Showing posts with label American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Show all posts

Friday, April 12, 2013

ALMS' David Calvert-Jones Gives Mid-Life Crisis A New Meaning

CJ's lid used for the pursuit of his newest machine environment to conquer. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

ALMS' David Calvert-Jones Gives Mid-Life Crisis A New Meaning

CJ, as David Calvert-Jones prefers to be addressed, took his first laps around the famed street course at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in preparation for the debut at his adopted "home" track for the second race of the 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón season.

"It’s a home race," exclaimed CJ after a couple of test runs during open track sessions at the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Media Day, April 9th. "At least Long Beach is the closest we get to Australia! But I’m really thrilled to race at Long Beach for the first time. It’s a challenging circuit – absolutely no margin for error. Not even a millimeter."

The Competition Motorsports 911 GT3 used by CJ to take his first laps around the 1.97 mile, 11 turn temporary street course during the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race media day. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

Most race car drivers begin with a vision of being one of this rare breed of dreamers and technicians when they get behind the steering wheel of a tractor, then a car on a dirt farm road, and eventually by the ripe old age of 8 or 9, find themselves competing with others with go-kart platforms used to develop the skills necessary to eventually race cars at the highest of professionally sanctioned levels.

Not so with CJ - his life took a decidedly different path. Growing up around Melbourne, Australia beginning August 12, 1969, CJ became a pilot because around the land down under, the territory is so large (as with the United States' Alaska), if one wishes to get around and be useful to others, one needs to fly. Along the way CJ developed the talent and business acumen to manage large scale flying service operations and international investments.

**SLIDESHOW>>

In 2004, CJ decided to relocate to Los Angeles where he flew helicopters outfitted as camera platforms and was able to deliver memorable action images used in films with recognizable titles of “Transformers,” “Secretariat,” “Domino,” “Horrible Bosses,” and “We Are Marshall” among many others. He became CEO of of Helinet Aviation Services, a best-in-class provider of helicopter flight services to a broad range of markets, including film, executive transportation, hospital patient transport, etc.. CJ was responsible for the successful management of Helinet's aerial coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  As the only commercial operator cleared by the FAA to fly in the restricted airspace above the hurricane's affected areas and as a result, Helinet's aerial video footage was shown on all the networks in the United States and across the world.

CJ is currently the owner and president of Helifilms, an aerial production company with offices in the United States, Australia, England and South Africa.

This would be good enough for most folks but CJ's core passion is to be able to push the limits of man and his machines. He found his way to placing his physical command sensibilities to automobiles on a bit of a lark when a friend of his asked him to attend a Vintage Auto Racing Association event at Auto Club Speedway. While there, he was invited to drive a racing prepared BMW and was bitten to become focused driving automobile platforms at the greatest of speeds and limits.

CJ (right) closes out another successful race weekend with a runner-up result. He finished at least one race on the podium in all but one of his five IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge doubleheader weekends in 2012, and all of those trophies came on racetracks he hadn't driven on prior to the week of each race event (ctrl-click here for video). Image Credit: Competition Motorsports (2012)

Last year, he decided to devote his driving attention to the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and came away with one class race victory and achieved the runner-up position (P2) in the season points championship. He was invited to try his hand at the final American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race of 2012 at the Petite Le Mans in Atlanta in a GTC Class Porsche and liked the experience.

CJ now finds himself at the age of 43 in the troughs of a mid-life crisis of opportunity ... the opportunity to challenge man and his machines at the highest levels in American sports car racing. CJ expects that the crisis he will be delivering (not having) at mid-life is at least a podium finish against a field filled with drivers 75% his age, or less, who began driving four wheeled automotive platforms before the age that CJ took to the skies in Australia.

Look for David Calvert-Jones ... CJ ... as he joins another Australian race car driver, IZOD IndyCar Series Will Power - who began being a race car driver by racing karts, racing the concrete lined streets at the 39th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach April 19-21, 2013. You'll find CJ driving the second race of his rookie season in the ALMS GTC Class driving the No. 99 Competition Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 for two hours on Saturday, April 20.

... notes from The EDJE

Friday, March 1, 2013

March Madness Begins For Mazda Motorsports

Circuit of the Americas features a 251 feet (77 m) observation tower designed by Miró Rivera Architects and built by Patriot Erectors as a landmark for the venue. All racers have come away impressed, after their first laps, with the Circuit of The Americas, a 3.4-mile facility built to host Formula One and other major events. Image Credit: Grand Am
Circuit of the Americas features a 251 feet (77 m) observation tower designed by Miró Rivera Architects and built by Patriot Erectors as a landmark for the venue. All racers have come away impressed, after their first laps, with the Circuit of The Americas, a 3.4-mile facility built to host Formula One and other major events. Image Credit: Grand Am
GRAND-AM Road Racing teams got their first look at America’s newest motorsports venue on Thursday with unofficial testing for Saturday’s GRAND-AM of The Americas presented by GAINSCO and TOTAL.
They came away impressed with the Circuit of The Americas, a 3.4-mile facility built to host Formula One and other major events.
- See more at: http://www.grand-am.com/News/GA_News/tabid/141/Article/53285/starworks-fords-fastest-at-circuit-of-the-americas-test-day.aspx?cid=6383&sid=1#sthash.J52i92ur.dpuf

March Madness Begins For Mazda Motorsports

With 15 races run in seven supported series taking place at three different race tracks located in two different states in only one month, Mazda is ramping up the 2013 professional racing season with their usual hectic month of March.

Starting with races on March 1st in Austin, Texas, before going on to overseeing two busy weekends in Florida, at Mazda Motorsports racing is not just a single series, but the majority of all sports car and open wheel road-racing classes in North America.  2013 highlights on the professional level will include:

There has never been a four-door diesel sedan in the Grand-Am series, until now: The blunt, bewinged grille of the Mazda6GX has blown right through that wall. It's said that racing improves the breed, but usually the breed has gone on sale when the racing begins. One of the unusual aspects of the Mazda6 GX, on the other hand, is that while the diesel won't go on sale to the public until later this year, it will already have tasted racing blood by the end of the day. Caption & Image Credit: Jonathon Ramsey/autoblog (2013)

GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series (GRAND-AM)

The GRAND-AM Championship will be the first professional series other than Formula 1 to headline at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The SpeedSource Engineering team will have a pair of totally new technology SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel powered Mazda6s competing in the new for 2013 GX class on Saturday, March 2nd. Twitter Hashtag - #COTAGA

The MAZDASPEED3 and MX-5s compete in the ST class of the Grand Am Continental Tire Challenge. Image Credit: MAZDASPEED

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC)

Supporting GRAND-AM in Austin will be the fiercely competitive ‘Conti’ (for Continental Tires) series. At least a half dozen Mazdas from Freedom Autosport, i-Moto Racing, and CJ Wilson Racing will be challenging for the ST Class win in Austin. Twitter Hashtag - #COTAGA

Dyson Racing is celebrating its thirtieth year in professional sports car racing this year. It is fitting that long-time Dyson Racing driver, Butch Leitzinger, will be joining Chris Dyson and Guy Smith in the #16 Thetford/Norcold entry for the sixty-first annual Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring on March 16th. Caption & Image Credit: Dyson Racing

American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón (ALMS)

With its race starting in Florida, the final American Le Mans Series (as ALMS becomes merged with Grand Am Series) season will kick-off with the 61st Mobil-1 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 16th. Dyson Racing will be returning to the series with their Mazda MZR-R-powered Lola. This is the same car that scored the ALMS LMP1 class win at the 2012 Sebring race.


The SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup season got it’s unofficial start Feb.11, 2013 at Sebring International Raceway, with a number of teams and drivers gathered at the series’ official test session for two days on Monday and Tuesday. Caption & Image Credit Weber Photo via MX-5 Cup

SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup (MX-5 Cup)

The seventh season of MX-5 Cup competition will begin at Sebring. Joining the MX-5 Cup Championship for the second year will be a MAZDASPEED Challenge class for racers from the Skip Barber Racing School.

The Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires will debut in 2013 as a new series, replacing the Star Mazda Championship which ceased operation in 2012 after 22 years. The series is sanctioned by INDYCAR and owned and operated by Andersen Promotions. It is the second official step on the Mazda Road to Indy ladder system with the series' champion awarded a scholarship package from Mazda to advance to Firestone Indy Lights competition the following year. Caption & Image Credit: Pro Mazda

Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires (Pro Mazda)

The Cooper Tires Pro Mazda Championship takes off where the Star Mazda Championship ended in 2012, as the linchpin in the Mazda Road to Indy (MRTI). The rotary-powered Pro Mazda racers will complete a double-header at the new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on March 1st/2nd before heading to the streets of St. Petersburg on March 23rd/24th. Twitter Hashtag - #COTAGA

Drivers today have a clearly defined ladder system as they aspire to reach the top echelons of the sport and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda represents the first official step on the Mazda Road to Indy. Caption & Image Credit: USF2000

Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship Powered By Mazda (USF2000)

The USF2000 Championship kicks off their season at Sebring on March 14th/15th, before joining up with the other MRTI series in St. Petersburg.  

The Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship Powered by Mazda was developed to support the American Le Mans series, one of the premier prototype and GT endurance racing series in the world. The series features global race car constructors Élan Motorsport Technologies and West Race Cars and offers racers from around the world the opportunity to compete at historic venues like Sebring International Raceway, Road Atlanta and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Caption & Image Credit: Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship Powered by Mazda
Cooper Tires IMSA Prototype Lites Powered By Mazda (IMSA Lites)

The IMSA Lites Championship kicks off their season at Sebring on March 14th/15th with a double-header.
(ht: MAZDA Motorsports)

... notes from The EDJE


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Friday, September 2, 2011

Bumpy Baltimore Gets A Rubbing In With IndyCar & ALMS

Conquest Racing's Sebastian Saavedra occupied his time [during the initial event delay] with engineering and drivers meetings, tweeting, checking email and even working in a brief nap before being jostled by the bumps of the Pratt Street frontstretch in the No. 34 Bogota Es Mundial entry in front of tens of thousands of enthusiastic spectators. Caption & Image Credit: Chris Jones via IZOD IndyCar Series


Bumpy Baltimore Gets A Rubbing In With IndyCar & ALMS

A group of downtown streets converted into a shiny new racing circuit will always have its start up problems. The first day warm-ups (as well as qualifying for the American Le Mans Series) with the two racing series competing in the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix were no different.

First off, the beginning to the schedule was moved off for about four hours due to last minute safety improvements to the fencing that defined the 2-mile, 12-turn track.

The reaction of many of the drivers overall, was quite positive ... for example, Will Power after posting the fastest time in Baltimore with a best lap time of 1 minute, 22.1739 seconds which translates to 89.411 mph, had a good time learning the course with a couple of non-damaging "offs".

Penske Racing's Will Power, needing to make up 26 points, sets fast lap during the first practice period at the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. Image Credit: Chris Jones via IZOD IndyCar Series

"You are working the entire time and it is a pretty cool track," said Power, who won the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma five days earlier to tighten the championship points duel with front-runner Dario Franchitti to 26 behind. "They did a really good job creating the circuit. It takes a lot of commitment and there are several technical bits. It's bumpy and I think it will be a great race."

After a 75 minute warm-up and about a 90 minute break, the ALMS went out to set their positions for the start of their race on Saturday. The fastest qualifier overall was the Dyson Racing LMP1 Lola B09 86/Mazda shared by Guy Smith and Chris Dyson where Brit Guy Smith set his fourth class pole with a fast pace of 1 minute, 27.750 seconds (83.692 mph).

Guy Smith takes his Mazda LMP1 to the streets of Baltimore. Image Credit: ALMS

“I think the people of Baltimore have done a great job with the circuit and gave us as much track time as they could,” said Smith, who will drive with Chris Dyson. “With a new circuit, there are always teething problems. But they gave us a great track. It's bumpy and it’s demanding, but that’s what street courses are all about.”

In the GT Class, BMW Team RLL was once again at the top of the charts with the #55 BMW M3 GT of Bill Auberlin and Dirk Werner with Werner posting a fast lap of 1 minute 31.362 seconds (80.834 mph) ... the team car to the season points leading #56 BMW M3 GT of Joey Hand and Dirk Muller.

Dirk Werner gets his wheels to bounce over the temporary curbing that defines the track on the streets of Baltimore. Image Credit: ALMS

“It's amazing to have a pole this year,” said Werner. “The car is really fantastic; it has been this whole season - especially our car. We have had a lot of close calls this year [in qualifying] but we never got that pole. The team is very competitive with drivers who can be quick. So to be here at the new track, is really great.

“After free practice going into qualifying we looked at the data from the sessions and looked who had the best turns and speeds so we could learn a lot in a few short minutes,” Werner continued. “You could see how from the short time we've been on track we keep getting faster. We could actually be going faster at the end of the race than we are right now. It shows how great our team is and finding the settings for the street circuit. (The tires) are really holding up over the long drives.”

Top shot of the Dyson Racing #16-LMP1 Lola B09 86/Mazda. Image Credit: ALMS

Based on comments made by many of the drivers of both series, this Baltimore street venue drives like St. Pete with a crowd more like the festival atmosphere imparted by the grand-daddy of all American street races at Long Beach. Not a bad review for a near Washington D.C. venue.

The American Le Mans Series Baltimore Grand Prix is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 3. The race will air on ABC, Sunday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) and be shown live in the U.S. on ESPN3 or americanlemans.com outside the U.S. Live coverage also will be available on Rogers Sportsnet One in Canada and MotorsTV in Europe.

The IZOD IndyCar Series Baltimore Grand Prix - Baltimore, MD Streets of Baltimore - Qualifications, 6:00 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT) Saturday, Sept. 3 on Versus / Race, 2:00 (11 a.m. PT) p.m. ET Sunday, Sept 4 on Versus with both broadcast on www.indycar.com - multimedia timing & scoring with concurrent radio broadcast.

... notes from The EDJE

Friday, August 5, 2011

Eight Questions With ALMS GT JaguarRSR's Bruno Junqueira

The #99 Jaguar XKR driven by Bruno Junqueira and Ken Wilden leads a group of GTC and GT Class cars just past pitout at Mosport International Raceway. Image Credit: JaguarRSR


Eight Questions With ALMS GT JaguarRSR's Bruno Junqueira

Weekend before last, The IndyCar Series was in Edmonton and the ALMS was near Toronto at Mosport International Raceway. Two standout performances were registered by drivers from the former ChampCar World Series (CCWS) and both performances were to set the fastest competitive lap in the their respective races. The two drivers, Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira, it could be argued, were the most competitive drivers of the CCWS era. Sebastien, the perennial champion for four years straight from 2003 - 2006, and Bruno with near consecutive runner-up season performances from 2002, 2004, and 2005 (the last two as a team-mate to Sebastien).

While the Frenchman (Bourdais) posted the fastest IndyCar race lap on lap 80 of an eighty lap race, the Brazilian recorded the fastest GT race lap posting a 1:18.102. Almost two hours into the race, Junqueira came into the pits to pass on the "fast cat" to Toronto area native and team-mate Ken Wilden, who drove the remainder of the two hour and forty-five minute race to take the checkered flag and salvage a 15th place GT finish.

JaguarRSR race control keeping tabs on the progress of the #99 Jaguar XKR of Bruno Junqueira as he sets fastest race lap in the ALMS GT Calss at Mosport International Raceway. Image Credit: JaguarRSR

This excerpted and edited from IndyCar.com Bio -

Bruno Junqueira entered the IZOD IndyCar Series full time in 2008 with a wealth of experience in open-wheel racing, including four starts in the Indianapolis 500. He earned the pole position at Indianapolis in 2002, driving for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. [Further, he was able to qualify a car into the 33 car field of the INDY 500, only to be replaced by a primary or more strongly sponsored driver who did not qualify their car into the field (Alex Tagliani - 2009 and Ryan Hunter-Reay - 2011)]

Junqueira enjoyed success competing in Champ Car for seven seasons. With his 2005 win at Monterrey, Junqueira became the first driver in 19 years to win races in each of his first five years in Champ Car. He also finished runner-up in the series standings three times. Junqueira is part of a proud tradition of Brazilian open-wheel drivers, coming up through the Brazilian karting ranks and competing in South American Formula 3 and FIA International Formula 3000 before landing a ride in Champ Car.
[Reference Here]

Bruno Junqueira (left) and Ken Wilden (middle) prepare to take the #99 Jaguar XKR out for qualifications at Mosport International Raceway near Toronto, Canada. Image Credit: JaguarRSR

We last saw Bruno Junqueira on Pine Avenue during a fan appreciation activity the day before the cars took to the track at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach catching the sights and sounds as just a fan in the crowd. We catch up with Bruno, now, just before Round 5 in the ALMS GT season of 9 races to be held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge.

(1) Many teams call on your skills when they have a problem with their "regular" drivers, crashes, etc. But you haven't been able to secure a ride in IndyCar. It's almost a rhetorical question, but is it funding?

A - There are many reason because I didn't find a full time ride for the last 3 years in IRL. At Champ car, I was one of the winningest drivers and finished the championship 3 times 2nd. I was able to always find rides and win races and get paid. With the unification of IRL and Champ Car, it changed for me. I still did well, but I never got a good ride for the year. Probably, because in Indycar, more then half of the drivers have to bring money, or sponsors for the teams. Many good Champ Car driver struggle to find rides as well and the Champ Car team to find sponsors.

(2) Just how difficult is it to secure funding in the present IndyCar series?

A - In the last 12 years, I have been a professional driver. The correct is that the teams find the sponsor and hire the best drivers. It has changed, and I tried to find sponsor for 2010 season, but the TV rating in USA and Brazil made it hard to find money.

(3) Do you think that the new IndyCar will make a difference in the competition tightening up?


A - I think the new car will make the best teams have a bigger advantage. They will be able to develop the new car faster.

(4) Does the ALMS GT series seem to have a chance at becoming a viable series?

A - It already is viable. There are many manufacturers involved and a very good competition

(5) Do you enjoy this series as a continuation and evolution of your career?

A - When I was 25, I thought that when I about 35 I would be going into sportscar racing. I will be 35 in November. I am enjoying it lot driving for Jaguar at ALMS.

(6) How competitive is the GT series in ALMS?

A - Very competitive. Good drivers and teams and a big support from the car and tires manufacturers.

(7) Do you still want to compete in the IndyCar series?

A - If I have a good opportunity, it will be nice.

(8) How did it feel to set the fastest race lap in GT at Mosport, and did you know that fellow ChampCar ex-pat Sebastien Bourdais also set the fastest race lap at the Edmonton Indy on the same weekend?

A - It was good to run fast at Mosport. The Jaguar RSR team did a good job. It was my first time there and loved the track. I always like to race in Canada . I didn't know that Seb set the fastest lap, but I wish that the races were in a different weekend, and I could race both.

END

It's August and this weekend it is all about the dedicated road track outside of Cleveland known as Mid-Ohio. The two top technology major automobile racing series converge, showcasing the best drivers American auto racing has to offer driving everything from open wheel, prototype closed body, and modified sports cars. IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series repeat in a double header event as thay did earlier in the year at Long Beach California.

The JaguarRSR team looks to carry the momentum of posting the fastest GT race lap in the last event at Mosport to Mid-Ohio this weekend. With track veterans behind the wheel of the pair of JaguarRSR XKR GTs, the team will be looking to make additional strides to move up the 16-car GT field set to take the green flag in the fifth round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron.

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 6 with ESPN2 airing the race starting at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 7. Live video coverage on race day will be available at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3.com in the US, and americanlemans.com for international viewers. Canadian fans may also watch live coverage on Rogers Sportsnet. Worldwide radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com. or more information on the broadcasts, go to americanlemans.com/tv.

... notes from The EDJE


[Article first published as Eight Questions With ALMS GT JaguarRSR's Bruno Junqueira on Technorati]

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Five Questions With ALMS GT JaguarRSR Team's Rocky Moran Jr.

All eyes are on Rocky Moran Jr. as he tracks around Mosport International Raceway, outside Toronto, in the #98 Jaguar XKR during round 4 of 9 in the ALMS GT season. Image Credit: JaguarRSR

Five Questions With ALMS GT JaguarRSR Team's Rocky Moran Jr.

It's August and this weekend it is all about the dedicated road track outside of Cleveland known as Mid-Ohio. The two top technology major automobile racing series converge, showcasing the best drivers American auto racing has to offer driving everything from open wheel, prototype closed body, and modified sports cars. IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series repeat in a double header event as thay did earlier in the year at Long Beach California.

At Long Beach, during the pre-race media day activities, we first met Rocky Moran Jr. behind the wheel of a Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Camary pace car providing laps around the famed 11 turn temporary street course that features the long straightaway of Shoreline Drive. Rocky cuts the figure of an American football linebacker at well over six feet tall which is a little disarming when he might be standing in a field of car jocky's like Cristian de Matta (around 5'5"), Oriol Servia (about 5'8"), Bruno Junqueira (around 5'9")and Patrick Long (also around 5'8").

Rocky is the son and business partner of famed All American Racers' Grand Touring Prototypes Toyota Eagle MKIII driver Rocky Moran (as team driver, helped cement the IMSA Manufacturing Championships in ’92/’93 for Dan Gurney's AAR team) who himself is a long, tall glass of water, standing at 6'3" and over 200 lbs. during his racing career.

Rocky Moran Jr. at 32, married with two kids, hailing from Southern California, is coming into his own as a regular on Paul Gentilozzi's JaguarRSR ALMS GT effort. This weekend at JaguarRSR he teams with PJ Jones driving the #98 Jaguar XKR GT in the fifth round of nine in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón held at Mid-Ohio. We catch up with Rocky the week after Mosport where his #98 just missed making the top 10 in Class when a tire puncture and change dropped Moran Jr. and Jones back to P11.

Driver's Roundtable - The JaguarRSR team drivers take a moment to review the track at Mosport. From right to left are pictured #98 Jaguar XKR drivers PJ Jones & Rocky Moran Jr., #99 Jaguar XKR drivers Ken Wilden & Bruno Junqueira. Here, Rocky engages Ken in a discussion with an intent PJ looking on. Image Credit: JaguarRSR

(1) Your Father enjoyed success in the GTP category in IMSA back in the day. How do you see the LMP1 cars fitting in with such low car counts?

A - The GTP era was very unique and quite a bit different than the current ALMS era. Obviously, the biggest difference is the car count, for most years the GTP field was quite full and they enjoyed large factory involvement and support. You had Jaguar, Toyota , Nissan, etc. Today the LMP field is smaller and most of the factory support seems to be in GT classes where we are currently competing. The LMP cars are really cool, I wish there were more of them on the track with us, I'm sure they will figure out a way to attract more cars in the future.

(2) Have you ever considered the Grand Am series as an alternative in the Prototypes or are you satisfied with the GT series in ALMS?

A - I have raced the Grand-Am Daytona Prototypes with Gainsco Racing and Segal Motorsports in the past so I now have experience in both series. The Prototypes are faster but not necessarily any more difficult to drive, any car becomes challenging when you put it on the limit.

I am more than satisfied to be racing in the GT class
in ALMS, I truly love this division. It is competitive, the series is very well run, and it is interesting to be in the class where you are passing cars but also still getting passed by LMP cars.

(3) How many drivers in GT switch back and forth between Grand Am GT and ALMS?

A - I don't think too many drivers do the switch back and forth. I know many of them do for the 24 hours of Daytona and certain select events but I think it helps to stay focused in one area.

(4) Coming from a racing family, do you ever think about running LMP1 in Europe ?

A - I have not given much thought to racing LMP1 in Europe , but I'm sure it would be a blast. I would love to race the 24 hours of Le Mans , as this is such a huge event.

(5) How do you like piloting a car with the #98 in the ALMS?

A - I race the #98 car in GT and I love it. The #99 car is driven by Bruno and Kenny and they make for great teammates. We are only getting faster and more complete as a team so I am really looking forward to Mid-Ohio.

END

The JaguarRSR team looks to carry the momentum of posting the fastest GT race lap in the last event at Mosport to Mid-Ohio this weekend. With track veterans behind the wheel of the pair of JaguarRSR XKR GTs, the team will be looking to make additional strides to move up the 16-car GT field set to take the green flag in the fifth round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrόn.

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 6 with ESPN2 airing the race starting at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 7. Live video coverage on race day will be available at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3.com in the US, and americanlemans.com for international viewers. Canadian fans may also watch live coverage on Rogers Sportsnet. Worldwide radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com. or more information on the broadcasts, go to americanlemans.com/tv.

... notes from The EDJE


[Article first published as Five Questions With ALMS GT JaguarRSR Team's Rocky Moran Jr. on Technorati]

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Mosport Breaks Streaks And Dims Season's Chances In ALMS GT

GT Class race leaders at Mosport before the final change when a penalty is assessed on the #55 BMW of Auberlen/Werner (pictured leading eventual winner Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen's Corvette, and P2's Jaime Melo/Toni Vilander's Ferrari F458 Italia). Image Credit: ALMS/Ryan Smith

Mosport Breaks Streaks And Dims Season's Chances In ALMS GT

The weather was perfect for a summer's race of exotic, and expertly prepared sports cars at Mosport International Raceway just outside Toronto.

The Abruzzi “Spirit of the Le Mans” racer. The Abruzzi “Spirit of Le Mans” is set to carry on a successful history of Panoz in motorsport. With 10 class victories – including eight overall – in the American Le Mans Series and the 2002 Trans-Am championship, the manufacturer is one of the most renowned in the world. In addition to winning at Sebring and Le Mans, Panoz has won at such venues as Road Atlanta, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Sears Point, Portland, the Nürburgring and Washington DC. Image Credit: ALMS/Ryan Smith

Joining the GT Class (but running as Unclassified) for the first time in 2011, Team Panoz returned with the radical Panoz Abruzzi ‘Spirit of Le Mans’ with drivers Ian James and Edward Sandström. The Panoz, however, was not a factor in the race and it's outing showed that getting to learn a new car is never easy. In the morning warm-up before the race, the #50 UNC Panoz Abruzzi driven by Edward Sandstrom stopped at turn 2 with damage to the left front of the car after hitting the tire walls. On a positive note, the Unclassified run of the Panoz had it come in at P9 (if judged as GT) ahead of such notable entrants as the #01 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia driven by Scott Sharp/Johans van Overbeek, the #98 RSR Jaguar XKR driven by P.J. Jones and Rocky Moran Jr., and the #45 Flying Lizard Porsche 911 RSR driven Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long.

The last notable mentioned is where the hopes for a repeat in the GT Class dimmed. The Flying Lizard Porsche of Bergmeister and Long showed great promise at climbing back into the championship points frey after qualifying well in P3 just behind the two Team RLL BMWs and just .231 seconds behind the season points leading team of the #56 of Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller in P1.

Joerg Bergmeister driving the Flying Lizard factory Porsche chases down the #56 Team RLL BMW before its driver, Joey Hand is issued a penalty, giving the Porsche a temporary lead at Mosport. Image Credit: ALMS/Ryan Smith

The Green Flag drops At 3:03 pm and race was beginning to come the Flying Lizards way when they were able to run at P2 just behind the #56 BMW. The GT madness began after nearly an hour of tight racing when Joey Hand made contact in his #56 BMW M3 GT with Risi Competizione`s #62 Ferrari F458 Italia of Toni Vilander. A penalty for Hand promoted Jeorg Bergmeister and the #45 Flying Lizard Porsche 911 GT3 RSR into the lead. Things were looking great until Bergmeister got his Porsche sideways in Turn 10, handing the lead to Bill Auberlen in the #55 BMW Team RLL entry.

Normally, a racer can recover from a spin but the Porsche was not behaving well.

This excerpted and edited from ALMS Race Notes -

At 4:25 pm (1h 22m running), Joerg Bergmeister (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) has radioed that he has lost power steering and will pit for the crew to evaluate.

At 4:26 pm (1h 23m running), Joerg Bergmeister (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) into the pits. 4 tires, fuel, driver change: Patrick Long . working on the power steering.

At 4:36 pm (1h 33m running), Patrick Long (#45-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) into the pits. No fuel, no driver change. Finished repairs on pit lane. Rejoining the race.

END

This eleven minute repair delay placed the team well down in the field finishing the race at Mosport P12 in GT Class. The #45 Flying Lizard effort entered the race at a real chance of climbing back into the season points race from P3 but leaves dropping to P6.

GT championship leader BMW Team RLL`s three-race win streak came to a close at Mosport as a combo of contact, mechanical woes and penalties jumbled the order throughout the two-hour, 45 minute race. After the final round of pit stops and with Dirk Werner in the driver`s seat, it appeared BMW`s biggest concern would be holding off Magnussen`s #4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6.R. But with less than 20 minutes remaining, another penalty cost BMW the lead once again. Officials ruled Werner's contact with GTC leader Pumpelly at Turn 10 as avoidable and called the #55 BMW into the penalty box. It promoted Magnussen and his Corvette to the GT lead.

Winning Driver's Quotes:

Jan Magnussen (#4-GT Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1) (about the battle with Ferrari) “We were just ahead in the pits stops, and after that we had to hold him off. We were side by side through three, it was really exciting. We were pushing as hard as we could the whole race, same as the Ferrari. It's a really fast car, I had to wait for him to make a mistake for a while. He finally made one in traffic and I was able to take advantage. I knew I couldn't pull away from him on speed, so I knew I had to take some chances in traffic to keep ahead of him. This race had a bunch of different potential winners at different stages, I think BMW looked like they had the most advantage, but we were able to push at the right moments and pull a win out. If you asked us this morning, we'd say, there will only be one winner. It just unfolded that way today. I'm glad we were the ones that got to break the win barrier.”

Oliver Gavin (#4-GT Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1) “It was one of those moments where you see the incident, and you think, in the past the person gets a penalty. It was called that way, and it was something that aided us to get the win. Jan still had to do a lot of hard work out there and navigate the traffic. Traffic does seem to be a really big issue here. Any time you slip and go off the track, you can end up in the wall. That could be a race ending moment. There is no chance to rest here. Hats off to Jan and the team, just a stellar job today. I knew from my stint that if Jan was on the Ferrari gearbox coming out of turn 5, you could probably get a toe coming out and use the momentum to get by. He executed brilliantly and then sliced through traffic to get a 4 or 5 second lead. The rain that came through last night showed a bit today. We were chasing the car all weekend, we weren't the fastest car. What we showed today was winning by team, pit stop strategies, coming in at the right time, having the least amount of mistakes. It comes down to the entire team operating at 100% every second of the race.”

The #01 and #02 Ferrari 458 Italia race cars of Extreme Speed Motorsports. Image Credit: ALMS/Ryan Smith

Going into the next race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge (Race 5 of 9), the season points breakout is as follows:

Position - Drivers - Car - Season Championship Points

1 Dirk Mueller/Joey Hand (#56-GT BMW M3 GT) - 80
2 Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen (#4-GT Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1) - 57
3 Bill Auberlen/Dirk Werner (#55-GT BMW M3 GT) - 46
4 Jaime Melo/Toni Vilander (#62-Ferrari F458 Italia) - 41
5 Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner (#3-GT Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1) - 39

... notes from The EDJE


[Article first published as Mosport Breaks Streaks And Dims Season's Chances In ALMS GT on Technorati]

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Smith, Jeannette, Hand, and Bleekemolen Top ALMS Qualifying At Long Beach

P1 - Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY (US); Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire (GB); Lola B09 86/Mazda (LMP1), 1:14.001, 179.998 [ctrl-click image for press conference slideshow]. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

Smith, Jeannette, Hand, and Bleekemolen Top ALMS Qualifying At Long Beach

It was a classic and perfect day to have qualifications on the track laid out on the streets of the Shoreline Village area adjacent to downtown Long Beach. The sun was out with a very light afternoon breeze with the temperature approaching the low eighties when each of the classes in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón (LMP1, LMPC, GT, and GTC) took to the track at the end of a day of preparation.

One of the most dramatic duels just happened to be for top honors and P1 on the grid to start the race. Chris Dyson, owner and driver of the Dyson Racing Mazda-powered Lola coupe sponsored by G-Oil stated it best when he said, "You know, you need two cars to make a car race and let me tell ya' ... that it was touch and go."

In the pits, Chris communicates with Guy Smith as he concentrates at getting the most out of his Mazda but he could not tell him that the lead changed between the Mazda that the Muscle Milk 12 cylinder Aston Martin ... yes, the other car in the LMP1 class ... eight times during the fifteen minute qualification session.

AUDIO Of Post ALMS Qualification Press Interview HERE

(Length - 28 min. 24 sec. - GTC begin to 2:20/GT 2:20 - 6:03/LMPC 6:03 - 15:09/LMP1 15:09 - 28:24)

Other highlights included the following edited and excerpted from email issued by the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón -

LMPC - Gunnar Jeannette took pole position in LMP Challenge for CORE autosport, the first for the rookie ALMS team. His lap of 1:17.736 (91.139 mph) in the ORECA FLM09 that he will share with Ricardo Gonzalez was only 0.388 seconds quicker than Kyle Marcelli in Intersport Racing’s entry. He will team with Tomy Drissi.

“We had both our cars on the podium at Sebring and now our first pole,” Jeannette said. “So obviously we’ll be looking for our first win Saturday. It will be crazy, that’s for sure. Because of the regulations, I’m actually losing distance to the GT cars on the straight. It will be difficult and our class is extremely competitive. I’ll do my best to stay clean and let things sort themselves out.”
----
GT - Joey Hand’s remarkable season continued with his second career ALMS pole position and first at Long Beach. The Californian set a lap of 1:19.090 (89.579 mph) in the BMW M3 GT that he will pilot with Dirk Mueller for BMW Team RLL. Following up on a victory at the ALMS opener in Sebring and overall at the Daytona 24 Hours, Hand won a hard-fought session that saw the top four cars within 0.373 seconds.

“It’s been a good year and all about momentum,” Hand said. “This is one my favorite venues and I’ve wanted to win here for a long time. On a street course like this, the first guy fast is the guy to beat. So I wanted to go out from the beginning and be that guy. Our car was so good on the balance that I was honestly surprised.”
----
GTC - Jeroen Bleekemolen got his Long Beach pole position after a year of waiting with a lap of 1:23.179 (85.175 mph) for Black Swan Racing. The Dutch pilot broke Andy Lally’s qualifying record from last year by nearly a full second in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry he will share with team owner Tim Pappas. BSR made its GTC debut at Long Beach last year, went on to win four times and claim the class championship.

Bleekemolen was the fastest qualifier last year at Long Beach before the car was excluded in post-session inspections due to an improper fuel mixture.

“We’ve come a long way since last year,” said the former LMP2 winner at Le Mans and Porsche Supercup champion. “We didn’t get the result we wanted here but our guys learned and took so many poles and wins after that. And they started with a win at Sebring this season. But we know it will be tough all year, just by looking at the times."
----
Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach
Long Beach street circuit, Long Beach, Calif.
Friday’s qualifying

1. Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY (US); Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire (GB); Lola B09 86/Mazda (LMP1), 1:14.001, 179.998
2. Lucas Luhr, Monte Carlo (DE); Klaus Graf, Dornham (DE); AMR/ Lola Coupe B08 62 (LMP1), 1:14.453, 178.905
3. Gunnar Jeannette, Salt Lake City, UT (US); Ricardo Gonzalez, Monterrey (MX); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:17.736, 171.349
4. Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, ON (CA); Tomy Drissi, Los Angeles, CA (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:18.124, 170.498
5. Alex Figge, Denver, CO (US); Miles Maroney, Topanga, CA (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:18.286, 170.145
6. Eric Lux, Jacksonville, FL (US); Elton Julian, Santa Monica, CA (Spa); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:18.690, 169.272
7. Dirk Mueller, Monte Carlo (DE); Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA (US); BMW M3 GT (GT), 1:19.090, 168.416
8. Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings (GB); Jan Magnussen, Roskilde (DK); Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 (GT), 1:19.137, 168.316
9. Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, CA (US); Dirk Werner, Kissenbrück (DE); BMW M3 GT (GT), 1:19.447, 167.659
10. Joerg Bergmeister, Langenfield (DE); Patrick Long, Bellaire, FL (US); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:19.463, 167.625
11. Bryan Sellers, Braselton, GA (US); Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen (DE); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.065, 166.365
12. Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL (US); Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA (US); Ferrari F458 Italia (GT), 1:20.167, 166.153
13. Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV (US); Guy Cosmo, West Palm Beach, FL (US); Ferrari F458 Italia (GT), 1:20.176, 166.135
14. Bryce Miller, Summit, NJ (US); Sascha Maassen, Lontzen (DE); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.646, 165.166
15. Olivier Beretta, Monte Carlo (MC); Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA (US); Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 (GT), 1:20.724, 165.007
16. Bruno Junqueira, Brazil (BRA); Cristiano da Matta, Belo, Horizonte (BRA); Jaguar XKR (GT), 1:20.924, 164.599
17. Jon Bennett, Fort Mill, SC (US); Frankie Montecalvo, Highlands, NJ (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:21.387, 163.663
18. PJ Jones, Torrance, CA (US); Paul Gentilozzi, Grand Ledge, MI (USA); Jaguar XKR (GT), 1:22.244, 161.957
19. Tim Pappas, Boston, MA (US); Jeroen Bleekemolen, Monte Carlo, (Net); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:23.179, 160.137
20. Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT (US); Leh Keen, Dublin, GA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:23.853, 158.849
21. Nicky Pastorelli, Rijswijk (NL); Dominik Schwager, Eisenhofen (DEU); Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 (GT), 1:23.906, 158.749
22. Spencer Pumpelly, Mason Neck, VA (USA); Duncan Ende, Los Angeles, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:24.134, 158.319
23. John Potter, Salt Lake City, UT (USA); Craig Stanton, Long Beach, CA (US); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:24.362, 157.891
24. Bret Curtis, Valencia, CA (US); James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:24.651, 157.352
25. Dion von Moltke, Coral Gables, FL (USA); Brendan Gaughan, Las Vegas, NV (US); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:24.878, 156.931
26. Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ (US); Seth Neiman, San Francisco, CA (US); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:25.543, 155.711
27. Nick Ham, Evergreen, CO (US); Scott Blackett, Avon, CO (US); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:25.743, 155.348
28. Jaime Melo, Milan (BR); Toni Vilander, Kankaanpaa (FIN); Ferrari F458 Italia (GT), 1:48.071, 123.252
29. Anthony Nicolosi, Palm Beach, FL (US); Jarrett Boon, Phoenix, AZ (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), No Time
30. Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS (US); Christophe Bouchut, Paris (Fra); Lola Honda (LMP2), No Time
31. Luis Diaz, Mexico City (MX); Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS (US); Lola Honda (LMP2), No Time.

This pole by the Mazda powered Dyson Racing Lola provided a much-needed lift for Mazda, which remains in shock following last month’s horrific earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

As said Chris Dyson at the end of the Press Conference - "The people in the home country, the Mazda folks, they have come through an enormous ... enormous tragedy, and with enormous implications for their, for that country and we are honored to be able to deliver and at least enable them to have some light in what has been a very dark existence for a number of weeks. We hope that anything we do here will make them pleased and honored ... that we are part of it - we are definitely, have them in our minds and our hearts, throughout - since the whole thing happened."

The Long Beach round will go live on ESPN3.com at 4:15 p.m. PT. Fans outside the U.S. can access live broadcasts through americanlemans.com, which also offers live timing and scoring throughout the weekend. The race will air on ESPN2 on Sunday, April 17, at 5 p.m. (ET). Visit the American Le Mans Series' schedule page for information on tickets and area accommodations.

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

... notes from The EDJE

Friday, April 15, 2011

Long Beach Is Prepped! ... "Let's Get Ready To R(copyright)!"

Media Luncheon driver group photo that included, Mike Conway, Ryan Briscoe, Will Power, Oliver Gavin, Justin and brother Stefan Wilson, James Jakes, Scott Sharp, Ed Brown Oriol Servia and Charlie Kimball in the roof. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

Long Beach Is Prepped! ... "Let's Get Ready To R(copyright)!"

The annual race through the streets of Long Beach has always been characterized as a rough and tumble street fight between drivers and cars. So please excuse us if we are reminded of a man, standing at the middle of a ring, with a microphone in his hand, making a loud announcement and using the word RUMBLE! The picture just seems to fit the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

From the E! style Toyota Pro/Celebrity Scion tCs battles, all of the way through Drifting exhibitions, the Pirelli World Challenge, the exotic Patron American Le Mans Series, to the open wheel excitement of IZOD IndyCar series racing rarely does a competition go down without a brutal contest and issues with a wall or another competitor.

This what we come to expect from this rite of spring event here in the LA Basin - great weather, people lookin' racy and stylin' to the 9's, and tough time at the beginning of the race ... any race in turn #1!

Will Power - Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

Ryan Hunter-Raey - Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

The talk from IndyCar drivers - specifically, Penske's Will Power (series points leader after 2 races), and Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Raey (defending Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach champion) centered around the new rule for IndyCar restarts implemented this season ... double file on all starts during the entire race. It was what was discussed most often during the TGPLB pre-event luncheon at the infield Tacate Lite Lounge yesterday.

Paul Tracy will join a full 28 car field and run his first race of the season with the Jay Penske Dragon Racing Team. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

In previous years, only the first start of the race had two rows side-by-side going into the hard left turn #1 after screaming down the wide and fast Shoreline Drive, soft right-turn, front straight. Speeds could reach over 170 mph just to be braked down to under 60 mph under ideal conditions - no other cars on one's left or right. So, after any full-course YELLOW Flag, the re-start of the race will be just as hazardous and exciting as the first start of the race with no romm to fudge in the first few turns with everyone looking to gain positions.

Then there comes the ability to pass at the track. The Patron American Le Mans race last year saw Adrian Fernandez in his Aston Martin get passed by Simon Pagenaud in his Acura in the last laps which always keeps the excitement high.

This excerpted and edited from autoblog.com -


With six minutes to go, the race looked to belong to Fernandez. With 50 seconds left, the pair crossed the start/finish line for the final time. By the time they reached Turn 1, Adrian had powered ahead by a sizable amount. Through 2,3 and 4, though, Simon was right on his tail again. As the two entered Turn 5, Fernandez made an uncharacteristic slip and when he ran wide, Pagenaud slid through and into the lead. It briefly appeared that Fernandez would take it back in 6,7, or even 8, but by the time they hit slower traffic at the hairpin, Simon was still ahead. Could that big V12 outdrag the ARX-01c on the final blast to the checkers? Not this time. Pagenaud held on, taking the win by just 0.353 seconds.
Reference Here

The Dyson Racing, G-Oil, Mazda/Lola of the LMP1 classification in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Image Credit: ALMS/Patron

More about the Long Beach street course as seen by the Mazda/Lola Dyson Racing's Chris Dyson excerpted and edited from the ALMS -

IN HIS OWN WORDS: CHRIS DYSON
At Long Beach owning the LMP1 championship lead

After finishing the 12 Hours of Sebring second among the American Le Mans Series LMP1 entries (and first in points), Chris Dyson gave his thoughts on Dyson Racing`s performance at Sebring, this weekend`s upcoming Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, and the start of a new season...

The team is coming off a solid run at Sebring. How does that affect your confidence for the Long Beach race and for the season?
It makes a huge difference for the season, to be honest. If there`s one lesson we`ve learned from our years in the ALMS, it is that you have to score week in and week out. Sebring is a bonus points event, so it`s critical to have a strong result. The team executed brilliantly all week at Sebring and that really sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Best memory from Sebring?
Midway through the event, I looked at the timing and scoring and we were running fourth overall with a car that was five seconds off the pace. I really chuckled at that, but it was no fluke. The faster cars were smashing into each other and going off into the tires, and our Mazda had just marched up the charts. Obviously, we couldn`t sustain it over the full race, but it did give us all some genuine pride in the quality of the team`s performance and strategy.

You first ran Long Beach in 2005. Your thoughts on your very first lap of the track?
I fell in love with Long Beach right away. It`s a great challenge. Most street circuits don`t really have long straightaways and good rhythm sections, but Long Beach is unique. Also, you really feel like you`re competing on a grand stage. The track is like a cavern slicing though a city, and the crowds are fantastic. The whole time it feels like you`re in a huge stadium. It`s an extra buzz and you find yourself digging deeper every lap.

How much of an adjustment is there in a driver`s style going from the wide-open track at Sebring to the confines of a street race like Long Beach?
You have to treat both tracks with equal respect. Sebring looks wide open but in reality there`s so little runoff, you can have a massive shunt before you even know what happened. Also, it`s the first race of the year and the last thing you want to do is jeopardize the team`s result in an enduro. Long Beach has Jersey barriers lining the track and that keeps you honest. You have to respect the limit at all times because Long Beach is entirely unforgiving. Blow the corner entry and pay the price.

What is the best part of the Long Beach track?
I really like the last section of corners before the Queen`s Hairpin. You come down the back straight and brake as late as you can, but you have to be careful of the bumps in the middle of the braking zone. Get greedy and your day will be over instantly. But if you get the entrance to that corner right, the car flows through the rest of the complex quite nicely. It`s a challenge every lap, and very important for lap time.

Why does Long Beach posses such an iconic standing among street races?
I think it`s mainly the venue itself and the great history of the event. If you look at a transformative event in a city`s history, the LBGP is certainly one of the biggest game- changers for Long Beach. The fact that it has run without interruption for over thirty-five years is a staggering accomplishment for a street race. Most come and go after only a few years. The longevity and the importance of the SoCal market means it`s the "city" race that every team and sponsor wants to win the most.

The importance of qualifying at Long Beach vs. other tracks?
Qualifying is very important at Long Beach, but the nature of the track still allows for passing and this means it`s not the do-all and end-all. The polesitter hasn`t won the race every year we`ve been here, and that says something about the place.

Is Long Beach more of a measured strategy compared to others on the ALMS calendar?
It`s a tough one because it`s an unusual race distance. At two hours, it`s the shortest race on the calendar and it`s the first time we`ve run the race over 90 minutes here. This is going to raise some interesting strategic points because fuel economy will be just as big of a factor as outright performance and arguably more so. Once the flag drops, it`s up to Vince (Wood) and Peter (Weston) to navigate Guy and I to the front!

Last year you were elected to the Road Race Drivers Club at Long Beach. A highlight of the year for you?
It was really cool-- an honor-- to join the RRDC. I had been pestering my dad for years about joining this "secret society" and he and Bob Leitzinger always used to laugh about that. All joking aside, the highlight of my year was finding out that we were having a baby girl!

What kind of flavor does a race weekend have when we share the track with IndyCar?
It`s enhanced. The turnout is always very good and the same kind of fans who watch IndyCars like ALMS, and vice versa. It`s always great to see our friends from the IndyCars, several of whom have competed in ALMS the past few years. Usually, we share the venues at classic stops on our tours, so the crowds are really into it.

The car ran flawlessly at Sebring. Talk a little bit about the advances that have been done to the Mazda MZR-R engine, the Lola chassis and the Dunlop tires in the offseason.
Engine-wise, the team ended 2010 on a very strong footing. The second half of last season reflected all the hard work and development efforts that AER had put into the Mazda MZR-R engine. It`s the smallest engine on the track, but you`d never know that based on the Mazda turbo`s performance. This offseason, the engine team has concentrated on maximizing the power and torque curves based on the 2011 regulations, which are quite a bit different than last year`s and which were finalized quite late in the day. On the Lola chassis front, over the winter, we focused on starting the season with the narrower, 2011 rear wing and understanding the effects this would have on the balance of the car. There`s less downforce, so this has meant that we have had to reconsider the mechanical setup, including the springs and shock absorbers. We worked very hard in the testing to regain the balance and make the car happy on the tires, which thanks to Dunlop have taken another step forward. We had a pretty short timescale to come up with a race-able package, but as always the DRT engineering team gave us a great car in the race at Sebring. There`s definitely some more to come with the car, but we`ve hit the ground running.

This is a home race for Mazda with their corporate headquarters nearby. How does the addition of their enthusiastic fans affect the team and drivers?
The SoCal tuning crowd really has lots of love for Mazda, and the paddock is always mobbed around our cars. It`s amazing how passionate the Mazda owners are about the brand!

A recent Motor Trend article called Dyson Racing the `greenest entry" in the ALMS with biodegradable oil, G-OIL and bio-fuel isobutanol. How does this green message fit in with your view on the direction of racing and the ALMS?
It`s a great fit and really a matter of perfect timing that we happened to align ourselves with "green" thinking companies as the ALMS was truly beginning to embrace Green Racing. I couldn`t be prouder of our partners. It`s an honor to be aligned with such a forward-thinking group at G-OIL, who recognize the ALMS as a terrific platform to showcase their wonderful product in the most demanding racing conditions. Likewise Mazda, whose 2.0 liter MZR-R turbo engine is a core engine for their road car platform, has leveraged the value of the ALMS program as a direct connection to the their own, cutting-edge showroom products. And we have been able to give the world debut to the isobutanol fuel, which is revolutionary. How many other racing platforms allow for such a broad array of technological freedom and innovation? Racing needs to be fast, exciting and dramatic. But it can also contribute some genuine good to the world through innovation. The ALMS has given us the opportunity to showcase some incredible technologies and spread our partners` messages in a thrilling environment.

This year’s race will be telecast by ESPN2 from 5 to 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 17. Live video and radio coverage will be available on americanlemans.com and ESPN3.com starting at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. local time. Visit the American Le Mans Series` schedule page for information on tickets and area accommodations.
(ht: ALMS by Patron)

... notes from The EDJE