THE
Greg Pickett.....
Making winning fun
News From The American Le Mans Series - Long Beach 2011
Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing
MAKING WINNING FUN
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inning races is hard. Winning races over the long haul is even more difficult. Winning races over the long haul and having fun doing it? You need to see Greg Pickett and meet the Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing prototype team. Pickett’s racing philosophy for success is simple and pure. On the eve of the team’s ALMS debut at Mid-Ohio in 2009 with a Porsche RS Spyder, Pickett called together his crew and said; “We have great technical partners in Porsche and Michelin. We are proud to put our Muscle Milk and CytoSport brands alongside their incredible brands and to race with their technology. We are going to listen very closely to what they tell us, work hard and have fun.” The Benicia, CA based team finished second that weekend and promptly reeled off nine consecutive podiums.
In 2010 Pickett, Graf and Muscle Milk kicked it up, taking the team’s first class win at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and first overall race victory at Lime Rock. When Pickett was injured in a crash at Mid-Ohio last year, Graf then teamed with Romain Dumas to deliver the pole and a dominant overall race win at Mosport. Graf and the team finished as runners-up in the 2010 ALMS prototype championship. Winning is nothing new to Pickett, a legend in Trans Am racing and one of the few drivers who can claim victories in five decades of racing. To win over the long haul requires more than talent or being in the right place at the right time. You need good people, good management, the right technical partners and the ability to balance your core philosophy and change. Change is afoot at Muscle Milk for the 2011 season.
With Porsche retiring the RS Spyder at the end of 2010, Pickett and Graf joined with Aston Martin for a stunning Aston Martin powered Lola coupe. Lucas Luhr, a former Audi factory driver joins Graf here at Long Beach. The 2008 ALMS LMP1 prototype champion has 31 wins in 70 races and has also won a LMP2 championship in 2006 as well as GT class championships in 2002 and 2003. His record includes victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, and the 24 Hour races at Daytona, Spa, and the Nurburgring 24 Hour. The car and the driver roster may have changed, but Greg Pickett has not. As an early favorite here in Long Beach, Pickett also knows how to seize an opportunity. After all, the thing about winners is that they know how to win, and a win at Long Beach? Now that would be fun!
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Level 5 Motorsport
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uis Diaz holds an unusual position in the American Le Mans Series paddock. With nine ALMS wins, 21 podiums in 41 ALMS race starts, and the 2009 ALMS LMP2 championship co-driver with Adrian Fernandez, Diaz is in the words of a veteran former engineer, “still the most underrated driver in the paddock.” A native of Mexico City, Diaz or “Grasshopper” is now a co-driver with Scott Tucker at Level 5 Motorsports aboard the #055 Lola/Honda. He began his career racing karts in Mexico at age 12 and won numerous karting titles before moving to cars at age 18. Since then, Diaz has built an impressive career, winning races, championships and various honors including the 2009 ALMS Most Popular Driver Award. How could a driver with that kind of record and fan awareness be underrated? Part of it was a matter of timing as he and Fernandez ramped up to their 2009 championship season. Another part is his style. Diaz is friendly, modest and quick to share recognition with his co-drivers, teammates and crew. But to the people on the inside, the ones that see the team working and monitor the data streams, Diaz is a trusted hand, consistent, solid, and very quick when needed. Now part of the rapidly expanding Level 5 Motorsports team, Diaz and Scott Tucker, joined by Ryan Hunter-Reay at Sebring, have already topped the LMP2 class podium in the first event of the 2011 season. “We were expecting a very tough first race because of the relatively last minute nature of the deal we did to run two Lola-HPD cars in the full ALMS and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup this year,” said Diaz. “We only ran the Lola for the first time on the weekend before the race, so everyone deserves a big pat on the back. “I’m telling you there were some days that the guys slept no more than two or three hours at most, so looking at the effort from everybody at the team it was just phenomenal.” Winning races, championships, most popular driver awards and ultimately the respect of his teams means Luis Diaz is no longer the best kept secret in the ALMS paddock.
“Chapulin” Hops to Level 5 3
GT Battle
The GT fight...
RACE WHAT
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n a world of single spec series gone mad, imagine a competition where the world’s top manufacturers race their latest cars on a levelplaying field. Think Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette, BMW, and Jaguar each with multiple car teams based on real cars. Sounds cool, right? Now, add premier teams like Risi Competizione, Flying Lizard Motorsports, Corvette Racing (Pratt & Miller), Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Extreme Speed Motorsports, Walker Racing, Jaguar RSR and West Racing. Stir in a who’s who international driver line-up and four different tire makers and, Voila! You have the 2011 American Le Mans Series GT competition.
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How tough is it? In a bid to claim the 2010 GT manufacturer’s title, Ferrari drafted in recent F1 refugee Giancarlo Fisichella to co-drive the second car at Risi Competizione. The Indy 500 winning RLL (BMW) team had but a single win in each of its first two seasons. The six-time Le Mans winning Corvette Racing team has two wins in 14 starts since switching to the class in mid-2009. Want more? The 2010 GT driver, manufacturer and team championship were literally decided in the final mile of the final lap at the final race. Media, fans, manufacturers, teams and drivers seem to agree that the ALMS GT class has some of the best racing in the world today.
GT Battle
T YOU SELL PORSCHE Leading the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR contingent is the Sonoma-based Flying Lizard Motorsports team. Factory drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, the 2009 and 2010 Long Beach GT winners and ALMS Driver co-champions, are aboard the #45. Darren Law and team leader Seth Neiman co-drive the #44 FLM Porsche. Both cars are Michelin technical partners. Hoping to add support in the manufacturer championship fight is the second year entry from Falken Motorsports, now led by longtime IndyCar team guru Derrick Walker. Wheeling the #17 Porsche is factory ace Wolf Henzler and American Bryan Sellers. Stepping up from the single-spec Porsche GT Challenge series in a Yokohama fitted car is the Paul Miller Racing #48 entry for Bryce Miller. FERRARI The Prancing Horse hopes will ride aboard a trio of stunning new Michelin fitted Ferrari 458 Italias with the traditional red #62 for three-time Le Mans winners Risi Competizione of Houston and factory drivers Jaime Melo of Brazil and Finland’s Toni Vilander. Bolstering the Ferrari charge for the title is a pair of stunning Patrón green 458s from the rapidly developing Extreme Speed Motorsports team led by former IndyCar and ALMS Prototype champion Scott Sharp. Joining Sharp aboard the #01 is Oakland’s Johannes van Overbeek, while Guy Cosmo and Patrón CEO Ed Brown share the identical #02 for the Stuart, Florida-based squad.
CORVETTE The American iron in GT here at Long Beach comes in the form of a potent pair of Michelin fitted “Velocity Yellow” Corvette C6 ZR1s. Virginia’s Tommy Milner joins Olivier Beretta of Monaco aboard the #3 Corvette, while England’s Oliver Gavin and Denmark’s Jan Magnussen shoe the #4. Corvette Racing has three victories here on the streets of Long Beach. BMW Opening the 2011 ALMS season with an impressive 1-2 finish at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, the fresh BMW M3s with Dunlops for Dirk Mueller and American Joey Hand in the #56 and teammates Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen in the #55 are the early favorites here in Long Beach. JAGUAR After a disappointing inaugural campaign in 2010, Trans Am ace Paul Gentilozzi’s Jaguar XKRs from JaguarRSR are looking to make big strides in 2011, adding a second car, switching from Yokohama to Dunlop shoes, and bringing in former IndyCar stars Cristiano da Matta and Bruno Junqueira of Brazil in the # 98 and Torrance’s own PJ Jones teamed with Gentilozzi in the #99. LAMBORGHINI Jumping into the deep end of the GT shark pool for 2011 is the new West Yokohama Racing team with the #08 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 for The Netherlands’ Nicky Pastorelli and Germany’s Dominik Schwager.
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Dijyano
No one is going 9-0 this year. Doug Fehan of Corvette Racing on the ALMS GT competition in 2011
DID YOU KNOW?
THE ROLE REVERSAL
SUPER TIRE TALES Dan Neil, the Wall Street Journal’s Pulitzer prize-winning auto writer recently noted: “If 80% of success is just showing up, about 90% of sport handling is tires.” The folks at Michelin would certainly agree as they launch the new MICHELIN® Pilot® Super Sport tire, that is “Born from Endurance Racing.” Developed in cooperation with Porsche, BMW M and Ferrari, the new tire officially launched in the U.S. on April 1 and is already drawing strong reviews. 2010 Long Beach winner Simon Pagenaud eyed a display tire at Sebring and noted, “I just got a set of those on my car in Europe and they are Mega!”
As an hour long Highcroft Racing driver photo session was drawing to a close early Sebring race week, team owner Duncan Dayton turned the tables on The Alley’s award winning ace photographer Rick Dole. Grabbing Dole’s camera, Dayton declared, “Now it’s your turn,” and Duncan Dayton Rick Dole by promptly directed by Rick Dole Duncan Dayton Dole to the final pose.
M3 - 90/92 + 55+56 = 1,2 BMW changed a lot over the off-season and it has already paid dividends. The team has fresh cars, a new name, a new driver (Dirk Werner), and new car numbers, switching from 90 and 92 to 55 and 56 for the season. So far it is all working as the team, now known as BMW Team RLL, claimed its third ALMS victory with an impressive 1-2 finish at Sebring.
Can Lizards three-peat?
Gunnar Gunning
Looking for some momentum before heading to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche team and Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long are two-time defending GT champions on the Long Beach streets. The two-time reigning GT driver champions seek a rebound after a sixth place finish at Sebring last month.
CORE Autosport had a great debut in the ALMS with a double podium result in 2nd and 3rd in the LMP Challenge class at Sebring. One of the team’s drivers, Gunnar Jeannette, scored his first win in the series at Long Beach in 2010. His co-driver in the #06 car, Ricardo Gonzalez, makes his Long Beach LMPC debut this weekend.
THE ALLEY Going LivE
Follow a live Michelin Blog with features, race insights, interviews, videos, Rick Dole photos and highlights from all 2011 ALMS events at www.michelinalley.com
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Iso What? The Dyson Racing team looks to deliver a second ever ALMS victory for Mazda and Isobutanol fuel here at Long Beach. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith took the overall win at Mid-Ohio last summer and currently lead the ALMS Prototype championship. Isobutanol gasoline is one of the five alternative fuels permitted in ALMS competition.
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News
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chedu Long Beach S
Friday, April 15, 2011 7:15 am - 9:15 am
Practice - ALMS
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Practice - IndyCar Series - 1A
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Practice - IndyCar Series - 1B
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Practice - Toyota Pro/Celebrity
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Practice - Indy Lights
2:25 pm - 3:25 pm
Practice - IndyCar Series
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm
Qualifying - Toyota Pro/Celebrity
4:20 pm - 4:45 pm
Practice - World Challenge
5:05 pm - 5:20 pm
Qualifying - ALMS (GT)
5:20 pm - 5:35 pm
Qualifying - ALMS (GTC)
5:50 pm - 6:05 pm
Qualifying - ALMS (LMP1 / LMP2)
6:05 pm - 6:20 pm
Qualifying - ALMS (LMPC)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
CATCH THE ACTION
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he American Le Mans Series and ESPN have partnered together for a multi-year broadcast and digital package for ALMS events which involves televising the world’s premier sports car series over several ESPN programming and media platforms, including ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. Live streamed coverage of the Long Beach race can be viewed on ESPN3.com with a tape-delayed television coverage on ESPN2, Sunday, April 17 from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (ET). The full broadcast will be available on demand on ESPN3.com for three weeks and on AmericanLeMans.com after that.
7:15 am - 7:45 am
Practice - World Challenge
8:00 am - 8:45 am
Practice - Indy Lights
10:25 am - 11:25 am
Practice - IndyCar Series
11:40 am - 12:40 pm
Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
ALMS TV and Broadband Schedule
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
ALMS Autograph Session (Paddock)
(All TV times Eastern)
12:55 pm - 1:55 pm
Qualifying - Firestone Indy Lights
Long Beach
2:30 pm - 3:50 pm 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Fri, April 15
ESPN3.com
Live Qual
Qualifying - IndyCar Series
Sat, April 16
ESPN3.com
Live Race
Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach Race - 2 Hours (Round 2)
Sun, April 17
ESPN2
5-7 pm
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2011 Calenda 19 March
Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sebring, FL
16 April
Long Beach Grand Prix, CA
9 July
Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, CT
24 July
Mosport International Raceway, Canada
6 August
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH
20 August
Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
3 September
Baltimore Grand Prix, Baltimore, MD
17 September
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA
22 September
Motorsports on Main, Greenville, SC
1 October
Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, GA
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Long GreenBeach X Grand Prix 2011
Fan Favorites CHEVROLET
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Beretta/Milner Gavin/Magnussen
Michelin Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
Smartphone scan code here Check out the latest edition of Corvette Racing’s Track to Street video series
ASTON MARTIN
PORSCHE
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Graf/Luhr Michelin Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing • AMR/ Lola Coupe B08 62
MAZDA
17 Henzler/Sellers Falken Team Falken Tire • Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
PORSCHE
16 Dyson/Smith Dunlop Dyson Racing • Lola B09 86 Mazda
LOLA
33 055
Tucker/Bouchut Tucker/Diaz Level 5 Motorsports • Lola Honda
LMP1 CLASS
Michelin
FERRARI
44 45
Law/Neiman Michelin Bergmeister/Long Flying Lizard Motorsports • Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
BMW
Auberlen/Werner D. Müller/Hand BMW Motorsport • BMW M3 GT
LMP2 CLASS
55 56 Dunlop
62 Melo/Vilander Michelin Risi Competizione • Ferrari F458 Italia
JAGUAR
Junqueira/Da Matta Jones/Gentilozzi Jaguar RSR • Jaguar XKR
FERRARI
98 99 Dunlop
01 02
Sharp/van Overbeek Michelin Brown/Cosmo Extreme Speed Motorsports • Ferrari F458 Italia
GT CLASS
Michelin North America, Inc • One Parkway South, • Greenville, SC 29615 • TEL: 1-800-458-5000 www.michelin.com • Printed in USA, April 13, 2011 • Volume 5, Issue 2 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the publisher. Copyright © 2011 Michelin North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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