Trackbytes

VICI RACING TO SKIP LIME ROCK AND HEAD FOR MID OHIO

2008-07-03T14:13:06Z

photo by: John Thawley VICI Racing and development partner Kumho Tires will skip the next round of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock, Connecticut, next weekend (July 10-12) and instead will return to the series for the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid Ohio one week later (July 17-19).

It’s been a fast moving debut season in ALMS for VICI Racing, with a year-long racing programme which is centred on developing Kumho Tires for the GT2 category. Pre-season, the decision was taken to run the programme in the full glare of the ALMS series and a promising start was immediately made when the team’s new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR ran in the podium positions for over four hours during the opening race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.

MURRY TURNING BACK THE CLOCK AT LIME ROCK

2008-07-03T02:33:18Z

photo by John Thawley Ahhh, 1985. It was the year of “We Are the World”, Windows 1.0, “Back to the Future” and New Coke. For David Murry, it marked the beginning of a professional racing career that produced drives for some of the biggest names in sports car racing - Lotus, Porsche and BMW for example. But two race victories at Lime Rock Park in SCCA Sports Renault 23 years ago helped launch the Atlanta resident’s career.

Murry will return to Lime Park with Robertson Racing and its Ford GT-R next week for the Northeast Grand Prix. He will team with the husband-wife pairing of Andrea and David Robertson for the July 11 race. It will be a different circuit with the new 1.51-mile, 10-turn layout but still will maintain some of the old familiarity.

“It’s I had heard a lot about the track; that it was really fast but only a mile and a half long,” Murry said. “I wondered how that was possible given how short it was. Then I got there and realized that it was really that fast.

SCCA Pro, WCVision Finalize World Challenge Licensing Agreement

2008-07-02T17:17:52Z

photo by John Thawley TOPEKA, Kan. (July 2, 2008) – SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. and WC Vision LLC announced today an agreement in which WCVision has secured the long term marketing and licensing rights for the SPEED World Challenge® racing series.

The SCCA SPEED World Challenge series has been one of the best-kept secrets in professional road racing. With a nearly 20-year history including some of the biggest names in racing, the series is one of the most exciting and competitive sports car championships worldwide.

In 2006, the World Challenge Participants Committee was formed, and what followed was the development of a group of competitors to partner with SCCA on a strategic level to place the series at the forefront of North American motorsports. Believing that SCCA Pro Racing has done an outstanding job of administering and running races over the years, the group identified that the sanctioning body needed resources for elevated marketing, promotions and sponsor acquisition efforts.

FROM LE MANS TO LIME ROCK: FLYING LIZARD

2008-07-02T04:06:28Z

photo by John Thawley It hasn’t been completely relaxing and carefree, but Eric Ingraham says Flying Lizard Motorsports has had its easiest year yet coming back from the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The American Le Mans Series’ GT2 championship-leading squad is now squarely focused on continuing its early season success and put the disappointment from Le Mans in the rear-view mirror.

An early crash robbed the California-based team of any chance at Le Mans glory although the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR came home sixth in class. While disappointing at the time, the Lizards carry momentum from class victories at Sebring and Miller Motorsports Park to Lime Rock and the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. Ingraham takes us on the road from Le Mans.

“The benefit of experience of the return, unpacking and reloading process helps of course, but the four-week turnaround between the race start at Le Mans and the race start at Lime Rock is the biggest help,” he said. “In 2007 that was a three-week period, and in 2005 and 2006 it was only two weeks.

CAPELLO RETURNS FOR LIME ROCK

2008-07-01T04:42:41Z

photo by: John Thawley Dindo Capello will return to the American Le Mans Series with the two-time LMP1 champion teaming with fellow Italian Emanuele Pirro at Lime Rock Park for next week’s American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. The July 12 race will be Capello’s first in the Series since taking P1 honors (and third overall) for Audi at Sebring.

The 44-year-old Capello is just three weeks removed from his third overall victory at Le Mans as he, Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen beat the odds and Peugeot on the French manufacturer’s home turf. Capello also has been a constant force behind the wheel of the diesel-powered R10 TDI; he and Frank Biela (whom Capello replaces) helped debut the car in January 2006 in its first public test at Sebring International Raceway.

ANDRETTI, MONTAGNY IN AGR ACURA AT LIME ROCK

2008-06-28T14:20:26Z

photo by: John Thawley Andretti Green Racing (AGR) announced today it has signed Franck Montagny to become the primary driver of the #26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b for the remainder of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season, beginning with the next tour stop at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Ct.

Bryan Herta and Christian Fittipaldi handled the driving duties for Andretti Green in the four previous ALMS starts this season along with Marco Andretti, who rounded out the AGR lineup in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

A variety of drivers will team with Montagny during the final seven ALMS events of 2008 beginning with Marco Andretti, who drives one of Andretti Green’s four IndyCar Series machines. Andretti will qualify for the IndyCar Series event on July 11 at Nashville Superspeedway and then travel to Lime Rock for the July 12th running of the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. Following the ALMS event, he will return to Nashville for the Firestone Indy 200 later that night.

John Faulkner Joins Intersport Racing at Mid-Ohio

2008-06-27T10:42:00Z

photo by John Thawley Intersport Racing announced today Star Mazda veteran John Faulkner will join Champ Car Atlantic star Ryan Lewis in the team’s second LMP1 car as driver for the Acura Sports Car Challenge July 17-19 at Mid-Ohio in the 2008 American Le Mans Series.

Lewis will be behind the wheel for the balance of the season while Faulkner is slated to drive at Mid-Ohio, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Jon and Clint Field and Richard Berry will continue as drivers of the No. 37 Very Berry Exotics entry. The trio is fresh off a second place finish in the Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park, having led the race overall for a brief period.

GREEN CHALLENGE™ RULES AND REGULATIONS SET

2008-06-25T15:42:12Z

It seems only a short time ago that a $60 barrel of oil caused great concern among industry business leaders, politicians and consumers. There are now predictions that $200 a barrel may be likely. Gasoline prices have escalated to all-time highs while automobile sales are decreasing at rates not seen in decades. Combined with higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions, climate change becomes increasingly apparent.

While The American Le Mans Series will not portend to have a solution for the escalating price of crude oil, it will profess to have a solution for helping the auto industry - and ultimately consumers.

To further emphasize its commitment to help auto manufacturers find alternative fuel solutions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the American Le Mans Series in concert with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International announced at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year that it would implement the first ever Green Challenge™ at its signature event - Petit Le Mans, October 4 at Road Atlanta. Officials from those entities will be on hand to present trophies to the winners for that race-within-a-race. In 2009, the Green Challenge™ will include all Series events and culminate in a Green Challenge™ Championship Award made by these three organizations.

$5 MILLION REPAVING PROJECT LEAVES SKIP BARBER ANXIOUS

2008-06-23T21:57:07Z

LAKEVILLE, CT (June 23, 2008) — It’s been 20 days of intense management over the huge construction project at Lime Rock Park as the track continues its $5 million upgrades and repaving project. With determination and fortitude leading the way, the track is now ready for the 14 remaining days of its new facelift. Starting first thing Monday morning, Lime Rock Park initiated Phase Three, the final layer of asphalt, with plans of completion by the end of the week.

The track construction and paving schedule is a very ambitious one, to say the least. The plan is to do 90 days of work in 31 days, to be ready for the American Le Mans Series, July 11-12, as they will be the first professional series to run Optional Lime Rock. What everyone can expect for the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix race weekend is this: Classic Lime Rock Park will be paved, the Optional Uphill and West Bend corners have been built and will be paved, the new entrance completed and two new spectator areas created.

RYAN LEWIS JOINS INTERSPORT RACING

2008-06-23T19:50:15Z

British driver to compete in American Le Mans Series

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.