Andy’s Big American Adventure

“Howdy, partners!”  Well, it seems that America had quite a big effect on me as I traveled throughout the USA for this year’s Tudor United Sports Car Championship. And what an experience it has been! From being part of the BMW Motorsport and BMW RLL teams to seeing so many wonderful parts of North America, I sometimes just have to pinch myself to realize how fortunate I am. 

 

The journey enriched not only my life but my family’s, too, as they traveled with me during their summer holidays. I think we’re all in agreement that the "US of A" is one very beautiful and diverse country. 

 

 

 

So, on to my racing season: The great news is that it started with a bang, as we put the first podium on the board at the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona. This has to be one of the most challenging tracks in the world, largely because of its tight corners into high-speed banking.

 

I must say that I’m fortunate enough to really enjoy my time on the road, thanks to being a global brand ambassador for Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts and IHG (the largest hotel group in the world). It means that I’m able to fully recharge my batteries in many of their convenient, comfortable, and luxurious hotels.

 

Take my stay in Daytona, for example, which was at the Holiday Inn Resort Daytona Beach Oceanfront. The hotel was so convenient, mainly because it’s close to the track for "work," and it's right next to the sea. This meant that I could train on the beach and take in some fresh Atlantic sea air after a day of testing on the track. 

 

 

Next up was Sebring, a race I won back in 2011. This time around also proved to be successful, as my teammate, Bill Auberlen, and I recorded another podium. The win put us top of the drivers’ standings. 

 

 

 

After the race, we moved on to Orlando—a firm favorite with the Priaulx family. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza® Orlando Universal, which is close to all of the famous theme parks. And my family certainly wasted no time! They took a few days experiencing everything Disney has to offer, and also managed to go on a date with Mickey Mouse and Harry Potter. 

 

My next racing date was at Long Beach—the home of teammate Auberlen. In fact, we weren’t too far away from his house while we stayed at the Crowne Plaza® Redondo Beach. This obviously meant that we could spend a lot of time together, which for me is absolutely vital if you’re going to race so closely and win together.

 

 

I just love being by the ocean, feeling the fresh air, and walking, running, or cycling on the waterfront. It’d be a crime not to do some kind of activity, as the paths stretch for eighteen miles, all the way to Malibu! Jo, the kids, and I all rode on California-style bikes with baskets at the front. It’s a very pretty area and just my cup of tea—a bit like home, but with lots of sunshine!

 

The race track here is a street circuit, which I absolutely love. It has close walls and not much room to pass. Reminds me of Macau, China, and my World Touring Car Championship title wins.

 

 

 

They say that it never rains in California, so I stayed on for the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca event. The famous track was built in 1957, with its first-ever race being held in the same year and won by Pete Lovely, who drove a Ferrari.

 

Back to the track: Well, what can I say? The Corkscrew is simply legendary, the circuit iconic—even more so now, as yet again we finished on the podium.

 

My accommodations here were simply outstanding. And I truly mean it when I say that it must be one of the nicest hotels in America; the InterContinental The Clement Monterey on Cannery Row boasts an amazing view. When I’m there I always make time to run to Lovers Point, passing seals on the beach as I go.

 

 

My next stop was over toward the other side of the country. Indianapolis is quite simply Mecca for motorsports tracks in the United States, so naturally it was a real treat for me, and a great addition to the calendar, especially with the NASCAR buzz that kicks the city into life.

 

 

Although the race didn’t work out for us on this occasion, my accommodations here were awesome. The Crowne Plaza® Indianapolis Downtown Union Station is a converted railway station with 26 carriages that you can stay in. It was an unforgettable experience. I’m just glad somebody didn’t decide to haul the engine out in the middle of the night!

 

 

Jo and the kids joined up with me at Indy, and from there we took our motorhome on the road to enjoy a three-month family tour. We felt that it was time to start exploring and get a feel for what it’s like to live in America.

 

We traveled from north to south—using the freeways and some back roads, as "that’s what ya do 'round here, y’all." I had several races on this leg of the journey, including Mosport, Road America, Virginia International Raceway, and Circuit Of The Americas before finishing at Road Atlanta.

 

 

 

We took in some absolutely fantastic sights throughout this part of the trip, and had some of the most life-enhancing experiences that will stay with us forever. Take VIR, for example, where we went on the obligatory circuit walk to really embed ourselves into the environment. This led to a chance encounter with some bears in the woods! They seemed happy to play cat-and-mouse, although I think I was the mouse.

 

We met an eclectic mix of people and experienced many different cultures while traveling. One RV-park owner particularly stood out for me, as he offered me tips on backing our RV into the parking space; I suppose my forte is driving forward, so I will allow him that one.

 

The adventures continued. We line-danced in Nashville, visited the King in Memphis, jumped on a Harley in LA, rode the coasters in Orlando, chased gators in Florida, "kept Austin crazy" on 6th Street listening to live music, and visited the Fonz in Milwaukee.

 

It has to be said that we’ve seen some amazing cities, such as New York, Boston, New Orleans, and Atlanta. Every one of us has a story to tell, and we certainly left the Priaulx mark! While we lived for the most part in our motorhome, we took little IHG mini-breaks along the way as a real treat.

 

 

 

Before I forget, I just want to quickly give a big shout-out to somebody special. While I stayed at the InterContinental Magnificent Mile in Chicago, I met the best concierge ever, a fellow who goes by the name of Will. Yes, that’s Will in the photo with me. What a great guy!

 

The InterContinental Times Square proved to be my final BMW Motorsport stop with the TUSCC Awards Banquet, which they hosted right in the middle of Manhattan.

 

 

 

I ran into this Turner Motorsport beauty parked right in the heart of New York City, and I would like to congratulate Will Turner for taking the TUSCC GTD Championship title in his BMW Z4 GTD, our sister car to my #55 BMW Z4 GTLM, partnered with the IHG Rewards Club.

 

To sum it all up, the whole journey was absolutely breathtaking. And I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone I met along the way who in some way, large or small, helped me to enjoy USA and the TUSCC this year. Now I know why God really loves America!—Andy Priaulx