American Le Mans Series

Must See TV: Road Warriors – American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio
Presented by Porsche
Sunday, August 15, 2010 12:30-2:00 p.m. on CBS

Some of the key players tell you why you should tune in

“People who were at Mid-Ohio said that it was one of the more exciting races in ALMS history, and I would have to agree with that. You had our win and great duel with Duncan Dayton’s Highcroft entry. The GT race was hard-fought drama and the LMPC and GTC races were equally close as well. This was American Le Mans Series racing at it best. It was close contact racing with great stories in each class that will make for a memorable broadcast.” – Rob Dyson

"The Mid-Ohio event was one of the most dramatic races Dyson Racing has ever won. The battle at the front was truly phenomenal all day long. I for one can't wait to watch it this weekend and re-live it. I encourage all racing fans to tune in to CBS to enjoy a wonderful presentation of one of our sport's greatest races." – Chris Dyson

Robertson Racing set for second Ford GT at Petit
News from Robertson Racing
BRASELTON, Georgia (July 27, 2010) — Robertson Racing will introduce a second Ford GT to their American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron line-up at Petit Le Mans on September 29–October 2 as their programme continues to expand.

The ten-hour/1000-mile ALMS championship finale at Road Atlanta, which has also been designated North America’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup round, is the home race for the Braselton-based squad, making it the perfect venue for the team’s debut as a two-car operation.

The existing #40 chassis will continue in the hands of David and Andrea Robertson who are joined by experienced Grand-AM GT-class racer Craig Stanton. A second GT, designated #04 and currently under construction at the team’s race-shop, will be piloted by double Le Mans Series GT2 champion Rob Bell, former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Anthony Lazzaro and current Robertson Racing regular David Murry.

Both Dunlop-shod Ford GTs will be powered by the V8 unit recently developed by Elan Motorsport Technologies. The second car is expected to be completed by early September ahead of a limited testing programme before the event.

“We have been working hard for some time now to turn this into a reality so it’s fantastic to finally announce our expansion into a two-car squad,” said Team Manager Andrew ‘H’ Smith. “The Series’ GT class is probably the most competitive in world motorsport which makes running an independent team without works-backing very challenging.

“But adding a second car, especially in the hands of such a talented trio that mixes speed with experience, marks a significant step forward in Robertson Racing’s short history. Rob has been very successful in Europe while both David and Anthony are a pair of well established, fast Americans. In fact, David put the car on pole at Petit last season so we’re certainly hopeful of a similar performance.”

“The Ford’s going to be different to the other GT cars I’ve driven recently but as a professional racing driver you should be able to jump in any car and get to grips with it after a couple of laps,” said Bell. “In another sense it’s also a good challenge to get in a different car and experience something new as it keeps you motivated. It’s a one off at the moment but the way I always look at it is if you do a good job you never know what might happen in the future.

“I’ll help the team as much as I can because they’re still developing the car, but we are going there to get the best result possible. I’ve not driven round Road Atlanta in a GT car before but have experience from racing the P1 Lola there last season. Obviously the two will be very different so I’ll try and learn as much as I can from David Murry.”

Robertson Racing returns to ALMS action at Mid Ohio on August 5-7.
 

Castrol Colors for Dyson Racing
News from Dyson Racing

Photos © Dan Boyd
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (July 08, 2010) – The Land Speed Record has been broken twenty-one times by cars using Castrol lubricants. Four of those records were set at the Bonneville Salt Flats, eighty-seven miles down the road from Tooele, UT where Dyson Racing will be unveiling their new Castrol-themed livery this weekend at the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix.

The #16 Mazda Lola Coupe of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith started the American Le Mans season with a BP Biofuels design at the 12 Hours of Sebring and switched to the white, blue and red ARCO signage for the last two races. “That is one of the strengths of the diversity of the venues on the ALMS schedule: as we visit different regions Click For More across North America, we are able to align our graphic design with a specific market and what fits best for our sponsors,” said Chris Dyson. “ARCO is a west coast brand and now we are going to markets where Castrol has a strong presence. We drew this livery up during the winter months and will carry it the rest of the season. BP Biofuels remains an engineering partner in the development of alternative fuel sources and their IsoButanol continues to play a strong role in the ALMS’ position as the global leader in green racing and our success at the track.”

Castrol has been an integral contributor to the motorsports community for over 100 years and has used racing from the very beginning to test and improve their products. Many of the lubricants that started out in competition became available to the public. “As it states on the engine cover of the #16 Mazda powered Dyson Racing entry, ‘Mazda recommends Castrol lubricants at your local Mazda dealership service department’. The goal this year has been to highlight the many areas of our partnership with BP Castrol,” said John Doonan, Manager Motorsports Team Development for Mazda. “We transitioned to the ARCO branding on the car at Long Beach and Monterey which was a perfect fit with their brand presence on the west coast. And now we transition to a Castrol look, which immediately links to the lubricants program that is available at many Mazda dealerships across North America. In all cases we hope to provide all of our partners with a strong performance…in the marketplace and on the track.”

The Castrol Mazda Dyson Racing team enters the Utah Grand Prix having won the pole at the last race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and finishing third in the prototype class at the six-hour event. Dyson noted that “we and our partners, Mazda, BP, AER, Dunlop and Lola have been flat-out during the seven week Le Mans break preparing for the run to the championship as we enter the second part of the season. We will build on our momentum and make it a great second half.”

The two-hour forty-five minute Utah Grand Prix is set for 2:05 p.m. MT on Sunday, July 11 from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. SPEED will air the race same-day at 4 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242.

Laguna Seca lies in wait for Robertson Racing
News from Robertson Racing
MONTEREY, California (May 19, 2010) — Following a five week break, the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron returns to action at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend (May 20-22) where Robertson Racing will be targeting another top ten finish.

The demanding 11-turn, 2.238-mile venue located on the Monterey Peninsula, California, is a favourite amongst drivers and fans alike thanks, in part, to the plunging Corkscrew chicane. Traditionally the Series’ end of season finale, 2010 sees the race moved forward from October to May and increased in distance from four to six hours, making it the third longest event on the calendar behind Sebring (12) and Petit Le Mans (10).

Robertson Racing meanwhile are hoping their string of top ten finishes continues at the championship’s third round. The Atlanta-based team has competed twice before at Laguna Seca, scoring 11th place finishes on both occasions in the face of stiff factory GT opposition from the likes of Ferrari, Corvette, Porsche and BMW.

As at Long Beach last time out, their Ford GT will be driven by Team Owner David Robertson and David Murry, as well as Andrea Robertson, who was part of the squad’s driving trio at the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring.

David Robertson, Team Owner: “The sizable gap between races thanks to not visiting St Petersburg has allowed us to work on the car and test improvements that will be more visible in July. Indeed, I believe that we’ll be much stronger in the second half of the season. As for this weekend, I’m really looking forward to racing again, especially as we don’t usually visit Laguna Seca in the springtime. The Monterey coastline is so beautiful! I applaud the decision to lengthen the race to 6 hours. We love it and the fans will love it too!”

Andrew “H” Smith, Team Manager: “Our aim is to just keep on nibbling away at the other teams out there. We recently joined the Dunlop tyre test out at Miller Motorsports Park where we did some running which led to the sort of set-up changes that have helped improve the car’s handling. Those two days of testing should be of benefit to us at Laguna because it’s a difficult circuit to extract grip from. On a slightly different note, the California race sees us racing into dusk which is the sort of setting that has become synonymous with endurance racing.”

You can catch race coverage across America Saturday, 29 May on CBS Sports at 1.30pm ET, while highlights will also be available to European viewers on Motors TV the following day from 5pm CET.

Alternatively, log on to www.radiolemans.com for full live commentary of every session throughout the weekend, with timing and scoring as it happens available at www.americanlemans.com
 

Robertson Racing clinches top-ten finish in Long Beach GP
News from Robertson Racing
LONG BEACH, California (April 19, 2010) - Robertson Racing followed up a solid performance at the American Le Mans Series season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring last month with another top-ten GT class finish in the prestigious Long Beach Grand Prix in California on Saturday.

Drivers David Robertson and David Murry shared the Atlanta-based team’s Ford GT in the one hour 40 minute race and, in what was an incident-packed event, drove error-free at the difficult street circuit, while the car enjoyed bullet-proof reliability once more. The pair even enjoyed a morale-boosting stint leading the hugely-competitive GT class during the pit stop period.

Despite a frustrating qualifying period which saw the team down in 11th on the grid, Murry made a strong start to the race and was involved in the midst of a furious battle in the bottom half of the top ten during the early stages.

A couple of Safety Car periods kept the field close and Murry’s period in the lead came during the second, longer caution period as the American headed the works Corvettes and BMWs as well as the Ferrari and Porsche teams, before diving into the pits to hand over to Robertson with 35 minutes of the race remaining. Robertson rejoined inside the top ten and drove faultlessly throughout his stint to bring the car home in tenth position.


Andrew “H” Smith, Team Manager: “We’re pretty pleased because Long Beach is a difficult race and to have raced clean without any problems at all is a result in itself here! We’re particularly happy that both drivers lapped faster than they did here last season and that shows that our hard work is paying off and that we’ve improved the car considerably during the off-season.


“There was a lot going on during the race with carnage all around and debris on the track. Our strategy was always to run David Murry for just over an hour so we just waited for the pit road to clear during the longer Safety Car period and it was good for the team to be out front for a few laps in what is the toughest class on the grid.”


The team will now head to Salt Lake City for a Dunlop tire test and will then return to base in Atlanta before flying back out to California for round 3 of the ALMS at Laguna Seca on 22 May.
 

Patrón Highcroft Miss Pole by a Matter of Inches
News from Patron Highcroft Racing

Photos © Highcroft Racing 2010
DANBURY, CT (12th April, 2010) — Patrón Highcroft Racing's Simon Pagenaud came within inches of grabbing pole position for tomorrow's Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series event at Long Beach - just missing out by only .072 of a second.

The Frenchman had held the fastest time and the HPD ARX-01c machine at the half way point of the 20 minute qualifying session before a red flag interrupted the session.

His time of 1 minute, 13.285 seconds was eclipsed by the Lola Aston Martin of Adrian Fernandez with only minutes remaining.

Pagenaud looked set to regain the pole on a stunning final lap. Team telemetry indicated he was headed for a time 2/10ths of a second faster than his previous best but a small error curtailed the final assault.

"Simon did a really great job out there today. It would have been great to be on pole but a front row start is still very good.

"Off the start tomorrow it will be tough to keep with the Aston Martin down the straight,” said driver David Brabham, “but I'll have to push very hard on the opening lap to try to get into the lead and open up a big enough gap to negate that straight line speed advantage. The team did a great job improving the car throughout the day. We couldn't really take much from this morning's session because the track had no rubber down. I'm really looking forward to the race tomorrow. I really do love this place and can't wait to get out there. The traffic is going to a big challenge but it will provide some good passing opportunities."

This weekend's American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón event is the first race where the more powerful, yet heavier LMP1 machines like the Aston Martin are combined into a single LMP class with the lighter, yet more nimble LMP2 entries like the Highcroft machine.

The straight line speed advantage of the Aston Martin will be the major hurdle for Brabham and Pagenaud tomorrow.

The Australian reigning American Le Mans Series LMP1 champion will start tomorrow's race before handing over to Pagenaud - the man looking to repeat his 2009 Long Beach race victory.

The one hour and 40 minute Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach race will see the green flag at 4:40 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

Round 2 of the 2010 American Le Mans Series will be broadcast on same day tape delay starting at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 245.

Muscle Milk Team CytoSport Scores Second Row Starting Position at Long Beach
News from Muscle Milk Team Cytosport
LONG BEACH, CA (April 16, 2010) - Muscle Milk Team CytoSport didn't quite know what to expect heading into today's qualifying session for the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, but the team came out satisfied with a fourth place on the starting grid for Saturday's race.

With Long Beach being the first event of the season where the LMP1 and LMP2 cars are running in the new combined LMP class, Muscle Milk Team CytoSport wasn't certain how they would stack up to the competition with the new equivalency rules in place.

While the morning practice times were not indicative of where the team sits amongst its competitors - largely due to many red flags hindering the session - this afternoon's American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón qualifying session may have given a clearer picture.

Muscle Milk's Klaus Graf was behind the wheel of the Michelin shod Porsche RS Spyder for qualifying. After five laps he was sitting in fourth place with a lap time of one minute 15.383 seconds and was putting in an even quicker lap when a red flag came out for debris on the track, forcing the German to abandon and return to pit lane.

Fortunately for the Benicia, California-based team, the clean up was a quick one and the track went back to green with a little less than eight minutes to go. Graf headed back out after a quick change to the car and kept improving his time lap after lap.

His final and quickest lap time around the 1.968-mile street course was one minute 14.259 seconds, which upon crossing the timing line was equal to the third place car of Dyson Racing. However the Dyson car still had to complete its final lap and improved his time by only seven hundredths of a second. "It was good, I had a lot of fun I have to say,” said Graf.  “Every lap I was going faster and faster. I kept pushing and pushing. I was maybe a little bit conservative under braking; it's so easy to make mistakes here in some of the bumpy braking areas. I was pushing really, really hard and the Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder was really good as were our Michelin tires, so hats off to the guys and everyone on the team. It was a difficult session with the red flag in between with debris on the track but it was a good day for the team. We made the right changes and I think we have a very good race car for tomorrow."

The one hour and 40 minute Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach race will see the green flag at 4:40 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 17, 2010. Round 2 of the 2010 American Le Mans Series will be broadcast on same day tape delay starting at 8:00 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 245.

Mowlem lands two-race Le Mans Prototype Challenge drive
By Lee Elder
LONG BEACH, California (April 2, 2010) — Johnny Mowlem has been hired by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports to drive their Oreca-Chevrolet LMP challenge car at the Long Beach and Laguna Seca races. It is former Atlantic and single seater team PR1 Motorsports first American Le Mans Series event.

The Long Beach race is the weekend of April 16-18.

Mowlem on the other hand is a veteran of 11 ALMS seasons during which time he has competed in GT2, GT1 and LMP1, but never before in the new LMPC class.

"I've been very impressed by Bobby Oergel and his team, and I get a really good feel that they're lack of ALMS background will not matter at all, as they bring a real single seater professionalism to the way they approach a race weekend" said Mowlem. "Having watched the new class first race at Sebring and the quality of drivers that it attracted both professional and amateur, I saw that LMPC had almost immediately established itself as a very competitive and worthwhile prototype class. I am very much looking forward to racing and getting back to being prototype sharp at one of my all-time favorite circuits, and driving alongside Tom Papadopoulos, who I know will be an excellent teammate.”

Mowlem will currently only contest the Long Beach and Laguna Seca races, after which time he is slated to return to driving the Alms’ first ever Hybrid prototype.
 

The Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame to Honor Guy Cosmo with the Dick Moroso Memorial Motorsports Award
News from Guy Cosmo Racing
PALM BEACH, Florida (March 12, 2010) -- On March 21st 2010, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission will honor Guy Cosmo with the Dick Moroso Memorial Motorsports Award at the Sports Hall of Fame. This award honors the person that has contributed and made a mark on motorsports in Palm Beach county. Covering all aspects of racing, from drivers to sponsors, the Dick Moroso Memorial Motorsports Award brings awareness to the impact of motorsports while keeping alive the memory of Dick Moroso and his passion for sportsmanship and competition.

As one of the most recognizable names within Palm Beach road racing community, Guy Cosmo's hard work, self-determination and natural skill have driven him along the path of his dreams. Guy found his calling at the early age of 14 when he started racing Karts. And while many children will tell you that they want to be a race car driver when they grow up, few actually realize those dreams. More than Guy's impressive list of successes during his young career, it is his charisma and love for the sport that truly define him as a driver of character.

As a result of his extensive background, for 2010, Cosmo will join Extreme Speed Motorsports. Under the helm of Indy Racing League champion race car driver Scott Sharp, of Jupiter, FL, Patron Tequila Extreme Speed Motorsports has established their new state-of-the-art race shop in Stuart, FL. Guy will co-drive one of the teams two new Ferraris in the highly competitive GT class of the American Le Mans Series. The GT class attracts manufacturer-backed teams from Corvette, Porsche, BMW, Jaguar and Ferrari. The American Le Mans is a top-tier pro Series and races on road courses throughout North America.

A proven front-runner in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype category, Guy also plans to compete this year in Grand-Am's Continental Tire Challenge, driving a 911 Porsche for BGB Motorsports. He also completed the 2010 24 Hours of Daytona with Orbit Racing, of Riviera Beach.

A knack for teaching also has Guy in high demand by both driving schools and private individuals. His entrepreneurial spirit created Cosmo-Sport and COSMEDIA, two companies that cover everything from retail to driving schools.

Much of Guy's success stems from supportive family, friends and fans. He won the Formula Ford SE Division in 1997 at the age of twenty, the USF2000 American Continental Championship in 1999, the Star Mazda North American Championship in 2002, and the 2005 American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year award.

In addition to the recognition of Guy Cosmo's accomplishments, the Dick Moroso Memorial Motorsports Award helps highlight the economic and social impact of motorsports to Palm Beach County. In addition, the Award brings awareness to the Sports Hall of Fame, paving the way for future Hall of Fame inductees from the motorsports community.

The banquet will be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center March 21, starting at 5:30 PM. Tickets may be purchased individually for $75 (members) or $85 (non-members) and are also available for full-table purchases.
 

Dyson Racing Welcomes Andy Meyrick
News from Dyson Racing
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 22, 2010) – British racer Andy Meyrick will be joining Chris Dyson and Guy Smith in the #16 LMP2 Mazda Lola Coupe for the three 2010 American Le Mans Series long-distance races. Starting with the season-opening Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 20, Meyrick will also partner in the six-hour American Le Mans Monterey on May 22nd, the season-closing 1,000 mile Petit Le Mans on October 2nd and may join the team at additional tests throughout the season.

While a newcomer to American shores, Meyrick brings top-end prototype experience to the ALMS and Dyson Racing. He raced an Audi R10 TDI in the Le Mans Series in 2009 for the Kolles LMP team. He helped that team take its best-ever finish with a fourth at the Nürburgring and set the team’s best qualifying effort at Silverstone. In 2008, Meyrick made his mark on the British F3 Series with seven wins and ten poles in twelve starts. In a series that has been a proving ground for many past and present successful racers, Meyrick was recognized as a BRDC Rising Star.

“Andy’s talent and determination came through very strongly at our two winter tests. He impressed us greatly with his speed, maturity and general approach to the team. It was a very good fit straight away,” noted Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director. “We won the Petit Le Mans last year and the team looks forward to having Andy on board for all three of this season’s endurance races. We welcome him to American sportscar racing and expect he will showcase his talent quickly. It will not take long for the fans to see what we saw when he first got behind the wheel.”

“I am really excited to be joining Dyson Racing,” Meyrick said. “They have an amazing history in endurance racing in the USA. Both Rob and Chris Dyson are very passionate about their racing and I am very grateful to them for the chance to be in the 16 car with Chris and Guy. It is an ideal situation for me to make my debut in the ALMS. Chris first invited me to test late last year and our focus has been to secure this drive ever since. The Mazda Lola is a great package and I am really looking forward to the challenge of Sebring and the other events.”

Andy Meyrick and Dyson Racing will be at the ALMS Winter Test in Sebring FL on February 22nd and 23rd. The 2010 American Le Mans Series opens its 12th season with America’s greatest sportscar race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17 - 20. The green flag will fall at 10:35 a.m. on Saturday, March 20, with live coverage on SPEED.
 

Drayson Racing Signs Sports Car Legend Emanuele Pirro
News from Drayson Racing
GLOUCESTERSHIRE, UK (17 February 2010) - Drayson Racing has signed sports car racing legend Emanuele Pirro (Rome) to race the team's No. 8 Drayson Racing Lola Coupé with Judd Power at the three major, Automobile Club De l'Ouest (ACO)-sanctioned, endurance races of 2010. The five-time, overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will join Drayson Racing regulars Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) in the programme's Le Mans Prototype One (LMP1) entry. Pirro will drive for the UK-based team at the 12 Hours of Sebring (Fla.) on 20 March, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (12-13 June) and the American Le Mans Series' season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta (2 October). He will assist in testing the car for the first time this week.

The name Pirro is found across the record books not only of the three world class endurance events but in sports car sprint races, touring cars and formula car races. The native of Rome reached the pinnacle of the sport driving three seasons of Formula 1. He made the fulltime move to sports and touring cars in 1992 and joined Audi two years later. Since, he has won five championships - including two American Le Mans Series LMP1 titles - with the German brand. Pirro has started sixteen 24 hour races including twelve 24 Heures du Mans driving to five overall wins. He has two overall 12 Hours of Sebring victories in 10 starts and three Petit Le Mans P1 titles in 10 races. In total, the tall and popular Italian has earned eight championships from karting to the American Le Mans Series. He has an unprecedented nine consecutive Le Mans podiums and was part of the first driver squad to race to an overall victory at Le Mans with a diesel-powered entry (2006).

As a long-time Audi works driver, Pirro was instrumental in the development and competitive domination of the innovative Audi R8 and Audi R10 TDI. His impact on Audi and Audi Motorsports continues today as a brand ambassador and driver in select events. Audi AG gave the former Formula 1 driver special permission to join Drayson Racing for three events and testing this season. "When I received the offer from Drayson Racing it didn't take long to realise that it was a great opportunity,” said Pirro. “I met Paul Drayson during the ALMS season [in 2008]. First I was attracted by his life story, rather unusual for a racing driver, then I found a very interesting person with whom I share a lot of things and thoughts not only concerning the motor racing world. I am looking forward to driving with him and with Jonny Cocker, a true young talent. I am really looking forward to racing again in Sebring, Le Mans and Petit and meeting again the many fans that have been supporting me so much in the past years. I would also like to thank Audi for giving me the permission to drive for Drayson Racing."

2010 marks the first full year in which the Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA)-managed team will race in the prototype class. The effort made the transition from LM GT2 cars to the purpose-built prototypes in late 2009 debuting in the LMP1 class at Petit Le Mans. They continued onto Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca before closing the year at the Okayama Circuit in Japan. In the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series championship, Drayson Racing earned one pole position and set two fastest race laps winning the Michelin ® Green X Challenge ®. "The addition of Emanuele to Drayson Racing is not only another piece in the puzzle to move us to the front; it is a major piece,” said Team Manager Dale White. “He has such a remarkable record in sports cars that he immediately forces everyone to think of our programme when they think of contenders. He brings with him so much experience in these cars and that is an element we have been missing. Not only will Emanuele's impact on the team be felt at the three endurance races he will drive but also in races he is not even at the track. I honestly feel his input will be that impactful on Paul and Jonny as drivers and to our team as a whole."

Paul Drayson, Owner/Driver: "It's just brilliant news! I am really excited about this. I met Emanuele during the 2008 ALMS championship and we got on really well from the start, particularly when swapping flying stories. I am just delighted to be racing with him this year. He is such a world class talent and such a nice guy; pre-race driver briefings were never the same without Emanuele! Most of all though, his huge experience and positive personality will lift the whole expectation and performance of the team, especially during the big three races of the year at Sebring, Le Mans and Petit."

 

Fernandez, Aston Martin Heading to Sebring
2009 LMP2 champion also to drive factory entry at Long Beach
and Le Mans...plus more?
BRASELTON, Georgia (February 1, 2010) — Adrian Fernandez and Aston Martin Racing vaulted into the list of favorites to win the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida with the Mexican star joining forces with the UK’s premier endurance team for America’s greatest sports car race. The partnership, announced Monday, will see Fernandez drive a works Aston Martin-powered prototype at Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans in 2010 with the team looking at additional races worldwide following the 24 Hours.

Sebring will mark the first time a prototype with an Aston Martin V12 engine has competed in the American Le Mans Series. The marque has a rich heritage in endurance racing including a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959. Its main concentration has been on GT cars since 2005 when it re-entering the sport but returned to prototypes at the factory level in 2009.

Fernandez, an official Aston Martin works driver for 2010, won the American Le Mans Series’ 2009 LMP2 championship with teammate Luis Diaz. The two won eight times in Lowe’s Fernandez Racing’s Acura ARX-01b, and Fernandez claimed three pole positions and four fastest race laps.

“This is another fantastic development to America’s most demanding sports car race,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. “The return of Adrian Fernandez and his hard-charging style is tremendous and certainly newsworthy by itself. Adding Aston Martin Racing - one of the truly iconic brands of sports car racing - to the event with one of its closed-top LMP1 Lola prototypes only adds to the anticipation we and the rest of the sports car world have for the start of the 2010 season. This is yet another reason why 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida will be a monumental battle in all four classes.”

In addition to his success in the American Le Mans Series, Fernandez’s open-wheel career included three victories in the Indy Racing League and a 13-year stint in American open-wheel racing.

“We are looking forward to a great season of racing and we hope to have another strong showing at Le Mans,” AMR team principal George Howard-Chappell said. “I’d like to welcome Adrian to the team, I’m sure with his experience he will be a great addition to our driver lineup.”

Aston Martin was the first major international factory team to enter Sebring in 1953. It finished second place overall (and won its class) that year in the 12 Hours with Reg Parnell and George Abecassis driving a DB3. Aston Martin DB3S finished fourth overall and won class in 1956 with Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori driving.

Aston Martin won at Le Mans three years later with its DBR1. It returned to Sebring with a GT1 victory in 2005, 49 years after its previous Sebring win. The British manufacturer, wildly popular with its UK base, also was the GT1 champion at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008 with its DBR9.

The American Le Mans Series will open its 12th season with America’s greatest sports car race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17-20. The green flag will fall at 10:35 a.m. on Saturday, March 20 with live coverage on SPEED. For ticket and accommodation information, see sebringraceway.com.

The annual American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for February 22-23, also at Sebring International Raceway.
 

Goossens Back at the Wheel for Jaguar RSR in 2010
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 20, 2010) — The JaguarRSR race team confirmed today that Marc Goossens will return to the cockpit of its Jaguar XKR GT cockpit for the full 2010 American Le Mans Series in the intensely difficult GT class. He will share the seat with team owner Paul Gentilozzi in the nine-round championship.

“It is an honor for me to be selected by Jaguar Cars and RSR to drive the No. 33 JaguarRSR XKR GT and to be a part of this new Jaguar racing program,” Goossens commented. “I can’t wait to get through all the testing and development and get back to racing at Sebring after what we accomplished at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the progress the RSR team has made this winter.”

The vastly experienced sports car driver is a Belgium native but currently resides in North Carolina as he continues to pursue his racing career in North America. Beginning in 1985, Goossens developed his résumé in series such as Formula Ford, FIA F3000, FIA GT, Japanese Formula Nippon, Belcar Championship and others, as well as entering multiple endurance races with nine starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He holds a record with four wins (1997, 1998, 2005, and 2007) in the Zolder 24 Hours along with Vincent Dupont and Anthony Kumpen.

“I look forward to racing in the American Le Mans Series,” he said. “As a sports car driver, the biggest challenge is the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the best training ground for that race is the ALMS. Having raced in the 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, and most recently at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, those were just one-off events so I am really looking forward to participating in the American Le Mans Series for a full season. It goes without saying that I am very excited to take the green flag in March and fight for the championship for JaguarRSR.”

Goossens was asked to join the JaguarRSR team for the debut of the new JaguarRSR XKR GT racer at the last year’s Petit Le Mans, and piloted the big cat to its first green flag during the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

“I have great respect for Marc,” said Gentilozzi. “He is a very talented driver that has a lot to offer to this Jaguar program. He provided valuable feedback during our initial testing and development in 2009, and drove flawlessly at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Moving forward for 2010 and fighting for a championship title, we know Marc is going to be a key factor both on and off track.”

Goossens and Trans-Am legend Gentilozzi are the two confirmed drivers for the JaguarRSR XKR GT entry in 2010. Additional drivers will be added to the lineup for the endurance events this season.

The American Le Mans Series will open its 12th season with America’s greatest sports car race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17-20. The green flag will fall at 10:35 a.m. on Saturday, March 20 with live coverage on SPEED. For ticket and accommodation information, see sebringraceway.com.

The annual American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for February 22-23, also at Sebring International Raceway.
 

Jaguar GT Racing Car Makes European Debut
Jaguar works team show Jaguar RSR XKR GT racer at 2010 Autosport International
News from RSR Racing
MICHIGAN USA (January 12, 2010) — The new JaguarRSR racing car makes its European debut this week at the 2010 Autosport International at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. It is the first and only chance for the public to see the stunning new XKR GT in the metal before it heads back to the US to compete in the entire 2010 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in North America.

GT racing legend Paul Gentilozzi is taking a break from a gruelling development programme to feature the XKR in the largest dedicated trade motorsport exhibition in Europe. The racecar will be on display at the Jaguar stand alongside a production model XKR, XFR, and the fastest Jaguar ever - the Bonneville XFR prototype, which Paul drove to 225.675 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2008.

Jaguar asked the Michigan-based RSR team to help create a race car to compete in GT2 racing in 2010. The Jaguar engineering and design teams, based in Coventry, have jointly developed the car from a standard road-going XKR with the RSR team.

Paul Gentilozzi, Principal Partner JaguarRSR said: "Jaguar is so intertwined with British motoring history making this a fantastic opportunity to debut the JaguarRSR XKR GT racecar internationally. Having our new GT racecar and the Bonneville prototype XFR on display at the biggest motorsport exhibition in Europe with the production cars that made these possible is such a great way to showcase our dedication to the Jaguar brand and to motorsports."

Before taking stage at the car show, the JaguarRSR XKR GT visited "home" by making stops at Jaguar headquarter sites in Whitley and Castle Bromwich in the UK. "It was incredibly exciting to take the JaguarRSR XKR GT back to the team at Jaguar who worked so hard to make this dream a reality," added Gentilozzi. "A picture may be worth a thousand words, but seeing this car in person is priceless."

The competition car uses the standard Jaguar XKR lightweight aluminium monocoque together with additional steel reinforcements and safety structure developed by RSR. The 5.0-litre V-8 engine boasts 550 horsepower at 7000 rpm and a maximum speed of 180mph.

The RSR Jaguar XKR GT made its racing debut during the Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, in September 2009. The car took its first green flag in the American Le Mans Series season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in October and is set for a full-season championship effort in 2010.

Mike O'Driscoll, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars said: "Our designers and engineers have taken the best of our standard road-going XKR and with Paul Gentilozzi's motorsport expertise created a first-class competition car. Paul and his RSR team are confident that they can compete against some serious competition in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

"Motorsport has always been important to the Jaguar brand. Our domination of Le Mans in the 1950s was a foundation on which the company was developed. As we look to the future with our new range of high performance 'R' branded cars, we aim to make the Jaguar brand synonymous with motorsports once again."

In 1951, the C-type won Le Mans at its first attempt, with a further victory in 1953. The D-type took Le Mans wins in 1955, 1956 and 1957 while this racing success was followed in 1988 with the Jaguar XJR-9LM, a V12-powered Group C car. Another outright victory would follow in 1990 with the Jaguar XJR-12.

RSR Principle Partner Paul Gentilozzi will be in attendance at Autosport International. Aside from his role as team owner, Paul is one of the drivers for the #33 JaguarRSR XKR. Meanwhile, the RSR crew will stay busy with various projects despite the absence of the #33 car as they continue to prepare for the ALMS Winter Test February 22 - 23 at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida and Season Opener - the 12 Hours of Sebring, March 20.
 

Brian Wong Joins Intersport Racing
Will Co-Pilot Le Mans Prototype Challenge Car In 2010
Photos © John Thawley
DUBLIN, Ohio (January 12, 2010) — Following an outstanding 2009 season in the Patron GT3 Challenge by Yokohama, Brian Wong has been designated to join Mitch Pagerey driving Intersport Racing's American Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) car for 2010. Intersport Racing is the American Le Mans Series' longest running privateer team with starts in 100 Series events. Following the Series' announcement at Road America designating changes to the class structure, Intersport Racing was the first team to purchase the new American Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) chassis.

Wong has assembled an impressive winning resume in very short order. With experience in everything from Legends Cars, Late Models and the NASCAR Camping World East/West Series - both on oval and road courses, the 20 year-old Wong finished second in the IMSA Patron GT3 Challenge championship even after missing two events due to school commitments. In 12 starts, Wong led the Series in wins taking the checkered flag 9 times. In addition, he dominated qualifying posting 9 pole-starting positions. With the exception of one mechanical failure that resulted in a DNF, Wong finished 2nd in the races he did not win.

The Newport Beach, California native splits time between California and attending Northeastern University in Boston as a 3rd year Communication major. Wong is looking forward to the challenges of driving a prototype with completely different characteristics than the Porsche GT3 Cup car.

"This is an amazing opportunity," said Wong. "I see the Challenge class as a perfect format for me to grow my racing career and move up in the American Le Mans Series. It's great to see the Series taking steps that will allow a driver like me to grow his skills. I'll be racing in a World Class series with arguably the best drivers in the World and on the greatest tracks in North America. It's the perfect scenario for a guy like me. I know I can do well here."

"I can't say enough about the Intersport team," Brian continued. "It feels like it will be the perfect fit for me. They have the experience, the history and I know they can get Mitch and me to the front. Plus I really like the sense of family. It's nice to know that the race program is managed under one roof and the lines of communication are short, open and to the point. These guys know how to get it done."

"We really feel Brian makes the perfect co-driver with Mitch Pagerey," added Clint Field. "We met Brian at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at the end of the season and had a chance to see him behind the wheel. He's extremely quick. More importantly, we were impressed with his maturity and his understanding of what goes into running a team and his ability to identify is role. He's very focused."

"We also liked that he and Mitch both come with a background in the Patron Challenge class," Clint continued. "We think this will be helpful in setting up the car to suit both drivers. It should simplify and streamline communication between drivers and the crew."

Intersport continues to build during the off-season and expects announcements regarding their flagship LMP1 program in the near future.

"Our commitment to IMSA and the American Le Mans Series is unwavering and stronger than ever," said Clint. We are working hard to expand our effort and grow the Intersport team. IMSA and the ALMS continue to work in order to grow sports car racing in North America. That provides us the incentive and the confidence to continue to invest our racing dollars with the American Le Mans Series."

Earlier this year, in a progressive step designed to keep ahead of the rest of the industry, the ALMS announced the overhaul of its four-class structure beginning with the 2010 season. The four classes will be Le Mans Prototype (LMP), Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC), Grand Touring (GT) and Grand Touring Challenge (GTC).

American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton proclaimed: “Our sport has always been about evolution, and our plans for 2010 and beyond reflect it. I think the American Le Mans Series is ideally positioned to benefit from the current and future focus of all auto manufacturers. Recent announcements by major auto manufacturers and our government leaders confirm that racing series which provides opportunities to showcase and develop relevant new technologies - with an emphasis on the environment - are the future. We have never been more confident in our positioning and look forward to expanding our green racing initiatives to better serve the teams and manufacturers competing with us."

The new class structure is designed to retain the core attributes of what has made the ALMS the most successful professional sports car racing series in the world - world class Le Mans prototypes and GT cars - while also adding new high-value opportunities that expand the accessibility of this platform to new participants

"The new Challenge classes show us the Series is listening," continued Field. "We see the LMPC car has the perfect addition to our LMP1 program and an extension of our IMSA Lites program. Our program can now provide a true path of growth for drivers who want to succeed in sports car and endurance racing. With the addition of the LMPC car we now provide fully supported programs in three steps… IMSA Lites, LMP Challenge, and our flagship prototype, LMP1."

LMP Challenge, an exciting new class, was introduced earlier this year in Europe through the collaborative efforts between the ACO and ORECA/DPPI. The ORECA-Courage FLM09 that comprises the class has a minimum weight of 900 kilograms similar to its LMP brethren, but its 450 hp is considerably less than the LMP cars, which range from 500-700 hp. The LMP Challenge car is a true Le Mans prototype, but represents an affordable “value engineered” entry to Le Mans prototype racing. The FLM 09 is a very sophisticated race car with a full carbon fiber chassis, carbon brakes, and an Xtrac sequential gearbox with paddle shifting. All LMPC cars will race on single-supply Michelin tires.

The ALMS class change is supported by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the organization that operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans and establishes the rules and regulations for Le Mans style racing worldwide.
 

Tom Kristensen is “Sportsman of the Decade”

American Le Mans Series

C

American Le Mans Series

Welcome to Mosport, Part 4: Sunday Morning Warm-up
By Kate Shaw
Photos © Jamie Longmuir 2010
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (August 29, 2010) — Today is the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and at the F1 race in Spa Francorchamps rain falls fitfully. But here at Mosport International Raceway, the sun continues to shine and the sky continues to be a cloudless blue. The air temperature is 72 degrees with at track temperature of 78 degrees under sunny skies with winds out of the west-southwest at 5 mph. Chance of precipitation: zero. The campers have begun to arise, as the Canadian Touring Cars started running at 9:00 a.m., and the hillsides have already begun to fill up as the ALMS cars begin to pull into the pits and prepare to start the day with their final warm-up before this afternoon’s race. This is the last chance to check overnight tweaks, repairs and concerns, to stretch out and remember the proper lines, to practice that speed differential thing, and simply to give the gathered fans a thrill without having to think, especially, about ones speed unless one happens to be Jon Field, who prefers to keep the No. 37 Intersport Lola right at the head of even a two car parade.

Out they come with a collective mighty roar, and people lean forward in their porta-chairs to watch the field go by. Someone looking down at the pitlane remarks, “Falken Tire [Porsche] is in The Audi Pits.” We love you, Falken, and we wish Audi were here.

Romain Dumas continues his fast laps in the No. 6 Cytosport Muscle Milk Porsche Spyder RS (whew), practicing dodging the slower gaggle of GT and GTC cars on Mosport’s many high speed corners. Twenty minutes speed by, and too soon everyone pulls back into the pitlane and chugs off to the paddock for tweaks, touch-ups and a last polishing, and the fans arise from their seats and head down to watch the preparations, get a snack or two, and prepare for the autograph session at noon.

Top cars in class for those of you keeping score at home: No. 6 Cytosport Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder; No 55 Level Five Motorsport; No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C6ZR1; and No. 88 Velox Racing Porsche 911 GT3 cup.

See you at the race. The fun starts at 3:00 pm on SPEED. Be there!

Cosmo / Brown Win MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge
News from Guy Cosmo Racing

Photos © John Thawley

TOOELE, Utah (July 14, 2010) — Scoring their first MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge GT category victory and the first for Ferrari came as a hard earned victory for the number 02 Extreme Speed Ferrari driven by Guy Cosmo and Ed Brown. The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix was the first race that the team ran on Cellulosic E85.

“Winning the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge in just the fourth race for our team was a pleasant surprise,” said co-driver Guy Cosmo. “The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge is a great program, and it is a tremendous honor for Ed Brown, me and for the entire Extreme Speed Motorsports team to receive it for this race.”

Designed to accelerate the development path to market for innovative technologies, fuels, and energy sources through motorsports competition, the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge has become the premier environmental award in motorsports competition worldwide by recognizing cars that go farthest, fastest, with the smallest environmental impact. Two awards, one for Prototypes and one for GT are presented at each American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón event.

While winning the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge for the GT category is an honor, Cosmo and Brown really had their hearts set on making it to the podium steps of victory circle. The track and challenging conditions at Miller Motorsports Park had other ideas.

"This was a character building week," laughed Cosmo. "I think every member of the team got a real taste of what this series is all about. Not that we ever thought it would be easy, but we've really been enjoying small successes making progress each and every time we take to the track. We've been fast. We've improved. We've continuously been able to make the march forward. This week, it felt like everything we did was wrong. It was brutal."

Qualifying was the first blow to the #02 team’s efforts as they came up six spots back from their Extreme Speed teammates in the #01 Ferrari who had taken the outside pole.

"We were really happy for Johannes (van Overbeek) and the #01 team," said Cosmo. "They did a great job. But by the same token, we were really disappointed in our own efforts. We simply missed getting the right setup."

The team's luck didn't get much better, although the #02 crew was able to improve the cars handling considerably by race time. Given the rough week they had, the solid 8th place finish in class is an indication of the team's fortitude and willingness to fight back.

"The positive part of the week is how we handled adversity," noted Cosmo. "We stuck with it. Everyone stayed focused, didn't get down and we came away from the week with our heads held high. We raced hard and we never quit."

"The reality," continued Guy, "is this is the American Le Mans Series. This is World Class sports car racing and we're up against the best. We're a new team with four races under our belt. We didn't sign on for an easy challenge. We signed on to race against the top GT teams in the World. Our week in Utah served as a reminder of the job at hand and just how tough a job it is. I have a lot of faith in our guys and the entire Extreme Speed team. We'll get there."

Next up is The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2010 season. The two-hour, 45-minute race is set for 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 24 from Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. SPEED will air the race live at 2 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche – a production of Radio Show Limited – as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242. Visit the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com.
 

Action-Packed Adventure
News from Dyson Racing

Photos ©  Regis Lefebure
LONG BEACH, CA (April 17, 2010) – Befitting a race held thirty-six miles from Hollywood, the Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series race at Long Beach provided some good theater. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith finished fourth in their #16 ARCO BP Mazda Lola coupe. Within that top-end of the field finish was a run from twenty-ninth to fourth on America’s most famous street track.

Dyson started third, and took second at the flag drop. On the seventh lap, the car nosed into the tire wall at turn one. Dyson recounted that “one of the Porsches dropped fluid and I was one of the first cars on the scene. I braked and turned in as normal and the front end just washed out. Thankfully the damage was minimal and we were able to continue after stopping for fuel and a check of the nose.”

Dyson took the Dunlop-shod entry from twenty-ninth to fifth in twenty-five laps. He pitted during the third full-course yellow, handing over to Smith. Gaining a position in the pits, Smith rejoined in fourth, setting his sights on Klaus Graf. “It was like a concertina effect,” said Smith. “Klaus and I were both working the traffic well. He would pull out a gap and than I would catch him in traffic and close up and than he would work traffic and back and forth it went. We just had a little too much push in the car to make the pass.”

The blue, white and red ARCO entry does take home third place points. “Since the second-place Aston Martin is not a full-season entry, it is not eligible for points,” Dyson explained. “So we will get third place points which will build on our podium finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring. I am very encouraged by today’s competitive run. This was our Sebring practice engine in the car today – hats off to AER for delivering a great product. We made some solid strides on the Mazda MZR-R turbo engine this winter and our qualifying and race pace this weekend demonstrate that advancement.”

The series moves northward up the California cost for the season’s third race on May 22nd at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The broadcast for the six-hour American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patron will be produced for the first time by Intersport Productions, the company that brought viewers worldwide the highly acclaimed “Truth in 24” documentary on the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
 

Flying Lizard Porsches Qualify 4th and 10th for Long Beach
News from Flying Lizard Motorsport
LONG BEACH, California (April 16, 2010) –– Patrick Long qualified the Flying Lizard No. 45 Porsche 4th in GT and Darren Law was 10th in the No. 44 for tomorrow's race, the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. The No. 62 Risi Ferrari is on the GT pole.

Long commented, "It was a productive day considering the limited amount of track time: we were able to get through a lot of setup work. I was confident about the race car going into qualifying but the traffic made it difficult. I was able to salvage things at the end on lap 7 and move up to fourth. It's clear that one of the themes for tomorrow's race will be traffic management. There are 36 cars on the grid and 10 of those are the slower GTC cars. But I do think we are within striking distance of the sharp end and we'll have plenty of time to make up positions in the race."

Law added, "I'm definitely not happy with our result, but I do feel like we have a solid racecar for tomorrow. We were fighting a small issue with the car in the session and traffic was really tough early on. I guess that's a taste of what the race will be like tomorrow. That said, we've had good results here in the past and personally I like this circuit -I'm looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow."

Long and Law will be joined by Jörg Bergmeister in the No. 45 and Seth Neiman in the No. 44 for the race, which gets the green flag on Saturday, April 17, at 4:40 pm PT. Coverage on SPEED TV begins at 5 pm PT. In Europe, MotorsTV broadcast will be tape-delayed starting on Sunday, April 25 at 18.00h GMT/19.00h CET.

Flying Lizard will broadcast its team radio live during the race. Official team gear will be available onsite at the Flying Lizard booth in vendor village and at the online store at www.lizardms.com/store . For race schedule and details see www.lizardms.com
 

USF2000 National Championship Powered by Mazda Joins the ALMS Race Weekend
MONTEREY, Calif. (April 6, 2010) - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced today that the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda will be one of the support series for the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón. The series joins the Playboy Mazda MX5 Cup, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship, the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama and the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear for the event on May 21-23.

“We wanted to include Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on our 2010 calendar of events and we’re delighted that the opportunity has now presented itself so our drivers can compete there,” said Dan Andersen, chief executive officer of Andersen Promotions, which promotes the USF2000 Championship. “Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the greatest road courses in North America and I know our USF2000 competitors will put on a terrific show for the fans. While this is a non-points event this year, we hope to return in 2011 with an event on our regular schedule.”

“Our fans will be treated to over 11 hours of racing over the weekend,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “The addition of USF2000 to the event, which is a feeder series for the Star Mazda Championship, adds even more open-wheel racing for the spectators.”

Many top drivers in the America Le Mans Series honed their skills in F2000 and the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda is an important training ground for rising stars. Debuting in 2010, it is the revival of the very popular USF2000 series of 1990 through 2006. Sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, it is one of only two series that are part of both the IRL’s Road to Indy ladder system and the prestigious MAZDASPEED Motorsports driving development program. The USF2000 doubleheader race at Mazda Raceway will be a non-points event.

For American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón tickets and additional information please visit www.Mazdaraceway.com or call 800-327-7322.
 

Ryan Dalziel Joins the Driver Line Up At JaguarRSR for 2010 ALMS Season
News from Jaguar RSR Racing
EAST LANSING, Michigan (February 19, 2010) - The pieces to the puzzle keep coming together for the JaguarRSR race program as the team announces today that Ryan Dalziel has been signed to the driver line up for competition in the 2010 American Le Mans Series.

"I am so excited to be part of such an amazing brand like Jaguar," said Dalziel. "Coming from the United Kingdom I naturally grew up following Jaguar's racing heritage and admiring their cars. Its like a dream come true that my first opportunity to drive for a manufacturer is for Jaguar Cars."

"I have known Paul Gentilozzi and his group for a number of years through my Champ Car days, and always enjoyed watching them in Trans Am. I know I am with a great crew and excellent co drivers. The GT field in ALMS this season looks really strong and I hope I can contribute to Jaguars successful return to Sports Car Racing."

Dalziel is one of Scotland's leading professional racing drivers with a track record of success forged in the ultra-competitive junior formulas in Britain and honed further through to the very highest levels of both open-wheel racing and sports car competition in North America and Europe. The 27-year-old has represented Scotland and the United Kingdom at the highest level of sports car competition, earning podium finishes in both the American Le Mans Series and Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series. Most recently Dalziel won the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona.

"We are working on developing a driver line up that will put us out in front," said JaguarRSR Principal Partner Paul Gentilozzi. "We know the competition is tough this year and that we will have to be on top of our game. I have watched Ryan grow into a matured racer both in open-wheel and sports car racing. His hard work paid of recently winning the 24 Hours of Daytona and any driver that can achieve an accomplishment like that is one that will fit into the goals and aspirations this JaguarRSR program desires to achieve. We eagerly look forward to working with him and know that he is going to bring a lot to the team."

Dalziel joins Gentilozzi and Marc Goossens as confirmed JaguarRSR drivers for 2010. Complete details of the 2010 JaguarRSR ALMS program will be unveiled soon.

The JaguarRSR team will be on track next week at Sebring International Raceway to take part in the annual American Le Mans Series Winter Test scheduled for February 22 - 23. American Le Mans Series cars will be on track from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 pm ET both days. The event is open to the public, with tickets available for $10 per day. Live Timing and Scoring will be available on americanlemans.com.

For the 11th time, the American Le Mans Series will open its season at America's greatest sports car race - the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. The green flag will fall at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 20 with live coverage on SPEED.

For more information go to www.RSRJaguar.com, www.ryandalziel.com, www.americanlemans.com. The team also has a new official fan page on Facebook: RSR Jaguar.

Team CytoSport Muscle Milk squad returns to ALMS with full season effort
News from Cytosport
BENICIA, CA (February 15, 2010) - The Team CytoSport Muscle Milk squad is set to
return to the American Le Mans Series this year - this time for a full season championship assault.

The #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder will contest the new combined LMP class with owner/driver Greg Pickett and German star Klaus Graf behind the wheel.

Team CytoSport is moving up to a full season of competition following a very successful partial season. The Benicia, California-based team claimed four consecutive LMP2 podium finishes in its four races in 2009. After competing in the LMP2 class last season, the Muscle Milk team will be joining the new combined LMP class for the 2010 Championship. The major endurance events at Sebring and Petit Le Mans will continue to be run to the full ACO LMP1 and LMP2 rules.

"We're really excited to be taking on our first full season of ALMS competition. I'm so proud of what we've accomplished with our team so far and it's very encouraging for us heading into 2010. We know that it will be a new challenge for us in the combined LMP class but it's one we can't wait to face," expressed team owner Greg Pickett.

"I look forward to having Klaus (Graf) drive for us again. He had such amazing performances last season. It's an honor to have him on the team and as part of the CytoSport family.

"Obviously this wouldn't be possible without the support from the people at Porsche who were so great to work with last season as well as everyone at Michelin who have given us superb tires at every race. We're thrilled to be working with them again this upcoming season."

Having originally driven together in the ALMS in 2007 Pickett and Graf are eagerly awaiting the chance to contest the complete season. The German impressed many last year with his outstanding performances aboard the Porsche RS Spyder, notably by setting an LMP2 race lap record at Road Atlanta as well as making his way through the field and to an in-class podium finish at the historic Petit Le Mans.

"I'm really looking forward to the 2010 ALMS season to compete with the Porsche RS Spyder and Team Cytosport," Graf said.

"After our successful start in 2009 with four podium finishes in four races you would think this would be a natural progression to compete again in 2010. But I know that a program like ours requires a big commitment from all parties involved.

"I'd like to thank Greg Pickett and everyone involved at Team CytoSport and Muscle Milk who made this happen. To go into our first full season of competition with our Porsche RS Spyder is a tremendous achievement for our team and we look forward to that challenge. I can't wait for our first race of the year, the famous 12 Hours of Sebring.

"Finally, coming from Germany it personally makes me proud to be involved in such a prestigious partnership with Porsche Motorsport. We built a great relationship with our partners Porsche and Michelin in 2009 and we hope we can transform that into great race results this season."

Once again this season the Team CytoSport Muscle Milk squad will benefit from the support and expertise of the professionals at Porsche Motorsport.

"We are very excited that Team CytoSport will be back for a full season in 2010 in the Porsche RS Spyder LMP car. Last year, Greg Pickett and his crew surprised most of the LMP2 competitors with their success right out of the box, and Pickett and co-driver Klaus Graf were comfortable in the Porsche prototype from the first test. Porsche Motorsport is extremely happy to have such a great squad as Team CytoSport representing the Porsche brand in a Prototype next season" said Paul Ritchie, president of Porsche Motorsport North America.

Team CytoSport Muscle Milk's 2010 season gets underway with the 58th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17-20 at Sebring International Raceway.


 

Alex Job Racing Returning To Series for 2010 Season
Two cars in new GTC class starting at Sebring with strong driver lineup
BRASELTON, Georgia (February 5, 2010) — Alex Job Racing, one of the most successful teams in American Le Mans Series history, announced Friday that it will make a return to full-time Series competition for the 2010 season as part of the new GT Challenge class with a two-car entry.

The Tavares, Fla.,-based team will rejoin the championship starting at the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, a race AJR won six times – including five in GT between 1999 and 2004.

“We are looking forward to returning to the American Le Mans Series and running the full schedule,” said team owner Alex Job. “In the time that we were in the series we were very successful with the Porsche factory, as well as on our own.”

In the team’s first GTC entry for 2010, the No. 23 Battery Tender/Patrón/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry will be driven by Bill Sweedler (New York, NY) and Romeo Kapudija (Chicago, Ill.). Sweedler has a lot of laps behind the wheel of the 911 with an eighth place championship finish in the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama last season. He also made four American Le Mans Series starts in the 2009 GT Challenge class with a runner-up finish at Lime Rock Park and two other podium finishes. Kapudija's racing résumé includes four Series starts with a pair of seventh-place GT finishes in 2003.

In the No. 81 Mission Foods/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car will be Juan Gonzalez (Irving, Texas) and Butch Leitzinger (Rebersburg, Pa.). Gonzalez is a veteran Porsche road racer. Leitzinger is a household name among sports car fans with seven prototype victories and 83 starts in the American Le Mans Series to his credit.

“We have assembled two strong cars and four great drivers to run for the GTC championship,” Job continued. “We will be introducing three new sponsors along with our program for 2010. Battery Tender will be featured along with Tequila Patrón and Mission Foods. We have taken delivery of two brand new 911 GT3 Cup cars and have signed four fast drivers to run for the GTC championship. We will be announcing the third drivers for Sebring in the coming weeks.”

AJR has amassed a total of 37 class victories with 45 pole positions and 75 podium finishes. The team also won three GT class championships with drivers such as Jörg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb, Lucas Luhr, Sascha Maassen, Dirk Müller and many of Porsche’s other top sports car drivers. AJR also has won in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice.

The GTC category is specific to one of the most popular factory-produced racing cars in the world, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Developed for Porsche’s one-make series around the world, the new version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is based on the road going 911 GT3 RS. The power unit featured in the new 911 GT3 Cup is largely identical to the production engine of the 911 GT3 RS with the same output of 450 bhp and the same maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm. The GTC Porsche racers will run on spec Yokohama tires.

“GTC is sure to be the most competitive class on the track all year,” Job said. “The cars are identical and that leaves it to the driver and the team to be the difference. I am looking forward to kicking off the season at Sebring. It has been since 2006 when we last competed in the 12 Hours. We are really looking forward to the third weekend in March.”
 

Dyson Chooses Dunlop

News from Dyson Racing

Photos © eeProductions/Craig Elliott 2009
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 29, 2010) – Dyson Racing is pleased to announce that it is joining forces with Dunlop Motorsports for the 2010 season of the American Le Mans Series.

“Dunlop shares the same commitment and passion for winning that we do,” said Chris Dyson, Vice-President and Sporting Director. “They have shown tremendous strides in tire development the past two years and their tires will be a key part of our championship effort in 2010. We look forward to having Dunlop involved with our team as a technical partner.”

Dyson Racing finished second in the 2009 ALMS P2 class with their BP Dyson Racing Mazda Lola coupes. The team captured two wins last season, including the Petit Le Mans, making Mazda the only Japanese manufacturer to have won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Petit Le Mans. The team never finished off the podium for the year and claimed three poles and three fast laps. Butch Leitzinger and Marino Franchitti were second in the P2 Drivers Championship and Chris Dyson and Guy Smith were fourth in the standings after not running for points in the last two races of the year when the #16 Dyson car ran BP’s new biobutanol fuel blend.

Gary Wassell, Manager, Car Motorsport at Dunlop’s Birmingham UK base added, “We look forward to our increasing involvement in North America racing and to assisting one of the leading sportscar racing teams in the world.”

“Dyson Racing is North America’s premier sportscar racing team and we are delighted with the opportunity, not only to supply our tires, but to work with a team with such an impressive record,” commented Phil Lamont, President, Vintage Tyres Limited, the distributor of Dunlop racing tires in North America. Dunlop racing tires are manufactured at their Motorsport Division factory based in Fort Dunlop, Birmingham, England.

Dyson Racing will be announcing the details of their 2010 racing program in coming weeks. The team will be at the ALMS Winter Test in Sebring FL on February 22nd and 23rd. The 2010 American Le Mans Series will open its 12th season with America’s greatest sportscar race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17 - 20. The green flag will fall at 10:35 a.m. on Saturday, March 20, with live coverage on SPEED.
 

American Le Mans Series Friday Notebook
Jonny Cocker, Doug Fehan and more brief news items
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 22, 2010) — If Jonny Cocker’s 2010 season continues like 2009 ended, it will be a banner year for Drayson Racing’s young ace pilot. The team’s move to LMP racing late in 2009 and confirmation of a full American Le Mans Series entry for this year have fans buzzing on both sides of the Atlantic. Lolacars.com caught up with Cocker for a brief Q&A.

Q: Jonny, since that great weekend in Okayama last autumn (his first career pole position in Le Mans-style racing) what’s been happening –how have you been preparing for this year?

JC: Unfortunately there is not a lot that you can do really over the last month but I have been doing as much as I can be - especially in the gym - to ensure that I am as fit as possible in preparation for next year. You also get other things sorted as well, all the little bits really; getting your kit sorted, that sort of thing.

I really just can’t wait for 2010 to begin; I think Okayama proved that the Lola-Judd LMP1 is an out-of-the-box quick package. I am really looking forward to the upgrades for 2010 because if we can build on what we already had it will be terrific. I am really looking forward to driving the new car to see how it feels but I am still very much in the learning stage with this car only having driven the car twice in a proper event. Laguna we obviously had the incident, so we didn’t get much time in the race unfortunately, but Japan couldn’t have gone any better. I think we built from the first session and in the last free practice we did a new tire run in preparation for qualifying and didn’t really kind of hook the lap up. We had traffic, but what was good was that we didn’t really show our true pace. So, going into qualifying I had in the back of my mind that it’s possible, we can challenge for a front row or maybe even pole, so to get pole was absolutely incredible. You know, it was a moment I will never forget.

Cocker: Actually, physically driving the car is far less physical than the GT2 car but in the high-speed corners extra strength in your arms and upper body and neck is where it makes the difference.

Q: In terms of the change from racing a GT Aston Martin to an LMP, I guess there are certain physical changes: tell us about any extra training. Is there an area that you feel the LMP is more physical to drive that a GT?

JC: Yes, I think it’s surprising actually to people. I find, having only ever driven GT cars, I have zero experience with any cars with any proper level of downforce. Single seaters I have never had anything to do with, so for me to jump from a GT2 car into an LMP1 car - and an LMP1 car that everyone knows has got absolutely superb downforce - I was a little bit apprehensive going into it, thinking “Oh my God, am I going to cope with it?” Actually, physically driving the car is far less physical than the GT2 car but in the high-speed corners extra strength in your arms and upper body and neck is where it makes the difference.

Actually, you know, a circuit like Le Mans, I would expect it would be easier to do a stint there in a P1 car than it would (in a GT). That is because you get a proper rest, you really don’t need to move an awful lot, you’re really comfortable in the car, you have got a proper seat in a really nice position and you rarely have to worry about your mirrors. It’s actually the first car that I really cannot wait to get back into driving because as soon as I’m out of it, I’m missing it. The car is just absolutely amazing to drive. For me to get my head around how quickly it can go was the biggest thing really and once that started to fall into place, I felt I can relax and then we started going quickly. I think everybody involved has done a fantastic job.

FEHAN ON AUSTIN HATCHER BOARD: The Austin Hatcher Foundation has named Doug Fehan, Program Manager for Corvette Racing, as one of the eight new members to its Board of Directors for 2010.

Fehan, a motorsports icon and an active participant with the Austin Hatcher Foundation since its inception in 2006, has worked in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series to make donations and raise awareness through hospital visits and the Foundation’s diversionary therapy events in each race city and throughout the country. The Austin Hatcher Foundation is the official charity of the American Le Mans Series.

PIT NOTES: Kyle Marcelli, who will join Joel Feinberg in Primetime Race Group's Le Mans Prototype Challenge entry for 2010, has landed sponsorship from Barrie Trim & Mouldings Inc., and Spherion Staffing Solution. ... Patrón Highcroft Racing's David Brabham has been announced as the National Race Coach for the new MSA Team UK driver education and development scheme, which forms the pinnacle of the MSA Academy structure created in 2009. The MSA Academy is designed to guide young drivers from eight years old through to world championship level, while the new Team UK designation reflects the creation of a national squad of the country’s most promising drivers, aged 17-24, from the previous Elite Race and Rally schemes. ... Three of IMSA's development series - the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship and Star Mazda will be testing today through Sunday at Sebring International Raceway. Tickets are $10. Overnight camping and parking are not allowed, and there is no public paddock access.
 

Risi Draws Pair Of Aces for 2010 GT Program
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 20, 2010) —Endurance racing champion Risi Competizione will boast a championship-winning GT driver lineup for its assault on the forthcoming 2010 American Le Mans Series season, it announced today.

In reuniting 2007 Series champion Jaime Melo with 2008 FIA GT champion Gianmaria Bruni, the Houston-based Ferrari team will front one of the strongest pairings in GT racing today.

The Brazilian/Italian partnership, which drove together to victory for Risi in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, have formed the backbone of the development program for the Ferrari F430 GT. Their return to the American Le Mans Series with that huge, combined amount of experience will be vital for success in an increasingly competitive and high-profile GT class.

Melo, 29, will be starting his fifth season with the team, and his racing CV speaks for itself. The 28-year-old Bruni is well known to the American series having competed for Risi in a number of 2007 races as well as at Sebring and Le Mans the following year. Both drivers are based in Rome, Italy, and will also be competing together in the European-based Le Mans Series, so their in-car synchronicity and unity as a driving partnership will be roundly developed as the season progresses.

Risi Competizione’s Team Principal, Giuseppe Risi, said of his new pairing. “I’m delighted to be able to secure two such talented drivers and, together with Ferrari SpA, we have just one aim in mind: to reclaim the American Le Mans Series championship titles. Jaime is very much part of the Risi family, and we are sure that Gianmaria’s extremely successful couple of seasons in Europe will transfer to the United States.

“This will be our fifth and final season with the F430 GT and, while we are all very much looking forward to the introduction of the new Ferrari 458 in the future, we want to close this particular chapter of the 430 book with style - by winning.”

A third, endurance driving partner will be announced in due course, together with further details on Risi Competizione’s plans for the 2010 American Le Mans Series.
 

Feinberg and Marcelli Move To LMP For 2010
News from Primetime Racing
HOLLYWOOD, Florida (January 14th 2010) - Announced today, Primetime Race Group has signed 19 year old Canadian driver Kyle Marcelli to co-drive alongside team owner Joel Feinberg in the 2010 American Le Mans Series in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge class (LMPC).

After clinching the 2009 IMSA Prototype Lites Championship, the Florida based team has decided to build on that success and take their team to the next level of motorsports. Throughout 2009, Feinberg and Marcelli competed head to head in the ALMS feeder series each with a goal of making a future move into Le Mans Prototypes. Recognizing each other’s abilities behind the wheel as well as sharing the same aspirations as drivers, the two are excited to team up for a run at the LMPC season championship in 2010.

Throughout the off season and recent months the hard work and determination of both Joel and Kyle to make this move have finally come to fruition. Together they will co-drive the Primetime Race Group entry through the pre-season testing and in each of the nine events on the ALMS race schedule, all with one goal of following up Primetime’s 2009 championships. By winning a season championship in the LMPC class, Kyle Marcelli will make history as the youngest American Le Mans Series champion.

“This is a dream come true for me” Said Marcelli, “when I was 13, my dad and I used to go to Mosport International Raceway each year when the American Le Mans Series arrived in late August. We would sit on top of turn two with thousands of others and watch the prototypes and GT cars race by, 6 years later I have found myself behind the wheel. I’m excited to team up with Joel and Primetime, he is a quick driver with a good amount of experience in the American Le Mans series and the team has shown a great track record over the years. I know we will both be pushing each other all season long”.

Primetime is no stranger to the big show; the team has campaigned their Dodge Viper GT2 program in the American Le Mans full time for the past two years as a privateer team and was recently awarded the 2009 Founders Cup Championship as the #1 non-factory supported team in the series. This recognition coupled with their championship in IMSA Lites shows an obvious progression in the team as well as defining them as true winners in their sport. A move to the LMPC class has been expected and looks to be as successful as their past endeavours.

“This move is a true testament to all of our hard work over the past few years” said Feinberg. “Our goal as a team since day one was to start at the bottom and work our way to the top. We’ve proven ourselves thus far and have established a team that can compete anywhere, against anyone. Racing at this level is a serious commitment and it takes the effort of the entire team to win races, after racing against Kyle last year and getting to know him I feel that he will be a great addition to our team and I look forward to winning lots of races with him this year”

The team is currently underway with preparations before pre-season testing begins February 22-23 at Sebring International Raceway. Drivers Joel Feinberg and Kyle Marcelli will be looking to make good use of the testing time to develop the car and be race ready for the start of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season which kicks off on March 20th with the 58th annual Mobile 1 “12 Hours of Sebring”.
 

Risi Freshens Its Battery - Getting Ready For 2010
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 12, 2010) — Risi Competizione prepares to return to action in its Ferrari 430 GT in 2010. After extending its run of victories in the endurance classics to five - starting with the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans and including the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans - and finishing second in the GT2 team and driver championships in the American Le Mans Series, Team Manager Dave Sims reports on the team’s progress during the offseason.

Competition for Risi Competizione in the GT class remains strong. Are you expecting this season to more competitive than 2009? Who do you consider your toughest opponents?

“It’s going to be tougher than ever, for sure, because teams like Corvette Racing and BMW- who were new to the GT class in 2009 - are now fully up to speed and will be even stronger. Plus, of course, Flying Lizard who are always right there in terms of competitiveness, so I think our main opposition are those teams…like us, they all have a strong degree of continuity in their team and driver line ups which makes a big difference at the outset of a season. The new Ferrari team, Extreme Speed Motorsports, will I think need time to gel with the F430 but we know the car is good so it won’t take too long before they’re in the mix too. As part of the Ferrari family, we wish them all the best.”

What will fans see from the 2010 Ferrari 430 GT that they didn’t in 2009?

“The most visual difference is that it is a wider car with GT1-spec tires. There is a different front and rear spoiler and the bulge of the rear wheel arches is noticeable, to accommodate the bigger wheels. Under the skin, there are revisions and developments to many of the mechanical areas of the car including suspension and steering geometry.”

Will you be testing in the month of February to prepare the car for the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida?

“We will be doing a 12-hour test at Sebring prior to the official Wheels Down test days in February. The reason for that is that there are lots of new components in the 2010 Ferrari F430 and Sebring is the best place to test them. If anything is going to break, it will be at Sebring!

“Jaime has been working with Ferrari since the end of last season to develop the car for us and other teams in Europe to use this year, and his feedback is that the changes are going to make a positive difference. He seems to come alive in a racing car and, while some drivers find testing tedious, Jaime loves what he does…all good for us.”

Will the changes make Risi Competizione and the Ferrari 430 GT more competitive in the American Le Mans Series GT class?

“Yes, there will definitely be an improvement in competitiveness and we will also have an increase in power because of a bigger air restrictor. That, however, is countered by increased weight so it will be as close as ever at the top of the class. The power to weight ratio in the Ferrari is different to the big V8s in cars such as the Corvette; they’ve got more torque than us by a long chalk.

“Having said that, we know this car inside out and know how to get the best out of it at all the different tracks we visit. I’d say that it would be a foolish man (or woman) who underestimates Risi Competizione and the Ferrari F430.”

The American Le Mans Series will open its 12th season with America’s greatest sports car race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17-20. The green flag will fall at 10:35 a.m. on Saturday, March 20 with live coverage on SPEED. For ticket and accommodation information, see sebringraceway.com

The annual American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for February 22-23, also at Sebring International Raceway.
 

Corvette's Fehan: Efficiency Is the Buzzword
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 5, 2010) — When it comes to preaching the gospel of GM and green racing, there’s no better messenger than Doug Fehan. Corvette Racing’s immensely popular program manager will be on his way to Daytona Beach, Fla., for a Thursday night address to participants in the EcoCAR Challenge. The program is a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM), and is being managed by Argonne National Laboratory.

“The plan is to talk to them about what GM’s initiatives are and what we do at Corvette Racing – our association with E85 and the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge,” said Fehan, who oversaw Corvette’s 2009 effort that netted the Green Challenge GT championship as well as American Le Mans Series victories in both GT1 and GT2. “From a pure racing standpoint, we’ll be looking at things like our use of E85 in the C6.R, aerodynamic advancements, ceramic wheel bearings, zero viscosity lubricants and working with Michelin on rolling resistance in tires.”

The competition challenges 17 universities across North America to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by minimizing the vehicle’s fuel consumption and reducing its emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance, safety and consumer appeal. Students use a real-world engineering process to design and integrate their advanced technology solutions into a GM-donated vehicle.

“Efficiency is the buzzword,” Fehan said. “The same things we look at in race cars are the same ones we look at in production cars. Manufacturers are looking at those things like components and wind resistances, not just fuel and energy. The ZR1 (the car on which the GT Corvette is homologated) is a living, breathing testament to what we call cascade engineering. We went from C5 to C6 to Z06 to now the ZR1, sharing information and developments with the production side of GM.

“This is going to progress in steps,” he said of the continual push for automotive efficiency and innovation. “You know, Edison looked at more than 2,000 iterations of the light bulb that didn’t work. He was interviewed and said he was encouraged because he found 2,000 ways it didn’t work and was that much closer to having something that did work. You have to go through these processes in order to eliminate ideas that aren’t practical.”

Fehan also answered a couple of other Corvette Racing-related queries…

Testing of new Corvette 5.5-liter GT motor?
“We had one of the cars testing at Road Atlanta in November with the 5.5-liter. The feedback was very, very good. The dyno work has been continuous. We will be back on track again in February for the final test before we debut it at Sebring for the 12 Hours.”

Corvette customer prospects?
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of interest. Admittedly, it’s tough in these times. But both in North America and Europe, people are genuinely excited and we’ve fielded a lot of calls.”

Will the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix be back?
“I would certainly hope so. That is strictly up to Roger (Penske) but I think every competitor would like to see that brought back on the schedule. Roger said he would take a two-year hiatus and evaluate things (Ed. Note: Indeed, event chairman Bud Denker is optimistic for a 2011 return). He has made a terrific investment in the infrastructure on Belle Isle.”

The importance of the Detroit Auto Show to the city and GM?
“It is still a massive event. Clearly, the extravagance in the displays across the board has been dramatically reduced. That’s Toyota, Mercedes, GM, Ford - everyone is taking a serious look at where they are. But Detroit is still the motor capital of the world, and the importance of the show hasn’t changed a bit.”

The American Le Mans Series will open its 12th season with America’s greatest sports car race, the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida from March 17-20. The green flag will fall at 10:35 a.m. on Saturday, March 20 with live coverage on SPEED.

The annual American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for February 22-23, also at Sebring International Raceway