The Sacramento Bee
Mark Billingsley
Joey Hand is no different than any pro athlete who was born and raised in the area and is returning to Northern California to compete. He’s been getting calls from friends and family members asking for tickets.
“I’ve spent more time over the past few days getting tickets than I have figuring out the race car,” said Hand, who will drive Chip Ganassi’s Ford GT this weekend in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Laguna Seca in Salinas. “It’s a great problem to have actually, because it is a home-field advantage for me and always a positive vibe to have so many friends and family at the track.”
Hand and Dirk Müller co-drive the No. 66 car for Ganassi’s team; Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook drive the other Ganassi car, the No. 67. After three races this season, Hand and Müller are in seventh place.
Hand, 36, who grew up in Elk Grove and lives in Wilton, said he and and Müller will be on the podium soon. The engine program is solid, Hand said, and the season has been free of engine and gearbox issues that plagued the team last season.
“After the testing series before the 24 hours race at Daytona, things were going so well that as a team we said, ‘Hey, let’s not talk about it,’ ” Hand said. “But then some small things started to happen.”
Those “small” things included the driver’s door flying open at 140 mph during the Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix in Long Beach on April 16.
“Yeah, the door latch failed somehow. I think a cable got caught, and the door flew open,” Hand said. “I tried to close it but couldn’t and we had to come in and pit unexpectedly. As soon as you do that in a short race (1 hour 40 minutes) such as Long Beach, you’re done. You go a lap down with no time to make it up.”
Hand said both Ganassi Ford GT teams are looking forward to the 84th running of the 24 Hours at Le Mans in France on June 18-19. It’s not part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, but the world’s best endurance teams will be there trying to win arguably the most prestigious race in the world.
“We’re all focused on Le Mans,” said Hand, who had a career-best third place at LeMans in 2011. “What an incredible race that is. There’s something like 300,000 people at that race, and from the podium you look out and see a sea of people. Fantastic. If I get on the podium again, I’m going to take a selfie with the crowd in the background just so I remember what it’s like.”
Hand said he’s sorry things didn’t work out with Scott Pruett of Auburn. They raced together during the 2015 Daytona Prototype season, but even a strong finish after a slow start couldn’t keep the team together.
Pruett now races for Lexus in an RC F GT3, but the car wasn’t ready for Long Beach, so he was there signing autographs but couldn’t race.
“I always wanted to drive with Scott and got the chance last year,” Hand said. “We got a win together at Circuit America and that has been a goal of mine for years. I’m not sure what happened because he’s still as fit, as motivated, as anyone driving today.”