# @tylercookeracing on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DKSR1JBugaP
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/31154126-tylercookeracing-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/03ffbc5d9f.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-05-30T17:10:46.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Tyler Cooke (@tylercookeracing) — https://gondola.cc/tylercookeracing

## Caption

This is an experience I’ll never forget. After James and I took the win at Road Atlanta in 2018, I got a call from Phoenix Racing asking if I’d be interested in testing their Audi R8 GT3 car at Portimão, Portugal, just a few weeks after the IMSA season finale.

It didn’t take long for me to say yes. I had never been to Portugal, never driven a GT3 car, and didn’t even know if Turn 1 at Portimão was a left or a right. But I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. I flew home, packed my bags, and headed into the unknown.

I arrived at the track a day early to meet the team and the factory driver I’d be compared against, someone with plenty of seat time in the car and a deep understanding of its limits. That night, I went to bed excited, knowing I had only a handful of laps to prove myself.

The next day, I was sent out on used tires to get a feel for the car and the track. I couldn’t stop smiling, experiencing the downforce for the first time and discovering how incredible Portimão really is. After a few laps, I was called into the pits and the factory driver went out on new tires to lay down a benchmark. Then it was my turn.

By lap three, I was already lapping close to the factory driver’s times. The only major gap was in maximizing the braking zones, something I’ve since mastered through my experience in GT3 racing. After just eight laps, the test was over.
Despite the limited seat time and the complete unfamiliarity with the car and track, the team was genuinely impressed with how quickly I adapted. That moment cemented my passion for GT3 racing and opened the door to what would become a defining part of my career.
.
.
#gt3 #gt3racing #audi #r8 #portugal🇵🇹 #portimão

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 0
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 2

## Tags

gt3racing, gt3, portimão, r8, audi, portugal

---
Copyright (c) Gondola