RFM Front Page News

HOUSTON, Texas (April 21, 2007) — When Tomas Enge of Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing went into the wall at St. Petersburg, the team found themselves with a smashed car and a driver who was, while not as damaged as the car, out of commission with a severely injured elbow and partially collapsed lung, plus other assorted abrasions and contusions. A lesser team might have thrown up its hands and despaired. Instead, Mike Petersen and Dale White gathered around the members of their team and working night and day they produced a fast Ferrari 430 for the very next race. And to step into the car, they recruited Dirk Müller, who raced 3 seasons in the ALMS from 1999-2001 and knows the series well. Müller has impressive credentials in the ALMS: he has won the Petit Le Mans (1999), the 12 Hours of Sebring (2000), and eight other races in 27 starts driving GT cars. And his eight-straight class pole positions- dating from Infineon Raceway in 1999 to Silverstone in 2000- is an American Le Mans Series record for any class. Müller stepped right up in Long Beach and brought the No. 31 PWL Ferrari 430 home in a strong fourth place in class. This weekend he qualified second in GT2, the most competitive class in the 2007 ALMS, qualifying the car right behind the No. 62 Risi Ferrari which leads the championship after the first two races. “I was surprised,” said Muller,” that the car went so well right from the box; but I was not surprised to fit in so well with the team. The Petersen/White Lightning crew have welcomed me and made me feel right at home, and it’s easy to work in a situation like that.” It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s been driving a Michelin-shod, Ferrari F430 GT in FIA GT competition this year, winning the first round of the 2007 GT2 championship at Zhuhai! “There are some differences between the FIA GT car and this car,” he agreed, “mainly as to restrictors and the like, but not enough difference to be noticeable. And I am very familiar with the Ferrari 430 and enjoy driving it very much.” There were few adjustments in the ALMS since he has been away, as well. “The level of competition has always been good in GT2,” he said. “The current field compares very well with the field in 2000 when it was, I think, its most competitive.” He has driven for Porsche as well as Ferrari, but said that the Porsches have changed a lot and he can’t make a real comparison of the 997s to the Ferrari 430. “I helped develop the 996,” he said, “but the cars are much different now. Still, they are always competitive and I’m sure they will make us keep pushing all the way.”

Although Müller has not driven at the Houston street circuit before, he doesn’t find it too bad. “Yes, it is a bumpy track,” he said, “but the guys told me it was even worse last year! I didn’t find any yomps [places where the car has all four wheels off the ground]; the car seems to go very well here. I think we are going to have a good result in the race, better than we had at Long Beach because my teammate will be more experienced.” Replacing Tim Bergmeister this weekend will be Jarek Janis (Olomouc, Czech Republic). “Although he’s much younger than me,” said Müller, “he started racing at a younger age and he has the same amount of experience as I have. So we should make an excellent team and I’m looking forward to the fight.”

Don Panoz’ mantra for the American Le Mans Series is “For the Fans”, and Müller agreed that the atmosphere in North America is much different from that in Europe, when it comes to the fans. “The professionalism among the drivers,” he emphasized, “is the same in both series. But the American fans are much more enthusiastic and friendlier, and the crowds at the races are much bigger. The crowd at Long Beach was amazing! And everyone seemed to be having such a good time.” He thinks the combined weekends with the Champ Car World Series works very well for the two series, both increasing the crowds and giving the fans of each series a chance to see another kind of racing. “I don’t see any disadvantages at all,” he maintained. “I like watching the Champ Cars race and I think it’s good for both series.”

Tomas Enge’s recovery is proceeding – perhaps not as quickly as he would like but more quickly than predicted, and Müller revealed that once Enge is back in the car, the two will be teammates. “I have conflicts with FIA GT,” he said, “in Salt Lake and Lime Rock, but after that, when Tomas is back, we will drive together. We know each other although we have only recently met when I raced against him in the last [FIA GT] race! I consider him a good competitor and look forward to racing with him.”

As for the race tonight, Müller said that the key to a successful race is “Politeness.”

“The P cars,” he pointed out, “must realize that we are running our own races too, and the GT cars must be aware of the bigger and faster cars. This is a narrow track and it will be important for everyone to keep his head.” Teammate Jarek Janis will start the race tonight, and Müller has every confidence that the result will be a good one. “I am very pleased to have the chance to drive in the ALMS again, with such a competitive team,” he said, “and I look forward to giving them a good result on the track.”

So look for Dirk Müller to put the No. 31 Petersen/White Lightning Ferrari on an ALMS podium near you. After all, they all know the way!