12 Hours of Sebring
Old Friends and New Vying for Victory at Sebring
American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón set for 58th run
By Kate Shaw

Photos © ALMS
SEBRING, Florida (March 4, 2010) – The long wait (and we hope the winter too) is over – it’s time for Spring Break and the annual trek south to the 12 Hours of Sebring. True, it has not been so warm in Florida this year as we are wont to see; however, even in our warm clothes we look forward to blooms and green leaves we will not see up here until Le Mans – and a good look at the beautiful cars that have been prepared for our delectation all winter.

Following a successful Winter Test, anticipation and interest are building as we get a look at the initial entry list for the greatest and most demanding endurance race in America. -->M0RE

Jaguar Named Official Car of Sebring
SEBRING, Florida (February 8, 2010) —Jaguar has been named the Official Car of Sebring International Raceway, home of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. The 58th edition of America’s premier endurance race runs on Saturday, March 20th, kicking-off the 2010 American Le Mans Series season.

A legend of motorsports, Jaguar has a long and successful history in sports car racing. Jaguar first won Le Mans in 1951 with the debut of the C-TYPE, and captured four more wins during the 1950s as well as in 1988 and 1990 at the famous French endurance classic. Jaguar scored its first major victory in North America by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1955.

“Two of the most storied names in motor racing have joined together to form an ideal marketing partnership,” stated Sebring Raceway President and General Manager Tres Stephenson. “We look forward to working with Jaguar to forge a solid long-term relationship.”

“Jaguar is excited to enter the very competitive American Le Mans Series and return to Sebring, where we have a great history,” added Richard Beattie, Jaguar North American Executive Vice President for Marketing and Sales. “With a competition record in the U.S. reaching back to 1938, it is important that we compete at the highest levels of motorsport.”

As part of the agreement, the circuit’s Pit Tower has been named the “Jaguar Tower,” honoring the marque’s heritage at Sebring. During the 1950s and ’60s, the race control tower of the circuit’s original pit structure was also named the “Jaguar Tower.”

“We are pleased to bring back this legendary landmark,” added Stephenson. “The Jaguar name adds even more prestige and tradition to our historic facility.”

The new RSR Jaguar XKR GT will make its Sebring debut in March. The car took its first green flag last October in the American Le Mans Series finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and is set for a full-season championship effort in 2010. Paul Gentilozzi, Principal Partner of JaguarRSR, has a stellar record at Sebring including a class victory in 1992 and the overall pole position in 1994.

It also has been invited to compete at this year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in GT2.

Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars said: “Our designers and engineers have taken the best of our standard road-going XKR. With Paul Gentilozzi’s motorsport expertise, we've created a first-class competition car.

“Motorsport has always been important to the Jaguar brand,” he added. “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.”

Sebring is America’s oldest road racing circuit, established in 1950. Since 1952, Sebring’s 12-hour classic has attracted the world’s best sports car racing teams.

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.

You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes) and on our Facebook page and the official YouTube channel.

 

12 Hours of Sebring

Flying Lizard Ready for ALMS Season Opener at Sebring;
Lieb and Lietz Round out Driver Roster for the 12-Hour Endurance Classic
News from Flying Lizard Motorsport
SONOMA, Calif. - (March 4, 2010) - Following a successful test at Sebring, Flying Lizard returns to Florida next week for the kickoff of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season: the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. In the No. 45 Lizard Porsche, defending ALMS GT2 champions Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long will be joined for Sebring by Marc Lieb (Germany). In the No. 44 Porsche, Seth Neiman and Darren Law will team with Richard Lietz (Austria). Lieb and Lietz, both Porsche factory drivers, are teammates in the 2010 Le Mans Series and are defending LMS 2009 GT champions (both with the Felbermayr-Proton team).

"We're thrilled to have Marc and Richard join us at Sebring," commented Flying Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam. "Marc has driven with the Lizards at long races for several years, and he's had tremendous success with us: winning Sebring in 2008, Petit in 2007 and numerous other podiums. Jörg, Patrick and Marc will certainly make a powerful trio. Richard drove with us at Sebring in 2008 in the No. 46 Porsche and proved to be a good fit with the team. We have our work cut out for us this year in GT as we set out to defend the team and drivers' championships. Having consistent guest drivers whom we know well will help reduce the complexity of the Sebring equation."

The 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will get the green flag on Saturday, March 20, at 10:30 a.m. ET with live coverage on SPEED TV. Flying Lizard will broadcast its team radio live during the race. For race schedule and details see www.lizardms.com
 

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.