American Le Mans Series

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”

Black Swan Aiming To Be Back On Track In 2010
Photos © Dan Boyd
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 17, 2009) — After missing the 2009 American Le Mans Series, Black Swan Racing is set to come back in a big way for 2010. The Tim Pappas-owned team has moved into a new shop in Harvard, Mass., a location that will be central to the team’s return to full-time competition next season.

“It’s good to be home in a spot that’s all ours,” said team manager Peter McCarthy. “We’re talking to our former team members and hiring more people to be full-time then ever before. We’re making a big commitment.”

The plan, McCarthy says, is to enter each of the Series’ nine rounds, plus a rigorous pre- and mid-season testing program. Black Swan last competed during the 2008 season with a Falken-shod Doran-Ford GT, which McCarthy says is attracting interest from more than one potential buyer for GT2 next year.

The team ran under the banner of Team Trans Sport in 2007 with a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR on Yokohama tires.

“The Challenge class looks very interesting to us,” McCarthy said. “But we are also seriously considering GT as that is where we have competed and feel it’s where we ultimately should stay. Bottom line, we were all disappointed not to race at all last year, but it was critical to focus on our core business in real estate. As a result of that time off, we will announce a major project in the coming weeks that will be central to our commitment to the American Le Mans Series and motorsports in the long-term.”

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.
 

Pagenaud Joins Patrón Highcroft for 2010 Assault
Photos © Dan Boyd
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 15, 2009) — After going head-to-head against Patrón Highcroft Racing the last two years, young French sports car star Simon Pagenaud will join the championship-winning squad alongside David Brabham for the 2010 American Le Mans Series.

Pagenaud has been a key rival of the Danbury, Conn.-based team with de Ferran Motorsports during the past two seasons but will now join forces with Brabham to form a potent attack at the Honda Performance Development factory squad armed with the newly revised ARX-01c chassis. “Joining the Patron Highcroft Racing squad is a very exciting challenge,” said Pagenaud. “I enjoyed driving the ARX-01b in 2008 and the car went through a lot of development that year. I am looking forward to the updates on the ARX-01c for the 2010 season to make it even more competitive than it already is.”

The 25-year-old Frenchman from Poitiers made his US debut in 2006, winning the Atlantic championship and defeating Graham Rahal in the process. He graduated to the Champ Car World Series in 2007, finishing eighth in points before making his sports car debut with Gil de Ferran at Salt Lake City in May 2008.

Pagenaud quickly demonstrated his tremendous skill set. His sports car career blossomed in 2009, taking three poles, five race victories and five fastest laps in the 10 American Le Mans Series races. He and de Ferran placed second in the LMP1 championship behind Brabham and Scott Sharp.

Pagenaud also contested the Spa-Francorchamps round of Le Mans Series in Europe - scoring pole position, the race victory and recording the fastest lap of the race in his only outing for the Peugeot factory team. Pagenaud also drove a privateer Peugeot 908 HDi FAP at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

That event in Belgium was the first time Pagenaud was a teammate with David Brabham - now the duo will be combined in the ARX-01c chassis.

Brabham had a stunning 2009, taking his first American Le Mans Series championship alongside Sharp for Patrón Highcroft Racing and also scoring his first victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Peugeot.

One of the most experienced sports car drivers in the world, Brabham is the only driver to take pole and win races in every Series class. “I am absolutely delighted that Simon is now part of the Patrón Highcroft team and will be my new teammate,” said Brabs. “I’ve had two great years with Scott and now Simon comes in as one of the quickest and best sports car drivers out there. I think the two of us should be as quick as any of the combinations in the American Le Mans Series next year.”

Alongside his factory efforts for HPD and Peugeot, the English-based Australian ex-Formula 1 driver has also represented major factory efforts from Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar, BMW, Toyota, McLaren, Nissan and Panoz.

Pagenaud and Brabham will begin testing duties next month in preparation for the opening round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series that kicks off at the Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 20.
 

Petit Le Mans Part of 2010 Intercontinental Cup
Photos © Dan Boyd
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 7, 2009) — The 13th annual Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta will be part of a three-race “Le Mans Intercontinental Cup” that will link the globe’s three Le Mans-style series in 2010, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest said today. Entrants in LMP1 will be eligible for the Intercontinental Cup with the second leg set for the annual 1,000-mile classic at Road Atlanta on October 2.

Officials from the ACO, the governing body of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, announced the formation of the Intercontinental Cup. It lays the groundwork for a minimum six-race championship in 2011 that will feature races in Europe, the United States and Asia.

“We share and wholeheartedly support the ACO’s vision for the expansion of a global sports car racing championship,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. “It is extremely appropriate to have Petit Le Mans - our signature event - as part of the inaugural Intercontinental Cup for 2010. During the past decade, Petit Le Mans has become a truly world-class, blue-ribbon event on the endurance calendar. This announcement will only add to the spectacle and pageantry that has come to define Petit Le Mans.”

Already, Audi Sport Team Joest has declared its intentions of competing in the Intercontinental Cup and Petit Le Mans with two of its reworked Audi R15 TDI works prototypes.

The first Petit Le Mans in 1998 provided the foundation on which Dr. Don Panoz built the American Le Mans Series and launched it the following March at the 12 Hours of Sebring. During the last 12 seasons, the most elite prototype manufacturers and teams in the world have competed at Petit Le Mans including entries from Audi, Peugeot, Acura, ORECA, BMW, Panoz, Porsche, Ferrari and many others.

The ACO’s announcement should cause that number to grow even higher for 2010.

Each competitor in the Intercontinental Cup must confirm its entry with the ACO before the end of February. Entrants must compete in all three rounds to be included in the overall classification, and they must also take part in five Le Mans-sanctioned events in 2010, not counting the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The other two Intercontinental Cup venues will be Silverstone in Europe (September 13) and an Asian location in November to be determined.

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.
 

Sellers: Team Falken Tire Gearing Up For 2010
New 2010 Porsche already in team's possession
Photos © Dan Boyd
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 30, 2009) — After a three-race “introduction” into the American Le Mans Series GT2 class in 2009, Team Falken Tire is getting serious for 2010. The California-based squad, the endurance racing arm for the Japanese tire manufacturer, has a 2010-spec Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in its possession, lead driver Bryan Sellers has confirmed.

Sellers and Dominic Cicero raced at Long Beach, Petit Le Mans and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in a 2008-spec Porsche that served its purpose – mainly giving the manufacturer a solid base on which to start its endurance racing platform that will eventually lead to customer tires.

“Everybody knew what we were going up against. Falken came in knowing it wasn’t going to compete with a 2009 car, and we used that as a stepping stone for 2010,” Sellers said on this past week’s Midweek Motorsport program. “They are probably as serious as anything I’ve seen – any other tire manufacturer. They’ve come in with the mindset of ‘We want to beat Michelin one day.’ It doesn’t have to be tomorrow or the next day because they’re not naïve.

“You have teams in here who have been winners of multiple races, not just in ALMS but Le Mans, FIA GT and the list goes on and on,” he added. “I’d like to think that we can be nipping on the heels of podium finishes in 2010 and that’s ultimately where we want to be. That being said, if we’re going to every race and not trying to win, then we’re there for the wrong reasons. If we’re going to try and finish third or try to finish fifth, then our tire development is never going to be where it should be.”

One other interesting tidbit, Sellers is confident that Falken will make its way to the Le Mans 24 Hours in the near future. “I believe deep down that they do want to be there and they will be there,” he said.
 

Intersport Racing Names Mitch Pagerey to Drive Le Mans Prototype Challenge For 2010
News from Intersport Racing

Photos © John Thawley 2009
DUBLIN, Ohio (November 12, 2009) — Intersport Racing has named Patron GT3 standout Mitch Pagerey to drive their American Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) car for 2010. Pagerey brings a winning resume to Intersport Racing, the American Le Mans Series' longest running privateer team starting in 100 Series events. Last month, Intersport Racing was the first team to purchase the new American Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) chassis.

"I'm really looking forward to running the new prototype," said Pagerey. "In a GT car your limits are typically dictated by the car. Whereas in a prototype the car requires the driver to seek out the limit. I feel ready for that challenge."

"My focus for 2010 is solely on the LMPC season," Pagerey continued. Joining Intersport is a fantastic opportunity for me. When I first met Jon and Clint [Field] I immediately felt at ease. Their level of commitment to ALMS is remarkable. Certainly, starting in 100 races proves that. For me it is a pattern of success that I want to be a part of. Watching Jon and Clint all these years and now having the opportunity to run with them is truly an honor. I'm going to do everything I can to show I am up to the task."

Clint Field had these comments on the addition of Pagerey. "Mitch shows great poise and appears to be a pretty quick study. We were very impressed with his run at Laguna Seca. He was extremely quick and posted some impressive lap times. I think Mitch is the perfect fit to head up our new LMP Challenge program."

Intersport continues to build during the off-season and expects more announcements in the near future.

"As I said when we announced our purchase of the Challenge car," noted Clint, "our commitment to IMSA and the American Le Mans Series is not only unwavering, it is stronger than ever. We are working hard in the off-season to expand our effort and grow the team. IMSA and the ALMS continue to offer the right platform that will grow sports car racing in North America. That gives us the confidence to continue to invest our racing dollars with the Series."

"For me, the ALMS GT Challenge was a great experience and the perfect place to start," Pagerey added. "Ultimately I like the endurance format of ALMS. It was always my intentions to move up to this series, though I thought it would take another year. The addition of the prototype Challenge class bridged the gap and… well… here we are. It all made sense."

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 shows 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.

LMP1 and LMP2 cars will compete as a single LMP class in 2010 with exception of the endurance classics - the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans Powered by MAZDA6 - that will continue to adhere to the ACO technical rules for LMP1 and LMP2. Among the LMP race cars eligible worldwide will be the Acura ARX-02a, Acura ARX-01b, Ginetta-Zytek 09HS (hybrid), Lola B09/86 Mazda, Lola B06/10, Radical SR9, Porsche RS Spyder, Audi R15 TDI, Peugeot 908, Aston Martin Lola and Pescarolo.
 

Charting the Progression of Robertson Racing
Photos © Dan Boyd 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (October 30, 2009) — The progression of the Robertson Racing GT2 program has been fantastic to witness in the American Le Mans Series. Now the team is going global with its entry into this weekend’s inaugural Asian Le Mans Series event in Okayama, Japan. In the team’s first race outside the boundaries of North America, David Murry and wife-husband duo of team owners Andrea and David Robertson will pilot the Ford GT MK7.

The team - managed by Dick Barbour Racing and operated out of its headquarters in Braselton, Ga. - has made noteworthy competitive strides since debuting the Ford GT at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring. The car was five seconds off the pace of the class leaders during the event, but the continued refinement on all aspects of the car led to a GT2 pole position at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 a month ago. Murry delivered one of the biggest surprises of the season by beating out factory and works-supported efforts from Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette, BMW and others.

“It really has been a complete and total effort by everyone on the team,” said Dick Barbour, whose previous teams have won both prototype and GT championships in the American Le Mans Series. “David (Murry) is so experienced and proving that he is still very, very good. I honestly believe we have a product that, overall, is just as good as any other team. In addition, I think our pit work has been competitive with anyone, just judging by the times.”

“Also, David and Andrea have been able to see how things evolve and change over the course of a few seasons, and they’ve become more competitive as a result.”

Murry - whose career has included stints with factory teams from Porsche, Nissan and BMW (just to name a few) - says the team’s work ethic is the primary reason for the improvement.

“If you look at it, we’ve had a year-and-a-half to get where we are today,” Murry said. “We don’t have the outside factory support or funding so we’ve had to work extremely hard to get here. We’ve been chasing a moving target because the factory supported teams aren’t standing still; we’ve had to work even harder than most teams. We would do some development work, and then think ‘Wow we’re almost there’ and then everyone else would be faster at the next race.

“I’ve driven quite a bit as a Porsche factory driver in the past and I know how all that works, but that’s the great thing about this series - its how the team performs on the track,” he added. “They (the factory teams) might have the technologies and the funding but it shows that it’s so close; if you work hard, you can compete with these teams on the same level.”

PIT NOTES: This week marked the US launch of the video game Forza Motorsport 3, which features heavy doses of American Le Mans Series content. More IMSA-era cars are available to players as well as four American Le Mans Series tracks. … The 2009 season saw 25 drivers make their first start in the American Le Mans Series. There also were 10 first-time winners. … Advance ticket sales for the upcoming 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring are up more than 10 percent compared to 2009. For more, visit sebringraceway.com

 

New Venue, Format for Patrón GT3 Challenge
By Yokohama
New Porsche GT3 Cup car, addition of New Jersey event to go along with returning sponsorship, television package in 2010
Photos © Dan Boyd 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (October 25, 2009) — The Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama will mix a little of the new with much of the familiar for the 2010 season. The IMSA-sanctioned championship announced a seven-event schedule on North America’s finest natural terrain road courses – with one new venue – to go along with a completely new 911 GT3 Cup racer from Porsche.

North America’s leading one-make championship – in its sixth season of pitting the continent’s top semi-professional and gentlemen drivers in Porsche’s 911 GT3 Cup racer - adds New Jersey Motorsports Park just 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia to its schedule. The remaining rounds will be in support of the American Le Mans Series, and all event weekends will feature two 45-minute races with the exception of the stop at Mid-Ohio.

The championship format also is slightly different for 2010 with a competitor’s best 11 of 13 rounds counting toward the final point total.

As was the case in 2009, The Patrón Spirits Company returns as the title sponsor for the championship with Yokohama as the presenting partner and exclusive tire supplier. All races will be featured elements of the series’ full-season television package on SPEED. Along with race recaps and highlights, audiences will have the chance to learn more about the personalities that make up the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama paddock.

The series will be split into two classifications – Platinum Cup for the new 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Gold Cup for the 2009 through 2005 version of the GT3 racer. And for the first time, Porsche Motorsport North America will performance balance the competition within the Gold Cup class.

The 2010 version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car is based on the street-legal 2010 Porsche GT3 RS. The 911 GT3 Cup entry features a larger displacement with its flat-six Boxer powerplant (by 0.2 liters) while increasing power by 30 hp. It is nearly 1¾ inches wider than the 2009 911 GT3 Cup model, which allows for larger tires. The newly designed front body panels – again taken from the 911 GT3 RSR – allow for more efficient aero on the front end with a lower front spoiler lap that increases more downforce at the front axle. Likewise a larger rear wing provides additional downforce at the rear of the car.

Inside the cockpit, an additional vent in the upper part of the front lid provides the driver with a better supply of fresh air. The controls for the Info Display are now positioned directly on the steering wheel housing. And in addition to fore-and-aft adjustment, the steering wheel may now also be adjusted for height as on the regular production car.

The 2010 season kicks off at Sebring International Raceway on March 18-19 as part of the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.
 

Joel Feinberg named American Le Mans 2009 Founders Cup Champion
News from Primetime Racing
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (October 12th 2009) — In their second season campaigning the only Dodge Viper in American Le Mans, Primetime Race Group owner and driver Joel Feinberg was awarded the Founders Cup trophy and recognized as the series top privateer driver for the year.

This competition recognizes the accomplishments of American Le Mans Series drivers who "are a foundation of the series, and whose participation embodies the 'Learn by Doing' spirit of the Founder," with the cup named in honour of ALMS founder Don Panoz. Throughout the season points are given at each race to the top privateer drivers in the series for their individual results as an independent and privately funded team competing in manufacturer based series.

Joel Feinberg and his Primetime team have spent the past two years in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series campaigning and developing their Dodge Viper to compete directly against names like Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, and Corvette. Taking on this role as a an independent team has not been an easy one but none the less, the team has used its limited resources coupled with tremendous team spirit and have fought the fight without any factory support or assistance.

“Being a privateer team in this series is definitely a struggle and I'm honored to have been given this title”, said Feinberg. “When I started racing four years ago, I had a vision of starting at the bottom and working my way up but I never anticipated this big of a climb. Fortunately we used our money wisely, made the right choices, and were able to cut our teeth in a relatively inexpensive car. Now that we’re through our growth phase we are looking to raise our game in 2010 and are planning a transition into the Le Mans prototype class”, added Feinberg.

Aside from winning the Founders Cup, Feinberg also dominated the IMSA Lites Series with 10 podium finishes including 5 wins and the season championship. Feinberg intends to focus his own driving duties solely on the teams ALMS program in 2010 but will continue providing full race support for 2-4 “up and coming” IMSA Lites drivers looking to use the team’s success as a ladder system into the American Le Mans.
 

Michelin® Green X® Challenge Will Roll Again For 2010 American Le Mans Series
Photos © Dan Boyd
MONTERREY, California (October 9, 2009) — Michelin today announced that it will continue its support of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge in the American Le Mans Series for the 2010 season.

“We have exceeded all of our initial expectations and expect to further build and grow the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge in our second season,” said Silvia Mammone, Michelin Motorsports manager. “Michelin is an environmental and technological leader, and the American Le Mans Series is the Global Leader in Green Racing, so this is an excellent fit.”

Launched earlier this year as a “race within the race” at every Series event, the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge has quickly gained support from manufacturers, teams and media.

The American Le Mans Series is the only series currently recognized as meeting all protocols for “Green Racing” by the U. S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International. Using a formula developed by the Argonne National Labs that includes over 30 different factors, American Le Mans Series manufacturers and teams win the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge by delivering the best overall performance, fuel efficiency, and smallest environmental impact throughout the race. Prototype and GT category winners are determined at each race and in a season-long championship.

“Michelin has brought a very valuable element to the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. “This race-within-a-race has become the cornerstone of our green racing initiatives for our fans at each event and those watching on television. Not only has Michelin helped us spread this vital message, but their involvement has also provided an opportunity for fans to understand such things as how essential tire rolling resistance is to being fuel efficient. Michelin’s renewed commitment to help us develop this message will continue to reinforce our position as the Global Leader in Green Racing.”

Entering the final race of the 2009 season, nine different cars from eight different teams representing five different manufacturers and using three different fuels have won the 18 MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge trophies. All American Le Mans Series entries compete with E10 ethanol-blended gasoline, E85R gasoline-blended ethanol, GTL (natural gas to liquid) biodiesel or E10-electric hybrid power. Another fuel option and possibly a factor for tire use may be considered for inclusion in the 2010 formula.

“The diversity of manufacturers, cars, engines, fuels and circuits along with the opportunity for technical innovation makes the American Le Mans Series particularly relevant,” said Forrest Patterson, Ph.D., director of research for replacement market passenger car and light truck tires for Michelin North America. “Thanks to the efforts of the American Le Mans Series and the Green Racing working group, important baseline data has been captured during the 2009 season. In the future, we hope to gain comparative data showing a reduction in the energy used and the emissions created without a reduction in overall performance.”

During the 2009 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 41 (of 55) Michelin technical partner entries covered over 100,00 race miles while using 13 percent fewer tires per car than in 2008.

Michelin supports similar MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge awards at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the European based Le Msn Series and is expected to extend the program to an Asian based series.

ABOUT THE MICHELIN® GREEN X® CHALLENGE
The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge, developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International is a race within the race at all 2009 American Le Mans Series events.

The MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge trophies are presented to the respective Prototype and GT winners. The bases for the unique MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge trophies are made of rubber recycled from MICHELIN® GREEN X® labeled consumer tires.
 

Monterey Sports Car Championships Include Presentation at Stanford University by American Le Mans Series
Photos © eeProductions/Craig Elliott 2009, Neil Chapel and ALMS
MONTEREY, California (October 8, 2009) —One would think that finishing its season at the Monterey Sports Car Championships this season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with two class championships hanging in the balance would be enough excitement in one week for the American Le Mans Series.

The Series, known for its global leadership in green racing, felt it had one important stop to make along the way, however. Wednesday, on the campus of Stanford University, the American Le Mans Series made a special presentation to faculty and mechanical engineering students involved in the university’s “Future of the Automobile” class.

Recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International, the American Le Mans Series is renowned worldwide for its innovation and technology development, particularly in the area of alternative fuels.

Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series, led off with an overview of how the Series has become the worldwide motorsports leader in alternative fuels. That distinction, along with other technical innovations, has allowed it to become one of the world’s leading motorsports series. Atherton emphasized how the Series’ green initiatives and the Michelin® Green X® Challenge competition have allowed it to stand apart and entice not only fans but avid consumers as well.

“Since 2008, with the Green Challenge,” said Atherton, “we knew we were competing in the great race of the 21st century. Knowing that, it has been our collective goal to get to a greener tomorrow … faster. The way we are doing this is by providing a world class platform to showcase technologies that have a direct link from the race track to the production line. Since our inception we have been claiming we are a series that is for the fans, but now more than ever we are being known as a series for the consumers.”

Paul Drayson, Great Britain’s Minister of Science and Innovation and Drayson Racing team owner followed. As a recognized voice worldwide on sustainable energies, fuels and climate, he emphasized the role that science and technology have on the environment and the need to work toward zero emissions and controlling climate.

“Climate change is the biggest concern facing our generation. As a human race we are consuming resources at a rate that is unsustainable. For example, science is showing us that the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free during the summer months as early as 2013. I’m an engineer. I’m an optimist. Therefore I believe that the human race can rise to the challenge and can be motivated to change - by making green cool by using science and technology to find the answers.”

Race car driver David Brabham, on the verge of claiming the ALMS series championship in LMP1 class with Scott Sharp, was even more adamant. It was Brabham who wrote a letter to Series’ founder Don Panoz in 2004 beseeching the Series to take a look at more ways to be responsible for the environment.

“When I wrote the letter back in August of 2004,” said Brabham. “The one thing I knew was that racing needed to change because the environment was changing and people’s ideas were changing. It is a fact that the next generation is going to be dictated by what we do today and that is why we have to continue to develop cars and push the technology in competition….to facilitate change.”

Steve Pruitt helped Driver Johnny Mowlem to an opportunity to run hybrid technology in a race car. That resulted in Corsa Motorsports working with one of Europe’s premier automotive hybrid groups, Ginetta-Zytek, to serve as the test ground for emerging, next generation hybrid technology.

“We at Corsa Motorsports and the American Le Mans Series are coming forward and bringing new technology to the grid,” said Pruitt. “With hybrid technology, the Series is bringing the most sophisticated cars to the race track, and it is through such racing applications that we are developing efficient vehicles for consumers to buy in their dealer showroom.”

But it was GM’s Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan who put everything into perspective.

“At Corvette Racing, ‘we build em. We race em.’ We see on a daily basis how technology transfers. Everything we achieve in racing is what consumers can achieve on the roads – aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, rolling resistance, frictional losses. It is through automotive engineering that we are able to look at the mind, look at the science and develop the sport of the new century. And that development is wide open right now.

There is great opportunity for young people just entering the automotive industry to make a great impact on the future of this vital industry.”

Just another day on its way to Monterey? Hardly. But then again you may just have to ask the students and faculty at one of America’s leading higher institutions of learning.

The American Le Mans Series concludes its season Saturday in Monterey, California with the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Green flag is 5:45 ET/2:45 PT October 10. Sirius 126 and XM 242 will air the race live along with ALMS Radio at www.americanlemans.com. SPEED will telecast the race Sunday, October 11 from 2:30 – 6: 30 pm
 

“Here I Come to Save The Day!”
Patrón Highcroft Team Set to Rebuild after Sharp Crash, Will Start Saturday Race
By Kate Shaw
Photos © Jamie Longmuir 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 24, 2009) 7:00 p.m. — About three hours following the destruction of the Tequila Patrón Highcroft Acura at the hands of driver Scott Sharp, team owner Duncan Dayton and Honda Performance Development have announced their intention to rebuild on the ruins and David Brabham will drive their car to the grid on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. for blast off at 11:20 as scheduled.

Together they have hired a private air carrier to fly out the spare tub currently residing in Santa Clarita, California. The flight will land at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow and reconstruction will begin at the ALMS Paddock at Road Atlanta at 9:00 a.m. They intend to work around the clock tonight to prepare a variety of parts that will be needed upon arrival of the tub, and then the race to the race will hit seventh gear.

Patrón Highcroft currently hold a 17 point lead over rival Acura team de Ferran Motorsports, and they fully intend to keep it that way.

Updates will be posted as they are received. May the force be with them all!
 

Tequila Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura destroyed in Afternoon Practice at Road America
Driver Scott Sharp walks away unhurt
By Kate Shaw
Photos © eeProductions/Craig Elliott 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 24, 2009) — Combined Afternoon Practice for the American Le Mans Series cars was scheduled from 3:20 to 4:20 p.m. But at 3:43 the session was cut short by one of the worst Prototype accidents of recent memory, and surely the worst at Road Atlanta. Scott Sharp was bringing the No. 9 Acura out of Turn 1 as Dirk Werner was exiting the pitlane in the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Porsche. It is not yet clear what happened next, but the next sight we saw was Sharp, airborne and sideways into the fence and then hard into the wall. Werners car was hit by the Acura on its right front and rendered undriveable although the damage appeared to be relatively minor – relative to the damage done to the Acura, which essentially disintegrated as it rolled and spun. Miraculously the Highcroft Spyder landed right-side-up, allowing the driver to climb out and walk to the already-waiting emergency vehicle, where he was examined and then assisted inside. He was reportedly asking those around him what had happened, as the crash happened so quickly that his hands were still on the wheel when he landed. All he was sure of was that his mouth was full of dirt, “and you know when that happens and the wreck is still in progress, that something bad had occurred.”

Thankfully neither driver was injured, but the session continued under red flag conditions due to the extraordinary amount of carbon fibre scattered broadcast between Turns 2 and 3, the 100 feet of fence that lay in ruins, and the time needed to load both cars onto flatbed trucks and drive them back to the pits. The Porsche is repairable, although if the Night Practice happens, they will not participate in that. The Acura appears essentially destroyed, although the official word from team owner Duncan Dayton was “The most important thing is that Scott is ok. We won’t know much about the car until we evaluate the damage that’s been sustained. After that, we will have an update.”

We are standing by and will provide such updates as they come to our attention.

As the chequered flag flew early, due to the ongoing track cleanup, word came down that the new engine for the No. 20 Dyson Racing Mazda had arrived at the track.
 

O The Weather Outside at Road Atlanta
By Kate Shaw
Photos © eePhotography/Craig Elliott 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 23, 2009) — Welcome to Road Atlanta, where it is not raining. If you have been watching the Weather Channel anywhere in North America, you know why this is news. It has yet to rain on the Petit Le Mans, although we have had rain on other days leading up to it; nevertheless, those of us camping this race weekend are glad to see the sun.

The sun is setting now after such a busy day that started for your humble scribe at 3:15 a.m. and ended with a combined SPEED World Challenge practice including a brand new Mercedes SLR McLaren entered by The Racers Group, a ground-shaking reminder of what racing cars are supposed to sound like.

Earlier in the day we were treated to a delightful field of 31 American Le Mans Series cars, testing their legs and spreading their wings, some of them for the first time (Oreca) and some we have not seen since Sebring (Peugeot and Audi R15) – and some old friends we have enjoyed seeing all year long. In GT Class we are welcoming in the RSR Jaguars of Paul Gentilozzi and welcoming back the Corvette of Lou Gigliotti which we last saw in flames as Boris Said steered it expertly to the gravel before piling out safe and fairly sound. There are new cars and new drivers in Atlantics this weekend too; Jonathan Bomarito has returned to pilot the Team Stargate Worlds ride of Frankie Muniz while Frankie’s hand heals from a Mid-Ohio mishap, and Greg Mansell, last seen at Trois-Rivières in a Walker Racing car, is back this weekend running for Genoa Racing. (It was an All Jonathan Top Three this afternoon, by the way – Summerton, Bomarito and Edwards showed the way. And in Star Mazda, Peter Dempsey (Juncos Racing), Conor Daly (Anderson Racing) and Rusty Mitchell (Mitchell Racing) continued to fight for that elusive tenth, with Joel Miller and Richard Kent pestering them not far behind.

Today was a testing day and not officially part of the race weekend; nevertheless, the campsites are already filling up, and as the sun goes down, your humble and tired correspondent heads for the old Campfire to meet with old friends and carry on a bit of chatter before heading gratefully for – well, not for bed, but for sleeping mat anyway to dream of the rumble and the roar and be thankful we are racing again – in the dry.

Til tomorrow, adieu.
 

Racing in the Rain:

Garth Stein Is Popular Author around Road Atlanta This Week
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 22, 2009) — Don’t know if this is true or not, but there is a rumor going around that there has been a run in the bookstores around Braselton, Ga., early this week. Reports were that gentlemen in driving suits were picking up Garth Stein’s “The Art of Racing in the Rain” in droves … or should that be in driving rain storms.

Stein’s novel about sports car racing talks about how great drivers learn that racing isn’t as much about going fast as it is learning special techniques - such as driving in the rain - and those that learn it well become the great ones. While the book’s theme is about how to successfully navigate life’s trials, those driving at Road Atlanta’s 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 this week may need to take note of the art of racing in the rain.

Rain has not let up in the Atlanta area since last Wednesday. More than 10 inches have fallen and up to another six are expected by end of day Tuesday. So what does this mean for Saturday’s Petit Le Mans?

“While it certainly presents some challenges for Geoff Lee and his staff at Road Atlanta,” said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series, “I can tell you that watching world-class sports cars race at 160 miles per hour in the rain around an iconic course like Road Atlanta is just spectacular. And while the weather may be an issue, the great part is that our guys race rain or shine, night or day. Road Atlanta is working extremely hard on contingencies that will minimize the effects of the rain. And we will be prepared to put on an outstanding show for another great crowd.”

The forecast for the end of the week and weekend class for the rain to dissipate and the entire region to dry out. But regardless, one should still expect to see some spectacular racing as the top sports car teams in the world descend on Road Atlanta for Saturday’s 1,000-mile/10-hour sports car classic.

The 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 on Saturday, September 26 is the American Le Mans Series’ cornerstone event at Road Atlanta in Braselton Ga. The green flag for the 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic is scheduled for 11:20 a.m. ET with SPEED airing live television coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET ... rain or shine!
 

Acura Ready for Rematch with the Diesels
Photos © American Le Mans Series and Lisa Salazar 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 5, 2009) —The question all of sports car racing wants to know is three weeks from having an answer. Just how will Acura’s two LMP1 entries fare in a rematch with Audi and Peugeot at Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6? The first and only time the three marques competed in the same class came at Sebring in March, an epic duel between Audi and Peugeot – the sport’s two diesel powers. Acura, which debuted its ARX-02a, saw both Patrón Highcroft Racing and de Ferran Motorsports retire three-quarters through the race.

That was then, this is now. The two fully sorted Acuras have spent the entire season contesting the American Le Mans Series while Audi and Peugeot have focused on testing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which the latter won on its home ground.

So now we come to Road Atlanta and what in recent years has turned into a 1,000-mile sprint race, this year’s coming on Saturday, September 26. Acura is banking that superior handling – thanks to a radical design that features the same size tire on all four corners – will offset the advantage the diesels will have in terms of straightline speed.

“Peugeot and Audi will be tough,” said Patrón Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham, who definitely should know. He drove a Peugeot to victory in June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “The diesels certainly have more power but we will be able to challenge them much harder than at Sebring. It will be a great battle but we have to focus on the championship.

“We were not ready for Sebring to be honest,” added Brabham, who shares the LMP1 drivers’ championship lead with teammate Scott Sharp. “To do as many laps as we did and gain points was huge. It really showed how prepared you have to be going into a race like that. Audi and Peugeot were obviously a lot stronger and lot more reliable. We haven’t done as much testing but with every race we have learned more and more. So anything can happen. We could win Petit. But the main goal is to get points and do our job. I think we can compete with them in the corners but not on the straights. The (diesels) still have quite an advantage on the long straight.”

The Acura did, however, have enough to score pole position at Sebring thanks to Scott Dixon’s shockingly quick final qualifying lap. But Acura never led a full lap with Allan McNish beating Gil de Ferran to Turn 1 on the opening lap. De Ferran, both owner and driver, thinks the ARX-02a’s progression will be much easier to see at Road Atlanta against the Audi and Peugeot.

“We have improved our car since we started,” he said. “Quite frankly, the learning curve of the car is such a large concept. It was clear that diesels have an advantage over our petrol-fuelled race car. But I think our car is the best handling sports car around.”

Count McNish, who has never lost at Petit Le Mans in four starts, as one who is interested to see in person the progression of Acura’s P1 challenger.

“They were quicker in qualifying over the one lap but the car looked very difficult to drive,” said Audi’s always cerebral Scot. “It wasn’t quick where they were intending it to be, which was in the corners. Our mid-corner speeds were much better than theirs which translated into the lap time. It was quite clear that it was Race 1 for them. You have to think back to the beginning of the R8. That was 2000 and we have done nine years of racing in this category and this level. That’s nine years of experience of doing Sebring. It would be unrealistic for a manufacturer as successful as Acura to jump in and beat comprehensively or at all ones that have been doing it for such a long period of time with a high success rate.

“But from what I understand, the Acura of now and the Acura of Sebring are two different things,” he added. “I was quite impressed with the capability over one lap but the fact I was able to pull three or four seconds on the first lap (at Sebring) when the tires were cold and everything else suggested to me - just on that piece of information alone and nothing else - that they hadn’t quite got the car sorted out as best. But we can see by their race pace in recent races that it’ll be a battle with them. Reliability could be a factor but I don’t recall them breaking down in an ALMS race so that element is also impressive.”

The next round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series is the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 on Saturday, September 26. The Series’ cornerstone event at Road Atlanta in Braselton Ga., is a 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic. The green flag is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. ET with SPEED airing live television coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET. American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche and Living Timing & Scoring will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com. Live coverage also can be heard on Sirius 126 and XM 242. You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes).

The race will also mark the ninth round of the 2009 MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge. Tickets are available at americanlemans.com and roadatlanta.com.
 

Audi contests “Petit Le Mans” race in the USA
News from Audi Motorsports

INGOLSTADT (August 25, 2009) – For the first time since its victorious debut at Sebring in March, the technologically innovative Audi R15 TDI will again compete in an endurance race in the USA: On September 26, Audi Sport Team Joest will contest the 1000-mile "Petit Le Mans" race, which is part of the American Le Mans Series, at Road Atlanta (Georgia) with two cars.

The two diesel-powered racing sports cars will be driven by Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland) as well as the two Germans Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner. DTM racer Mike Rockenfeller is planned to be the team’s reserve driver.

"The race at Road Atlanta already marks the first part of our preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "We want to use it as an opportunity for our engineers to learn even more about the new Audi R15 TDI in direct competition with strong rivals. A lot of things can be simulated on test rigs and in track tests. But nothing can replace the experience gathered in actual racing events."

At the same time, Audi Sport will support the market launch of TDI technology in North America by participating in the popular "Petit Le Mans" race. The Audi Q7 TDI 3.0 has been available in the USA since the beginning of the year and the Audi A3 TDI 2.0 will arrive at U.S. dealerships in fall.

From 2006 to 2008, Audi dominated the American Le Mans Series with the revolutionary R10 TDI and won the champion’s title in the LMP1 class three times in a row. The R10 TDI celebrated a total of 18 victories in the American Le Mans Series and thus paved the way for introducing TDI technology on the market in North America.

The R15 TDI successor model, the first second-generation diesel-powered racing sports car, won the 12-hour race at Sebring (Florida) – the season opener of this year’s American Le Mans Series – at its debut race in March 2009 right away. At the 24-hour race at Le Mans, however, the brief experience with the new R15 TDI took its toll on Audi Sport Team Joest: After five consecutive Le Mans victories, Audi had to settle for third place at the French endurance classic this year.

"We’re convinced that we weren’t able to fully exploit the potential of the R15 TDI at Le Mans," says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "At Road Atlanta, we’ll have the opportunity to test on Sunday before the race so that we should be in a better position than we were at Le Mans. Despite the strong competition by Acura/Honda, Peugeot, Mazda, Oreca and other prototype teams we figure on having good chances of fighting for victory, as we did over the past few years."

Audi will contest the "Petit Le Mans" race for as much as the tenth time this year and has been unbeaten there so far. The Audi R8 won six times, the Audi R10 TDI three. Now, the plan is for the Audi R15 TDI to continue this impressive string of exploits.
 

Feinberg Wins “Back To Back” Races and Leads Championship
News from Primetime Racing
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (August 18th, 2009) - Joel Feinberg and the Primetime team continue their quest for a series championship in IMSA Lites, as well as a podium finish for their American Le Mans Series GT2 effort in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin.

As Road America hosted the Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase, the Primetime team had yet another busy week of campaigning 4 cars for a triple race weekend. Feinberg entered this event in a hunt for his first series championship with a four point deficit to take the lead. With no previous setup information for the #7 Élan DP-02 on Road America’s 4 mile track, the team spent the two practice days trying to find the best balance between aerodynamic speed and mechanical grip.

By the time qualifying rolled around the team was convinced that they had nailed the setup and that they had the fastest car on the track. During the 20 minute session to determine track position, Feinberg laid down an astonishing lap time of 2:06.6 with an average lap speed of over 115mph. He not only took the pole position, but he did it by more than a full second better his competitors behind, setting a new IMSA Lites track record that would hold up for the entire weekend.

Trailing in the championship, Feinberg needed to make no mistakes during the double header weekend as well as hold off a handful of fierce competitors at his heels. Starting from the front of the pack Joel set the pace for the start of the race but was waived off as the starting formation was too spread out for a green flag and the field would need to rejoin for a restart. The next time around wasn’t much different as it was waived off again and the clock continued to countdown on the 30 minute sprint. The field again lined up and on the third attempt, it was green flag racing.

Unfortunately this did not last long as the high speed, ultra technical track would take two prisoners within minutes of the start. The fastest corner of the track at over 150mph claimed the #12, and #79 cars causing a full course caution that would take 2-3 laps behind the pace car to clean up. On the race restart, Feinberg was over taken in turn one as the #13 car was able to pull a draft on the long front straightaway but Feinberg quickly regained his position within the next lap before yet another two car incident in the same corner called for another full course caution.

With only 7 minutes remaining, the carnage would not be cleared in time and the race would end under caution with Feinberg taking his fourth win of the year as well as the overall point lead in the driver and team championship. Despite the abbreviated short race, Feinberg did what he needed, when he needed and was able to also set the fast lap of the race putting him on the pole position for the following days round 10. “A win is a win” said Feinberg, “I knew I had the best car on the track and I knew what I had to do to stay ahead of these guys”.

The second days race would start off similar with a wave off on lap one, followed by a restart where two drafting cars took the lead into turn one. Feinberg stayed tight behind and was there to capitalize on any mistakes made by the two cars ahead. He would regain P2 quickly overtaking Gary Gibson in turn 11 and continued after Jonathon Gore for P1 which came only 4 turns later. Feinberg would stay ahead the remainder of the race and clinch his 5th win of the season as well as 31 point lead for the driver championship.

Immediately following his podium ceremony, Feinberg went straight to the race grid for the feature (2 hour and 45 minute) American Le Mans Series race with Primetime’s GT2 Dodge Viper. Co-driver Chris Hall would give Feinberg some time to breathe and would take the helm for the start of the race where the duo would be chasing the field after qualifying less than two seconds behind the pole sitter in the factory BMW effort. As a low budget privateer team, Primetime managed to find over 3 seconds per lap from the previous years event as the rest of the GT field seemed to be 1 second slower. This being a true testament to the team’s improvement and dedication, they were looking for big results this time around.

Hall maintained a consistent race pace for most of his stint holding on to his 9th in class position until finding his way into the gravel in turn 6 while trying to maximize his exit speed. Unfortunately this would put the #11 Viper a lap down to the field and in an unlikely position to make up the deficit. With an hour and 30 minutes remaining Feinberg would take over and try his best to stay intact and capitalize on any mistakes ahead. Turning his best laps of the week, Feinberg delivered the Vipers fast lap of the race in lap 36 with a 2:11.1 putting him at that time, quicker than any of the other “American Made” race cars.

While working diligently to really show the Vipers ability, Feinberg would not be able to make the remainder of the race without coming into the pits for more fuel. At the 2 hour mark another caution had the field diving in for any last minute fuel, tires, or driver changes. Entering the pit, Feinberg hit his marks and with a quick splash of fuel nailed the pit exit with a stylish burnout and a cloud of rubber in his wake…..

After the restart the team was basically locked into position as the car ahead was a lap up and the car behind was 10 down. The only thing that could change the situation for Primetime would be someone else’s misfortune. That misfortune turned out to be their own when coming off the 165mph back straightaway, Feinberg lost control under braking while trying to set up a pass and found himself buried in the sand without a fruity umbrella drink to sip on. This was the last thing the team needed with only 18 minutes remaining.

Fortunately nothing was broken and within minutes the Viper was back on track and in no worse position, just further from its next competitor ahead. The #11 car would ultimately take the checkered 9th in class, logging their 6th top ten finish, as well as a 23 point lead for Feinberg in the privateer “Founder’s Cup” championship. “This was a great weekend for the team; we dominated the IMSA Lites races and really got the Viper working good. Having to constantly re-develop this Viper from track to track, we finally found what works and will be capitalizing on our success with the next two events being similar tracks to this one”, said Feinberg.

Primetime Race Group’s next stop is the 2009 Grand Prix of Mosport in Bowmanville Ontario on August 30th where the #11 GT2 Dodge Viper will take the track live on SPEED TV at 3pm EST. For further information log on to www.primetimeracegroup.com, www.americanlemans.com or contact media@primetimeracegroup.com
 

Peugeot Makes It Official: Two Cars for Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda6
BRASELTON, Georgia (July 29, 2009) — Peugeot confirmed today that it will attempt to add the trophy from Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 to its collection with entries into the cornerstone event for the American Le Mans Series. The reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans champion will send two of its diesel-powered Peugeot 908 closed-top prototypes to compete on North America’s grandest sports car racing stage, just as it did to open the season at the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.

The race is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 26 at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta layout. Pedro Lamy, Nic Minassian, Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin will make up the driving lineup for Peugeot.

“It would be hard for us to imagine a stronger end to 2009 than with Peugeot sending not one but two clean diesel-powered prototypes for an event that truly has become a spectacle on the landscape of global motorsport,” said Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. “With the Le Mans trophy already in hand, the potential of adding yet another significant honor to close out the year would wrap up a season for the ages…especially if the rumor mill is indeed accurate and other world-class teams and manufacturers who are no strangers to Road Atlanta, Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 and Peugeot confirm their entries in the near future.

“Peugeot’s Petit Le Mans debut last year was nothing short of sterling, and fans at Road Atlanta are no doubt already firming up travel plans for what will be another epic event for sports car racing fans across North America.”

Last year’s Petit Le Mans marked the Peugeot factory team’s initial appearance at Road Atlanta. Stephane Sarrazin, Nic Minassian and Christian Klien came up 4.512 seconds shy in knocking off perennial race-winner Audi in an epic battle. It was the same again at Sebring this year when Peugeot lost out by 22.279 seconds.

The French marque found revenge on home ground at Le Mans, taking the top two spots on the overall podium and handing Audi only its second loss in the world’s greatest race since 2000. Patrón Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham - currently the LMP1 championship co-leader with Scott Sharp and the Patrón Highcroft Acura ARX-02a - drove with Peugeot regulars Alexander Wurz and Marc Gene to victory.

Tickets for the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 are available by calling (800) 849-RACE or online at roadatlanta.com.

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Acura Sports Car Challenge from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The race is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 8 and will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 9 on NBC. American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche and Live Timing & Scoring will be available at Racehub on americanlemans.com. Radio coverage also will air live on Sirius Channel 126 and XM Channel 242. You also can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes).

The race also will mark the sixth round of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge. Tickets are available at americanlemans.com and midohio.com.
 

Primetime Delivers an Ironman Performance in the Northeast
News from Primetime Racing
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (July 20th, 2009) — Last weekend during the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, Primetime team owner Joel Feinberg performed triple duty while racing in round five of the American Le Mans Series wedged between two IMSA Lites Series races.

The two day event for Primetime consisted of 4 practices, two qualifying rounds, and three races squeezed into a magnificent weekend of racing for fans in the Northeast. The teams #11 Dodge Viper and the #7 Élan DP-02 sponsored by “Louis Moinet Timepieces” were the highlight among the fans as owner/driver Joel Feinberg jumped between the two cars on Saturday bringing home two podiums finishes including a win in race one of the IMSA Lites, as well as an 8th place finish in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series.

Feinberg, a championship contender in the IMSA Lites Series was in need of two strong finishes to stay tight in the championship after a tire failure in round 2 pushed him down the list. Starting from third in round 7 he wasted no time and immediately put pressure on the leaders ahead. Feinberg patiently and consistently forced his way into position waiting for the right opportunity to make his move. With the fastest car on the track thru the first four corners Feinberg made his way into the lead with a heroic inside pass on the race leader. Once clear of the competitors behind, Feinberg created a healthy gap behind him and crossed the finish for his third win of the year.

During the two hour and forty five minute feature race, the Primetime team was able to advance their starting position logging an 8th in class, and 14th overall finish among the 24 car field by capitalizing on team strategy while drivers Feinberg and Hall maintained consistent driving around the 1.5 mile circuit. “Our big muscle car wasn’t the best suited for this track due to the short straights and tight corners. With 24 cars on such a small track it was imperative to stay clear of any incidents and just continue turning consistent laps at our own pace”, said co-driver Chris Hall.

After the morning IMSA Lites race, and a 1 hour and 30 minute stint in the Viper, Feinberg had another 30 minute race before his weekend would be complete. Starting from the third row he would need to be on his “A” game in order to stay with the front row. When the green flag dropped he quickly positioned for an overtaking in turn one, by the next corner he had advanced into the forth slot and followed nose to tail for multiple laps chasing the leaders. Trying to remain patient on the less than forgiving 55 second circuit, he made a costly move on the inside of turn two resulting in an off road excursion.

After immediately rejoining the field back in P6, a late race full course caution put him back in touch with the front pack. With only 9 minutes remaining the restart came and Feinberg jumped right back into the hunt in P4. As the “one to go” was given crossing the front straight he knew it was time to make another courageous move. Once again with the better car through the front sections Feinberg got side by side with point’s leader Matt Downs and maintained speed through the corner. As Downs lost traction Feinberg held position and came through the corner ahead. He would cross the line for the final time of the weekend logging his sixth podium finish for the season and moving within three points of the championship.

As if championship results weren’t enough, on site supporting the All-American team were members of the Post 9/11 Foundation including Detective Richard J. Miller of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit who was among the first responders on scene and raised the first American flag over Ground Zero to honor his fallen comrades and to rally the other first responders. Their attendance was assisted with backing from RFM Sports, who provided the funding for five of the attendees.

Primetime's partnership with The Post 9/11 Foundation that began this year has allowed the team to assist in helping the foundation create grass roots awareness, community support, and tangible assistance for members of the Military, Government, Police, and Firefighter communities, as well as other great Americans who have answered the call to duty since the attack. In an effort to raise funds for the foundation Primetime provided a “pit crew experience” as a raffle item for the weekend where one lucky winner would become an honorary team member for the race assisting the team on pit lane.

“This was a great weekend for the team, everyone gave it 110% to the end and we walked away winners across the board. For us to run three races in one day and advance our starting position in all three is a testament to how hard this team works for what we have. Having the Post 9/11 guys here to support our efforts and being able to give back to them was a great American honor”, said team owner Joel Feinberg.

Primetime Race Group’s next stop is the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid Ohio in Lexington Ohio on August 8th where the #11 GT2 Dodge Viper will take the track live on ABC at 2:00 p.m. For further information log on to www.primetimeracegroup.com , www.americanlemans.com  or contact media@primetimeracegroup.com
 

They're Back! Corvette Racing Entered At Mid-Ohio
BRASELTON, Georgia (July 13, 2009) — The Acura Sports Car Challenge will officially mark the start of a new era in Corvette Racing with two new Corvette C6.R entries set to debut in the American Le Mans Series’ annual visit to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Wearing the familiar Nos. 3 and 4, cellulosic E85-fueled, V8-powered Corvettes will go head-to-head with Ferrari, Porsche, Panoz, BMW, Ford and Dodge among others throughout the second half of the 2009 season.

Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen will drive one Corvette C6.R at Mid-Ohio with Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin in the other. The team is transitioning to GT2 from GT1 where Magnussen, O’Connell and Antonio Garcia won in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month and gave Corvette Racing its sixth victory in the world’s greatest race since 2001.

“For several years now, the competition in GT2 has been the closest and most competitive among all our classes,” said Scott Atherton, American Le Mans Series President and CEO. “With the news of Corvette Racing’s official entry into the category at Mid-Ohio, the class quite possibly becomes the most diverse and competitive ever. It also serves as another example of the continued growth and success of the American Le Mans Series. Corvette never truly left, but it’s safe to say that they were missed by the countless participants at our Corvette Corrals and fans worldwide. We would like to be the first to officially say, ‘Welcome back!’”

Corvette Racing owns more Series victories (70) than any other entrant. It won eight consecutive GT1 championships (2001-08) against the likes of Ferrari, Saleen, Aston Martin and many other of the world’s top supercars.

The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 18. The race will air live on SPEED. American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche and Live Timing & Scoring will be available at Racehub on americanlemans.com. You also can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes). An RSS feed of Series news also is available.
 

Flying Lizard: From Le Mans to Lime Rock for ALMS Round Five
News from Flying Lizard Motorsport
SONOMA, CA (June 29, 2009) — The Flying Lizard squad is back in California following their trip to Le Mans and is preparing for the fifth round of the ALMS season at Lime Rock Park on July 18. "It is definitely an adjustment to shift from the longest circuit of the year at Le Mans to the shortest at Lime Rock," said Flying Lizard Chief Strategist Thomas Blam. "And unfortunately, the adjustment this year turned out to be a bit more extensive than we had planned."

Blam is referring to the team's No. 44 Porsche, which was destroyed two weeks ago at Le Mans and is being re-tubbed with a replacement chassis this week at the team's shop in Sonoma. The Lizards' fifth Le Mans program came to an abrupt end 15 hours into the 24 hour race after a serious accident just before the first Chicane at the end of the Mulsanne. The No. 80 (with the driver trio of Darren Law, Seth Neiman, and Jörg Bergmeister) had been fourth in GT2 at the time of the incident. Law had just taken over the wheel for the sunrise stint when he hit oil on the track, which sent him flying at full speed into the tire wall and the metal barrier behind it. He suffered some bumps and bruises in the accident, but was back in the cockpit a few days later for a Grand-Am race at Mid-Ohio.

"It was a frustrating and disappointing end to our week at Le Mans," added Law. "Everything was going very well for the team up until the accident. Because of the weather and some mechanical issues in practice, I hadn't had as much seat time as I had hoped, but I was very comfortable with the car and the track by race start. We had a fast car and the crew was operating at 100 percent and it seemed like we were just settling into our rhythm when the accident happened just after dawn. It was a shame: not the way we had planned it, for sure."

The new No. 44 will be ready for the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock on July 18. Seth Neiman will be joined by Johannes van Overbeek for the 2 hour and 45 minute race on the 1.51 mile circuit. (Law and van Overbeek are trading off driving duties in the No. 44 this season.) The No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche, driven by Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, is focused on retaining their GT2 championship lead, they are 21 points ahead of Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari. Bergmeister has won at Lime Rock for the last three consecutive years: twice with Flying Lizard (2008 with Wolf Henzler, and 2007 with Johannes van Overbeek), and in 2006 with Patrick Long (Petersen/ White Lightning). Blam added, "Lime Rock is going to be a tough race, more than 25 cars are expected and on that narrow circuit, that's a lot. Risi had a very strong showing at Le Mans: a double podium with the No. 82 (No. 62 in ALMS) Ferrari taking the GT2 win and the No. 83 Krohn Racing Ferrari third. We expect they will have a lot of momentum going into Lime Rock."

Flying Lizard Chief Engineer Craig Watkins discussed the challenge of getting a new car up to speed. "Breaking in a new chassis presents some challenges. The car is the most rigid that it will ever be in its lifetime so it will be extremely responsive to setup changes, more so than a chassis with more time on it which has less torsional rigidity."

Watkins continued, "Lime Rock is almost like a street course in some ways: it is short and speed is not sustained the way it is in the straights at a road course like Miller or Road America. Lime Rock is a very high downforce track, and the tire compound choice and mix will be critical. Because we have so little setup time, we need to have some good luck with the weather and no red flags during the practice sessions so we are ready by qualifying. Qualifying is important at every race, but it can be crucial at a track like Lime Rock where there are so few safe passing opportunities."

Race Details
The 2009 Northeast Grand Prix gets the green flag Saturday, July 18 at 2:05 pm Eastern Time. It will be broadcast live on SPEEDTV. In Europe, MotorsTV will broadcast the race tape delayed on Monday, July 27th beginning at 9:15 PM (UK); 9:00 pm CET (Central European Time). Fans can also listen in at radiolemans.com and to the Flying Lizard team radio at www.lizardms.com.

Lizard team gear will be available in the paddock at the Flying Lizard store July 17-18.
 

No Rest for Brabham, Sharp after Utah
BRASELTON, Georgia (May 26, 2009) — Patrón Highcroft's David Brabham took part in a 30-hour endurance test with Peugeot only a few days after placing second in Utah with Scott Sharp.

There wasn’t much time for David Brabham and Scott Sharp to catch their breath after a runner-up finish in the Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura at the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix. The next day saw Brabham heading back across the Atlantic for a final pre-Le Mans test with Peugeot Sport, one that was an astonishing 30 hours. Sharp made his return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

“They’d had a look at my test mileage and realized I hadn’t done a lot,” Brabham wrote in a blog on americanlemans.com. “I was more than happy to reorganize my week just to get more time in the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP and be more familiar with the car and the team, so that when I get to Le Mans I am in a good state of mind and feel well prepared…

“(During the test) there were five drivers and we all double stinted, which was really tough. By the end of the test I was totally exhausted. I knew I would be as Salt Lake is such a demanding circuit physically. Going straight from there to an endurance test, I knew I was going to have to dig deep. I did it but it’s not the ideal preparation for a 30-hour test.

“It was great to get valuable time and more mileage in the Peugeot. It will be the last car I drive before Le Mans so there won’t be any confusion in my mind when I get back in the driving seat in a couple of weeks time - I’m in tune with the car before we get there.

“When I jumped back into the Patrón Highcroft Acura at Salt Lake, I was heading for the wrong buttons on the steering wheel,” Brabham mentioned as the buttons on the steering wheel are the opposite in the Patrón Highcroft Acura from the Peugeot. “I’ve been trying to gather as much information as possible before Le Mans, in the way that the car works, the traction control, and the tires, just gathering banks of information to ensure I am well on top of things when I get to Le Mans.”

'SHARP' IN INDY RETURN: Sharp placed 14th in Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, his first race there since 2007. He drove a Tequila Patrón-sponsored entry for Panther Racing that completed all 200 laps.

“We're obviously a little disappointed with the end result, but this is still a great race to be involved with,” Sharp wrote on his americanlemans.com blog. “It is very easy to get yourself pumped up about this one event even though you try to remain calm. When you don't get the end result you were chasing it is a little bit depressing. But looking back on the day I am really grateful for the guys at Panther. Many of these guys hadn't worked together before, but we had some great stops and beat people out of the pits which was great.

“We made it to the end, but it would have been nice to be fighting around 10 spots higher up the leaderboard,” he added. “It certainly makes you want to come back here even stronger.”

The 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 3 p.m. CET (10 a.m. EDT) on Saturday, June 13 to 3 p.m. CET (10 a.m. EDT) on Sunday, June 14. SPEED will provide live television coverage. Flag-to-flag coverage of the race, qualifying and practice will be available at radiolemans.com.

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park. The race is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 18. The race will air live on SPEED. American Le Mans Radio and Live Timing & Scoring will be available at Racehub on americanlemans.com. You also can follow the Series on Twitter.

The race also will mark the fifth round of the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge. Tickets are available at www.americanlemans.com  and www.limerock.com
 

First Test for Corsa Hybrid Coming Tuesday
BRASELTON, Georgia (May 4, 2009) — The next step toward the debut of Corsa Motorsports Ginetta-Zytek hybrid prototype comes Tuesday with a key shakedown in England. Johnny Mowlem, who will team with Stefan Johansson in the ground-breaking GZ09SH project at next week’s Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix, will do the testing honors at Silverstone for the Steve Pruitt-owned team. The pairing finished third in LMP1 together at last year's season-ending Monterey Sports Car Championships.

“The car (with the hybrid system engaged) has not turned a wheel in Europe,” Pruitt said. “So it’s a lot of hope and faith. Our engineers say everything is moving along well in getting the car put back together. It has a lot of peculiar facets and unique things that haven’t been tried.”

That’s for sure. The Corsa Ginetta-Zytek will employ a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that enables the collection and conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy. It permits the use of an electric motor resulting in more efficient power and a lower carbon footprint. How the car performs and behaves with KERS engaged is still a big mystery to Pruitt.

“We still just don’t know how (the captured energy) is going to be applied specifically. I’m anxious to get Johnny’s feedback,” Pruitt said. “The project offers an interesting dynamic. It has a lot of potential and challenge. But it’s frustrating on the same level. You have to go about it in logical steps.

“It is a very complicated and technical endeavor, much more than what we thought when we decided to do this about a year ago,” he added. “Once we capture the energy and it’s converted to the DC motor, it really circumvents the internal combustion engine. The general spirit of the rules results in developments that can be passed on to road-going technology.”

Once the shakedown is complete, the car is scheduled fly out from Gatwick on Wednesday and land in Las Vegas on Thursday. Pruitt hopes customs procedures can take place while the prototype is still in the air to expedite the release process, which he hopes is Friday.

The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix from Miller Motorsports Park is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. MDT on Sunday, May 17. SPEED will broadcast the race starting at 10 p.m. EDT on the same day, and satellite radio subscribers to can listen to the race starting at 4 p.m. ET on Sirius 126 and XM 242. American Le Mans Radio and Live Timing and Scoring will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com. You can also follow the Series on Twitter.
 

Lizards Off To Flying Start In GT2 Title Defense
BRASELTON, Georgia (April 29, 2009) — It would be hard for Flying Lizard Motorsports’ defense of its American Le Mans Series GT2 championship to get off to a much better start. One of its Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs has won twice in the Series’ toughest and most competitive class. The other has charged through the field in each of the first three rounds, improving its standing by an average of more than six spots from start to finish.

Porsche factory drivers Patrick Long and Jörg Bergmeister in the No. 45 Porsche are on a two-race win streak for the Lizards, who won their first GT2 championship last year. Darren Law and Seth Neiman, sharing the No. 44 entry, have finished fifth in each of the first three rounds.

“Our objective is fairly obvious and not surprising - to win the championships… team, driver and manufacturer,” said team manager Eric Ingraham. “Having two strong cars is great. It’s inevitable that the No. 45 will run into some challenges at some point and you hope it is minimal. If it’s not, then it’s good to know that the No. 44 car has been running so well so early in the season.”

Long and Bergmeister won by two laps at St. Petersburg and held a comfortable 30-second lead at Long Beach before the race ended under caution. Neiman and Law - still flying high after his overall win at the Daytona 24 Hours this year - moved up five spots from their starting position there; they improved six spots at St. Petersburg and eight at Sebring to open the season.

Having strong and consistent performances hasn’t altered the strategy on either car at this point. Ingraham calls the shots for the Law/Neiman Porsche while Thomas Blam is the strategist for the Bergmeister/Long entry.

“You have to take the right amount of risk,” Ingraham said. “You can’t just run around and hope it’s good enough to do well. The other teams in GT2 are just too good. We run both cars as strong as we can.”

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix from Miller Motorsports Park. The race is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. MDT on Sunday, May 17. SPEED will broadcast the race starting at 10 p.m. ET on the same day. American Le Mans Radio and Live Timing and Scoring will be available at Racehub on americanlemans.com. You can also follow the Series on Twitter.

The race also will include the season-long MICHELIN Green X Challenge. Tickets are available at americanlemans.com or millermotorsportspark.com
 

Vici Racing™ Announces Partnership With T-Mobile USA
News from Vici Racing
LONG BEACH, California (April 14, 2009) — VICI Racing is delighted to announce today an exciting new partnership with T-Mobile USA, Inc., to take up the challenge of one of global motorsports’ most professional championships, the American Le Mans Series. T-Mobile and VICI Racing will kick-off the multi-year relationship, and the 2009 racing program, at this weekend’s Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach.

The team will run the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at North America’s premier street circuit, and then contest the remaining rounds of the premier sports car series.

VICI Racing is a long-time established German/US racing team which will be setting out on its second year in the prestigious series. T-Mobile USA is a leading innovator and provider of mobile communications. At the end of 2008, T-Mobile USA served more than 32.8 million customers. T-Mobile USA is the U.S. operation of Deutsche Telekom AG’s Mobile Communications Business, and a wholly owned subsidiary of T-Mobile International, one of the world’s leading companies in mobile communications.

Ron C. Meixner, President VICI Racing: “VICI Racing is setting out on this ambitious new partnership and starting what will be an important new chapter for our company that has all the ingredients in place to achieve success at the highest levels; so I’m really delighted to be able to announce this exciting partnership. T-Mobile is truly a world-class brand, and its ambition and drive make it a perfect fit for top-level motor racing. I can safely say that both parties are raring to go out and achieve success. I must also express my deep thanks to Porsche and Michelin who have been very supportive of us as ever. It has quite simply been an unrivalled opportunity which necessitated a swift tweak to our 2009 program and so everyone is now looking forward to getting our year under way at Long Beach. Now we must all work very hard together to ensure we deliver the results.”

Paul Ritchie, President and CEO Porsche Motorsport North America: “I’m delighted to welcome Ronny Meixner and VICI Racing back to the American Le Mans Series with a Porsche in 2009. We are pleased that he has signed such a strong team sponsor - T-Mobile - which, like Porsche, is a global household name and a terrific success story. We are gratified to see Ronny Meixner and VICI Racing, names associated with Porsche for 20 years, continuing their commitment and participation in the American Le Mans Series in what promises to be a successful year for the team.”

Hans Stuck, Volkswagen Group Motorsport Representative: “I’m very pleased to see this program come together which is the result of a lot of hard work and commitment on all sides. Ronny (Meixner) was an uncompromising teammate and tough rival when we were racing the (Porsche) 962 back in the ’90s, and he has taken his steely determination to win to the other side of the pitwall as a team owner. T-Mobile will be an excellent partner to VICI Racing - they are a superb case study of how to succeed and thrive in a competitive environment, so the mix is there to take the fight to the front. We have a very professional crew and fast drivers so now we can push forward through the season and look to collect good results. I’m really looking forward to being on the pitwall in Long Beach, and being back in the cockpit later this season.”

The Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach is set for 4:15 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 18 from the famed Long Beach street circuit in southern California. The race will be televised from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 19 on ABC. Qualifying is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 17. American Le Mans Radio and Live Timing and Scoring will be available at americanlemans.com. The race also will be aired on XM Channel 242 and Sirius Channel 126 from 7 to 9 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The race also will mark the next round for the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge. For tickets, visit americanlemans.com or gplb.com
 

Team Falken Tire Announces 2009 Gt2 Program
Team Falken Tire will debut its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at Long Beach.
News from Team Falken Tire
FONTANA, California (March 30, 2009) — Falken Tire Corporation has officially announced a GT2 program for the American Le Mans Series that will see the Fontana, Calif.-based team entering a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for selected events this season. Team Falken Tire will compete at Long Beach, Petit Le Mans and the Monterey Sports Car Championships in anticipation of a full-season championship effort in 2010.

Bryan Sellers, a familiar name in the Series, and Dominic Cicero will drive the Falken Porsche in 2009. Sellers has served as a factory driver for Panoz and BMW since his Series debut in 2005. A finalist in the 2002 Red Bull F1 Driver Search, Sellers also is a past World Karting Association national champion and won the 2002 Formula Ford Zetec championship.

Cicero is a winner in the North American Formula Renault Championship, only part of a single-seater résumé that includes stints in America and Europe. He also raced both prototype and GT sports cars since 2005.

Rod Everett, race engineer and owner of Landmark Motorsports, will manage Team Falken Tire, with his extensive experience in open-wheel and sports car endurance racing along with crew chief Mike Fox, a veteran Porsche mechanic and a dedicated group of seasoned racing technicians.

The team will be focused on developing AZENIS RT SLICKS specifically for the rear-engine Porsche 911 GT3 RSR chassis through extensive testing, driver, suspension and engine development. Falken engineers will design dozens of new specification tires for the racing program, changing rubber compounds, construction, tread design (for rain tires) and tire sizing to optimize track performance.
 

Drayson Racing's Dale White to be Featured as '09 "Voice of SPEED" on SPEEDTV.com
News from Drayson Racing

Photos © Neil Chapel 2008
BOZEMAN, MT.USA (February 17, 2009) - Drayson Racing team manager Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA) will be featured as a regular contributor to SPEEDTV.com in 2009. White will write a bi-monthly column as a "Voice of SPEED" for the United States-based automotive and motorsports news provider as he oversees the Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) owned team in international GT2 sports car competition. Drayson Racing (www.DraysonRacing.com) will campaign the Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing with drivers Paul Drayson and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK). White, whose first column is available at http://auto- racing.speedtv.com/article/white-the-green-way/, joins other luminaries of the sport including John Force, David Hobbs, Kyle Petty and Robin Miller. "We worked hard last year to deliver more sports car coverage than ever before on our site, “said Marshall Pruett, Auto Racing Editor at Speed.com, “and for 2009, we wanted to add new voices to SPEEDtv.com. With Dale White, Paul Drayson and the entire Drayson Racing team working together to innovate and champion the use of E85 ethanol with their Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in the American Le Mans Series, it's an incredibly compelling story. I wanted to have Dale bring that story directly to our audience.

“Dale's credentials are peerless, and Paul's commitment to affect change through motorsports not only fits the times, it fits SPEEDtv.com. Having Dale join other 'Voices of SPEED' columnists is a great addition. We can't wait to publish more of his columns."

"I want to thank SPEEDTV.com for the chance to write this column,” said White. “I am looking forward to offering a little bit of a 'behind the curtain' look at sports car racing. This is a great opportunity to join guys like Force, Hobbs, Kyle Petty and even one of our former drivers; Patrick Long. I hope it is as much fun for the reader as it is for me."

White is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class (2003 and 2004) and a two-time American Le Mans Series GT2 Class Champion ('04, '05). In 2008, the former off-road racing driver was a consultant to the then Drayson-Barwell Motorsports operation easing that team's debut in the American Le Mans Series. Widely recognized as one of the sport's premier strategic and organizational thinkers, White was asked to manage the newly formed Drayson Racing in January, 2009. Since that time he has quickly put into place a multi-front effort with a schedule encompassing three American Le Mans Series races (12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans and Monterey Sports Car Championships), the full Le Mans Series schedule, two American Le Mans Series- sanctioned events in Asia and a full complement of testing and development on the second-year Aston Martin Vantage GT2. The team has placed an entry for the world-renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. An invitation to Le Mans would mark White's fifth entry in the event with results being two first-place in-class finishes and one second in-class ('05) finish.

The "Voices of SPEED" column will give readers a true behind-the-scenes look at the process of taking a team from concept to the track in a short three month period. White, who has three overall Baja 1000 and Baja 500 victories to his credit, will use future diary entries to provide further insight to Drayson Racing's commitment to "green" initiatives in motorsport and other topics unique to working on three continents from his home base in the Rocky Mountains.

Paul Drayson, a member of the United Kingdom Parliament's House of Lords and the present Minister of Science and Innovation in the UK Government, has long been dedicated to "green", environmental causes. Having successfully competed in 2008 running the latest 'Second Generation' cellulosic E85 Bio-Ethanol fuel, the team will again fuel the Aston Martin V8 with E85 in the American Le Mans Series. Among the 2008 achievements, Drayson finished second in the inaugural Green Challenge at the Petit Le Mans highlighting the team's efforts to advance environmentally responsible automotive technologies. Throughout the 2009 season, Drayson Racing will continue to pursue new innovations to help advance environmental friendliness and responsibility at the highest levels of motorsport.

Said Paul Drayson, Owner/Driver, Drayson Racing, "I greatly enjoyed racing in America in 2008 and really delighted to be back in 2009 racing with Dale. The response from the fans to our programme last year was fantastic and I'm looking forward to seeing them again at Sebring in March."

To read White's "Voice of SPEED" column, please visit http://auto- racing.speedtv.com/article/white-the-green-way/
 

American Le Mans Series, Michelin Announce Environmentally Conscious Partnership
Teams to Receive Michelin® Green X® Challenge Award Each

BRASELTON, Georgia (February 2, 2009) — The American Le Mans Series, the global leader in green racing, announced today that Michelin has entered into an environmentally-conscious partnership to entitle the Series' coveted Green Challenge award presented to race teams at each race. Beginning at the 2009 season opener in Sebring, two teams - one prototype and one GT - that demonstrate the best overall performance and fuel efficiency with the least environmental impact will win the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge award.

Michelin, the world's leading tire manufacturer, has been a global leader in environmental issues for well over a decade. Eleven years ago, it created Challenge Bibendum, the world's premier event for clean vehicles. Three years ago, it created the Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge at the world's most famous auto race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in 2008 extended that award to all of the races on the European-based Le Mans Series.

The announcement was made in conjunction with the Washington Auto Show where the American Le Mans Series will join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy in a press conference tomorrow addressing the need of motorsports, private enterprise and government to work closely together in order to promote cleaner, more energy efficient technologies and to then transfer such innovations to consumer vehicles.

"There is no better company with which to associate the Green Challenge award than Michelin," said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. "It is the leader in the tire industry on environmental issues - with its manufacturing techniques and with leading-edge energy efficient tires. Michelin's technical innovations have set the benchmark worldwide.

"Michelin has been a cornerstone partner of the Series since our beginning and has worked diligently with us and many of our teams to demonstrate an unparalleled level of competitiveness, innovation and success, on and off the track," added Atherton. "Having a partner who recognizes the urgent environmental and energy efficiency needs within the transportation and motorsports sectors has never been more important. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Michelin as we aggressively work to advance our global leadership position in green racing."

Michelin will present the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge award at each 2009 American Le Mans Series race to the prototype and GT teams scoring best in the three aforementioned criteria. At the end of the season, the EPA and DOE in conjunction with SAE International will present Green Challenge awards to manufacturers in each class who have scored best during the entire season.

"We applaud the efforts of the American Le Mans Series for providing a platform like the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge to showcase a variety of environmental technologies in racing," said Scott Clark, COO, Michelin Americas Small Tire. "Michelin has always transferred technology from the track into winning performance for everyday consumers. Nowhere is that more evident than in the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge.

"Stretching fuel in competition wins races. Lowering fuel consumption for consumers stretches wallets at a time when saving money and saving the planet are both top concerns," added Clark. "Sponsoring this key environmental competition is a natural fit for Michelin and together with our partners; we can help encourage teams and manufacturers to demonstrate a cleaner, more fuel-efficient way to race, while maintaining performance and the spirit of competition."

The EPA and DOE in concert with SAE International recognized the American Le Mans Series in January, 2008 as the only motorsports entity to meet their criteria for green racing. Every race car in the American Le Mans Series competes using one of four "street legal" alternative fuels: clean sulfur-free diesel, E10, cellulosic E85 ethanol or gas-electric hybrid. "Street legal" refers to alternative fuels that can be purchased by the consumer at local fuel stations.

The Green Challenge was created jointly by the EPA, DOE, SAE International and the American Le Mans Series, using a system by which all cars were ranked according to: amount of energy used, greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted and amount of petroleum displaced. Argonne National Laboratory created the rules, regulations and technical specifications for the competition.

The inaugural Green Challenge occurred October, 2008 at Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans, the American Le Mans Series' signature race of 1,000 miles. Corvette Racing, using cellulosic E85, had the best overall green achievement score and won the Green Challenge award in GT class. Penske Racing won in the prototype class with its Porsche RS Spyder that competed using E10 while using an innovative and fuel-efficient direct-injection system.
 

Franchitti, Patrón Highcroft Reunite for Sebring
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 26, 2009) — Two years ago Dario Franchitti was part of Acura's class-winning debut at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar champion will return to Sebring International Raceway this week as Acura prepares for what it hopes will be another winning debut with its first race in LMP1.

Franchitti, David Brabham and Scott Sharp will test Patrón Highcroft Racing's Acura ARX-02a prototype Monday through Wednesday in the American Le Mans Series' annual Winter Test. The Scot will test the new P1 entry for the first time Monday.

Sebring will reunite Franchitti with Brabham, Sharp and the Patrón Highcroft team. The trio teamed at Petit Le Mans last season but an early-race retirement kept Franchitti out of the car during the race. He won in LMP2 at Sebring in 2007 with Bryan Herta and Dario Franchitti for Andretti Green Racing. He also was the overall pole-winner that year at Long Beach.

"I've been fortunate enough to win the Twelve Hours of Sebring before, and I would like nothing more than to help David, Scott and Acura get the new LMP1 car into victory lane," said Franchitti, who will race in IndyCar for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009. "Unfortunately we weren't able to show what the team was made of last time around at Petit Le Mans in October, so I'm sure everyone at Patrón Highcroft Racing is motivated and gearing up for a strong effort for an overall victory in Sebring."

Franchitti, 35, has more than 180 CART and IndyCar race starts with 18 wins and 17 pole positions in the last decade to his credit.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dario back to Patrón Highcroft Racing for 2009," said team owner Duncan Dayton. "From our team's perspective, it is extremely beneficial to be able to get Dario on board early and enable him to get plenty of testing miles under his belt before Sebring. Dario's experience alongside David and Scott will also be invaluable in helping us develop the new Acura ARX-02a LMP1 chassis.

"Our thanks go to Chip (Ganassi) and his Target squad for allowing Dario to rejoin us for the endurance races this year," Dayton added. "Petit Le Mans didn't turn out so well for us last year with Dario not getting the chance to drive in the race and I sure he is really going to be looking forward to doing battle at Sebring."

The new Acura ARX-02a chassis and the spectacular 2009 Patrón Tequila paint scheme will make its public debut at the Winter Test. After scoring four LMP2 wins in 2008 including an overall victory at Lime Rock Park, regular drivers Brabham and Sharp are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to continue development of the new LMP1 entry.

"It is all about preparation," Brabham said. "The better you can prepare, the better you are going to go so to have Dario get to have a lot of miles in the car before the Twelve Hours is going to be crucial, not just for him, but for the team. We should be in pretty good shape with him on board."

"I think the world of Dario, he has proven how fast he is and he has also developed a wide selection of different cars," Sharp said. "I'm looking forward to having him back at Sebring and I think the three of us are going to make a very strong driver combination."

The American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for January 26-28 at Sebring International Raceway. Daily passes will be available for $10 with paddock access and overnight camping prohibited.

The American Le Mans Series will open its 11th season with the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 21. SPEED will televise the race live from 10 a.m. to noon and 2-11 p.m. ET. Live Timing & Scoring and American Le Mans Radio will be available at www.americanlemans.com

Fehan: No Change in Corvette GT1 Program
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 20, 2008) — Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan is quick to reconfirm Corvette Racing's GT1 program in the first half of the 2009 American Le Mans Series.

"The primary focus of the race team is the 12 Hours of Sebring, Long Beach and, of course as it always has been, the 24 Hours of Le Mans," Fehan said. "We tested the GT1 car at Sebring in November. And we will be utilizing Sebring and Long Beach to put the final touches on the Le Mans effort. We're continuously developing the car and package for fuel mileage, efficiency and new materials from our various suppliers. We want our last GT1 appearance at Le Mans to be successful. The team understands the importance of a victory at Sebring, Long Beach and Le Mans to close the GT1 program."

The highly anticipated GT2 Corvette is still scheduled to debut at Mid-Ohio in early August, Fehan added.

"Engineering and fabrication continues to focus on the GT2 program," he said. "We expect the first actual race car to be completed in early February and will be testing that car in the spring."

Henzler, Werner Team for Farnbacher Loles In 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 16, 2008) — A stronger partnership with Porsche and the addition of factory driver Wolf Henzler highlight the 2009 American Le Mans Series program for Farnbacher Loles Racing as the team announced its plans for next season Monday. Farnbacher Loles will be a Porsche factory partner in the Series' GT2 class with Germans Henzler and Dirk Werner as the primary pilots in a new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

"Everyone at Farnbacher Loles is proud to announce our partnership with Porsche for the 2009 American Le Mans Series season," team owner Gregory Loles said. "Many people have worked very hard to gain this recognition from our manufacturer.

The pairing of Henzler and Werner combined for five class victories and five pole positions in GT2 during the 2008 season. In his first year as a works driver, Henzler shared the Series GT2 championship with Flying Lizard Motorsports' Jörg Bergmeister. Werner finished a close second in the 2008 Porsche Cup rankings, based on his race results in both Europe and North America.

The team, based in Braselton, Ga., enjoyed a class win, two pole positions and four podiums in its rookie American Le Mans Series season this year. Farnbacher Loles will also field Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars in the 2009 Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama.

"I must express my personal satisfaction with the return of Wolf to our team," Loles said. "Wolf is more than a driver for our team; he is part of our family and history. Dirk has been our rock for the last couple of seasons and now he will have the consistence in co-driver we so desperately missed in 2008. Dirk, who is very special to us, now has the teammate he deserves in the American Le Mans Series. Dirk and Wolf will be a formidable combination in our car.

"We are confident with the additional resources now available to us, the 2009 season will bring many triumphs to our team," Loles said. I must particularly thank Mr. (Hartmut) Kristen and Mr. (Paul) Ritchie for the confidence they are showing in our team. We will not disappoint them."
 

Flying Lizard Unveils 2009 ALMS GT2 Program:

Two 911 GT3 RSRs, Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long to Team in the No. 45 Porsche
News from Flying Lizard Motorsport
SONOMA, California (December 12, 2008) -- Flying Lizard Motorsports, the 2008 American Le Mans Series GT2 team champions, announced today its 2009 racing program. The Sonoma, California-based team will field two 2009 911 GT3 RSR Porsches in the GT2 class -- the No. 45 and No. 44 -- for the complete 2009 ALMS season.

Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) will return to Flying Lizard in 2009 for his third consecutive season to defend his and the team's 2008 championships. He will be joined in the No. 45 by Patrick Long (USA). In the No. 44, Seth Neiman (USA) will return with co-drivers Darren Law (USA) and Johannes van Overbeek (USA).

2009 will be the third season that Bergmeister and Long have competed together as a team. Two of the top Porsche drivers in the world, together they won back to back ALMS GT2 championships in 2005 and 2006, a total of eight ALMS GT2 races, and won in GT2 at the 2004 24 Heures du Mans (with Sascha Maassen). Bergmeister and Long are again both Porsche Works drivers for the 2009 season. Click here for complete driver biographies.

Flying Lizard team management for 2009 includes: Seth Neiman, team principal; Tommy Sadler, crew chief and co-technical director; Craig Watkins, chief engineer; Stefan Pfeiffer engineer, No. 45 Porsche and co-technical director; Thomas Blam, chief strategist; Eric Ingraham, team manager and No. 44 Porsche strategist; Jennifer Hart, team marketing; and Paul Pillitteri, team merchandising.

Neiman looks forward to a competitive season: "Flying Lizard is excited and energized to be back with the series for our sixth consecutive year. Our goal this year is to defend our team and drivers’ championships. Everything we’ve done since the day after celebrating at Laguna Seca has been focused on that goal. With 2009 likely to be a step up from the already intense competition of last season, it is going to be a very tough and challenging effort. The fans should be in for a real treat."

Flying Lizard expects to receive its two new 2009 Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs in early January and plans to attend the American Le Mans Series Winter Test in Sebring, Florida in late January. Flying Lizard will announce additional program details in early 2009.
 

Mowlem: Corsa Shaping Motorsports' Future
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 5, 2008) —Since 1999, Johnny Mowlem has been competing in the American Le Mans Series. As one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, Mowlem talks about his dual 2008 season, first behind the wheel of a GT2 sports car and later transitioning into a LMP1 Zytek prototype.

Following an optimal performance in a Ferrari F430 GT at St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Salt Lake City, Mowlem spent the second half of the season planning and finally pushing the pedal down on the new Zytek 07S at Road Atlanta and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

What was that transition like?
"For me the transition between a GT and an LMP car wasn't that difficult as I've gotten pretty used to it over the years. In 2006, there was a moment when I finished second overall at Petit Le Mans in an LMP1 and was racing a GT3 Aston Martin in the World Challenge all in the same weekend. So I was literally getting out of a high downforce super car that was doing one-minute and 10-second laps and found myself jumping into a car with no downforce that was 30 to 40 seconds a lap slower. ... I think with any new car in any class, it always takes awhile for the drivers and team to gel with the package."

How do you compare the preparation and training between the two models?
"In terms of preparation and training, the only thing I did that was different was work out harder on my neck muscles in the gym, as I remembered struggling with that in 2006."

Feeling quite comfortable and at ease in his transition, Mowlem shares the story behind what is soon-to-be a breakthrough in motorsports history for Corsa and the Series with the introduction of the first hybrid vehicle.

How do you feel being the first driver to introduce a hybrid vehicle to the Series?
"I think when you look around at the world we're living in, you can see that we are getting closer and closer to the need to find an alternative source of energy, and notice it as being on the top of most governmental and corporate wish lists. I feel that hybrid and KERS technology is probably just one step on the road toward totally electric-powered vehicles. Being at the forefront of introducing this technology into what is a real high-pressure and evolutionary environment like the American Le Mans Series, it is a very proud moment for me. Although I obviously want to be competitive and win races, I also recognize that there is a bigger picture for the Corsa Motorsports team and that we are involved in something that down the line could be revolutionary for motorsports in general."

As a symbol of the future, how do you measure the impact hybrids could have in just a year or two years time for consumers?
"Developing the technology in an environment where everything has to be smaller and lighter and more energy efficient can only have a hugely positive influence on how future hybrid cars are built and manufactured in the future, and therefore they will be significantly more "green" friendly in the future. ... If little Joe's dad can just point out to his son that the No. 48 silver car has that "green friendly" technology on board and that could lead to alternative fuel sources in the future, just being made aware of that at an early age can only be a positive for the future of our planet.

As the countdown begins for Corsa to debut its hybrid technology at the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida in March, Mowlem speaks out about the person who has led the team to trust in the Zytek's capabilities.

"Steve Pruitt (team owner) at Corsa Motorsports has taken on a huge personal commitment to bring this technology to the American Le Mans Series. He has been working tirelessly behind the scenes with Zytek to make this all happen, and I for one think he deserves huge congratulations for achieving it. ...For Steve it was all about doing the right thing and leading by example. If you go to his home or his office, everything is done with the mindset of being energy efficient. I'm just proud that I have been able to help him along the way and was chosen to be a part of such a great project."

With just three months to get ready, Mowlem closes by revealing his goals for the newest competitor of green racing.

"As far as 2009 goes, I think it's important that we understand where the technology is. ... The technology that we're adopting is not easy and is very cutting-edge, so we don't really know yet what pit falls await us. However, if we just work together as a team and stick together through the rough and the good, I have no doubt that will we get to where we want to be, which is to win races."
 

Sebring Debut for New Audi R15 TDI
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 28, 2008) — The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring has long seen debuts of the most successful sports cars in endurance racing. The 57th edition - presented by Fresh from Florida on March 21, 2009 - will be no different as Audi will race its new R15 TDI prototype for the first time. Audi AG made the announcement of a new diesel-powered prototype Friday.

The Sebring 12 Hours, America's most demanding sports car race, also saw the first race for the Audi R8R in 1999 (which led to the highly successful R8 the next season) and the Audi R10 TDI in 2006. The latter was the first diesel-powered sports car to win at Sebring, and it won the first of its three straight 24 Hours of Le Mans victories only months later. Audi has won Le Mans nine times overall.

"It was clear to us that we must develop a new car if we wanted to continue to be successful in Le Mans," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "The Audi R15 TDI is the result. The step from R10 to R15 is significantly larger than it was from the R8 to the R10."

The Audi R15 TDI differs significantly from its predecessor, the R10 TDI, at first glance and features many technically innovative details with which Audi aims to maintain its supremacy in Le Mans. The new prototype is equipped with a smaller, lighter and even more efficient TDI engine. During the chassis and aerodynamic development Audi Sport engineers followed similar routes to those exhibited on the current Audi A4 DTM.

Only the basic concept was carried over from the predecessor model: The R15 TDI is also powered by a TDI engine and is an open-topped roadster. Audi does not wish to release any further details at this time.

The first private tests with the new Le Mans sports car are scheduled for later this year. The R15 TDI will only be presented to the public immediately before its race debut at Sebring. Audi also expects to enter three of the cars at Le Mans in June.
 

First Test For BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 20, 2008) — BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team got its first "meet and greet" with the new BMW M3 on Wednesday at Road Atlanta, a chilly day that saw the North American debut of BMW's newest GT2 challenger. Jörg Müller, the 2001 GT champion in the American Le Mans Series with BMW Motorsport, had most of the seat time Wednesday in the brand-new, freshly liveried M3.

Among those on hand for the two-day test is Rahal Letterman Racing co-owner Bobby Rahal, no stranger to Road Atlanta or the American Le Mans Series. Rahal Letterman fielded a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in GT2 during the 2007 season, and Rahal himself is eager to begin this new chapter.

"It's a great relationship between Rahal Letterman and BMW North America," Rahal said. "Sports car racing is where I got my start so there were a lot of emotional reasons for being involved but there also were a variety of business-related reasons as well.

"With all due respect to our prototype friends, GT2 will truly be one for the ages. We are part of BMW returning, you have Corvette moving from GT1 and GT2 plus Panoz, Porsche and Ferrari. It will be extremely tough, competitive racing."

The M3 also will test Thursday at Road Atlanta before another test session next week at Sebring International Raceway, site of the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team is planning to enter a pair of M3s. Monday, the team announced Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand as its first two drivers
 

Auberlen, Hand join BMW, Rahal Letterman
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 17, 2008) — For its return to the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series in 2009, BMW of North America signed Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand as its first two drivers for BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team's new BMW M3. In choosing Auberlen and Hand, BMW of North America has picked two of the most successful BMW drivers in the world and two of the most familiar names to M3 racing fans in North America.

The two-car entry is set to debut at the 57th Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

"BMW of North America is very pleased to have Bill and Joey on the team," said Martin Birkmann, BMW of North America Motorsport Manager. "Their experience with setup, GT racing and their raw speed will support the competitiveness of BMW's GT2 campaign in the American Le Mans Series I have known both of them for many years, and besides being fast, they're both a lot of fun to work with. I am looking forward to seeing them pedal our newest BMW M3 racer."

The 40-year-old Auberlen first drove for BMW of North America in 1996 when he joined the previous M3 racing program, then in its second year of competition. The Redondo Beach, Calif., resident is the team's most successful driver, winning championships in both 1997 and 2004.

He also has driven for BMW at both the prototype and GT level in the American Le Mans Series. He scored his first Series victory in 2001 in a BMW M3 GTR at Petit Le Mans with Hans Stuck and Boris Said. Additionally, Auberlen will have the distinction of having raced every generation of BMW M3 campaigned by BMW of North America.

Hand, 29, joined the previous M3 racing program in 2004 and raced through the 2006 season. Coming from a background in open wheel racing, the Sacramento, Calif., pilot quickly adapted to the M3 and endurance racing. He drove to five wins and 13 podium finishes for BMW of North America in three seasons, many of those races partnered with Auberlen.

"If you are going to start a new BMW team in the United States, it is nearly impossible to find a pair of drivers with more success or more experience with BMWs than Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand," said Rahal Letterman Racing's Bobby Rahal. "Bill is one of the most successful American sedan drivers of the decade and Joey has more than displayed his ability to run right with him, so we expect this driver pairing to be a strong one for the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team."

The two partnered for three podium finishes in 2006 as part of BMW Team PTG with a runner-up finish at Road America.

"My emotions are really high. I feel like I am going back home to my family. To be a part of racing at the level that BMW brings is a dream for any driver," Auberlen said. "I am really looking forward to being teamed up again with Joey. It'll be exciting to be on a team headed by a legend and racing icon like Bobby Rahal. I am really looking forward to 2009."

"I'm very excited to be back in the BMW family and to be driving a BMW M3 again. I built quite a fan base within the BMW community and I can't wait to put on a show for them again," added Hand. "I am looking forward to working with a top-notch team such as Rahal Letterman Racing. Bobby helped me earlier in my career so we have a good relationship. I can't wait to get started!"

Since the program's announcement in February 2008, the racing version of the BMW M3 has been developed and tested by BMW Motorsport in Europe. This month begins the official handoff to BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team with two more tests in the U.S.

Four test days are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., and Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., on November 24-25. The tests will see BMW Motorsport drivers Jörg Muller, Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus behind the wheel of the test car.

Birkmann continues, "Key BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team personnel have been involved in the European testing, but now the two November tests will see them take a larger role. BMW of North America is confident that when our complete team and new M3s arrive at the track early next year we will have built a solid foundation for success."
 

Dyson Racing Concludes Porsche Partnership
News from Dyson Racing
Photos © Dan Boyd and ALMS
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 6, 2008) -- Dyson Racing has announced that with the end of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season, they will be concluding their partnership with Porsche Motorsport and Porsche Motorsport North America. For the 2007 and 2008 race seasons, Dyson Racing campaigned two Porsche RS Spyders in the ALMS LMP2 class, successfully assisting Porsche in winning back-to-back manufacturer’s championships.

“There is no more competitive and interesting series in racing today than the American Le Mans Series,” noted Team Principal Rob Dyson. “Competing at the highest levels of sportscar racing with Porsche and their historical pedigree has been an invigorating experience for our whole organization. We have enjoyed working with Porsche and their people here in the States and over in Germany. Their help in putting together a new car in less than five days after our crash at Lime Rock this year will always stand in our minds as a singular display of their dedication.”

Harmut Kristen, Director of Porsche Motorsport, said, “Dyson Racing possibly took on one of the toughest challenges in sports car racing when they made the decision to enter two RS Spyders in the ALMS for 2007. But from the start in Sebring they were right there with us until the last race in Laguna Seca this year. It has been a rich and rewarding experience for all of us to cooperate on that level of racing with a team that has such a great history. I know the Dyson team will also have a great future.”

The 2007 season was a homecoming for Porsche and Dyson Racing. The team ran Porsche 962s in the IMSA GTP series from 1985 through 1991, winning a dozen races with nineteen podium finishes and four consecutive Porsche Cups. They won the first race they ran with the Porsche 962 at Lime Rock in May of 1985.

“In honor of our twenty-fifth anniversary in professional racing this year, we painted one of our RS Spyders at Lime Rock in the same colors as our winning car from 1985,” said Chris Dyson. “It is fitting that we celebrated our silver anniversary year running with Porsche as they were instrumental in establishing our ascendancy to the top levels of sportscar racing. We thank them for all of their support over the years and look back fondly on the friends we have made and the memories we share.”
 

Corvette Racing Readies For GT2 Challenge
BRASELTON, Georgia (October 23, 2008) — The start of the 2009 American Le Mans Series will mark the end of an era for Corvette Racing. GM's factory team will focus on its transition to a new GT2 program that will debut in the second half of the season. Program manager Doug Fehan shed some light on the project after last weekend's Monterey Sports Car Championships presented by Patrón.

The team announced plans in September to move from the GT1 class that it has dominated since 2001. Corvette Racing has won eight consecutive team championships, and its drivers have won seven straight titles in the American Le Mans Series. There also is the matter of five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the quest for a sixth will be the final race in GT1.

Fehan says the debut of the GT2 entry likely will come at Mid-Ohio. It will revolve around a next-generation Corvette C6.R that again will compete on cellulosic E85. The car will have steel brakes, a smaller wing and a little less horsepower than the current GT1 car. Other than that, Fehan said, it will look exactly the same as now.

"The engineering work is completed and we'll be starting in the next week to 10 days actually assembling the car," Fehan said. "We've done the simulations on it. We know what the rules are and we know what the other cars are capable of. When we finally come out we'll do the best job we possibly can."

As easy as Corvette has made GT1 look for the last eight years, it will be equally as tough in GT2. Porsche and Ferrari are the two premier marques in the class with BMW's factory effort returning for 2009. Panoz also likely will figure into the mix as will teams from Aston Martin, Dodge and Ford, among others.

"Don't look for us to dominate right out of the shoot - it's not going not to happen," Fehan said. "Rear-engine and mid-engine cars have a distinct advantage in that classification. We know the challenges that lie ahead for a front-engine car and we are prepared to meet them. Let's not forget too that we spent the first two years struggling with (the GT1) car. It took us awhile to get us up to speed and we expect that same kind of learning curve. We are prepared for it."

He also anticipates customer car sales starting in 2010 for both American and European teams.

"We want to dominate as quickly as we possibly can," Fehan said. "This team is not a team that likes to sit back and take their time. Everything we do from unloading the trucks to packing up...is a race, and that's the spirit we bring forward every day. We want to take forward the heritage we've created for Corvette. We've worked pretty darn hard over the last 10 years to change the image of that car on a global basis and we plan to uphold that image as we go forward."

The 2009 American Le Mans Series season starts with the 57th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 21. It will mark the 100th race in the history of the American Le Mans Series. SPEED will televise the race live. American Le Mans Radio will have live coverage on americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.
 

GM, Porsche Win Green Challenge Debut
BRASELTON,  Georgia (October 6,2008) -- A world debut only happens once. And the following names will go down in history as the inaugural winners of the Green Challenge, part of the American Le Mans Series' signature endurance race - Petit Le Mans - at Road Atlanta on Saturday.

Porsche...and its Penske Racing Porsche RS Spyder team of Pat Long, Sascha Maassen and Emmanuel Collard

GM/Chevrolet...and its Corvette Racing team of Johnny O'Connell, Jan Magnussen and Ron Fellows.

They earned the first Green Challenge trophies in their respective classes - Porsche for prototypes and Corvette among GT entries. Each had the best score in class for overall performance, fuel efficiency (petroleum displaced) and environmental impact (greenhouse gas emissions) in the 1,000-mile race around the 2.54-mile road course. Corvette Racing's entry had the low score of 20.391 among the GT cars, while Penske's No. 6 car had the lowest prototype score at 30,690.

The award was created in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and SAE International, the world's leading automotive engineering organization. On hand to present each trophy were Margo T. Oge, the EPA's Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality; Pat Davis, DOE's leading official for vehicle technologies and renewable energy and efficiencies; and Dave Schutt, SAE International's COO and Executive Vice President.

The American Le Mans Series is the only major race series in the world in which all cars race on not one, not two, but three alternative "street legal" fuels: clean sulfur-free diesel, E10 and cellulosic E85. "Street legal" refers to fuels that are virtually the same as the consumer purchases at the fuel station. An electric hybrid prototype is scheduled to make its debut shortly, perhaps at the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., on October 18.

Many, including Oge, believe the Green Challenge represents a real game changer within the motorsports and automotive industries.

"Racing has always been associated with high power and fast driving as well as

Innovation in safety and performance," said Oge. "But (up until now) we have never been able to put racing and green(ing) together. The truth is we are facing two very severe issues in this country. We have to be self-sufficient when it comes to energy. Burning fossil fuels creates greenhouse gas emissions and has severe consequences. Our hope is by starting here and introducing environmentally friendly technologies, we will continue and transfer such developments to what you and I drive on a daily basis. I applaud the American Le Mans Series and all involved in this effort."

Often viewed as the most sophisticated and technical racing series in the world whole showcasing advanced technologies that transfer directly from the race car to the customer showroom car, the American Le Mans Series has become the global leader in green racing. The 11 automobile marquees that race in the Series - Audi, Acura, Aston Martin, BMW ('09), Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche, Dodge, Mazda, Panoz and Ford - readily admit that the relevancy of the American Le Mans Series and its ability to create an environment to develop technologies is one of the primary reasons they race in the world's leading sports car series.

"We have begun something that will have a profound effect on the motorsports and automotive industry," said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. "When you get the type of support we have had from the highest levels of the EPA and DOE, you know that you are involved in something that can really make a difference. Fuel efficiency and energy independence are two of the most relevant topics we all face today and the American Le Mans Series is prepared to lead the way."

Oh yes. And by the way, Audi Sport North America in its R10 TDI diesel-powered prototype won the actual race with drivers Allan McNish, Dindo Capello and Emanuele Pirro. Audi has won nine straight years at Petit Le Mans.

Top Five Green Challenge Scores

GT
Corvette Racing No. 3 (20.391)
Drayson Barwell No. 007 (20.479)
Corvette Racing No. 4 (20.652)
Flying Lizard Motorsports No. 45 (25.227)
Farnbacher Loles Racing No. 87 (25.821)

Prototypes
Penske Racing No. 6 (30.690)
Penske Motorsports No. 5 (31.222)
Audi Sport North America No. 1 (31.319)
Dyson Racing No. 20 (31.562)
Audi Sport North America No. 2 (32.070)
 

Ginetta-Zytek LMP1 for Team LNT at Petit Le Mans
Photos © Regis Lefebur
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 18, 2008) — Team LNT will make its American Le Mans Series return - and first foray into prototype competition in North America - with a Ginetta-Zytek LMP1 entry for Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New MAZDA6, team officials announced today. It joins Corsa Motorsports' P1 entry for two Zyteks on the grid for the American Le Mans Series' cornerstone event.

Danny Watts (under management with LNT) will again drive for Team LNT with the yet unnamed second driver said to be one of considerable "experience and speed."

Team LNT's last appearance in the American Le Mans Series was a fifth-place GT2 showing in 2006 with a Panoz Esperante GTLM. That was a precursor to a class victory at Le Mans, the first for the team and the Panoz brand at the world's greatest auto race.

The new Ginetta branding of the Ginetta-Zytek LMP car is symbolic of the recent announcement that Bill Gibson (Zytek founder) and Lawrence Tomlinson (Ginetta's Chairman) now have an equal controlling interest in Zytek Engineering.

Tomlinson's Zytek involvement has accelerated several development areas such as the new Zytek LMP2 engine and a new 4.5-liter LMP1 engine that will form the basis of the recently announced hybrid project with Steve Pruitt's Corsa Motorsports.

"Several new and exciting projects have been kick started by the new relationship" said Tomlinson. "Both companies will complement and strengthen their presence in International Motorsport with Ginetta benefiting from the high-end technology filtering down into its road and race cars.

"Zytek Engineering is one of Britain's best kept secrets with a hugely talented staff vastly experienced in varied automotive technologies. We believe this partnership will assist Zytek Engineering in becoming a much more visible force, demonstrating its abilities across a broader automotive range," Tomlinson continued. The end result of the new on-track race team and development program between Ginetta and Zytek Engineering will assist road car innovation and manufacturing."

Team LNT's previous LMP entry was a "one off" LMP2 Zytek at Silverstone exactly 12 months ago. That effort resulted in pole position, fastest lap and second place having dominated the race early on with Watts and Tom Kimber-Smith at the wheel.

The exciting new project will not be the first time the Ginetta brand has been launched at a major International event, with a Ginetta G4 having competed at Sebring in 1965.

Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New MAZDA6 is the 10th round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. Saturday, October 4 from Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. SPEED will televise the race live with XM Satellite Radio airing live race coverage throughout the day on Channel 166. Live coverage from American Le Mans Radio will be available at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.
 

Corvette Racing Back For 2009
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 9, 2008) — America's premier sports car team is set to write another history-making chapter in the American Le Mans Series. Corvette Racing unveiled its plans for the 2009 season Tuesday that will see the most successful team in Series history compete in two classes in the American Le Mans Series while shooting for another title at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In addition to its attempt for a sixth GT1 victory in the world's most famous auto race, Corvette will enter the GT2 class in the second half of the American Le Mans Series season. Corvette Racing will launch a full-season assault in the new GT division in 2010.

"The Corvette brand is the gold standard for General Motors' high performance automotive lineup, and we are thrilled that Corvette Racing will continue to be a prominent part of the American Le Mans Series in 2009," said Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. "This confirms GM's recognition of the importance racing has to the Corvette brand. Without question the Corvette Racing program is the best example of GM racing what it sells in the most relevant way possible. There is a direct link from the Corvette race car and the Corvette for sale in the showroom that no other form of racing can match. The rich racing history and success that Corvette has already established stands to grow again by directly competing against the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Panoz and others in the most competitive class of sports car racing in the world."

Corvette Racing will run a limited schedule in the GT1 class in the first half of the 2009 season as it prepares for its 10th Le Mans participation in June. The team will race in the GT1 class in the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the popular Grand Prix of Long Beach. Following its return from the classic 24-hour endurance race in France, Corvette Racing will compete in the GT2 category in selected events in 2009 in preparation for a full-season program under new international GT class regulations in 2010.

"Corvette Racing will be well positioned for the future of production-based sports car racing worldwide with the plans we are announcing today," said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group Manager. "The international regulations are converging around a single, global GT class, and we intend to continue Corvette's racing heritage by competing against manufacturers and teams that represent the best of the best in sports car racing.

"The GT1 class has been a platform for GM Racing and our partners to develop the most technically sophisticated race cars in our history," Wesoloski said. "We intend to apply the tremendous success we have had in the GT1 category to make the next-generation Corvette C6.R a strong contender in the new GT class."

Manufacturers currently represented in the Series GT2 class or confirmed for future participation include Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, Dodge, and Panoz. Other manufacturers produce high-performance cars that could compete in the new GT category.

"In accordance with the regulations, the new version of the Corvette C6.R race car will be available to independent teams," Wesoloski said. "Corvette and Chevrolet are global brands, and we look forward to seeing production-based Corvette race cars competing in series around the world under the leadership of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)."

"I also am happy for Corvette's massive fan base, which have been loyal supporters of Corvette Racing, Pratt & Miller and the American Le Mans Series since the beginning," Atherton added. "I have no doubts that the cheers will be louder, the autograph lines will be longer and the Corvette Corrals will be even more crowded as Corvette embarks on this new chapter of Corvette Racing history."

The new GT Corvette C6.R will be based on the Corvette ZR1, utilizing the production model's chassis and body design. A 6.0-liter version of the LS7.R small-block V-8 will power the Corvette GT2 entry in the transitional 2009 season. A new naturally aspirated 5.5-liter version of the production GM small-block V-8 will be developed to meet the new GT regulations that will take effect in 2010. The chassis and powertrain specifications of the new Corvette GT entry will be submitted to the ACO and FIA for homologation approval.

"Competing in GT2 will be a true test of our team's determination, talent and technology," said Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager. "The level of competition in the category is already fierce, and that promises to become more intense with more manufacturers and top-tier teams. We've explored alternative paths, and we believe that competing in GT is the right road for Corvette Racing to take in the future.

"We will continue our commitment to cellulosic E85R ethanol racing fuel in the current GT1 Corvette C6.R and the next-generation Corvette C6.R that will compete in the new GT class," Fehan said. "Corvette Racing's green racing initiative is proof of our commitment to using alternative fuels at the highest levels of motorsports."

Corvette Racing is America's premier production sports car team, with 72 victories in 100 races. The most successful team in American Le Mans Series history, Corvette Racing has won seven consecutive Series GT1 manufacturers and team championships and six straight driver championships. Corvette Racing has five GT1 victories since 2001 in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"The 2009 season will mark Corvette Racing's 10th anniversary in international endurance racing, and it will also mark the beginning of a new chapter in Corvette's racing history," said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. "Corvette Racing has consistently delivered tangible engineering and marketing benefits to GM and Chevrolet. Our announcement today of Corvette Racing's future plans affirms the continuing value of production-based racing as a development tool for advanced technology in powertrain, aerodynamics, lightweight materials, safety, and computer modeling.

"It's not just high-performance machines like the Corvette Z06 and ZR1 that bear witness to the positive impact of racing," Kent said. "The lessons learned at Corvette Racing are benefiting mainstream production vehicles as GM continues to develop lightweight, aerodynamic, and fuel-efficient cars and trucks."

Corvette Racing's next event is Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New Mazda6, the 10th round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series, at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race is scheduled to start at 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 4. SPEED will televise the race live with XM Satellite Radio airing live race coverage throughout the day on Channel 166. Live coverage from American Le Mans Radio will be available at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.
 

Luhr/Werner win ALMS Championship title

News from Audi Motorsport

Photos © Neil Chapel 2008

INGOLSTADT/DETROIT (August 31, 2008) – Despite not finishing the city street race in Detroit, the two German Audi "factory" drivers Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner have already clinched the Drivers’ title in the LM P1 class of the American Le Mans Series.

The title chase was decided as their teammates Marcel Fässler and Emanuele Pirro, who had originally won the LM P1 class on the "Belle Isle Street Circuit", were excluded after the race. At Technical Scrutineering, the #1 Audi R10 TDI was found to be 2.5 kilograms under the requested 925-kilogram weight limit. Following contact with another car during the morning warm-up session, a spare nose had been fitted which was prepared for both cars, not specifically set-up for the #1 car.

This is the third LM P1 title in the American Le Mans Series for Marco Werner (42) following his Championship wins in 2003 and 2004. It is the fourth win for Lucas Luhr (29) following his successes in 2002, 2003 and 2006 – however it is his first in the LM P1 category. Luhr has also become the first driver ever in the history of the U.S. sportscar series to clinch the title in three different categories: GT2, LM P2 and now LM P1.

"Of course we would have preferred to have won the title under different circumstances," said Luhr and Werner. "But with seven consecutive victories already this season we certainly feel we have earned the title."

Before the last two races at Road Atlanta (4 October) and Laguna Seca (18 October) the two Germans hold a 66-point lead over Emanuele Pirro and are 68 points clear of Clint and Jon Field who were awarded the LM P1 class victory in Detroit. Only 55 points remain available in the final two races.
 

Diesel Duel to Continue At Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, Georgia (August 19, 2008) — Peugeot is returning across the Atlantic this fall after announcing that it will enter two of its diesel-powered prototypes for Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New Mazda6 at Road Atlanta. The pair of 908 HDi FAPs will go head-to-head against the leading manufacturers and teams of the American Le Mans Series in its cornerstone event, just as it did in March at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and in June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"Peugeot thrilled our fans with their stunningly beautiful cars, leading-edge clean diesel technology and fantastic speed," said Scott Atherton, Series President and CEO. "Our fans at Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New Mazda6 are in for the same treat. Peugeot's decision to enter confirms the prestige this cornerstone event has attained. I think Peugeot is looking at racing in the American Le Mans Series as 'unfinished business,' and I suspect they will pick up where they left off last March at Sebring."

Marc Gene, Christian Klien and former Series pole-winner Nic Minassian will drive one of the exquisite diesel coupes, which will use Petit Le Mans as a test for next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin, who teamed for three GT1 victories in 2006 for Aston Martin Racing in a full American Le Mans Series effort, will partner with Alexander Wurz in the second 908.

Five of the six are former Formula 1 competitors with the sixth - Minassian - widely considered one of the two best sports car drivers in the world alongside Audi's Allan McNish.

"Nothing can replace actual competition," said Team Peugeot Technical Director Bruno Famin. "As last June's Le Mans showed, it takes experience to take on a competitor that has the benefit of 10 years of this race behind it and which stays fit by contesting more races during the season compared with Peugeot, namely in the American Le Mans Series in which it faces opponents like Porsche and Acura. Petit Le Mans is about traffic, safety car interventions and strategy, but it is above all 1,000 miles - or up to 10 hours - of fierce racing, which is sufficient to enable us to collect some very valuable data and information."

Peugeot entered one 908 at Sebring and finished 11th overall (fourth in LMP1) for its first start in North America. It went on to finish second, third and fifth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June as the lead 908 finished on the same lap as race winners McNish, Dindo Capello and Tom Kristensen in an Audi R10 TDI.

"With Peugeot entering two cars, Petit Le Mans has the potential of literally being a continuation of the epic battle that raged between them and the diesel Audis for 24 hours at Le Mans," Atherton said. "And for fans of truly world class sports car racing - does it get any better? Audi against Peugeot against Porsche against Acura against many others over the course of 1,000 miles will undoubtedly be one for the history books - and certainly one of the highlights of what has been an extraordinary 10th season."

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 24 from Mosport International Raceway just outside of Toronto. The eighth round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series will be aired live on SPEED. XM Satellite Radio will air the race live on XM Channel 166. Live radio coverage also will be available from American Le Mans Radio at www.americanlemans.com  which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.
 

Halliday back behind the wheel in American Le Mans Series
News from Liz Halliday Racing
(August 8, 2008) — Female racing driver Liz Halliday will make her long awaited return to the American Le Mans Series later in the year after signing for British squad Creation AIM to contest the Petit Le Mans and Laguna Seca events.

The California born dual sportswoman, who also competes at an international level in 3 Day Eventing, is the most successful female driver ever in ALMS history having scored six class wins and six other podiums and finished as championship runner-up in the P2 class in 2006.

The deal with Creation will see Halliday, who is based in the UK, graduate to the P1 class for the first time where she will drive one of the team’s eponymous CA07 chassis alongside South African Stephen Simpson. The pair will race together at Laguna Seca and be joined by an as-yet unnamed third driver for the 1000 mile Petit Le Mans endurance race.

Having tested the car for the first time at Snetterton last week, Halliday revealed her delight at being back behind the wheel, having not raced since the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours: “I really enjoyed just being in a race car again and the test has increased my anticipation for the Petit Le Mans in October.

“I’ve wanted to drive a P1 car for a very long time so it’s exciting to finally get that opportunity. The test went really well and the car felt superb and very good to drive. Creation’s regular drivers Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stuart Hall were also around to give me some tips and I found that really helpful. The team is very professional and has a great track record and I’m confident we’ll work well together.”

Halliday’s last US appearance came at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring, where she claimed a GT1 class podium, but having taken a small break from racing to concentrate on her equestrian activities, she admitted a return to race in her homeland cannot come soon enough.

“I’ve been waiting a long time to get back to the ALMS,” she said. “I have so many friends there and really enjoyed my time in the championship. I’ve had a lot of success there in the past and hopefully that will continue.”

Creation AIM Team Principal Mike Jankowski said: “It took us 18 months to get Liz in our car and we are delighted that she will be with Creation for the final two races of the American Le Mans Series. Despite having been out of the cockpit for more than a year, she was quickly up to speed during the test and we believe there is even more to come. Liz is very well known to fans of the ALMS and will be a strong complement to our two car end-of-season effort.”

The Petit Le Mans takes place on Saturday 4 October and can be seen Live on Speed TV (USA) and Motors TV (Europe). The race at Laguna Seca takes place on Saturday 18 October and can be viewed in full on NBC Sports (USA) and Motors TV (Europe).

To view video of Liz’s test with Creation at Snetterton, please visit www.lizhalliday.com
 

De Ferran Motorsports "Get Well Jonesie" stickers announced
Get Well Jonesie" Stickers to Be Available At Upcoming Road America and Kentucky Racing Events
INDIANAPOLIS (July 31, 2008) -- Special racing stickers, "Get Well Jonesie," have been produced by Shadow Graphics in Indianapolis to send best wishes to injured de Ferran Motorsports crew member Keith Jones.

Jones, of Greenwood, Ind., was injured in a pit incident in the American Le Mans Series race on July 19 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Jones has been a veteran crew member of the ALMS and IndyCar Series teams for over ten years.

Jones' condition is currently serious and stable at the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center at Wishard Health Services in Indianapolis.

The new "Get Well Jonesie" stickers will be available at the upcoming the American Le Mans Series race at Road America and IndyCar Series race at Kentucky Speedway on the August 8-9 weekend.

A special fund has been established to assist Jones in his recovery process.

The Keith E. Jones Fund was established last week at National City Bank. Contributions to the fund can be made at any National City Bank. Donations and best wishes also can be sent to the de Ferran Motorsports headquarters.

The address is listed below.

Keith E. Jones Fund
c/o De Ferran Motorsports
485 Southpoint Circle, Suite 900
Brownsburg, IN 46112

 

Marcel Fässler drives Audi R10 TDI in America

News from Audi Motorsport

INGOLSTADT (July 29, 2008) – The Swiss racing driver Marcel Fässler (32) gets the chance to contest two races in the American Le Mans Series with the Audi R10 TDI. The former DTM driver starts at Road America (9 August) and Detroit (30 August) for Team Audi Sport North America as team-mate to Emanuele Pirro.

"We have the task of rejuvenating our sportscar driver line-up," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "We have already successfully integrated Lucas Luhr, Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller in the sportscar project. We now continue this route with Marcel Fässler."

The Swiss made a strong impression during tests with the 650 hp plus diesel sportscar from AUDI AG and now gets the opportunity to gather race experience with the Audi R10 TDI. "It’s a great honour for me that I can drive the R10 TDI for Audi. The car is very impressive. What most impressed me during the tests was just how quiet the engine is from inside the cockpit. Because of this you don’t feel the true sensation of speed. I immediately realised the hi-tech level of this car."

For the father of three who lives in Gross, Switzerland, the two races in the American Le Mans Series are a double premiere: "I was never in America and therefore also contest my first race on American soil. Anyway, I’ll be bombarded with a huge amount of new impressions: The circuits and the people in the team are all new to me, I’ll also have to familiarise myself with the procedures in the American Le Mans Series. I’m not putting myself under pressure, but of course I’d like to make as good an impression as possible and be quick."

Marcel Fässler was runner-up in the German Formula 3 Championship in 1999 and competed in the DTM for six years between 2000 and 2005. He celebrated a total of six wins in the most popular international touring car race series. Since the 2006 season, the Swiss competed in sportscar races, including the Le Mans Series and in the FIA GT Championship. Fässler won the 24 Hour race at Spa-Francorchamps last year.

To date the Audi R10 TDI is the most successful LM P1 sportscar with 17 wins in 31 races. Audi won the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in succession with the R10 TDI.

Motorsport Charities

American Le Mans Series Announces Austin Hatcher Foundation: For a Carefree Childhood as Official Charity
News from Chili Pepper Racing
COLUMBUS, OH (July 14, 2008) -- The American Le Mans Series officially kicks off its affiliation with the Austin Hatcher Foundation on Tuesday as four of the world’s top sports drivers visit pediatric wards at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. Clint and Jon Field of Intersport Racing in Dublin, Ohio along with Patron Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham and Drayson-Barwell’s Paul Drayson will visit with young people and their families from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. to kick off the Series’ partnership with the foundation as its official charity. --->MORE

From Le Mans to Lime Rock: Risi Competizione
Photos © Regis Lefebure
BRASELTON, Georgia (July 9, 2008) — It's tempting to think that when the checkered flag falls on a race, it signals the chance to head for home, rest and relaxation. If you've been fortunate enough to win, it might also get you the right to party a bit and celebrate a job well done.

Risi Competizione, like its fellow American Le Mans Series competitors, enjoyed no such luxury after the 24 Hours of Le Mans - despite scooping the coveted winners' trophies for the GT2 class. Jaime Melo, Mika Salo and their endurance teammate Gianmaria Bruni enjoyed a quick beer with their team on Sunday night but they were long gone when the task of packing up began.

Team Manager, Dave 'Beaky' Sims, together with expert motorsport freight agents First Air, organized the mammoth task of moving a race team the 7,932 miles from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

Sims: "On Monday morning the team packed up the two race cars plus seven tons of freight in 25 cases. The trucks to take all the gear were lined up in the pit lane at Le Mans ready for their own race against the clock.

"Once fully loaded, they were driven back to Heathrow Airport in the UK from where the two cars and all the equipment were transported by Virgin Atlantic Cargo to Orlando, Fla. We sent our two race transporters to Orlando to pick up the cars, and they came back to Houston in convoy with the freight trucks carrying the spares and equipment. It all got back to the shop in Houston on Saturday, June 21.

"The team flew home on Tuesday, June 17 so at least they had a couple of days' recovery time before the freight arrived and the turnaround for Lime Rock began."

As soon as everything was unpacked, work began immediately to prep the cars for the Lime Rock race, and to prepare enough spares and parts to cover both that and the Mid-Ohio race. The target date for the transporters to leave was Sunday, July 6 with the team following on two days later. The winning No. 82 car was converted back to the No. 62 car that it is in the American Le Mans Series and was in great shape after its 2,700 miles of racing. It has had a more or less standard chassis rebuild, with engine and gearbox changes and the different setup that the compact, mostly right turn, Lime Rock track requires.

The damaged No. 83 car, which unfortunately had to retire after the first hour of the race, will be repaired, renewed and reborn. As No. 61, the red Ferrari F430 will be run in the Series by Harrison Brix and Patrick Friesacher.

"The Risi team has put in the most incredible amount of work over the last five weeks or so," says Sims. "Repairing accident-damaged cars in minimal time, prepping for the longest race we do plus Lime Rock, and for much of the time being away from home. I can't praise them highly enough for the job they've done, the way they all pulled together to help each other out and of course for the No. 82's race result."
 

Ryan Lewis Joins Intersport Racing
British driver to compete in American Le Mans Series
News from Ryan Lewis Racing
INDIANAPOLIS, USA (23 June 2008) — It was announced today that British racing driver, Ryan Lewis, will contest the remainder of the 2008 American Le Mans Series with Intersport Racing. The 24 year-old will race a Lola B07/10 AER in the LMP1 class, starting at Mid-Ohio in just over three weeks' time.

Ryan joins the American Le Mans Series from the Champ Car Atlantic Series where he has shown over the last two seasons that he is a force to be reckoned with on the American racing scene. Intersport Racing is a team on the up, highlighted by Jon Field's awe-inspiring battle with the world-class Audi LMP1 cars at the last race in Utah.

“The American racing community has welcomed me with open arms,” said Ryan, “so at the end of last season, I decided that I would stay on in the US and find the right opportunity. I think I have done just that by teaming up with Intersport; they are a fantastic independent team who fight way above their weight. I am equally excited to be joining such a well-promoted racing series; the series gets better year after year and I will be proud to be part of such a great show and hope that I can do my bit when it comes to entertaining the fans.”

The switch to racing prototypes means that Ryan is no longer a single-seater racer but he is happy to make the change.

“I have had a great career in single-seaters, or open wheel racing as they call it here,” he said. “It's always hard for a driver to turn their back on that but I think I am stepping into an exciting, competitive category which will provide me with some fantastic challenges in the years to come. Bring it on!”

Ryan will be on-track with Intersport at Mid-Ohio on 18-19 July.
 

Proud Pruitt eager for Home Utah Race
BRASELTON, Georgia (May 15, 2008) —The biggest grin in the American Le Mans Series paddock this weekend may belong to Steve Pruitt, and rightfully so. Pruitt's Corsa Motorsports is the home team this weekend at the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by the Grand and Little America Hotels. The Utah-based team and its Ferrari F430 GT enter Miller Motorsports Park with two consecutive fourth-place finishes in GT2, the deepest and most competitive class in the Series.

"Miller Motorsports Park certainly holds a special place in the team's history," said Pruitt. "Our team operations have been based at MMP since the facility's inception until just recently when we moved into Salt Lake City. We needed more space to conduct the business of racing at the level required of the American Le Mans Series. It was also the site of Corsa Motorsports' first complete Series race."

That was a fifth-place finish with Rui Aguas and Maurizio Mediani driving last season. This year, Gunnar Jeannette and Johnny Mowlem are entered for Corsa, which will roll out its 2008-spec F430 GT for the first time in race competition.

"This year we enter the event at Miller with race experience, a pair of proven drivers and a team that has had an opportunity to work together, develop chemistry and become comfortable in its skin," Pruitt said. "We know the track at Miller very well. With the familiarity our drivers have with the track and the experience we have as a team, we think we have the potential to do very well.

"To be honest, I'm just proud of the American Le Mans Series, Miller Motorsports Park and the fact that I have a team competing in such a great Series at such a wonderful facility," he added. "After the 2002 Olympic Games, Salt Lake City really established itself as an international city and MMP really does a great job of representing the city and its surrounding areas to that level. It's a fantastic establishment with a first-rate staff, and as a competitor and businessman, I want to do everything I can to help grow the event and educate the community about sports car racing."

The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels is set for Sunday, May 18 from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The green flag is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT with live television coverage on SPEED. Live radio coverage will be available on XM Satellite Radio Channel 144 and American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.
 

Alex Figge Joins Tafel Racing
Open Wheel and Sports Car Racer to Share No. 73 Ferrari with Jim Tafel for Rest of '08

News from Tafel Racing
CUMMING, Ga. (April 30, 2008) - Tafel Racing announced today the addition of American Alex Figge to its 2008 driver lineup. The former Champ Car driver will share the No. 73 Tafel Racing Ferrari F430 GTC with owner/driver Jim Tafel (Alpharetta, Ga.) for the remainder of the American Le Mans Series season. Figge, who has seven career Series starts in the GT1 class, will make his GT2 debut with the Cumming, Ga.-based organization at the Utah Grand Prix on May 18. To date, the resident of Denver, CO. has an American Le Mans Series career- best finish of third (Portland, 2005). "I am just really excited to be with Tafel Racing,” said Figge. “When the [IndyCar- Champ Car] merger happened I was nervous about what I'd be doing and I am really thankful to Jim and Tony for taking me on. I have met all the guys and Dirk and Dominik. There is a lot to learn there. I am really pleased to be back in the American Le Mans Series and I am ready to get to Utah and get started."

The 14-race Champ Car veteran joins the second- year American Le Mans Series team with an impressive racing resume. Figge has run one full season on the Champ Car Series (2007) with a career-high finish of 11th and finished 14th earlier this year at the Champ Car Series' Finale in Long Beach. The Colorado-native has five class top-10 finishes in the American Le Mans Series, all in '05, and multiple career starts in the Grand-Am Daytona Prototype class with a best finish of second (Phoenix and Laguna Seca) in 2006. In 2004, Figge finished seventh overall in the Champ Car Atlantic Series with one win in Monterrey, Mexico, two podiums and two front row starts. He was also awarded the Michael Rosen Memorial Award by the Atlantic Series for "dedication, perseverance and his desire to succeed" that year. Figge's sophomore season of Atlantics spawned two top-five finishes in 2003 and nine top-tens in 12 starts. His rookie season in Atlantics resulted in two top-10s and a front row start. Figge ran consistently in the top- five of the US Formula Ford 2000 Championship in 2001 and scored three victories and two pole positions in the Formula Mazda Series from 1998 to 2000.

"From my spot as the owner and as a driver,” said Jim Tafel, “I am really excited to have Alex join the team. I get a good sense that he is hungry to race. He doesn't want to miss a beat and he wants to compete. We haven't driven together yet but I think Alex will be quite good. For me, it isn't just Alex but he brings Mike Zimiki [driver coach] with him as well. Having worked with Mike and Graham Rahal I know how much he brings. They will both be great assets to Tafel Racing. I am very pleased to be able to help give Alex a home. I think we can have a prosperous year from Utah on."

Tafel Racing Technical Director Tony Dowe (Cumming, Ga.) oversaw Figge's indoctrination into the team today during a private test at Road Atlanta. The test marked Figge's first opportunity to experience the Ferrari F430 GTC and Michelin's racing tire. Along with the on-track testing, the time at the Braselton, Ga. track provides an ideal opportunity for Figge and Jim Tafel to work on their driver changes prior to the fourth- round of the American Le Mans Series season scheduled at Miller Motorsports Park in mid-May.

The Salt Lake City event marks the return of the No. 73 to the GT2 grid. The car finished fourth in the season- opening 12 Hours of Sebring with Tafel, Pierre Ehret (Germany) and Allan Simonsen (Denmark) behind the wheel. The car did not race in the two events since Sebring (St. Petersburg and Long Beach).

The No. 73 Tafel Racing Ferrari F430 GTC joins the No. 71 Tafel/Bell Micro Racing Ferrari F430 GTC in team's stable. The Dominik Farnbacher (Ansbach, Germany) and Dirk Müller (a native of Germany living in Monaco) driven No. 71 has won the last two GT2 races (St. Petersburg and Long Beach) and currently holds the Team, Driver and IMSA Cup point lead for the class.

The Utah Grand Prix will be held May 18 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The two hour and 45-minute event can be seen live on SPEED Channel beginning at 3 PM ET. American Le Mans Series Radio Web coverage as well as live timing and scoring can be found at www.AmericanLeMans.com
 

B-K Motorsports BP Lola Mazda Records Strong Finish in Long Beach
News from B-K Motorsports
Photos courtesy John Thawley
LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 20, 2008) — B-K Motorsports earned its second consecutive top-10 finish overall Saturday in the Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. The No. 8 BP Lola B07/46 Mazda MZR-R LMP2 car enjoyed a solid run in the 100-minute race on the historic street circuit in Southern California. Gerardo Bonilla drove a consistent opening stint before handing over to Ben Devlin, who took the car to the checkered flag.

"It was pretty challenging," Bonilla said after climbing from the car. "We started really well and the track got very slippery. So it was a struggle to maintain a pace. The tires started really well, but the track temperature got really high."

B-K Motorsports, like many other teams, got caught out by the weather at race time. Initial forecasts for Saturday called for cooler and overcast conditions, much like what was seen in the morning. This would have been ideal for the team, as Bonilla clocked the third quickest time in warm-up. But conditions changed by the afternoon, bringing increased track temperature for the race.

"I think we were a bit off with the setup change we made overnight and this morning with the colder weather, trying to get a bit more front grip," Devlin said. "So I think we lost out a little bit there. But the tires did a great job, thanks to Yokohama. They've worked hard to produce a soft tire for street racing."

John Doonan, Manager, Motorsports Team Development for Mazda also thought cooler track conditions could have better suited the car's setup.

"The temperature changed on us," Doonan said. "We felt really good this morning. We were third quick in warm-up, it's just the sun came out. We needed it to stay cloudy and cool, which was what the forecast was for. But there's nothing you can do about it, so we'll just get after it in a couple of weeks."

After making the one and only pit stop for fuel and Yokohama tires in the race, Devlin drove the Mazda-powered Lola prototype to a eighth place finish in the highly competitive LMP2 category.

"We're just looking to get better every single time we go out," Bonilla said. "That last stint that Ben did showed that we are making some progress. We learned some things with the stint I drove and we're going to figure out what the difference is and go from there."

With another solid finish in the books, its mission accomplished for B-K Motorsports as they now turn their focus back to racing on permanent road-racing facilities. The next round of the American Le Mans Series takes the team to Miller Motorsports Park, which will host a the two-hour, 45-minute race on the circuit's outer course. The team conducted a successful test on the new layout last week and can't wait to return next month.

"We wanted to get out of here with a finish," Doonan said. "This is an awesome event, but we're looking forward to a natural terrain course and getting after it. We had a great test in Salt Lake City this past week. So we'll go into there with a lot of confidence and see what we can do. The car is in one piece, so we'll go home with that and get them next time."

On Saturday, the team and tire partner Yokohama announced their partnership with the upcoming motion picture "Speed Racer". The stars of the movie were on hand for photo opportunities with Ben, Gerardo, the entire crew, and the team's Mazda LMP2 race car, which carried "Speed Racer" decals this weekend. "Speed Racer" hits theaters nationwide on May 9.

B-K Motorsports' next stop will be at Miller Motorsports Park for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels on May 16-18. SPEED Channel will provide live coverage of the two-hour, 45-minute race on starting at 3:00 p.m. EST on May 18.
 

American Le Mans Series announces Long Beach Extension through 2013
LONG BEACH, California (April 18, 2008) — The American Le Mans Series and the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach today announced an extension to keep the world's premier sports car series racing at one of the world's most iconic street circuits. The Series competes this weekend in the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach for the second consecutive season. The extension will allow southern California fans to enjoy the cars and stars of the American Le Mans Series through 2013.

While the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach with its 34 years of history may be best known as an open-wheel venue, the American Le Mans Series scored a victory of its own as Long Beach spectators were enthralled by the world's premium brand of motorsport in 2007, a race that began Penske Racing's unparalleled eight-race overall win streak.

The Series' collection of elite prototype and production-based manufacturers, competing with a platform that encourages technology transfers from racetrack to showroom, and a fan-friendly openness with spectators all combined to make the American Le Mans Series an instant success.

"There is no doubt that Long Beach and southern California represent an ideal market for the American Le Mans Series," said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. "We have seen that our brand of racing - with its relevant, leading-edge technology goes hand-in-hand with the most influential marketplace in North America. That is a key reason why we are so thrilled to announce this five-year extension today.

"We send special thanks to Jim Michaelian and the rest of the staff with the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach," Atherton added. "They are a large reason why we are making this announcement. The reception of the American Le Mans Series in our first year at Long Beach in 2007 was more than we could have hoped for. With this world-class event now confirmed as a regular feature on our calendar, we look forward to working with Jim and his staff to make our race bigger and better by every measure."

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, in its 34th year, is America's premier street race that annually attracts 180,000 people during its three-day weekend. The Grand Prix features six racing series, free concerts, a Lifestyle Expo with an emphasis on green technologies and a number of other activities.

"We're delighted to have the opportunity to host a round of the American Le Mans Series here at Long Beach for the next five years," said Jim Michaelian, President and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. "Its exciting brand of racing has certainly enhanced our Super Saturday program and its efforts with regard to highlighting alternate fuel alternatives fit extremely well with our own Green Power Prix-View concept."

The southern California market became an even greater focal point of the Series in January when it became the first motorsports organization to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy and SAE International as a 'green racing' series. The American Le Mans Series has more manufacturers competing head-to-head than any other series in the world and also is a pioneer in the field of alternative energy sources. All cars compete with either clean diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10.

American Le Mans Series rules also allow the introduction of additional energy sources including fuel-electric hybrid motors and energy recovery systems. The regulations encourage manufacturers to develop new technologies through racing that can be applied to improve the automobiles being built for consumers.

"This makes our Series a perfect fit for the focus the Grand Prix of Long Beach has featured in its Expo with emphasis on such things as alternative fuels, reduction of greenhouse gasses and related issues," Atherton noted. "Addressing these challenges is at the core of the American Le Mans Series' green racing initiatives. It will be interesting to see what new automotive innovations are showcased on the streets of Long Beach by the Series over the next five years."

This is the second such event agreement for the Series in less than a month. The city of St. Petersburg, Andretti Green Promotions and the Series announced April 6 that the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will continue through 2013 with the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg a staple of the weekend.

A year ago, Penske Racing's Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas won overall and led a podium sweep for Porsche in the American Le Mans Series' Long Beach debut. Other premium manufacturers such as Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Corvette, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Mazda and Panoz will compete in Saturday's race. All view southern California as a target-rich market.

"Just as the American Le Mans Series symbolizes authenticity and forward-thinking innovation, the Grand Prix of Long Beach also represents historical significance and excellence in motorsports," Atherton said. "We are proud that the American Le Mans Series is establishing itself as a cornerstone race within the event weekend. We bring an unmatched level of competition and relevance that made this long-term extension an easy decision for all involved.

"Our teams, our manufacturers and our corporate partners have made it clear they want us to be here," he concluded. "We share that sentiment and with this new agreement it's safe to say the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach does as well."

The Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, Round 3 of the 2008 season, is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 19 from the famed Long Beach street circuit. ABC will broadcast the race from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 20. XM Satellite Radio will provide coverage on Channel 144 from 7 to 9 p.m. ET Saturday, April 19. American Le Mans Radio will have live coverage of the race at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.
 

Distinctive Canadian Flavour a Feature of ABC's American Le Mans Series Broadcasts
By Lee Baille
Photo courtesy Robin Thompson

BOWMANVILLE, ON (APRIL 1, 2008) – When the American Le Mans Series visits the west coast of Florida this weekend for the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg, a Canadian motorsports great will be there to bring the action home (ABC, Sat. April 5, live- 1:30 pm- 3:30 pm EDT). Bill Adam, a Canadian sports car racing legend and veteran motorsports broadcaster will serve as ABC's analyst for the race along with the Series' April 19 stop in Long Beach, California.

Raised in Burlington, Ontario and currently living in Miami, Florida, the 61 year-old Adam's decorated sports car racing career began in the late 1970s. After being hired to drive the factory-backed Group 44 team in the IMSA series in 1980, he and co-driver Bob Tullius piloted a Triumph TR-8 to victories at Mosport Road Atlanta, Road America and the Twelve Hours of Sebring. One of Adam's more memorable wins came at Mosport in 1983, when he and Tullius piloted a Jaguar GTP prototype to victory in a six-hour endurance race. In 1986 and 1987, Adam collected more victories competing in the Rothmans Porsche Cup and also won the Porsche Cup award in recognition of being one of the top Porsche drivers worldwide.

After spending some time out of motorsports Adam returned to racing, piloting the Champion Racing Porsche in 1994. Along with international sports car racing star Hans Stuck, he finished second at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1995, and scored a class victory with Stuck in 1996. In 1997, he placed second in class with Stuck and Thierry Boutsen in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He won the Daytona World Sports Car Enduro race in 2005, and still competes in select Historic Sports Car Racing events behind the wheel of an American Le Mans Series prototype Audi R8.

Since 1985, Adam has also worked as a broadcaster for various forms of motorsports. In addition to the American Le Mans Series, he has worked Formula 1, Champ Car World Series, Formula Atlantic and Trans Am Series races for networks such as CBS, NBC, ESPN, SPEED, CTV and CBC.

"My favourite is the American Le Mans Series. I suppose because I raced big sports cars, I still love them the best," Adam said of his many broadcasting assignments in the world of motorsports.

Confirmed to work ABC's two American Le Mans Series telecasts, Adam will also be a part of the Edmonton IndyCar Series broadcast team in July.

ABC Headlines U.S. Coverage of St. Petersburg Round; DSF, Eurosport2, Sport Italia Added To European Lineup
BRASELTON, Georgia (April 3, 2008) — The American Le Mans Series launches one of its most extensive telecast ventures ever this weekend in conjunction with the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg presented by XM Satellite Radio. In the U.S., ABC will broadcast the race live Saturday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. In Europe, in addition to live coverage on MotorsTV, new telecast partners in Germany's DSF, Europe's trans-terrestrial Eurosport2 and Sport Italia will provide special produced highlight coverage for the first time.

The additions of DSF, Eurosport2 and Sport Italia to the international lineup gives the American Le Mans Series one of the most extensive international television packages in sports with more than 600 million homes worldwide capable of viewing American Le Mans Series races.

"This just further signifies the growth and popularity of the American Le Mans Series on a global scale," said Scott Atherton, Series President and CEO. "It is an excellent tribute not only to our world-class style of racing, but to our auto manufacturers, teams, drivers and corporate partners who are all helping make this series one of the most exciting and widely watched motorsports series in the world."

DSF is a major German terrestrial network with country household penetration of 95 percent. Total household estimates reach 33.1 million including cable, satellite and "aerial" distribution. The 32-minute DSF highlight program is produced by Greenlight Television in cooperation with the American Le Mans Series. It will be telecast on Saturday, the week after the Series' actual race, from 7:30-8:00 p.m. Central European Time.

Eurosport2, meanwhile, reaches 28 million pan-European satellite households in 43 countries including England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Russia, and offers coverage in 11 different languages. The American Le Mans Series program airs 10 days after the actual race between 6:00 p.m. and midnight depending on other Eurosport2 programming. It, too, along with Sport Italia's highlight program is produced by Greenlight Television, a longtime American Le Mans Series partner.

Headlining the telecast for ABC will be veteran broadcasters Greg Creamer and Bill Adam in the booth with pit reporters Jon Beekhuis and Kelli Stavast. This weekend's round is the first of two races to air on ABC in its first-year relationship with the American Le Mans Series. The network also will air the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on April 20.

In addition, radio coverage from St. Petersburg can be heard live on American Le Mans Radio via americanlemans.com and by XM Satellite Radio on Channel 144 from 5 to 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 6.

The Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg presented by XM Satellite Radio is Round 2 of the 2008 American Le Mans Series schedule. A year ago in the inaugural event, Audi Sport North America finished 1-2 with eventual Series champions Allan McNish and Dindo Capello prevailing over the 1.8-mile street circuit along St. Petersburg's waterfront.
 

Two commitments for the Audi R10 TDI

News from Audi Motorsports

INGOLSTADT (March 28, 2008) — Even in its third year of racing the Audi R10 TDI still experiences some débuts: on the first weekend in April, the diesel-powered sportscar will compete simultaneously for the first time in two races, in America and in Europe. In St Petersburg (U.S. state of Florida), on Saturday (5 April), the second round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series will be staged. One day later, the European Le Mans Series kicks off with the 1000-kilometre race at Barcelona (Spain).

For the more than 650-hp strong Audi R10 TDI conditions in these two events could hardly be more different. The 2.918-kilometre track along St Petersburg’s southern marina is one of three city street circuits on the schedule of the 2008 American Le Mans Series. Lasting only 1:55 hours, St Petersburg is the second-shortest race of the season.

The Circuit de Catalunya on the outskirts of Barcelona has been the venue of the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix since 1991. For the past two years, it has also been host to the Spanish DTM round. The 4.655-kilometre Grand Prix circuit with its fast turns is considered particularly demanding. For the 1000-kilometre distance, the sports prototypes, depending on weather conditions, will need between five and six hours.

With the Audi R10 TDI, AUDI AG is impressively demonstrating how today’s modern diesel engines combine powerful performance with good fuel economy – and that racing cars do not have to be noisy. Its manufacturer’s commitment in the Le Mans Series gives Audi the opportunity to convince even more customers in Europe of the merits of TDI technology.

Every second Audi is a TDI

For the first time in its history, AUDI AG will be delivering more than one million new vehicles worldwide. About half of them are equipped with TDI engines. The TDI engine has established itself in virtually all markets of the world – except the United States. There, the Audi R10 TDI is paving the way for the upcoming TDI offensive. In 2008, Audi is launching the world’s cleanest diesel engine with an ultra low emission system on the U.S. market.

In St Petersburg, Audi clinched a 1-2 victory last year, proving that it is possible to be successful with a sportscar developed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on a much slower city street circuit as well. Dindo Capello and Allan McNish, who triumphed in Florida in 2007, are contesting the Le Mans Series this year, in the #1 car. Their team-mates at Audi Sport Team Joest are the two youngsters Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller.

In St Petersburg, Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner as well as Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro are competing for Team Audi Sport North America. In Florida, Audi’s primary rivals are Acura/Honda and Porsche, at Barcelona, the closest rival is Peugeot.

"The weekend is a major challenge for Audi Sport, both in terms of logistics and the demands made on personnel, particularly as the 2008 DTM season presentation is taking place in Düsseldorf at the same time," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "Still, in St Petersburg as well as at Barcelona we want to leave a better impression than we did at the season opener at Sebring – although we’re fully aware of the fact that we’ve got strong competition on either side of the Atlantic and are facing difficult tasks."

The race in St Petersburg will start on Saturday at 1:25 p.m., local time (7:25 p.m. in Germany). The start at Barcelona is scheduled for 11:35 a.m., local time, on Sunday.
 

Series Momentum Continues With Record Sebring Attendance and TV, Web Viewership
BRASELTON, Georgia (March 21,2008) —The momentum for the American Le Mans Series continued to build as reports for attendance, TV ratings and website traffic trickled in following the 56th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida last Saturday.

The first round of the American Le Mans Series season set a new attendance record for the endurance classic. Sebring International Raceway officials announced attendance of more than 170,500 over the four-day event.

In addition, ratings for SPEED's 11 hours of coverage increased 17 percent to 173,000 households with Tampa-St. Petersburg (.52 rating), Las Vegas (.49 rating) and Seattle-Tacoma (.47 rating) coming in as the highest-rated markets. SPEED also reported outstanding positive viewer response to both its Thursday night Live Sebring Special and the race broadcast itself, the first event ever shown in high definition on the network.

Web traffic, too, increased significantly with more than 407,000 page views, 107,000 visits and 54,000-plus unique visitors for the five-day Sebring event period.

"I think these increases across most every measurable category indicate that the American Le Mans Series is clearly adding to the momentum that was established last season," said Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. "This is not an isolated occurrence; we are seeing significant growth across the board. I can't thank our teams, drivers, manufacturers and corporate partners enough for the role they have played to establish us as the world's premier sports car series. Our 10th anniversary season is off to a great start, and the best is yet to come."

The next race for the American Le Mans Series is the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg. The green flag is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 5 from the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. The race will be broadcast on ABC from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET on April 5. American Le Mans Radio coverage will be available on XM Satellite Radio Channel 144 and americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.
 

B-K Motorsports BP Lola B07/46-Mazda MZR-R LMP2 Ready With New Sponsors, New Look and New Determination
News from Creative Communications

Photo courtesy John Thawley
SEBRING, Florida (March 10, 2008) — B-K Motorsports will debut the BP Lola B07/46-Mazda MZR-R LMP2 featuring its new livery at the 56th running of the American Le Mans Series 56th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Florida Fresh, March 12-15. The team plans to capitalize on the well developed MAZDASPEED MZR-R engine’s strengths during the grueling 12 hour event while using E85 and supporting the “Green” movement within the American Le Mans series. This years 12 Hours of Sebring will be aired live on SPEED starting at 9:30AM EDT, March 15.

Driver Ben Devlin returns to the B-K fold in 2008. Devlin's hopes and spirits are high.

“The team tested over the winter and we're very encouraged by the gains,” said Devlin. “We have great car and an awesome powerplant in the MZR-R. Going the full 12 hours will be key. That in itself is a feat at Sebring and we really want to welcome our new friends at BP and Castrol with a good outing.”

Joining Devlin for 2008 will be 2007 IMSA Lites series champion Gerardo Bonilla. Most of Bonilla’s previous experience is behind the wheel of various formula type cars, he's relishing the opportunity to climb aboard the BP LMP2 machine.

Bonilla had this to say about the new challenge: “I'm excited to compete with a world class team in a world class series. The BP Lola B07/46-Mazda MZR-R LMP2 car is just incredible. I'm quite confident we will have a successful outing.”

The addition of this year's sponsors is more than just a color change for the team and car. BP, Castrol and Yokahma Tire Corporation are key contributors to the team’s overall program with both technical and marketing collaboration. BP is a global energy leader with extensive experience with alternative and future fuels and lubricants. With the “greening” of the ALMS series, BP’s direction will complement the Mazda program. Yokohama has a storied history in motorsports and has multiple past collaborations with Mazda for production and motorsports programs. Mazda and Yokohama have enjoyed joint success and are looking to build on that foundation.

“We are thrilled to have BP, Castrol and Yokohama working with us in 2008,” said Robert Bach, owner, B-K Motorsports. “With everyone’s combined efforts, I am certain we will see the Mazda powered B-K Motorsports team at the front of the pack.”

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by “Fresh from Florida” is the opening race of the prestigious American Le Mans Series. For six decades Sebring has hosted the most important endurance race in North America, a key prelude to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, America’s premier sports car endurance race runs Saturday, March 15, 2008 at the famed raceway in central Florida and airs live on SPEED starting at 9:30AM EDT, March 15.
 

Grand Prix of Houston cancelled
HOUSTON, (March 3, 2008) — The Grand Prix of Houston announced today that the 2008 event, originally scheduled for April 25-27 at Reliant Park, has been cancelled. Grand Prix officials made the determination that after the unexpected unification of the Champ Car World Series and Indy Racing League and the resulting exclusion of Houston from the schedule, it was not possible to stage the event in 2008. However, Grand Prix officials are already in discussions about the possibility of holding the Grand Prix of Houston in 2009 with the American Le Mans Series and Indy Racing League.

"The unification of Champ Car and IRL caught us by surprise, and we were informed that due to the last-minute nature of this unification the Houston date could not be accommodated for 2008," said Michael T. Lanigan, owner and chairman of the Grand Prix. "We are saddened and disappointed to have to make this decision, but we remain optimistic that we will have the opportunity to bring the American Le Mans Series and the Indy Racing League to Houston in 2009."

The Grand Prix of Houston was not involved in any way in the unilateral discussions between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League, and despite a contract with Champ Car for 2008 the Houston race was excluded from the schedule.

Grand Prix officials explored the possibility of staging this year's event without Champ Car, but it was determined that holding the Grand Prix with only one headlining series would not be possible. Creating the temporary street course at Reliant Park requires tremendous expenditures including multiple grandstands, over three miles of race wall and fencing, fan amenities, media facilities, numerous jumbo screens, and broadcast production; all of these costs would remain essentially the same with only one series.

"Putting on an event of this magnitude is very challenging, even when we had two great headlining series in 2006 and 2007," Lanigan stated. "We did explore the possibility of holding our event this year with only an American Le Mans Series race and we were sincerely interested in doing that, but the reality is that our expenses would have actually increased with only one series. As a result of Champ Car's actions, we have unfortunately determined that staging an event in 2008 was not feasible."

In addition to initial conversations with Indy Racing League CEO Tony George, event organizers are currently in discussions with Reliant Park and the American Le Mans Series about 2009. Tim Mayer, Chief Operating Officer of the American Le Mans Series commented:

"The American Le Mans Series has enjoyed a great relationship with the City and Fans of Houston and with the great team that promotes the Grand Prix of Houston. So it is with great regret that we face the cancellation of the event, caused by circumstances outside of any of our control, the merger between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League. As we have proven in several markets this past year, the combination of the American Le Mans Series and various open wheel series makes a terrifically strong combination. The loss of the Champ Car Series, and the fact that the IRL has pre-existing commitments created a gap very late in the promotion cycle that no amount of effort would bridge, although Grand Prix of Houston worked tirelessly to do so.

"We continue to enjoy a warm relationship with the Grand Prix of Houston, especially General Manager Chuck Kosich and Founder Mike Lanigan, to whom we are very grateful. We believe that the City of Houston is a great market, and we are committed to working together to try to put together a strong event for the future.

"We do not have plans to replace the Houston race in 2008. History has shown that last minute replacement events are poor representations of the series that run them. We have a great series, with teams, sponsors, manufacturers, promoters and fans of whom we are extremely proud. We have a schedule that is both demanding and rewarding. We will continue to act in everyone's best interest and look forward to continuing to grow this great sport."

Lanigan remains committed to the event and is optimistic about its return in 2009.

"We are grateful for the tremendous support we have received over the past two years from fans, corporate sponsors, our partners Reliant Park and SMG, and the entire Houston community, so we are extremely disappointed to have to make this decision," Lanigan said. "For the long term, we hope that despite this setback we have the opportunity to bring the Indy Racing League and American Le Mans Series to Houston and stage our biggest event ever in 2009."

Fans who have previously purchased tickets for the 2008 event will receive a full refund on the ticket price beginning later this week. Details will soon be available at www.grandprixofhouston.com
 

Strong team at Audi Winter Camp
News from Audi Motorsports

INGOLSTADT (February 25, 2008) – Audi prepared its factory drivers from the DTM and sportscar programmes for the 2008 season at the traditional winter camp. The comprehensive winter programme in Ofterschwang, Bavaria, encouraged team "bonding" and the strategic alignment but also included sports activities plus fitness and health regimes. Fun, hard work and excellent team spirit marked the winter camp between 10-17 February 2008, in which the three squad newcomers Oliver Jarvis, Katherine Legge and Markus Winkelhock, also participated.

The drivers competing in the 2008 season, Head of Audi Sport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich plus Team Directors Hans-Jürgen Abt (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline), Ernst Moser (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), Arno Zensen (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) and Ralf Jüttner (Audi Sport Team Joest), each had a particularly intensive week at the "Sonnenalp". "At the winter camp, it’s much more than just a question of fitness," emphasises Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "It is the best opportunity to start the new season. Victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and winning the championship in the 2007 DTM were the fruits of excellent teamwork. The winter camp creates the basis to be able to start the 2008 racing year especially full of strength and motivation."

Methodical scientific methods as foundation

The daily routine started with gymnastics and aquapower in the early morning. Afterwards, the morning was dominated by skating and Nordic walking, before team sports ranging from basketball to water polo encouraged the group theme. Strengthening exercises, spinning and stretching were just a few of the other training exercises, included in the programme. Coordination abilities were also encouraged through special kinetics exercises. Late in the afternoon, there were additional team "bonding" units.

"In theory, the best form of training for racing drivers is the driving itself, since it trains the neck and pectoral girdle muscles," explains Audi team physician Dr Christian John who, as usual, supervised the programme. "However, this alone has long since been inadequate. A sports programme to increase stamina is important as a supplement, and which ideally consists of jogging, cross country skiing in winter and cycling. To check their abilities in these areas we measure the drivers’ performance and lactate values as an expression of the individual oxygen debt. In other words, ‘what does a driver produce and how does the body react as a result?’ "

The winter camp was a new experience for the new Audi factory drivers. "This is the first time that I’ve participated in such professional preparations for a season in motorsport," said an impressed Oliver Jarvis. "The winter camp has given me plenty to think about and I now know which areas I must concentrate in my future fitness training. It was also fantastic to be able to meet the other drivers before the season starts."

Tom Kristensen arrived in excellent form. The Dane, who was hampered by a heavy accident last year, reported: "It was a fantastic weekend and it was great to see all my team mates again after the winter break. I’m feeling very well. I’ve trained even harder and am even better prepared than last season. I want to attack this year."

The other Audi drivers also made an excellent impression at the Sonnenalp. For Dr Christian John the entire squad’s performances are a positive conformation of complete team work: "The development we’ve seen over the years is just amazing. When we started, some drivers admitted that they hadn’t trained since Christmas. Nowadays, this is taboo. All the drivers are in an excellent physical condition. They train regularly throughout the entire year. We see the fruits of our labour."
 

American Le Mans Series Issues Statement regarding Open Wheel Unification
Tim Mayer
Chief Operating Officer
International Motor Sports Association & American Le Mans Series

Photos courtesy eeproductions/Craig Elliott 2007
BRASELTON, Georgia (February 22, 2008) — "IMSA and the American Le Mans Series have been monitoring the talks between the owners of the Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League very closely. We have enjoyed good relations with both. However, instability in the business of auto racing is bad for everyone concerned. We hope that the events of recent days lead to a more stable situation; one where teams, promoters, sponsors and fans can invest their time and money back into the sport. Ultimately this would be the best resolution for all of us, including the American Le Mans Series.

"For 2008 we have six of our twelve races slated to be shared with the two open wheel racing series, three with CCWS and three with the IRL. We have been asked by many to speculate on how this transition will affect these events, and other aspects of our business, including the four development series that we are proud to sanction. Many details have yet to be worked out, so it is simply too soon to know all of these answers, and we do not think it is productive to speculate. However, we believe that it will affect our participation in the events very little. We have run successful events at many of these venues with and without the open wheel series. We are currently working on the promotion of all twelve of our events, and will continue to do so. We have a growing series with incredible drivers, teams, manufacturers and sponsors, a stable relationship with the event promoters and with the television broadcasters, and we look forward to displaying our great racing, at all of the venues on our schedule.

"Finally, we look forward to working with the combined open wheel series, to continuing to promote the sport of auto racing and to serving our fans."
 

Peugeot Sets Sights on Sebring with 12 Hours Entry
Photos courtesy Dan Boyd
BRASELTON, Georgia (February 15, 2008) — On the heels of an impressive showing last month at the American Le Mans Series Winter Test, Peugeot announced Friday that it will compete for the first time in North America by entering the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on March 12-15.

Pedro Lamy, Nic Minassian and Stephane Sarrazin will pilot the diesel-powered Peugeot 908 in the 12 Hours. It was Sarrazin who posted the fastest time in the three-day test at Sebring last month, a blistering 1:42.801 (129.571 mph) that was more than two full seconds better than last year's record-setting qualifying mark turned in by Audi's Marco Werner.

"Peugeot's confirmed entry into the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring sets the stage for one of the most anticipated editions of America's greatest endurance race," said Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series. "It is another validation of the importance that manufacturers and teams place on competing at Sebring and in the American Le Mans Series.

"It is no secret that Peugeot's ultimate goal for 2008 is to once again claim victory at Le Mans, and there is no better proving ground than Sebring," Atherton added. "We couldn't think of a more appropriate way to open our 10th season than by welcoming another world-class entry - Peugeot - into the American Le Mans Series. The North American racing debut of Peugeot coupled with all that is already in place within the American Le Mans Series all but assures that this year's race will be a classic."

Peugeot is seeking to become the second manufacturer to win overall at Sebring using diesel power. Audi accomplished the feat first in 2006 with its R10 TDI and repeated in 2007. The two marques also finished 1-2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 with Audi taking a resounding victory.

Sarrazin and Lamy both will race at Sebring for the third time after competing for Aston Martin Racing in 2005 and 2006. Minassian will compete in the 12 Hours for the first time.

The 2008 American Le Mans Series season opens with the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 15. The race will start at 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live by SPEED, which will begin its coverage at 9:30 a.m., MotorsTV, Fox Latin America; 7TV in Russia and Greenlight Television will provide international coverage as well. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com
 

BMW, M3 Returning to American Le Mans Series with Rahal Letterman
CHICAGO (February 7, 2008) — BMW announced at the Chicago Auto Show Wednesday its plan to return to the American Le Mans Series with its next-generation M3 coupe starting late 2008. For this venture, Rahal Letterman Racing will campaign the cars on behalf of BMW Motorsport.

"This is another monumental day for the American Le Mans Series - we have had a phenomenal start to '08 and this big news from BMW adds to our momentum," said Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. "BMW represents one of the cornerstones on which the American Le Mans Series was built and has maintained a loyal following of dedicated owners and fans since that time. We are thrilled to embrace this effort from BMW with Rahal Letterman Racing."

The 2009 season will see Rahal Letterman campaign two M3s for a full-season championship run.

As a result, BMW will compete in a GT2 field that includes efforts from defending class champion Ferrari as well as Aston Martin, Dodge, Ford, Panoz and Porsche. The Series boasts more manufacturers in the single GT2 class than many other motorsports series do in their entire grid.

"The American Le Mans Series prides itself on being the ultimateR&D platform for manufacturers from all over the globe," Atherton said. "And now BMW - 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' - joins the most extensive list of world-class manufacturers to recognize the opportunity the Series offers to transfer the technology present on their race cars directly to showrooms and dealerships around the world. I have no doubt that BMW will capitalize on its investment in the American Le Mans Series and see the same rewards our other competing manufacturers have realized."

The return of BMW appropriately coincides with the American Le Mans Series' 10th season of world-class sports car racing. BMW won the first race in the history of the American Le Mans Series as JJ Lehto, Tom Kristensen and Jorg Muller drove a BMW V12 LMR to victory in the 1999 Twelve Hours of Sebring. That same year, BMW became the first team from the American Le Mans Series to win the overall championship at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In all, BMW teams have won 15 times in the series - nine in GT2 and six in LMP1.

"Not only has the American Le Mans Series' fan base increased substantially over the years, but also has BMW's following among its owners and club members," Atherton said. "BMW has some of the most passionate and outspoken fans - trust me, I hear them often... - and I believe we can speak for these fans in saying we are overjoyed that they will be returning to the Series. We share the passion and appreciation they have for world-class sports car racing and competition, and we can't wait to see the new BMW M3 back on the race track."

Wednesday's announcement is the latest in what has been a history-making off-season. In January, the Series revealed a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy and SAE International as it was recognized as the world's first motorsports body to meet the criteria for green racing being developed by these groups. The Series also laid the groundwork for the Green Challenge, a competition that will encourage manufacturers to introduce and develop their "green" technologies. It will debut at Petit Le Mans.

In a related development, the Series also announced in conjunction with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) that KL Process Design Group will supply cellulosic E85 for 2008. Corvette Racing in GT1 and Drayson Barwell Motorsport in GT2 will campaign the full season on E85.

The Series also will see new entries from Acura, Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche for 2008.

The 2008 season opens with the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 15. The race will start at 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live by SPEED, which will begin its coverage at 9:30 a.m. MotorsTV, Fox Latin America, 7TV in Russia and Greenlight Television will provide international coverage as well. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com
 

Peugeot Fastest on Final Day of Winter Test
Photos courtesy Dan Boyd
SEBRING, Florida (January 30, 2008) — The final day of the fourth annual American Le Mans Series wrapped up on Wednesday with Peugeot on top of the timing charts, with a fastest lap of 1:43.771. The driving team of Pedro Lamy, Nic Minassian and Stephane Sarrazin piloted the diesel-powered Peugeot 908 to the fastest time for the second consecutive day of Winter Test.  --->MORE

American Le Mans Series

2007 Sebring Finish Voted Series' Greatest Moment
Photos courtesy Dan Boyd
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 31, 2008) — Throughout its history, the American Le Mans Series has been filled with memorable and celebrated moments. With the start of its 10th season on the horizon with the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the Series announced its Greatest Moments as chosen by fans through Internet voting at americanlemans.com.

Quite appropriately, the most exciting finish on the Series' premier stage was chosen as its Greatest Moment - the climatic GT2 finish at Sebring in 2007 with Risi Competizione's Jaime Melo and the Ferrari F430 GT beating Jörg Bergmeister in an all-out drag race on the final lap by just 0.202 seconds. It is the closest finish in the history of the 12 Hours.

"It's a great honor to have been voted the American Le Mans Series' No. 1 greatest moment, especially because this accolade comes from the fans," said team owner Giuseppe Risi. "Since Risi Competizione has been involved in the Series, we have raced with and against some of the greatest names in motorsport and enjoyed a level of competition that is, in my opinion, the best in the world. I warmly applaud the American Le Mans Series for giving us and the Ferrari marque the opportunity to offer to fans the type of entertainment that was seen at Sebring last year. I hope we can repeat our victory in 2008, though I have to say I think we would all prefer the winning margin to be a little greater!"

"I'm very proud to be a part of the American Le Mans Series' No. 1 greatest moment," Melo said. "Lots of people have asked me about that last lap. We had some brake issues and we'd double stinted our tires, so I knew it would be hard but I just tried to keep calm and do a good job. I knew it was really important for me, the team and for Ferrari to win, but I didn't realize then how much of an impact it would have - especially on the fans. We go racing to put on a good show for them, and perhaps this was one of the best shows so far. I wonder what will happen this year...?"

Corvette Racing's first Series victory at Texas in 2000 ranked second, followed by the fantastic 2007 finishes between Audi and Porsche at Petit Le Mans and the Monterey Sports Car Championships. Champion Racing's overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005 rounded out the top five.

The first race of the Series - Sebring in 1999 - led the second half of the voting with the 2000 finish at Mosport between Audi and BMW (the closest overall finish in Series history at 0.148 seconds) next. Rounding out the list were the Audi R10 TDI's debut at Sebring in 2006, the Audi R8's debut in 2000 and Panoz Motor Sports' thrilling overall victory at Washington.

Honorable mentions were Panoz's win at Nurburgring in 2000, Pedro Lamy's flight in the Aston Martin at Mid-Ohio in 2006, Acura's debut win at Sebring in 2007, Dyson Racing's 2003 overall win at Infineon and Aston Martin's 0.033-second win at Lime Rock in 2006 for the closest finish in Series history.
 

Dale White joins Drayson-Barwell for 2008 ALMS
News from Drayson-Barwell Motorsports
(January 28, 2008) — We are delighted to announce that former American Le Mans Series GT2 Championship-winning team owner, Dale White, will be joining the Drayson-Barwell team for the 2008 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season. The British team will be campaigning the first Aston Martin Vantage GT2 chassis in the ALMS, which will run on E85 Bio-Ethanol fuel. This follows on from Barwell Motorsport and Paul Drayson’s pioneering Bio-Ethanol season in British GT in 2007, where they scored the first ever outright British national series race victory for an alternative fuel racing car.

Dale, whose Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing outfit has claimed two ALMS titles, has joined Drayson-Barwell whilst his own team takes a sabbatical from the series in 2008. He will be passing on his extensive experience and knowledge to us, as well as performing the role of Strategic Consultant to Team Principal, Mark Lemmer, at the race events themselves.

“I am delighted we will be working together with Dale this year” says Paul Drayson, “He has a tremendous track record in GT racing and will be a major asset to the team. I know we have a lot to learn in our first year in ALMS, but with Dale's help, I am sure we will learn fast."

Dale White comments: “I am very excited for this opportunity with Drayson-Barwell. I have known several of the key people at Aston Martin Racing for a number of years. It is an absolutely top organization and I am quickly learning Drayson-Barwell is also a well structured and professionally run group. It was disappointing not being able to continue our programme this year. However, as they say in life, as one door closes, so another one opens. I was contacted by a number of teams but the fit here seemed perfectly matched to my goals. Having an engineering background and experience in alternative energies, [White is a former Engineering Co-ordinator for a USA Department of Energy contractor and a past member of the Nuclear Emergency Search Team] I was especially excited about Paul Drayson’s push to run an E85 fuel in the Aston Martin Vantage GT2. It is going to be a very exciting year with a lot of new challenges. I am really looking forward to staying involved in the ALMS.”

http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=4806&thold=0

Lowe's Fernandez Readies for Full Acura Effort
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 24, 2008) — When Lowe's Fernandez Racing hits the circuit at Sebring International Raceway this weekend, it will enter the second phase of its American Le Mans Series venture. A brand new Acura chassis, the next-generation ARX-01b, will be on display as the team prepares for its second appearance in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The work will continue Monday through Wednesday at the American Le Mans Series' fourth annual Winter Test at Sebring.

"We took delivery on December 28th," said Tom Anderson, co-owner with Adrian Fernandez. "We are quite excited about the changes that have been made between last year's 01a-specification ARX versus the 01b which we received. The computer numbers look very impressive and hopefully this will translate to the quicker estimated lap times that the computer shows. We are really looking forward to getting to Sebring and our first on-track adventure with it."

Fernandez and Luis Diaz finished second in LMP2 and third overall in the team's Acura-powered Lola in the 2007 race at Sebring. Lowe's Fernandez served as the engine development team for Acura last year, and the 3.4-liter V8 never suffered from a reliability standpoint.

"What Acura accomplished in their first season is remarkable," Fernandez said. "They were strong out of the box with not only a brand-new engine but the chassis as well. Expectations are even higher for next year."

The three Acura-powered LMP2 entries are part of a strong prototype contingent entered for the Winter Test. Audi, Lola, Mazda, Peugeot and Porsche also will have prototypes on track.

Updated news, timing information, photos, audio and video from the Winter Test will be available at americanlemans.com throughout the week.

The 2008 season opens with the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 15. The race will start at 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live by SPEED, which will begin its coverage at 9:30 a.m. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring will be available at americanlemans.com.
 

Tafel Racing Signs Dirk Müller for '08
2007 FIA GT Champ to Pilot No. 71 American Le Mans Series Ferrari F430 GTC with Dominik Farnbacher
News from Tafel Racing
ATLANTA, Georgia (January 22, 2008) - Tafel Racing has signed Ferrari factory driver Dirk Müller to pilot the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari F430 GTC for the full American Le Mans Series season in 2008. Müller, the 2000 American Le Mans Series GT2 Class Champion, will share driving duties in the Tafel Racing machine with Dominik Farnbacher (Ansbach, Germany). Müller, the likable German who now calls Monaco home, has spent recent seasons successfully campaigning several European championships as a factory driver. In 2007, Müller helped give Ferrari and Michelin GT2 manufacturer titles on the way to his first FIA GT Series championship. He made seven starts in the American Le Mans Series last year, his first since 2001, while pursuing the FIA title. In his American Le Mans Series return, Müller had three fastest race laps and a podium finish at the Detroit Grand Prix driving a Ferrari F430 GT.

Müller will be greeted by several familiar faces when he premieres in the white, blue and silver Tafel Ferrari. His 2000 championship came at the wheel of a Tony Dowe (Cumming, Ga.) managed machine. Dowe is now the Technical Director for the two-car operation which is based close to the Road Atlanta circuit. Müller's most recent experience working with Tafel, Dowe and several other team members came at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2007.

Müller's eight American Le Mans Series victories include the 1999 Petit Le Mans and the 2000 12 Hours of Sebring. He has 34 GT2 (known as GT until 2005) class starts. The native of Burbach, Germany is eighth on the all-time list for fastest qualifiers with 13 Series pole positions. That distinction marks him as the leader in most career GT2 poles, winning at least one pole in each of his three full seasons of competition in the Series to-date. Müller's six pole positions in 1999 still ranks a class record. Those 1999 fastest laps came on the way to a string of eight consecutive class pole positions- dating from Infineon Raceway in 1999 to Silverstone in 2000- an American Le Mans Series record for any class.

Farnbacher drove for Tafel Racing in 2007 earning career high finishes of second in the last two races of the season. "Dom", as he is known on the team, was named to drive the No. 71 at the time the sophomore American Le Mans Series effort announced its move to the Ferrari F430 GTC in late 2007.

Müller, Farnbacher and Tafel will make the North American debut of the Tafel Racing Ferrari F430 GTC as part of the American Le Mans Series Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway, January 28-30. The 56th Annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring will open the 2008 American Le Mans Series season on March 15. The program had is first taste of the No. 71 at Ferrari's famous Fiorano test track in Italy on a rainy and cold day two weeks ago. "I was really thrilled to shakedown the car together with Dominik, " said Müller. "To drive a brand new car first is always a big thing and I'd like to thank Tony for that. The car felt great and I am sure that the 430 is very hungry to win like Dominik, myself and the team!"

Jim Tafel, Team Owner, agreed. "The coming season is a big challenge for the whole team. Last year we had a good year by most team standards but, with Dirk and Dominik paired together, the level that we know we can attain is now within our reach. The whole team is committed to achieving the goals we have set ourselves; winning."
 

Petersen Motorsports Turns Focus to Rally in 2008
Two-Time Championship-Winning Owner to Shutter Sports Car Effort Until 2009
PAHRUMP, Nev., (January 17, 2008) — 2003 and 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans GT class winners. 2005 American Le Mans Series GT2 Driver, IMSA Cup and Team Champions. 2006 American Le Mans Series GT2 Driver and IMSA Cup Champions. 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona GT winners, second overall. 2005 12 Hours of Sebring GT2 winners. 2005 and 2006 Petit Le Mans GT2 winners. 10-time American Le Mans Series race winners.

Since entering professional sports car racing in 1998, Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing has set the standard for what a sports car racing team should be on the track and off. With all of that success and a renewed enthusiasm in off-road, marathon-style rally racing, such as the Euromilhões Dakar, Team Owner Michael Petersen (Las Vegas, Nev.) has decided to turn the focus of Petersen Motorsports away from international sports car racing to international rally racing for the 2008 season.

White Lightning Racing, owned by Team Manager and Entrant Dale White (Bozeman, MT), began a vigorous search for a partner to continue the team's participation in the GT2 class with Ferrari, Michelin, MOMO and Tifosi Eyewear. However, no marketing partner has been finalized at this time eliminating the team's prospects of making the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring on March 15. Dale White, Team Manager/Entrant, said, "Unfortunately, this ends a long tradition in the American Le Mans Series with Mike, and I want to thank him for his support. We have had a lot of success together in sports car racing. At the same time, White Lightning Racing is eager to continue our participation in the American Le Mans Series. We are actively working to get our program back in place as soon as possible. I definitely want to thank all of our partners like Petersen Motorsports, Ferrari, Michelin and everyone at the American Le Mans Series and IMSA for their support before and since this decision. Not only have they proven to be great partners on the track but great friends off the track. I can't say enough about every team member who has walked through our door. I have a lot of respect and am very grateful to everyone that has worn a Petersen/White Lightning firesuit over the years."

For his part, Mike Petersen is actively pursuing marketing partners to mount a full return in 2009 to the American Le Mans Series.

Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing began operation in the late 1980s competing in off-road endurance events. The effort earned championships in SODA, SCORE and SNORE, over 50 off-road wins and 80 podiums as well as class victories in both the Baja 1000 and Baja 500 (overall titles in 1995, '96 and '97 and a Class 8 title in '98) and represented Chevrolet/GM Motorsports as a factory team from 1995-'99.

In 2007, the program returned to the world of off-road racing with an impressive debut in Euromilhões Dakar 2007. Michael Petersen drove in the two wheel- drive class with co-driver Matthew Stevenson (Ipswich, England) to 23rd-place overall finish, fifth in the class and as the third-highest finishing American in the team's Dakar debut. Petersen Motorsports was scheduled to compete in its second Dakar rally with the No. 331 Petersen Motorsports/MMPIE/PAWS/Petersen Holdings/BF Goodrich Chevrolet from January 5-20th. However, that event, the first major marathon rally of the season, was canceled due to terrorist threats.

Petersen anticipates adding as many as four additional FIA Marathon Rally World Cup events to his 2008 schedule. The Marathon Rally World Cup includes the Optic Tunisia Rally in Africa, the Vodafone Rally Transiberico in Portugal, the Por las Pampas Rally in Argentina and Asia's UAE Desert Challenge. The exact schedule for Petersen Motorsports will be announced in the near future. "This was truly a difficult decision,” said Petersen. "We have had such a great run of success in the American Le Mans Series and at Le Mans. However, it came time to make the decision and I am really enjoying my time in off-road racing again. I believe that the American Le Mans Series is a great series but I feel like this is absolutely the right decision for Petersen Motorsports at this time. While we have had great success in sports car racing it is time for a new challenge and few challenges are greater than marathon rallies. I do want to take this time to thank Ferrari and Michelin for their support and to all the guys on the team that have given so much to the program over the years."

Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing would like to thank the many partners that have supported it in the American Le Mans Series and international sports car racing including Michelin Tires, Ferrari, MOMO, Tifosi Eyewear, Piloti, Justice Brothers, Hella and AVID Design. Team principals would also like to thank the American Le Mans Series, IMSA, ACO and all the drivers, technicians and team members that have been such valuable parts of the team's success.
 

American Le Mans Series announces green racing initiatives in association with EPA, DOE AND SAE International
DETROIT (January 15, 2008) — The American Le Mans Series reaffirmed its position as motorsports' global leader in alternative fuels today by announcing that it is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy and SAE International to incorporate "green racing" principles into its 2008 racing season. The American Le Mans Series will be the first motorsports series to meet the criteria for green racing being developed by these groups.

In conjunction with the history-making EPA, DOE and SAE partnerships, the American Le Mans Series announced the creation of a first-ever, Series-wide "Green Racing Challenge." This new competition will encourage manufacturers to introduce and develop their "green" technologies and will be an incremental element of the Series' signature event - the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans race to be held Oct. 4 at Road Atlanta. Protocols and criteria for the Green Racing Challenge award are being developed by the EPA and DOE along SAE International and the Series, and will be announced later this spring.

The unprecedented association of the United States' environmental and energy government agencies, along with the industry's premier automotive society dedicated to advancing global technology and information worldwide, creates a landmark moment for the world's premium brand of motorsports.

"The auto manufacturers competing in the American Le Mans Series have made it very clear that this is a direction and an overall initiative that is important to them," said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the Series. "The opportunity to formally align with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy and SAE International makes our platform very special and unique - to auto manufacturers and ultimately to consumers. At a time when nearly all of motorsports has lost its relevance regarding progressive technology or any connection from the race track to the showroom floor, the American Le Mans Series stands alone in providing a platform of solutions for our nation's automotive, transportation and energy needs."

With a direct link to the world famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, the American Le Mans Series features exotic prototype and production-based sports cars competing in four different classes on the track at the same time. The Series has more automobile manufacturers competing head-to-head than any other series in the world. All race cars in the Series compete on alternative fuels. For the last two seasons, Audi has competed with a revolutionary clean diesel-powered race car. Last year, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and fuel supplier VP Racing Fuels introduced E10 (10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline) to all other manufacturers who raced in the Series. E10 is virtually the same blend that most consumers are able to buy at their local service station. This season, the Series in conjunction with EPIC will introduce E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) as one of its fuel options.

American Le Mans Series rules also support the introduction of an electric hybrid race car and encourage manufacturers to develop new technologies (through racing) that can be applied to improve the automobiles being built for consumers. In addition to Audi, other auto marques that currently participate in the American Le Mans Series include Acura, Aston Martin, Corvette, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Mazda, Panoz, Porsche and Saleen.

The American Le Mans Series, with technical rules that not only allow but encourage manufacturers to develop cutting-edge innovations, has played an active role in the development of alternative automotive fuels. The competitive use of multiple alternative fuels such as bio and cellulosic ethanol, and zero-sulphur clean diesel has been achieved in conjunction with the automotive manufacturers that race in the American Le Mans Series.

The criteria set forth by SAE in concert with the Environment Protection Agency and Department of Energy to qualify as a Green Racing series requires that certain elements in a series be present. These elements focus on three vital characteristics that measure performance, fuel efficiency and ecological impact. They include:

• The use of renewable bio-based fuel or fuels
• The use of multiple engines, fuels and powertrain configurations
• The use of regenerative energy powertrain technologies
• The use of well-to-wheel energy analysis and GHG analysis
• The use of emission control strategies and systems

"This partnership between government and industry to use the American Le Mans Series as an incubator to accelerate the development of new, relevant and practical automotive technologies that will use less fuel and emit fewer greenhouse gasses and air pollutants further emphasizes the American Le Mans Series as the global leader in this important area," said Atherton. "This support by EPA and DOE in conjunction with the SAE comes at a time when manufacturers and consumers alike are looking for 'green' solutions. We are the only series in which manufacturers can aggressively develop breakthrough technologies for automobiles that consumers will ultimately buy and drive, reinforcing the American Le Mans Series as the most relevant racing series in the world."

The American Le Mans Series' 2008 season begins with the 56th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring March 15 at Sebring International Raceway. For the first time in history America's premier sports car endurance classic will feature teams that will all use clean diesel, E10 gasoline, or E85 ethanol.
 

Peugeot among Sebring Winter Test Entries
BRASELTON, Georgia (January 9, 2008) — Peugeot is among the list of entries for the American Le Mans Series' annual Winter Test at Sebring, joining Series prototype regulars such as Audi Sport North America, Penske Racing and Dyson Racing from the Porsche camp, three Acura teams, Mazda's B-K Motorsports and Intersport Racing.

An impressive list of the Series' top GT2 teams with representation from Dodge, Ferrari, Ford and Panoz also are entered for the three-day Test, scheduled from January 28-30 at Sebring International Raceway. It serves as a warm-up for the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on March 15, the opening race for the 2008 American Le Mans Series.

The entry of a diesel-powered Peugeot 908 leads many to believe the French factory will enter the Sebring endurance classic and provide a rematch of last year's clash at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Peugeot began on pole position there but Audi dominated the race with the trio of Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro/Marco Werner taking their second straight victory in the Audi R10 TDI. They won by 10 laps over the Peugeot of Sebastien Bourdais/Pedro Lamy/Stephane Sarrazin. The Audi trio also won last year at Sebring.

Neither factory has announced its full 2008 program but confirmations are expected to come soon.

It is getting to be busy at Sebring. Penske Racing is testing its Porsche RS Spyders today through Friday. Dyson Racing, another RS Spyder team, and Flying Lizard Motorsports from GT2 will test today and tomorrow. Andretti Green Racing, Highcroft Racing and Lowe's Fernandez Racing all will test their new Acura ARX-01b prototypes January 14-15 with Audi testing January 21-23.

Preparations for the 2008 American Le Mans Series, its 10th season of world-class sports car racing, begin January 28-30 with the annual Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway.

The 2008 season opens with the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 15. The race will start at 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live by SPEED, which will begin its coverage at 9:30 a.m. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com
 

Corvette Racing Confirms Full-Season American Le Mans Series Schedule In 2008
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 12, 2007) — The most successful team in the history of the American Le Mans Series will be building on its legacy in 2008. Corvette Racing announced its intentions to compete in all 12 Series rounds with its familiar two-car factory effort in GT1. At stake next season are its eighth consecutive manufacturer and team championships along with another win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"Corvette Racing was conceived as a long-term program to showcase the performance, technology and value of Chevrolet's world-class sports car," said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. "Since the team's competition debut in 1999, Corvette Racing's success in top-tier road racing has produced a strong return on our investment, paying dividends in marketing, engineering, technology transfer, personnel development and other areas of our business. Corvette is now a performance icon that's recognized around the world, and Corvette Racing's continued participation in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be an important element in the global celebration of GM's 100th anniversary in 2008."

Corvette Racing has won seven consecutive GT1 manufacturers and team championships and six straight drivers’ championships in American Le Mans Series competition. The team holds the Series records for class victories (57) and 1-2 finishes (40).

"Our decision to compete in all 12 rounds of the American Le Mans Series schedule in 2008 reflects our commitment to our sponsors, our suppliers and to Corvette enthusiasts worldwide," said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. "There is a reason why thousands of Corvette owners attend Corvette Corrals at American Le Mans Series events and why the autograph line at Corvette Racing is the longest in the Series paddock: Racing is an integral part of Corvette's history and heritage, and we are continuing that tradition.

"Experience teaches us that motorsports is cyclical, and the GT1 category is currently in transition," Wesoloski observed. "Would we like to see more competition in GT1 in the American Le Mans Series? Absolutely! But in the absence of season-long competition, we are absolutely committed to controlling our own destiny. We are pushing hard to develop our chassis and powertrain, to refine our race strategy, and to continuously improve every element of the program. We know that the competition at Le Mans will be intense, and we will use the American Le Mans Series to hone the race cars, the drivers and the team to prepare for it."

Corvette Racing will test two new Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars in February in preparation for the season-opening round of the Series, the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, on March 15, 2008.
 

Lizards' Van Overbeek Wins Porsche Cup
BRASELTON, Georgia (December 10, 2007) —The Porsche Cup is staying with Flying Lizard Motorsports and the American Le Mans Series. Johannes van Overbeek was presented over the weekend with the Porsche Cup, which goes annually to the world's top independent Porsche driver. He finished second in the GT2 driver championship with Flying Lizard teammate and Porsche factory driver Jörg Bergmeister.

Van Overbeek, 34 and from San Francisco, appeared in all 12 American Le Mans Series rounds in 2007 with three victories (including his first Petit Le Mans win) and seven podium finishes. He and Bergmeister led the class championship through the seven races as the Lizards finished second in the team title chase.

For his efforts, He receives the sought-after silver-gold trophy as well as 37,000 Euros ($48,100) in prize money. The Porsche Cup is endowed with prize money totaling 153,000 Euros ($198,900).

Darren Law finished second in the Porsche Cup standings as Flying Lizard drivers placed 1-2 for the second year in a row. He made nine starts with two runner-up finishes on the season. Tafel Racing's Wolf Henzler, last year's Porsche Cup winner, placed third.

American Le Mans Series drivers held six of the top 10 positions and represented by GT2 and LMP2. Dyson Racing's contingent of Butch Leitzinger, Andy Wallace, Chris Dyson and Guy Smith each placed in the top 10. The Series has produced the past three winners of the award: van Overbeek, Henzler and Tim Sugden (2005 with J3 Racing).

Preparations for the 2008 American Le Mans Series, its 10th season of world-class sports car racing, begin January 28-30 with the annual Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway.

The 2008 season opens with the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 15. The race will start at 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live by SPEED, which will begin its coverage at 9:30 a.m. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring will be available at americanlemans.com
 

Audi Plans Two-Car Effort for 2008 Season
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 30, 2007) — Audi announced its plans Friday to go for an unprecedented ninth consecutive LMP1 championship in the American Le Mans Series with a two-car effort for the 2008 season. For the second straight season, it is planned that two diesel-powered Audi R10 TDIs will be on the Series' grid for 12 rounds of the world's leading sports car series under the banner of Audi Sport North America.

In addition, Audi will shoot for its eighth championship at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and third straight for the Audi R10 TDI with a three-car effort. Audi's confirmation is dependent upon certain technical details being confirmed by IMSA, the sanctioning body of the American Le Mans Series.

Audi's record in the American Le Mans Series is unmatched. The German marque has posted 69 victories (second only to Porsche) and has captured every driver, team and manufacturer championship since 2000. With a stirring overall victory for Allan McNish and Dindo Capello in the 2007 finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Audi established a new benchmark with its 22nd consecutive class win.

"Dating back to our first race at Sebring in 1999, Audi has been an integral part in the success of the American Le Mans Series," said Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. "The relevance of Audi's American Le Mans Series program and the transfer of its TDI clean diesel technology to its passenger cars is unmatched in any form of motorsport. As we prepare to celebrate the 10th season of the American Le Mans Series, it is truly fitting that Audi, one of our key founding partners , once again is positioned to be at the forefront."

Audi's driver pairings for Le Mans will be the same as in 2007: Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro/Marco Werner, Capello/McNish/Tom Kristensen and Lucas Luhr/Alexandre Premat/Mike Rockenfeller. Primary drivers for Audi's sports car effort will be Capello, McNish, Werner and Luhr.

The first race for the 2008 model R10 TDI is scheduled to be the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. The American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for January 28-30 at Sebring International Raceway.

Audi with clear commitment to motorsport
News from Audi Motorsports

INGOLSTADT (30 November 2007) — AUDI AG makes a clear commitment to motorsport for the 2008 season with the most extensive factory involvement in the company’s history. In addition to defending the DTM title with the new A4 and the entry of three diesel-powered sportscars in the 24 Hour of Le Mans, Audi Sport plans the continuation of its involvement in the American Le Mans Series and its entry in the Le Mans Series in Europe.

As a result, Audi competes on a factory level in a prospective 30 races and three championships with two different types of car in 2008. The near 460-hp race version of the new Audi A4 celebrates its debut in the DTM. The third generation of the revolutionary R10 TDI diesel sportscar is developed by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

"Without its successes in motorsport, Audi would not be the most sporting and fastest growing brand in the premium segment," stresses Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of AUDI AG. "Everybody at Audi knows just how important motorsport is for the brand. We will continue to concentrate on racing series that bear a close relationship to production and which accelerate the development of our production car range. This is the case with the DTM and the Le Mans sportscars."

Proven driving squad in the DTM

Audi starts the 2008 DTM season as defending champions. The well-proven partner teams of Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg enter a total of eight factory cars for Audi. The customer team, Futurecom TME, brings two additional A4 cars to the grid. Audi remains loyal to the motto "Never change a winning team" where its driver squad is concerned: The four latest generation Audi A4 DTM cars are driven by DTM Champion Mattias Ekström, Tom Kristensen, Timo Scheider and Martin Tomczyk.

Also on board again are youngsters Alexandre Prémat and Mike Rockenfeller who impressed from the word go and were able to claim podium positions in their debut DTM season.

The identity of their team-mates and the line-up within the Phoenix and Rosberg teams will be revealed following driver evaluations in December. The same applies to Vanina Ickx’s successor at Futurecom TME. The occupant of the second seat in this team will again be allocated by the Bavarian-based Audi customer outfit itself.

Three Audi R10 TDI prototypes at Le Mans

Audi Sport also backs proven teams and drivers for its sportscar programme: The entry of the three cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans will once again be undertaken by Audi Sport Team Joest, which has already taken five victories for Audi in the French long-distance classic. At the wheel of the three Audi R10 TDI prototypes are the same drivers as in June 2007: Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro/Marco Werner, Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish and Lucas Luhr/Alexandre Prémat/Mike Rockenfeller.

Audi plans to enter two cars in the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Series in Europe through Audi Sport North America in the USA and Reinhold Joest’s team in Europe. "Stable regulations with the clear positioning of the LM P1 sportscar as top category and good TV marketing in Europe are conditions for Audi’s factory involvement in both of the Le Mans series," explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich.

Lucas Luhr jumps from the DTM to the R10 TDI

Regular drivers for the sportscar project in the 2008 season will be Dindo Capello, Allan McNish, Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr, the latter moving from the DTM to the Audi R10 TDI. Meanwhile Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro, the two longest serving and most experienced Audi factory drivers, compete again with the R10 TDI. Audi also wishes to commit the experienced duo to the brand for the long-term as a result of their unstinting service and loyalty to Audi after their active careers.

Detail-optimised Audi R10 TDI

The Audi R10 TDI is further developed for its third season. The Audi Sport technicians, under the direction of Technical Director Dr Martin Mühlmeier, concentrate on detail improvements to the 650-hp TDI engine and the transmission and aerodynamic areas. The first race for the 2008 model R10 TDI is scheduled to be the 12-hour race at Sebring on 15 March which acts as a dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Audi Sport Team Joest.

DTM car based on the new Audi A4

Significantly larger than the R10 TDI "facelift" is the step between the old and new Audi A4 in the DTM. Emerging from within the framework of the relatively restrictive DTM regulations is a new car which will have a new outer skin and new aerodynamics. The development started in June 2007 immediately after Audi’s latest victory in the 24-hour race at Le Mans. Components of the new A4 DTM, named "R14" internally, have already been tested successfully. The roll-out of the 2008 car will be held before the New Year. An extensive test programme then follows before the first race at the Hockenheimring on 13 April.

"Quite obviously the target in the DTM is to make a successful title defence," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "The new A4 road car is a big step forwards and it had already won many benchmark tests and important awards before its market launch. We will do everything possible to put a race car on the track that will do justice to the production car’s reputation."

While Audi goes head-to-head again with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM, the Audi R10 TDI’s main opponent will be Peugeot. "We are sure that Peugeot will make a big step forward in its second season and are expecting a hard fight at Le Mans," says Dr Ullrich. "Generally, with such an extensive programme, the 2008 season will be an enormous challenge for Audi Sport. However, Audi has never been shy of a challenge. "

Historic 10th Season of American Le Mans Series to Feature Commemorative Highlights
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 6, 2007) — The American Le Mans Series will celebrate a historic and important anniversary season in 2008. As a sort of "sneak peak," the Series recently unveiled its 10th anniversary logo at its season-ending awards banquet following this year's finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. A full year of celebration and events is being planned by the American Le Mans Series, and the best part is that the Series - designed with a "For the Fans" approach - will involve its fans in the selection of memorable historic moments.
The first stage of the 10th anniversary year will include a progression of website-related fan balloting for both the greatest moments in American Le Mans Series history as well as the greatest drivers during its initial 10 years. Fans also will have a voice in a variety of other related categories such as memorable teams, races, race cars, rivalries and finishes.

The Series "Greatest Moments" will be determined in two parts. Initially, fans will be asked to vote as a means of narrowing a list of dozens of highlights over the last nine seasons. In step two, fans will be asked to vote from a shorter list of top nominees in order to determine the "10 Greatest Moments" in Series history.

The American Le Mans Series "Drivers of the Decade" will be selected from a list of more than 50 drivers who have at least 25 career starts in at least five seasons and who have a minimum of one victory. Fan balloting on americanlemans.com again will determine the top 10 "Drivers of the Decade."

Website balloting will begin the week of November 12 and conclude in January, 2008. These award-winning moments and drivers will be celebrated in various ways throughout the season, including special in-telecast features during American Le Mans Series televised coverage.

Additional elements of the Series 10th annual season will be unveiled between now and the season's inaugural event - the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (March 15) - and as the 2008 Series' season unfolds.

The American Le Mans Series was launched in 1999 after the inaugural Petit Le Mans in October of 1998. The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring run March 20, 1999 was the Series' debut event for the Don Panoz-originated series.
 

Corsa Motorsports, Hankook Tire team for Ferrari effort in GT2 Class of American Le Mans 2008
Photos © Lisa Salazar
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 1, 2007) — Hankook Tire Corp., and Corsa Motorsports have reached an agreement for Hankook to be a sponsor and the exclusive tire supplier for Corsa Motorsports, which will compete in the 2008 American Le Mans Series' GT2 class. The sponsorship within the Series will be a showcase for Hankook performance tire technology.

It is the logical next step in the marketing and brand-building efforts to position Hankook as a market-driven, technology-focused global brand.

"Hankook has been a wonderful partner in our IMSA Lites series, and not only will they continue in that role but we welcome them with open arms as they step up into the American Le Mans Series' ultra-competitive GT2 class," said Scott Atherton, Series President and CEO. "There is no more relevant motorsports test for manufacturers - and that certainly goes for tire manufacturers - than developing and proving the technology, quality and durability than in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series. I want to congratulate and thank Hankook for their great past investment and especially for this new initiative in our Series."

The No. 48 Corsa Motorsports Ferrari F430 LMGT will begin the 2008 campaign with Hankook Tires on March 15 at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in Sebring, Fla.

"For Hankook, this is about showcasing our technology on the premier stage of road racing," said Bill Bainbridge, Director of Brand Communication for Hankook. "We are as devoted to winning on race day as Corsa Motorsports."

"Our agreement with Hankook puts us back in the game with a partner who is fully committed to putting the most competitive car out there," said Steve Pruitt, Team Principal, Corsa Motorsports. "We have some the most technologically advanced cars on the track; we want to transfer that technology to the asphalt to put us in the best position to make it to Le Mans."

In a survey done by Road & Track Magazine, 88 percent of respondents felt auto manufacturers that participate in the American Le Mans Series produce vehicles and products with engineering that is superior to that of non-participating auto manufacturers.
 

American Le Mans Series 2008 Television Plans To Include ESPN On ABC, NBC Sports And Speed
BRASELTON, Georgia (October 19, 2007) — In announcing its 2008 event television plan today, the American Le Mans Series introduced a key new network partner, welcomed back a long-standing network broadcast friend and reaffirmed its 10-year relationship with SPEED through its recently announced new three-year agreement with the motorsports network.

For the first time in Series history, ESPN on ABC will join the mix of network broadcasters featuring the world's most competitive sports cars, and will feature "three-in-a-row" second quarter event coverage from great venues in St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Houston. It is the first time in American Le Mans Series history that it will be so heavily exposed early in its season during the important second quarter sports viewing season.

"We could not have a better start to our season than these four races," said Scott Atherton, CEO/President of the American Le Mans Series, "and to add a new television partner like ABC with its ESPN brand certainly validates the prestige and growth of our Series."

"We look forward to the opportunity to televise the American Le Mans Series and help it continue to grow," said Tag Garson, ABC senior director of programming and acquisitions. "We're very pleased to be associated with this great American road racing series."

Then, in July, the Series returns to the airwaves of NBC Sports - the network of the Beijing Olympics next August - for the first time since 2004 from Mid-Ohio and the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (October) in the chase to its four-class championships.

"We at NBC believe that the American Le Mans Series is one of the most exciting and fastest growing sports entities across the board," said Jon Miller, NBC's executive vice president of sports programming. "Our telecast from Mid-Ohio allows us to showcase one of America's classic sports car courses just as the American Le Mans Series is gathering momentum going into the second half of its season."

"The American Le Mans Series has become one of the marquee race series in America," said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. "It is certainly fitting that a premier network such as NBC recognizes the special event here in Monterey as we conclude the American Le Mans Series season."

SPEED, now reaching more than 74 million cable households in the United States and more than five (5) million in Canada, opens the season with its traditional endurance coverage of the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 15. The 2008 Series television slate also balances the exposure for SPEED's seven airings with Salt Lake City (May 18) and Lime Rock (July 12) before NBC Sports airs the Acura Sports Car Challenge of Mid-Ohio on July 20. Then, SPEED picks up the chase for the Series' championship with consecutive events from Road America, Mosport, Detroit's Belle Isle and Road Atlanta (Petit Le Mans) before NBC Sports caps the telecast season from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA.

Earlier this month at the annual State of the Series address, Atherton announced a new three-year agreement with SPEED which will telecast up to seven American Le Mans Series events per season through 2010.

Internationally, the Series will continue to air "live" on MotorsTV in Europe to its 31 countries and 45 million viewers in four languages as part of an on-going multi-year agreement. "Live" platforms in Mexico and Latin America with Fox Latin America channels and Russia with terrestrial 7TV are expected to continue with various upgrades. The American Le Mans Series also has a partnership with Greenlight Television that delivers race highlights and three weekly anthology programs - Motorsports Mundial, Planet Speed and Max Power - to nearly 500 million television viewers worldwide.
 

American Le Mans Series Returns to Mosport In 2008
August 21-24 set for the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport
BOWMANVILLE, ON (October 10, 2007) — Mosport International Raceway will once again be the only Canadian stop on next year’s American Le Mans Series schedule when it hosts Canada's biggest sports car race, The Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, August 21-24, 2008.

The 2008 Series schedule was announced in Atlanta during the Petit Le Mans race weekend with Mosport as the ninth stop in the 12-race championship, which opens at Sebring on March 12 and includes events in Long Beach, Houston and Detroit, before wrapping-up in Monterey, California at Laguna Seca in mid-October. Several American Le Mans Series teams will also compete in one of the world’s great auto races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

"We're excited to welcome back a series that combines world class racing and unbeatable off-track entertainment for our fans,” said Mosport President and General Manager Myles Brandt. “The American Le Mans Series weekend has been a staple on Mosport's schedule since the series began in 1999 and the popularity of the Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport has grown tremendously over the years. Being the only Canadian race in this prestigious series makes this event a stand out on Canada's motorsports schedule."

The American Le Mans Series is the premier sports car championship in North America, featuring teams, drivers and manufacturers with world class renown. Throughout the four classes of competition are many of the world's top marques such as Acura, Audi, Corvette, Ferrari, Mazda, Panoz and Porsche. The teams are operated by some of the most famous names in the sport including Michael Andretti, Roger Penske and Bobby Rahal.

Behind the wheel of these sophisticated machines are many of the finest road course racers in the world such as Audi R10 TDI pilot and 2006 co-champion Allan McNish and Timo Bernhard of Penske Racing's Porsche Spyder prototype team. Open-wheel veterans Adrian Fernandez and Bryan Herta joined the series in 2007, and in 2008 the series will welcome new Corvette, Dodge Viper and Ford GT-powered teams.

2008 American Le Mans Series schedule

March 15- Sebring
April 5- St. Petersburg
April 19- Long Beach
April 26- Houston
May 18- Salt Lake City
July 12- Lime Rock Park
July 19- Mid-Ohio
August 9- Road America
August 24- Mosport
August 30- Detroit
October 4- Road Atlanta
October 18- Laguna Seca
 

Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing Forced to Withdraw No. 31 from Petit Running
Accident While Running in Second-Place Leads to Water Loss and Retirement

News from Petersen Motorsport/White Lightning Racing

Photos courtesy ee productions/Craig Elliott 2007

BRASELTON, Ga., October 6, 2007 - Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing has officially withdrawn the No. 31 MMPIE/PAWS/Petersen Holdings/Michelin Ferrari F430 GT from the running of the Tenth Anniversary Petit Le Mans. Team Manager Dale White (Bozeman, MT) turned in the paperwork to International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) officials after three hours and 45-minutes/123 laps of running. An accident on lap 115 of the ten hour/1,000 mile American Le Mans Series event damaged the left front radiator of the Ferrari F430 GT. As a result, the water drained from the cooling system and caused the engine to run dangerously high temperatures. The two-time defending class champions of the Petit Le Mans worked feverishly to repair the damage to the nose, front splitter and radiator. However, after three pit stops and with as much as five hours and 15 minutes of running remaining, there was little that could be done to ensure that no catastrophic engine damage was done as a result of the loss of water. For the safety of the drivers and other competitors, the team opted to retire the car.

The lap 115 accident occurred as Peter Dumbreck (born in Scotland but living in Adderbury, England) made contact while attempting to lap the No. 53 Panoz at the bottom of hill of Road Atlanta's turn 12. The No. 31 had been running in the top-three for nearly the entire event and was comfortably in second place when the incident occurred. Dirk Müller (a native of Germany now living in Monaco) had qualified the car second in yesterday's time trials and had started the car in that position. The Ferrari factory driver immediately took the lead going into turn one and held it during much of his two hour opening stint. Strategy calls were on target and, all things being equal, Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing looked to have an excellent opportunity to return to the victory podium for the third year in a row.

Today marks only the second time this season that the team has failed to finish an event- the first DNF occurred at St. Petersburg, Fla. in March and was the result of an accident as well. It is only the fifth time in 27 endurance race starts (four hours or longer) that the Michael Petersen (Las Vegas, Nev.) owned operation has not been running at the conclusion of an endurance event. It is the second time that the Nevada-based organization has not finished a Petit Le Mans in seven career starts dating back to 1999. The first came as a result of a turn 12 accident as well in 2003.
The team now turns its attention to the final race of the 2007 American Le Mans Series GT2 season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on October 20th. The program has finished on the podium of the four-hour race twice in the last two seasons including a victory in 2005 to clinch that year's Driver, Team and IMSA Cup Championships. Driver Lucas Luhr (born in Koblenz, Germany but now living in Ermatingen, Switzerland) - who was scheduled to drive the No. 31 Ferrari in today's event with Dumbreck and Müller before the Audi factory driver was called on by the factory to replace an injured driver in the No. 2 Audi R10 LMP 1 entry- will return to the car at Laguna Seca.
 

Service with a smile at Sam's Mart Shell, courtesy of the ALMS

Cars, Stars and $2.25 a gallon E10 brighten the day of the fans

ATLANTA, Georgia (October 2, 2007) — Customers may have been drawn in to Sam’s Mart/Shell on Northside Drive by the lure of $2.25/gallon “E10” fuel, an ethanol blend warranted for use in any vehicle built after 1980. And yes, that was a Ferrari 430 GT parked at the pumps, seemingly waiting its turn to fill up; the lightning bolts on the sides identified it as the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing American Le Mans GT champion, on hand to help promote the new partnership of the American Le Mans with EPIC. This year, the American Le Mans Series has chosen E10 as “the official ethanol-enriched fuel” of the series, the first time a street legal renewable fuel has been used in any endurance format; as the American Le Mans Series works hand in hand with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) that brings you the 24 Hours of Le Mans each June, a leader in the field of developing alternative fuels. Some people have been cautious about using these new fuels in their street legal cars, but a fuel that will burn in a championship contender like the PWL Ferrari inspired confidence in the fans as well.

And not only did the fans get a close up look at the Ferrari, they must have thought they were back in the “good old days” as a smiling young man offered to “fill it up” while they sat comfortably looking on – and their own smiles grew as they realized it was Peter Dumbreck, driver of the Petersen/White Lightning Ferrari, topping up their tanks. Dumbreck proved as efficient at this facet of a racing driver’s day as he is behind the wheel, even diplomatically explaining to a confused NASCAR fan that there is a difference between E10 and diesel. (One hopes Dumbreck told the gentlemen that he is the famous driver of the Flying Mercedes of song and story, last seen at treetop height on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans 1999. NASCAR fans love stuff like that.)

Also present during the two-hour promotion was Tom Milner Jr., driver of the #18 Bell Micro Porsche for Rahal Letterman Racing, who joined Dumbreck both at the pump and in the more usual pleasure of signing autographs and posing for photos with the fans. A good time and some good bargains were had by all, as participants registered to win tickets for the race and enjoyed free fountain drinks and coffee provided by Sam’s Mart.

Then the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Ferrari rolled back onto its transport trailer and headed for Road Atlanta, where 90,000+ fans will soon be gathering to see it stretch its legs at the Petit Le Mans for 1,000 miles or 10 hours, whichever comes first. And if a Ferrari can do that on E10 fuel, why, you can fill up your car on the way to the race, too.
 

Andretti Green's Atlanta Homecoming
News from the American Le Mans Notebook
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 28, 2007) — As Andretti Green Racing prepares for its first Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, the team is looking forward to the race for many reasons. It represents a chance for AGR to capture both endurance race victories and a chance to showcase the progression the Acura program has made during the season. The American Le Mans Series' cornerstone event also means that for a few crew members, the Petit event will be a homecoming.

Three AGR team members hail from the Atlanta area. Scott Graves, AGR's director of American Le Mans Seres operations; Steve Newey, the race engineer of the No. 26 XM Satellite Radio Acura; and Ron Weaver, a mechanic and tire changer on the No. 26 car, all have ties to Atlanta. All three expect to be searching for tickets for friends and family as the weekend draws closer.

One of the longest tenured employees at AGR, Graves is also one of the most instrumental to the success AGR has experienced. Graves began working as the director of engineering at Team Green in 1994 and stayed in that role until 2002. When the team became Andretti Green Racing in 2003, Graves continued to lead the engineering department until 2006 when he took charge of the American Le Mans Series program.

The Georgia Tech graduate was a key figure in the back-to-back IndyCar Series championship efforts in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, AGR won 11 of the 17 IndyCar Series races including the Indianapolis 500 - all with Graves at the engineering helm.

Graves started his racing career as a design engineer for FABCAR Engineering, working on the company's IMSA GTP and Porsche GTO programs. He also developed fuel consumption and race strategy software for Galles-Kraco and Team Green.

Prior to the 2007 season, AGR hired veteran engineer Newey to become the first race engineer for the No. 26 XM Satellite Radio Acura. No stranger to sports car racing, Newey was employed as a sports car design engineer for the Jaguar and Ford racing programs after graduating from Southern Polytechnic State Institute in Marietta, Ga.

From there, Newey spent many successful seasons engineering all forms of open-wheel race cars, starting at Galles Racing. Newey then ventured overseas to engineer Arrows Formula One team, where it finished fourth in the Formula One championship for its highest finish ever.

Following his stint at Arrows, Newey returned to the United States and worked on cars driven by Al Unser Jr., Danny Sullivan and Tony Kanaan. Newey also engineered Bobby Rahal to four wins and the 1992 IndyCar World Series Championship.

Newey, who witnessed several Camel GT and Formula 5000 events at Road Atlanta, spent the 2001 season with Team Green and engineered Michael Andretti to a third-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.

Weaver, the final member of the AGR staff to call Georgia home, has made more trips to the Road Atlanta track than he can count.

The Roswell, Ga., native moved to the AGR American Le Mans Series program after spending many years working on the Andretti Green Racing IndyCar Series program. Weaver is a mechanic and changes the right-side (inside) tires on the XM Satellite Radio Acura. He also was a mechanic and tire changer on the 2004 Team 7-Eleven crew that captured the IndyCar Series championship by completing every possible lap - a first for any car in American motorsports history.

The University of Georgia graduate made his first trip to the Road Atlanta in 1983 with his dad to see the SCCA Showroom Stock endurance race. Following that, Weaver attended all IMSA Camel GT, Vintage and SCCA national championship events he was able to.

"Road Atlanta is a great track for spectators because there are so many different views," said Weaver. "There are straightaways and great corners and plenty of areas to sit and watch the races.

"During the IMSA events, I used to skip school on Thursdays and Fridays and go up and watch the trucks come in on set-up day," he added. "The biggest disappointment of the year was always when that race or the Runoffs were over because I had a year to go until they came back."

Weaver began his career in motorsports working on sports cars with Comprent Motorsports and Doran/Momo Racing in the 1990s. After getting his racing start, Weaver moved on to Forsythe Racing's Indy Lights program in 1999 and Team Green's Indy Lights program in 2000.

Because the three have been so extensively involved in motorsports, only Graves has actually been to a Petit Le Mans event. However, all three have spent countless days at the track watching various SCCA and IMSA events.

"Obviously this is a very important race, not only for Andretti Green Racing, but also for Acura," said Graves. "There's a significant amount of pressure to win this race. From a performance standpoint, we're pretty happy with the XM Acura. Petit is a reliability race so we're going to try and duplicate what we did at Sebring and have the most reliable car."

The 10th running of Petit Le Mans, the annual 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic at Road Atlanta, is set for 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 6. SPEED will provide live coverage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 6:30 to 10 p.m. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing and Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com
 

Georgia Drivers Have Petit Le Mans On Their Minds
News from the American Le Mans Notebook
BRASELTON, Georgia (September 25, 2007) — Road Atlanta is the birthplace of Petit Le Mans, the 1,000-mile/10-hour sports car endurance race that draws thousands of spectators and competitors from around the world. In 1998, Don Panoz decided that sports car racing needed a strong home in North America. By holding the inaugural Petit Le Mans in the rolling foothills of north Georgia, Dr. Panoz created an event where atmosphere, skill and excitement culminated into a unique sports car weekend.

Three accomplished American Le Mans Series drivers live and work in the Atlanta metro area. Nic Jonsson, Jim Tafel and Johnny O'Connell claim Road Atlanta as their home track, and each has his own level of experience there. Jonsson, one of three drivers of the No. 61 Risi Competizione/Krohn Racing Ferrari F430 GT, is a well-versed sports car driver who demonstrates his true enthusiasm about racing in Petit Le Mans.

"I think that Petit has become one of the most prestigious races in the world, up there with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona," said Jonsson, who finished second in GT2 at Le Mans in June with Tracy Krohn and Colin Braun.

Despite living only miles from Road Atlanta, Jonsson does not believe that his proximity to the track gives him an advantage over the field of world-class drivers the prestigious event draws.

"From a pure performance standpoint I don't think it really gives me an advantage. All of the teams from around the world test here. But it's always nice to sleep in your own bed and have home cooking," he said.

Not only can Corvette Racing's O'Connell sleep in his own bed but he can probably hit the snooze button a few more times than most. Just minutes away from the track in nearby Flowery Branch, the New York native is one most recognizable faces from the Series paddock.

He holds the record for most career starts in the American Le Mans Series with 83 starts and ranks at or near the top in every statistical category. He also is a two-time GT1 class champion and even appeared in a General Motors television spot during this year's Super Bowl.

"It is of course an advantage to sleep in your own home rather than a hotel, but in some ways it's more difficult as you have so many people wanting a bit of your time, that it can take your mind away from the race," O'Connell said. "So one needs to be focused on the goal, which is winning what is one of our biggest races of the year."

A first-year team owner and full-time driver in the Series, Tafel is new to American Le Mans Series competition and Petit Le Mans. This year is Tafel Racing's first full year in the Series and will mark Tafel's first running at the endurance classic.

"It will be very different with lots of local people being able to attend a race," said Tafel about Petit being in Georgia. "It will be one of the highlights of the year, being a home team."

Tafel Racing will be one of the teams featured at a Petit Le Mans function at FOX Sports Grill in the Atlantic Station area of Atlanta on Tuesday prior to the race. The event will run from 6 to 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 2.

The 10th running of Petit Le Mans, the annual 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic at Road Atlanta, is set for 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 6. SPEED will provide live coverage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 6:30 to 10 p.m. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing and Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com 
 

Flying Lizard No. 44 2nd in GT2 at Detroit; No. 45 Retired after Accident
News from Flying Lizard Motorsports

Photos © Neil Chapel 2007
BELLE ISLE, Detroit, Michigan (September 1, 2007) -- The Flying Lizard Motorsport's No. 44 Porsche of Darren Law and Patrick Long finished second in GT2 today at the Grand Prix of Detroit in its second podium finish of the year. After a strong and virtually trouble-free run, the No. 44's result proved to be the silver lining in what was a difficult weekend for the team's championship effort. The street course definitely had it in today for Johannes van Overbeek and Jörg Bergmeister and the Lizard's No. 45 Porsche. Heading into the race, the duo was just 16 points from first for the ALMS drivers' championship, second to the No. 62 Ferrari's Mika Salo and Jaime Melo. Unfortunately, ninety minutes into today's race, that gap widened to 36 points, when the No. 45 was retired after an accident on track. The accident significantly damaged the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and resulted in a spectacular on-track car fire and lengthy full-course yellow. van Overbeek, who was driving at the time, was able to pull off course when he saw smoke and flames, exited the car quickly and was not injured.

After a rocky start in the first practice session on Friday in which both Lizard Porsches were significantly damaged in separate incidents, the Lizards knew to expect a rough race. However, things started out well with Darren Law in the No. 44 fourth on the grid and Johannes van Overbeek sixth. After making it through a chaotic first lap, Darren was able to move to fourth, and Johannes to fifth. The two Lizard Porsches ran nose to tail for the first 20 minutes of the 2 hour and 45 minute race, chasing the three Ferraris: the No. 62 in the lead, the No. 61 Risi Ferrari in second and the No. 31 Petersen White Lightning Ferrari in third. At the 20-minute mark, Johannes passed Darren to move into fourth position.

25 minutes into the race, the No. 61 attempted to pass the No. 31 Ferrari (which had overtaken him earlier) and they collided on course -- sending the No. 61 into the wall and the No. 31 off course, causing a yellow flag. As a result, the No. 45 moved into P 2 and the No. 44 into P3, with the No. 62 in the lead with a large gap. All three cars pitted under the ensuing yellow for tires and fuel. With fast pit stops on the No. 45 and the No. 44, both Lizard cars were able to close the gap with the leader No. 62. The No. 31 was in fourth position -- just six seconds behind the No. 44. As a result of the multiple cautions and attrition in the GT2 field, the four leading GT2 cars were all on the same lap, but the entire rest of the GT2 field was one lap back or more. Over the next 40 minutes, all four GT2 cars -- the No. 62, No. 45, No. 44 and No. 31 -- maintained their positions, with the No. 62 gradually building a wider gap from the rest.

At the ninety-minute mark, things began to go seriously wrong for the Lizards. The No. 45 collided with the No. 71 Tafel Porsche on track, causing significant damage to both cars. A double yellow was called as the cars made their way around the track. The No. 45 caught fire on the track on its way back to the pits, as the result of the earlier accident. Johannes was able to pull off course and quickly exited the car and was not injured. The rear of the car was engulfed in flames and dense black smoke. The safety crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly, but the car sustained significant damage and is not repairable.

Darren, in the No. 44, then pitted under yellow, but was directed back out by the crew without tires and fuel (after stopping in his pit stall and turning off his engine) in order to maintain his position under the caution and benefit from the safety car wave-by. Unfortunately, he was assessed a penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed limit. The No. 44 crew then called Darren -- who was now in P2 behind the No. 62 Ferrari -- into the pits under the caution for driver change to Patrick Long, tires and fuel. Patrick exited the pits under yellow and immediately pitted again (still under yellow) to serve the stop and go penalty for the earlier pit lane speed infraction.

The No. 44 was able to retain its second place position through yet another yellow flag with just 30 minutes to go. At green flag, the No. 44 was just 2.5 seconds behind the No. 62 Ferrari. The No. 31 had also gained a lap back under yellow and, now in third, was just four seconds behind Patrick. The No. 61 Ferrari, now in fourth place, was still one lap down. It was shaping up to be a battle between the No. 62, the No. 44 and the No. 31 when the No. 31 got a stop and go penalty for an on-track incident with the No. 73 Tafel car, putting the No. 31 effectively out of contention for the lead.

With just 20 minutes to go, Long pushed the No. 44 to the limit, keeping pressure on the No. 62 Ferrari until the tire performance began to fall off. He crossed the finish line second in GT2. The No. 31 Ferrari was third.

Long commented, "The second podium for the No. 44 with Darren and the Lizards this year! I'm elated about that result. The battle that I had with the No. 62 car was one of the most exciting all season for me. I wish I'd been able to throw the nose inside to pass. I was able to keep the pressure on him and force him into a few small errors and I hoped that one of those was going to be able to let me get by him but he was able to string several laps together with created a large gap and broke away. I just wish it would have been a 44 and 45 dual podium."

van Overbeek added, "We struggled all weekend with the setup but by raceday we had a fast and consistent car. Race start was great: we quickly went from sixth place to second. We were the fastest Porsche in GT2 while we were on track and on average not that far off of the pace of the lead Ferrari. It all went wrong when I caught a lapped car and unfortunately made contact as I passed, which started the whole chain of events. It was a very frustrating and unbelievable setback. Once again, the crew did everything right today but we don't have the result we had hoped for."

Team principal Seth Neiman commented, "A strong run for the 44 today -- congrats to the team on a well deserved second place. Great work by the engineer, crew and drivers. Unfortunately, it was a very difficult race weekend for the No. 45. Thankfully everyone is OK."

Reflecting on last week's race at Mosport, in which the No. 45 was assessed a lengthy penalty for passing the leader under yellow (see the Mosport results release), Neiman continued, "I probably shouldn't be surprised about today given the disturbing start to the weekend. Although it pales in comparison to the fire, the issues from Mosport were heavily on our minds. After acknowledging the excessive penalty given the No. 45 car for passing under yellow at Mosport, the stewards strangely elected to do nothing to correct it. Even stranger is the rationale given -- that they didn't wish to guess at what the results would have been after the fact. Their reasoning was the exact opposite when they took the victory from us at Infineon in 2004. I have instructed the team for years to accept these decisions and keep racing hard -- but it is tough to avoid feeling that things are not as consistent this season as they could be. We'll continue to fight the Ferraris with everything we've got, but this decision -- and of course the retirement -- are serious blows in what has clearly been an uphill battle for us."
 

Detroit a Home Race for Corvette, Audi Teams
News from The American Le Mans Notebook

Photos © Jamie Longmuir 2007

DETROIT Mi (August 27, 2007) — Audi Sport North America and Corvette Racing will be the "home teams" this weekend as the American Le Mans Series visits the Motor City for the first time with the inaugural Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch. The 10th round of the 12-race 2007 season, part of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix weekend, gets the green flag at 3:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 1.

"For Audi Sport North America, it is a little bit of a home race," said Audi's Allan McNish, who will pilot one of the team's diesel-powered Audi R10 TDIs with reigning LMP1 co-champion Dindo Capello. "The car has got a lot of support. Having been to the circuit, Belle Isle is a very historic one and is a well-designed track."

The platform of the American Le Mans Series makes it a natural fit in Detroit. No other major motorsports series in the world can boast the number of manufacturers present in the Series paddock. It also means manufacturers like Audi and General Motors will display their leading-edge innovation in front of many of the same people who use that same technology to produce road cars that are direct descendents of their on-track brethren.

"Racing in Detroit is a really neat deal for us," said Corvette Racing's Johnny O'Connell, who won the GT1 class at Mosport with Jan Magnussen. "The people at GM know about Corvette Racing's accomplishments in the American Le Mans Series and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but this is our first opportunity to let them see firsthand what we do at the track. We'll be able to show them the incredible technology of the race cars and the fantastic reception that Corvette Racing gets from Corvette owners and race fans at every event. We're going to have everything shined and polished, and I can't wait to show our stuff in Detroit."

"We're looking forward to being the home team for the first American Le Mans Series race in Detroit," said Oliver Gavin, who shares the lead for the GT1 drivers championship with his teammate Beretta in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R. "It's going to be great to race so close to GM headquarters. It will be a very busy week, but I see that as an opportunity to say thank you to the people behind the scenes who make Corvette Racing successful."

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch from Belle Isle in Detroit. The race will begin at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 1. The race will be televised on SPEED from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com
 

Open and Shut Case

News from Dyson Racing

Photos © Jamie Longmuir 2007
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (August 26, 2007) — Dyson Racing moved back into second place in the American Le Mans Series P2 Team Championship with their fifth and seventh place class finishes at the Grand Prix of Mosport. It was a spirited sojourn north of the border with four different manufactures in the top six.

The top Dyson finishers of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith ran as high as third in class, and provided fans and TV viewers with a showcase of determined driving to the last turn of the race. Smith pressured Adrian Fernandez’s Acura for twenty laps, finally passing him spectacularly on the outside of turn two on lap 79 of the 125 lap race. Smith hounded Ben Devlin for the last twenty-five minutes and ended up having contact with Fernandez when Devlin went wide at turn nine. “Adrian and I came together as we were racing to the flag and I crossed the finish line crossed up, but it was good racing fun,” said Smith.

Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger in the #16 Porsche RS Spyder missed out on a potential class podium with confusion during the second of the event’s two cautions.

“There was a muddle with the pace car picking up the race leader,” said Wallace. “And than IMSA said that pits are open and three cars – the two Penske (Porsches) and Fernandez pitted and than right after they stopped, they said no, the pits are closed and so we all had to go around again. I came in but could not pull into my pit cleanly because the car behind us was partly into our pit box. The fuel hose did not reach and we lost too much time reangling the car.” This mishap cost the 16 car a lap to the P2 leaders that they would later regain, but the loss in track position kept them from contending at the end.

“We hoped for a better race result, but we leave here in a stronger position in the team championship and we are more competitive for the run to the season’s end,” Chris Dyson said afterwards.

The American Le Mans series moves across the Great Lakes for the tenth of the twelve race series next weekend at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix on Saturday, September 1st.
 

There's No Place like Mosport for Dyson
News from The American Le Mans Series Notebook
BOWMANVILLE Ontario (August 17, 2007) — If Dyson Racing could race 12 times a year at Mosport International Raceway, it probably would. And why not? The Poughkeepsie, NY-based team has enjoyed more success at Mosport than at any other venue in the American Le Mans Series calendar and would dearly like to add more next week in the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport.

The last four seasons have been impressive with overall wins in 2004 and 2005, and a LMP675 class win in 2003. Dyson Racing drivers have posted the fastest race laps in four straight years and have combined for 13 podiums. Not even Audi can match that performance at the Series' lone Canadian stop.

The success goes beyond the American Le Mans Series. From 1995-98, Dyson Racing took three wins and a runner-up in IMSA competition, a feat not lost on the loyal Mosport fans.

"It's our second home on the calendar after Lime Rock. Every time year in and year out, we always tend to show up there and be competitive," team driver and Principal Chris Dyson said. "We've been fortunate to have such good cars because the cars have favored the track. We do have a lot of miles there and the team has a lot of mileage, experience and data.

"It really does go back to 1995 with IMSA and the World Sports Cars," he added. "The fans really opened up to Dyson Racing and we've been racing there pretty much ever since. That's not lost on them. It's a very knowledgeable group and some of the best we have."

Continuing the team's recent history will be a much stiffer chore this season. Dyson, as it has all season, will field two Porsche RS Spyders in LMP2 although Penske Motorsports has guided the prototype to overall wins in the last six American Le Mans Series rounds. Leitzinger and Wallace have two podium finishes to their credit at Long Beach and Salt Lake City.

Dyson and Wallace scored the team's first Mosport victory in 2003 in a Lola EX257-MG. The team beefed up the car for the move to P1 for 2004 and saw Weaver and Leitzinger score overall wins over the all-conquering Audi R8. In 2006, the team finished second and third in a pair of new Lola P1s. The first time the Dyson Porsches will hit the Mosport circuit will be Tuesday in a pre-event test.

"When you look at Lime Rock, which is comparable to Mosport in speed, it's a good indication of our competitiveness," said Dyson. And he's right. The team was fastest during a pre-event test, qualified second overall and was the fastest car in the warm-up session. "We're all confident. The second half has been the story for us. We haven't had the luck we wanted. The pace has been there and it's only a matter of time before we begin to show results.

"Being a lighter car, I'd say the general feel of the car is closer to the 675," Dyson added. "But the aero regulations mean that the car is much more stable to drive in traffic, and there is a wider setup window. What Porsche has done is achieve is having a car that is exceptionally good on high speed corners but also has low-speed mechanical grip. It's fantastic."

As is the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit. A track that played host to Formula 1 and the Canadian Grand Prix from 1967-77, Mosport is famous for its high speeds and flowing corners.

"It's extremely high-speed and demands absolute concentration," Dyson said. "It's the only track I know of that every corner you have to drive through is the most important."

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Mobil 1 presents Grand Prix of Mosport from Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The race will start at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 26 and will be broadcast live on SPEED. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing and Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com
 

Lienhard and Theys to Drive Maserati at Road America
News from Doran Racing
ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 9, 2007) — Three of the most successful men in American sports car racing have entered a Maserati MC12 in the American Le Mans Series' next race, the Generac 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., Aug. 10-11.

Owner/driver Fredy Lienhard of Niederteufen, Switzerland and Belgium's Didier Theys of Scottsdale, Ariz., will drive the blue No. 27 prepared by Kevin Doran of Doran Racing, Lebanon, Ohio. The three men have a long and very successful history racing together in endurance sports car events, including back-to-back overall victories in this very race in 2000 and 2001 when another sanctioning body organized the event.

Lista, Making Workspace Work, the worldwide leader in modular storage units, will be the primary sponsor of the Maserati, which will compete in the ALMS' GT1 class. Lista Office, a state-of-the-art office furniture company, is an associate sponsor. The team will use Michelin tires.

Road America will be this particular car's first race ever. Its appearance is expected to add much excitement to the event, especially for those around the world who share a passion for the Trident marque and its storied history.

Lienhard purchased the Maserati, chassis number ZAMDF44B000024053, for his private car collection last year. The team tested the car for a day and a half in June at Road America, which went very well, so the privateers decided to see for themselves how competitive they could be against the very powerful and well-funded factory Corvettes.

Theys admits he doesn't know how they will fare against such strong competition, but he is enthusiastic about the opportunity to drive the car at Road America, one of his favorite tracks.

"I have no idea how competitive we will be against the factory Corvettes," he said. "They have so much experience and they are a factory effort, and we are a small, private team. I have very little experience in a modern GT car, but I was really enthused about the Maserati after driving it at the test. In the little bit of time I spent in the car I really enjoyed it, and it will be a new experience for me.

"The only other time I drove a modern GT car was in one race last year in Brazil, when I drove a Saleen," he continued. "But I enjoyed driving the Maserati at the test, and I'm really happy that Kevin Doran is involved; it will be like in the old days.

"I also love Road America," Theys added. "I raced there for the first time in 1985 in Super Vees. The following year I started last in a Super Vee race there and finished second. I've raced there probably four or five times in Indy cars too, and then after that in sports cars. Fredy, Mauro Baldi and I won there in 2000 and 2001."

"It will be a new challenge for all of us, and it comes on a very challenging track," Lienhard concurred. At 4.048 miles and 14 turns, Road America is the second-longest road course in the United States.

The MC12 Theys and Lienhard will drive is the FIA GT1 version. It has a V-12, six-liter aluminum engine; a six-gear, sequential gearbox, and it uses a Marelli electronic management system. Its carbon Brakes are by Brembo. Its bodywork and chassis are made of carbon fiber.

Both Theys and Lienhard were part of the driving squad for Doran Racing's Rolex 24 victory in 2002. That was one of just many victories for Doran Racing, which was the first and only team in U.S. history to win the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year (1998).

If things go as hoped at Road America, Lienhard said the team would also enter the Maserati in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta Motorsports Park in Braselton, Ga., on Oct. 6.

Should they also enter that race, Theys said the team's third driver for that event will likely be Eric van de Poele of Incourt, Belgium, who has been racing with Lienhard and Theys all year in the Lista Office-sponsored Horag Racing Lola Judd in the Le Mans Series in Europe. They won that series' season opener, the 1,000 Kilometers of Monza, in April in the LMP2 class.

Along with Thomas Biagi, Michael Bartles and Pedro Lamy, van de Poele also finished second in class at the 24 Hours of Spa last Sunday in the Vitaphone Maserati MC12. It was one of four MC12s in the top seven in that race. Maserati currently leads Corvette by 35 points in the FIA GT manufacturer point standings, but Corvette has run virtually unchallenged for most of the year in the ALMS' GT1 division.

The action at Road America will get underway with testing Thursday afternoon, Aug. 9. Qualifying for the GT1 and GT2 divisions will be held at 2:30 p.m. Central time on Friday, Aug. 10. The four-hour race will get the green flag at 4 p.m. Central time on Saturday, Aug. 11. Live timing and scoring and the ALMS radio coverage will be available
 

Close finishes nothing new at Road America
Photos © Regis Lefebure
ROAD AMERICA, Wisconsin (July 27, 2007) — At 4.048 miles, Road America is the second-longest circuit on the American Le Mans Series schedule. It also is the fastest Series venue with average qualifying speeds in excess of 133 mph for prototypes and 120 for production-based GT cars. But despite Road America's length and the speed, it has had a knack lately for providing some of the best and closest finishes in the American Le Mans Series.

Six of the last eight class finishes in the Generac 500, site of next week's eighth round of the 2007 American Le Mans Series season, have come down to the final lap. And in four of those cases, the winning margin has been less than 0.4 seconds.

Last year's race saw the top six cars finish on the lead lap. Three of the 10 closest finishes in the Series' nine-year history have come at the circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Last year, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro won in LMP1 and the overall race by 0.4 seconds over Audi mates Dindo Capello and Allan McNish. The gap in P2 between Penske Motorsports two Porsche RS Spyders was even closer at 0.15 seconds with Sascha Maassen and Timo Bernhard coming home the winners. The GT2 battle also went down to the end with Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Long taking a 4.237-second win in the Petersen/White Lightning Porsche over BMW's Joey Hand and Bill Auberlen.

That came a year after Long and Bergmeister posted the closest GT2 finish in Series history, a 0.298-second win over Bernhard and Dumas for Alex Job Racing. The same race saw Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin win by 0.142 seconds for Corvette Racing in GT1. Pirro and Biela won the overall race by 3.239 seconds in an Audi R8.

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Generac 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. The four-hour race is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, August 11. American Le Mans Radio will have live coverage at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA Live Timing & Scoring. NBC Sports will broadcast the race from 2:30-4:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 12.
 

Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing Releases Enge Effective Immediately
Team Takes Top-Five Finish at Mid-Ohio

Photos © DeFord Photo 2007
LEXINGTON, Ohio, (July 21, 2007) —  Petersen Motorsports /White Lightning Racing has announced the immediate dismissal of driver Tomas Enge (a native of the Czech Republic now living in Monaco) following today's Sports Car Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. In accordance with the two-time American Le Mans Series GT2 Driver Championship-winning team's written policy on driver expectations and conduct, Enge was released approximately 45-minutes into the two hour and 45- minute event. Enge was assessed a penalty by IMSA Stewards/Officials for causing damage to a car while on probation. In accordance with a written agreement regarding the driver's probation, Team Manager/Entrant Dale White (Bozeman, MT) followed team policy and protocol and released Enge immediately.  "We are following our team's policy and have released Tomas from his contract with Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing effective immediately," said White.  "While this is extremely regrettable to Mike Petersen, myself and the team, Tomas has been on probation with the team, as well as with IMSA, since Lime Rock Park and our policy and understanding with Tomas is clear. It was understood that we would not and could not tolerate any further penalties and that any additional penalty would be dealt with in this manner. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the actual incidents, it is our practice to follow the determination of the stewards."

The Michael Petersen (Las Vegas, Nev.) owned team soldiered home with a top-five GT2 class finish today despite a damaged race car. Dirk Müller (a German now living in Monaco) will continue with the two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winners. The second driver for the No. 31 MMPIE/PAWS/Petersen Holdings/Michelin Ferrari F430 GT is under consideration and will be announced prior to the August 11th round at Road America. Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing is the defending GT2 class race winners at Road America and has won three of the last four seasons at the Elkhart Lake, Wisc. facility.

Seeing Red at Mid-Ohio
News from Dyson Racing
Photos © Dan Boyd
LEXINGTON OH July 21, 2007 – Dyson Racing left Mid-Ohio tied for second in the P2 team championship after today’s American Le Mans race. The team finished six and seventh after two hours and forty five minutes of animated racing on the thirteen-turn, 2.25-mile course. The #16 Porsche RS Spyder of Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace finished ahead of their sister #20 Thetford/Norcold entry driven by Chris Dyson and Guy Smith.

“This is a track where the driver has input and is not a slave to the set up,” observed Leitzinger. “You can hustle the car around here. I had a great battle with (Luis) Diaz and (Sascha) Maassen during the first stint. I was able to get by Diaz in the Acura for fourth and I tried the same maneuver on Maassen in the Penske Porsche for third and did not quite make it and after that he was on guard.”

Andy Wallace got in the #16 machine on lap 50 of the 134 lap race. “We were able to stay with the Penskes, but when you went around a slower car on the outside, you got pick-up on your tires. You would do a do-or-die pass on someone and you think that is great and then the car is bad for a lap as you work off the pick-up. Then you catch another car and go through it all over again.”

For the second race in a row, a penalty influenced the outcome for the #20 car. After a strong team effort, Guy Smith had to come in for a stop-and-go penalty ten laps from the end, the reasons for which were rather dubious. “Bryan, Guy and a back marker were three-wide going up to the Keyhole,” Chris Dyson said afterwards. “The back For Hi Res, Click Here marker moved over on the Acura and hit him hard enough to break his right rear suspension. Guy was on the inside and had nowhere to go! Herta even made a point of coming over after the race and saying that he thought the penalty was undeserved. There was no logic in giving Guy a penalty for ‘avoidable contact,’ when the incident was clearly caused by the back marker.”

“The lap times showed we had the pace of the winners today,” Dyson continued. “We came in early on lap 38 to minimize the time lost in traffic and to get out of sequence with the others. It was a strategy that was vindicated because Guy was marching up the order and we were on a better tire selection for the second and third stints. I think if things had gone better, we could have been on the podium. We will go to Elkhart Lake in three weeks time hoping for a more levelheaded view from the stewards’ tower.”
 

Woodhouse announces Viper program for GT2
BRASELTON, Georgia (July 12, 2007) — A new team and a familiar face is returning to the American Le Mans Series. Woodhouse Performance will make its Series debut at the Acura Sports Car Challenge on July 19-21 and will bring Dodge and its Viper brand back to the Series. The Mid-Ohio appearance will serve as an evaluation of the Viper Competition Coupe in the GT2 class.

The venture is a collaboration of efforts that combines the common curiosity of Dodge, KUMHO Tires and Woodhouse Performance to discover the capability of the Viper within the premium brand of motorsports. It will go head-to-head with other elite GT2 manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche and Panoz.

"We are always thrilled to add world-class teams and premium manufacturers to what is already the most diverse grid in all of motorsports," said Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. "Dodge and the Viper brand share a rich tradition and deep history in sports car racing and the American Le Mans Series, and we welcome them back with open arms. Woodhouse Performance has a solid record of success in other levels of competition and we are eager to see that carry over into their first efforts in the American Le Mans Series."

It is a venture that boasts many firsts. It will be the first time a Dodge Viper Competition Coupe has ever competed in the Series and the first appearance for Dodge since 2005. The factory Dodge Viper squad from Team ORECA won the Series' first two GTS championships in 1999 and 2000 with Olivier Beretta taking driver titles each year. Dodge also ranks fifth among Series manufacturers with 15 victories.

It will also be the first time Woodhouse Performance has entered into American Le Mans competition and the first time KUMHO Tires has appeared in the GT2 class.

Woodhouse Performance expects to be the vehicle to provide valuable information to Dodge Motorsports in order to help determine the competitiveness of the race-ready Dodge Viper that has been in existence for the last four years. Woodhouse Performance is exploring the American Le Mans Series as an alternative to World Challenge so that all Viper Competition Coupes have more than one choice in professional racing.

Cindi Lux, of Aloha, Oregon and Stan Wilson, of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., will co-pilot the No. 13 Dodge/KUMHO Tires Dodge Viper Competition Coupe for Woodhouse Performance at Mid-Ohio. Both are contract KUMHO drivers and were handpicked for the effort.

KUMHO has been involved in the American Le Mans Series for the past two years, competing in the LMP2 division. This season, they are involved in both LMP1 and LMP2 and posted their first win at Le Mans in June.

"Cindi and Stan have had a lot of success on our tires in SCCA competition," said Rudy Consolacion, KUMHO's Motorsports Manager. "And they've played a big role in the development of our DOT competition tires. We're eager to enter the fray of GT2 competition, and we hope to use this as a stepping stone to expand our American Le Mans Series effort in 2008."

Lux will be making her third career start in the American Le Mans Series at Mid-Ohio having raced to a top-five finish in the GT2 (then known as GT) class in the 2000 Petit Le Mans. Her first start in the Series came one year earlier in an all-female driver entry at the Petit Le Mans. This will be her first start with the Woodhouse Performance team.

"The Competition Coupe is a great car and very competitive in World Challenge trim but it will be interesting to see where it stacks up with all the GT2 fire-breathing machines," Lux continued. "We know that we have to understand what our goals are, and the big goal is to gain information for KUMHO, Dodge and Woodhouse Performance. We want to do well so we get the best information for them but where we finish is pretty irrelevant."

Wilson will be making his first start in the American Le Mans Series and with Woodhouse Performance. He has had the support of KUMHO Tires in his racing career for years, but has yet to have the opportunity to race their tire in a professional series. The American Le Mans Series venture with Woodhouse Performance is his first opportunity to do so.

"I am very happy to be a part of KUMHO Tire's first GT2 program in connection with Dodge and Woodhouse Performance," Wilson said. "Rudy Consolacion and I first spoke about putting together an entry in GT2 in the summer of 2006 while I was performing tire testing duties for KUMHO. It has been something that has taken time to develop, but with the help of Bob Woodhouse and his Woodhouse Performance team, I am thrilled to be co-driving with Cindi Lux, another KUMHO Tires sponsored driver and friend."

Wilson currently competes in the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car series and is leading the Rookie of the Year points battle, sitting 11th in the overall championship standings.

A rendering of the No. 13 Dodge/KUMHO Tires Dodge Viper Competition Coupe that will compete in the two-hour, 45-minute Acura Sports Car Challenge will be released shortly.

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Acura Sports Car Challenge, scheduled for 3:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 21 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The race will be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio's Sports Nation Channel and American Le Mans Radio via www.americanlemans.com , which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring. CBS Sports will broadcast the race from 2 to 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 22.
 

Fans Will Be the Winners at 10th Anniversary Petit Le Mans

Photos © EE Productions/Craig Elliott and Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, Georgia (June 26, 2007) — Fans attending the 10th Anniversary Petit Le Mans Oct. 3-6 will become part of the biggest celebration in Road Atlanta history. From a high energy, dazzling pre-race ceremony to an extensive fireworks show at the checkered flag, the race will surely be memor