Mike Conway is back on track this weekend after a seven week break as he heads to Texas for the next round of the World Endurance Championship.

Having won at Le Mans this season, Conway and his Toyota Racing teammates are joint top of the drivers standings as the season hits the halfway mark.

The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is, like the previous round at Interlagos, an anti-clockwise track. One of its most striking features is the steep climb to Turn 1, followed by a sequence of fast, sweeping corners. The demanding 5.513km track also includes one of the heaviest braking zones of the season, when cars decelerate from over 300km/h to around 60km/h for Turn 12. From eight races at COTA, the team has recorded seven podium finishes and one pole position, however it is yet to taste victory there.

To accelerate preparations for this year’s race, Toyota Racing conducted a two-day test – featuring all six race drivers – in Austin in late July. Data gathered during the test will help engineers and drivers optimise set-ups and strategies for the race week.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Conway said: “It’s been a long break since the last race so we’re all eager to get racing again, especially at the Circuit of the Americas. It’s a fun track to drive, with a bit of everything; high-speed corners and a technical final sector.

“We need to work hard on car set-up early in the week to make sure we’re strong over the complete lap, and in race trim.”