Crucial Motorsports, the leading United States-based McLaren Racing team competing in the 2022 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and Weathertech Sportscar Championship, has signed Motul as its official lubricant partner. Team co-founder Aaron Nash tells us more about the new relationship and how Motul lubricants benefit the McLaren 720S.
CRUCIAL MOTORSPORTS: “THE MCLAREN’S STANDARD OF OPERATION IS VERY HIGH”
28.04.2022
Aaron, what are your thoughts on the new Crucial Motorsport and Motul partnership?
It's a very new relationship, and new for the IMSA programme that we’re competing in with the McLaren 720S. We're excited about it and obviously, we want to grow the partnership. Essentially, it came about through one of our employees, who established it through Motul USA.
How many events has Motul worked with you on with the McLaren?
We've raced in three events so far with Motul. The Daytona Rolex 24 in January was our first event, then the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, and we just got back from the Long Beach Street race the other week as well.
What’s been your initial thoughts of the partnership from the events you’ve been working with Motul on?
Even before our partnership, we used Motul products on various race cars over the last 15 years. So, we knew that we were getting a quality product to begin with, and we were excited to have them officially on board with us. We’ve been very happy with the product and the support, whether that’s the actual fluid going into the car or the social media support.
How does Motul’s lubricants benefit a high-end performance race car such as the McLaren 720S?
Obviously, the McLaren is a higher-end, factory-built race car. Its standard of operation is very high and Motul puts up with the heat and all the demands the car puts on the fluids and other consumables. We’ve had a good experience with the product previously and it’s continuing to perform well in our McLaren.
When’s your next event?
The truck leaves on Friday for Watkins Glen, where we have a private test day next week. That’s in preparation for the Six Hours of Watkins Glen in June that we will be competing in.
Could you tell us more about Crucial Motorsports?
Crucial Motorsports is a McLaren customer support racing team here in America. We actually incorporated and started the business back in 2010. And primarily focused on supporting amateur racers by building, prepping and maintaining race cars, and doing the logistics, transport and trackside support. We have an all-wheel-drive dyno, a fabrication area, and a few lifts to support the maintenance side of things. We've been in business and racing for some time now. My business partner Paul Holton and myself are also active in this sport as coaches. We plan on growing the McLaren side of the business. It’s been an exciting chapter for us in the last six months getting that partnership as well as Motul, and we plan on growing that to three cars next year. We’re expecting to have two GT4 cars as well as the GT3, for customers to come race with us next year.