, it's an updated Corvette when
02:01they debuted in 2024, so what has it been like learning the GT3 machinery and how has
02:06it changed since the last time you've been in a GT car?
02:09Yeah I was positively surprised with the car when I drove, obviously very different still
02:14to a prototype, the way you approach the corners, different speeds and then ABS and all those
02:21things that go along but the cars are actually very good to drive, you know the Corvette
02:26has been a pleasure to drive in the November test and still I have I'd say a lot to learn
02:32and a lot to get my head around but I have also great teammates that know the car very
02:37well so I'm going to be relying on them on that for that particular reason, but yeah
02:45so far so good, happy that I was able to join the test in November and experience how much
02:52it has changed since I last drove a GT, I think the cars have evolved, they're more
02:57refined and in a way a bit similar to driving a prototype now than they were back then,
03:04so still a GT, it's a different way of driving but I think the gap has been reduced a bit
03:13also for the fact that the GTPs are heavier and bigger than the previous DPI cars so I
03:19think that brings them both a bit closer together in terms of driving style, but yeah it's good
03:26so I'm happy to be here.
03:27DXTT Racing is not new to sports car racing but this is a new venture going into the WeatherTech
03:32Sports Car Championship so what has it been like helping kickstart this new program, this
03:39new venture for the team as they go into IMSA racing here in 2020?
03:44Well to be honest I don't think I've even added anything just yet, I think I will as
03:49the race begins, the race weekend, perhaps a couple of points that I might be able to
03:55help but they are a pretty experienced team in what they've done last year, winning eight
04:01races in a row so they have quite a neat team going in terms of personnel and so on so they
04:09brought in Brian as well so he knows well the GT, he's done IMSA so he's going to be
04:16a lot of a bigger help than I will and I'm sure he's had so much input already into the
04:22team coming into IMSA that is very valuable to a team like this.
04:27So myself I would say I can only give a tiny bit of my experience but nothing even close
04:33to what a guy like Brian is bringing to the team but the team is quite dynamic you know
04:38I think they have the chance to learn quick and they will learn quick, the 24 hours it's
04:45a long race so you have let's say time to if necessary recover from a couple of mistakes
04:51that you might do along the way in terms of strategy and so on and get their head around
04:57as the race goes so that's a positive as well but I'm sure that the team will be on it from
05:02the very beginning.
05:03Obviously the focus these next two weeks are going to be the Rolex 24 but you talked about
05:06the Genesis program, signed on for 2026, going to be one of the two first drivers with
05:13that program.
05:14What has it been like so far being a part of the Genesis program you know kind of building
05:19that and obviously getting ready for 2026 when you're going to be hopping in that car
05:23for the first time?
05:24It's been a lot of work honestly already, I pretty much went from one contract to another
05:29the day after my contract finished I was contracted to them and it's been let's say
05:37it's a build up from scratch you know we had a blank piece of paper and we're putting together
05:41everything you know team personnel, the new base, the factory and simulator and so on
05:48so the work is ongoing already, it's been fantastic to be one of the two drivers to
05:54be selected to steer the ship and hopefully in the right way and develop the car alongside
06:01Andre, so a lot of experience from two different manufacturers that we've been involved with
06:09the last couple of years.
06:10I won a championship with Cadillac, he won a championship with Porsche and we're hoping
06:16that we can together take the best of the both worlds, of those two worlds and bring
06:22it to Genesis so let's say a lot of work, it's not like just regulation change where
06:29you go from one car to another and the team is already operating, we are starting from
06:34scratch, we don't have a race team, we don't have anything, we have to start from scratch
06:39so for sure a lot of work but it's going to be very rewarding to see the progress and
06:44eventually getting the car on track and then start the testing and then eventually at some
06:48point line up on the grid in 2026 so that's going to be very nice to be a part of but
06:55yeah the work has begun already, let's say I have a couple of weeks holidays racing here
07:01at Daytona but then back at work immediately after Daytona.
07:04There's not many holidays for you, this is lunch, strength of the GTD class this year
07:09it's not only is the size of the grid continue to expand in terms of the GTD class but also
07:15the quality of drivers that are jumping into the series, what is it like to look up and
07:19down that GTD class, you got about over 20 cars in the grid but you also have really
07:25great racers as well, Andy Lally is in the grid, you have some guys who have Rolex 24
07:29experience and championship wins, I mean there's a lot of really good names in this GTD class.
07:35Yeah no for sure it's a very very competitive class, obviously different dynamic to what
07:41I'm used to in prototype, obviously for the speeds and so on, you drive the car different,
07:48you approach the stints different and so on but yeah I mean it's great to be on a grid
07:55that is so competitive, it's what you want, if you win on top of so many great names that
07:59have been doing it for so many years then I'm sure it has a bigger, it's nicer let's
08:06say but yeah full on respect for those guys who have been doing it for so many years,
08:12I think they deserve all the credit for what they achieved over the years, there's so many
08:17good guys in GT, they're specialists in GT so that's also one of the reasons I had an
08:24opportunity to race a prototype in this race and I said no because I wanted to be out of
08:33my comfort zone, really to push myself to be a better driver and nothing better than
08:39doing that than jumping to a car, a type of car that I haven't driven in many many years
08:44so I'm looking forward to trying my luck against so many good guys.
08:49I love it, I'll close out on this real quick, Robert Wickens joining the team this year
08:53for 2025, how exciting is it to see somebody like Robert who has battled his way back after
08:59kind of dealing with adversity, you know having the wreck at Pocono then to finally get an
09:03opportunity to be back in top seat racing with DXT Racing as well, how special is that
09:08to see him in that growth to get back into the seat at a top seat?
09:12It's nice, it's nice because believe it or not I was on Robert's first IndyCar test,
09:21he tested for a couple of days at Sebring and I got to have my first and only laps in
09:26an IndyCar with that same car in one of those days, I only drove for let's say a couple
09:32of hours but you know he went on to, I was contracted to Patron at the time and he went
09:39on to race alongside Hinch and then obviously unfortunately for him he had that accident
09:47but you know he's battled his way through such a difficult situation and to see him
09:55coming back to, getting back into higher and higher level of racing after his accident
10:00it's nice, I'm sure for him it's what he wanted you know to never actually leave a race car
10:06and to be able, you know sometimes in life you go through ups and downs and he went really
10:11down but to look at the way he's been building his life back it's nice.
10:17Awesome, well Pipo good luck this weekend, good luck with DXT Racing, this weekend and
10:22next weekend I should say and hopefully you guys will be able to take home the Rolls-Royce
10:25coming forward.
10:26Thank you, appreciate it.
10:27Thanks, appreciate it.
10:28Have a good one.