Even some Texans are tired of the old saying that everything’s bigger in Texas. But when it comes to big races with championship implications, the Lone Star Le Mans is huge, even by Texas standards.

With SRT^® Motorsports’ pair of Dodge Viper GTS-Rs currently sitting second in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship’s GTLM manufacturers’ standings, and team drivers Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer in the same spot in the drivers’ standings, this weekend’s race at the Circuit of the Americas just outside Austin, Texas, will be one of paramount importance.

The team’s V10-powered Vipers have been forces-to-be-reckoned-with this year, racking up a combined eight podium finishes, which included a trip to kiss the bricks following a win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

 So what can we expect from SRT Motorsports at the Circuit of the Americas, or COTA as it’s known? The team competed there last season as part of the American Le Mans Series, finishing second and fifth. It’s safe to say they aim to improve on that this weekend.

The team has been on a roll since posting a double podium at Watkins Glen in June. Bomarito and Wittmer have taken podiums in four of the last five races in the No. 93 Viper GTS-R, and teammates Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens have earned a pair of podiums in the No. 91 over that span. Can they continue that momentum this weekend at COTA? No shortage of confidence here.

“We had great success at COTA last year finishing second, and we were catching the lead car right at the end,” Bomarito said. “It was a great memory from last year and we had a good setup that will hopefully lead to good results this weekend.”

“We’re second in the championship right now. We’ve been strong and consistent, regularly finishing ahead of the No. 3 car – so we feel like we have a really good shot. It’s nice to be in this position, it adds another dynamic to the race.”

 For Bomarito’s driving partner, Wittmer, it’s all about a combination of balance and patience.

“Circuit of the Americas is one that favors Jonathan and me,” he said. “It’s very technical, so you have to have a setup that allows you to be both fast down the long straights and quick through the esses. Finding a good balance is key and that will hopefully allow us to beat the car that’s ahead of us now.

“Carrying the momentum we’ve built up over the last few races is all about patience. We’re running with three other classes and as we saw at Virginia, one small contact with another car could result in a penalty (Accidental contact with another car at Virginia International Raceway cost the No. 93 squad a penalty and a chance at a fifth-straight podium). So we have to be extra patient when passing other cars and hopefully that will lead us to a good result in Austin.”

The track has been the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix since the facility opened in 2012 and features 20 challenging corners and more than 130 feet of elevation change. What’s more, nearly everyone who’s experienced it has called it one of the most impressive racing facilities on the planet.

Fans can follow the action from Austin all weekend starting with TUDOR United Sports Car Championship qualifying, to be broadcast live on IMSA.com at 4:20 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 19. Then tune in for the live television race broadcast of the Lone Star Le Mans the following day, starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Fox Sports 2.