Backstretch Motorsports

Simon Pagenaud captured pole position for de Ferran Motorsports with a new track record at the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix on Saturday, a year after the team’s debut in the American Le Mans Series. Pagenaud qualified his Acura ARX-02a with a time of 1:30.645 (121.052 mph) to best David Brabham by 0.736 seconds.

Pagenaud and team owner Gil de Ferran will drive the XM Acura after placing third overall and in the LMP2 class last season. The de Ferran team moved up to LMP1 for 2009 and took its first victory in the last Series round at Long Beach. Pagenaud earned his second Series pole position after qualifying first at St. Petersburg. [read more...]

Fernandez Wins 2nd LMP2 Pole, Completing Acura 1-2-3 Overall Sweep

LONG BEACH, Calif. — David Brabham recorded his 11th career American Le Mans Series pole position Friday in a spectacular duel with fellow Acura racer Gil de Ferran during Tequila Patrón Grand Prix qualifying on the streets of Long Beach.

Brabham, winner at St. Petersburg two weeks ago with co-driver Scott Sharp, posted a sensational one minute, 11.627 second lap time for an average speed of 98.912 miles per hour in the No. 9 Patrón Highcroft Acura ARX-02a prototype early in the 25-minute qualifying round on the 1.96-mile, 11-turn temporary circuit near the Long Beach harbor. Then, de Ferran, driving the two-time 2009 pole-winning No. 66 XM Radio de Ferran Acura ARX-02a, closed Brabham’s margin with a sensational last-lap charge. [read more...]

LONG BEACH, California (April 17, 2009) – New team, new look, new car, new brand – that was what was unveiled during a press conference today at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Rocketsports Racing, Inc. (RSR) establishes a new entity, formed to build and race Jaguar XKR’s in the ALMS GT2 category and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Rocketsports Racing officially announced a GT2 program for the American Le Mans Series that will see the East Lansing, Michigan-based team reunite with the Jaguar brand by entering a Jaguar XKRfor a partial season in 2009 with a full-season championship effort in 2010. [read more...]

Curren / Gigliotti Together Again With Whelen Engineering On Board

Bonita Springs, Fla. March 30, 2009 - The flaming paint scheme of the
#28 LG Pro Long Tube Headers GT2 Corvette will be taking it to the
streets this week when the American Le Mans Series makes its annual
return to St. Petersburg, Florida for the 2009 Acura Sports Car
Challenge. Sporting a new partner on the rear quarter panel, Whelen
Engineering’s ace pilot, Eric Curran will team up with three-time
World Challenge Champion and team owner Lou Gigliotti. This will be
Curran’s third outing in the #28 Corvette.

[read more...]

Peugeot’s Stephane Sarrazin set the fastest lap of the day at Sebring International Raceway on Wednesday, the first official day of practice for the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. The Frenchman toured the 3.7-mile, 17-turn circuit in 1:44.719 (127.198 mph) in the day’s second practice session.

Driving one of Peugeot’s diesel-powered 908 HDi factory coupes with Franck Montagny and Sebastien Bourdais, Sarrazin sat 0.214 seconds ahead of Audi Sport’s Tom Kristensen in the new R15 TDI, also a factory diesel entry. Kristensen is teaming with Allan McNish and Dindo Capello, and the same trio won last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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Miami, FL- VICI Racing is pleased to confirm its driver-line up for the two Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs it will enter in next weekend’s 57th 12 Hours of Sebring (March 21) the opening round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series. The driver line up will comprise of Marc Basseng, Richard Westbrook and Lance David Arnold in the #5 car, and Nicky Pastorelli, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Johannes Stuck in the #18 car.

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Angleton, Texas (Feb. 17) – Texas-based team Mundill, entering their third year in the Star Mazda Championship, is pleased to announce it will expand its team with the recent acquisition of a Pescarolo/Judd LMP1 car from Rollcentre Racing. The Texas-based team is confident that an American Le Mans Series program will compliment the team’s effort in Star Mazda, creating an opportunity for drivers, engineers and mechanics to develop their craft and move up under the same roof.

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Peugeot confirmed today its two-car entry into the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida with a pair of diesel-powered 908 HDi factory prototypes for America’s greatest sports car race. This year’s event will mark the second consecutive trip to Sebring International Raceway for the exquisite coupes.

Monday’s announcement puts an even brighter spotlight on the front of the grid. The two 908s will go up against four brand new P1 entries - Acura’s two ARX-02a and a pair of Audi’s R15 TDI prototypes.

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Scott Dixon turned in the fastest time on the final day of the American Le Mans Series’ annual Winter Test on Wednesday. The reigning Indy 500 and IndyCar champion turned a lap of 1:45.671 (126.052 mph) in the morning session at Sebring International Raceway for de Ferran Motorsports.

The new Acura ARX-02a LMP1 entry that Dixon drove Wednesday morning was fastest in all but one of the eight sessions throughout the week. Teammate Simon Pagenaud has the week’s quickest time, a 1:44.814 (127.082 mph) from Tuesday morning. His time bettered Marco Werner’s standing qualifying record around the famed 17-turn, 3.7-mile layout, set in 2007 in an Audi R10 TDI. Pagenaud, Dixon and team owner Gil de Ferran will team for the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on March 21.

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January 28, 2009 — Flying Lizard Motorsports, the 2008 American Le Mans Series GT2 team champions, completed a successful three-day test at Sebring this week. The team launched their new 2009 Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs during the American Le Mans Series Winter Test, in preparation for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, to be held on March 21.

The team will field two Porsches - the No. 44 and the No. 45 - in the 10-race ALMS season. ALMS GT2 2008 driver’s champion Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) are teaming in the No. 45 Porsche for the 2009 season. In the No. 44, pilots Seth Neiman (USA), Darren Law (USA), and Johannes van Overbeek (USA) will share driving duties. All five drivers attended the test this week. Bergmeister, Long, Law and van Overbeek all arrived in Sebring Monday morning after driving a collective 20 hours at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Law won overall in the DP class with Brumos Racing and Bergmeister and Long won GT with TRG.

[read more...]