News From The American Le Mans Series - Sebring 2012 WELCOMES SEBRING THE WORLD CORVETTE CELEBRATES www.michelinalley.com 2 PICKETT VS DYSON Friends& LMP1 car and we are looking forward to testing new constructions and compounds,” said Pickett. “We want to be a tougher team, we need to be a tough team to beat the RivalsYOU MAY EXPECT that the two top The 2011 champions from Dyson are Dyson team and focus on winning the competitors in the 2012 American Le Poughkeepsie, New York-based, while championship.” Mans Series Prototype class, Dyson Pickett and his Muscle Milk squad call While the Muscle Milk team readies Racing’s Chris Dyson and Muscle Milk Benicia, California, home. its title challenge, Dyson has taken on Pickett Racing’s Greg Pickett, would be Both teams have new cars for 2012; their own double challenge. Not only bitter rivals. You would be very wrong. Muscle Milk has chosen will they debut a new “We have no better friends in ALMS the new Honda-powered Lola Mazda at Sebring, than Chris and Rob Dyson (pictured HPD ARX-03a while but for the first time the right),” said Pickett. Dyson stays with team will enter a pair of “On the track we are fierce rivals, but Mazda power aboard a cars for the 24 Hours of we try to race each other hard and clean new Lola. They do not Le Mans in June. and when the race is over we exchange agree on tires either, “We have a unique high-fives. We root for each other and with Pickett choosing opportunity with two pat each other on the back.” Michelin while Dyson automatic entries earned “The Dysons even helped us come runs with Dunlop. by winning the 2011 into the ALMS by selling us their old To wrest the ALMS ALMS championship and Porsche RS Spyder. We have great title from Dyson the MICHELIN® GREEN respect for Chris and Rob and their (pictured below right) X® Challenge,” said Chris team,” said Pickett (pictued above with and his co-driver Guy Dyson. Klaus Graf and Simon Pagenaud). Smith, Pickett has “We want to take on The two teams, winners of ALMS assembled a powerful the new challenge of Le prototype honors in six of the nine races driver line-up for the Mans. We have never last season, literally come from different 2012 season. tried it before.” directions. The Muscle Milk That doesn’t mean they squad pairs World GT1 champion and will be distracted here in the ALMS. former Audi factory ace Lucas Luhr with “Our primary goal is to defend the veteran Klaus Graf. Here at Sebring, championship here in the ALMS,” said the team seasons the mix with Simon Dyson. Pagenaud, runner-up at 2011 Sebring “We are racing against our best and Le Mans. friends in racing,” said Dyson. Pickett’s quest for the title hasn’t “Neither wants to lose, but after a stopped with a new car and drivers. race, we exchange high-fives and have “Michelin has come to the table a meal together. It is healthy rivalry with some new developments for our and built on mutual respect.” thealley CORVETTE 3 Corvette CELEBRATES + READIES FOR MORE FRIDAY will BE A big day for Ford, every Corvette victory at Sebring, the Corvette tradition. New generation Chevrolet Corvette at Sebring Petit Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Le Mans stars Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia International Raceway as the and around the ALMS circuit should be are carrying the tradition forward. legendary American sports car takes savored. Building and maintaining success are its rightful place in the Sebring Hall This year, Corvette joins Porsche, different challenges. of Fame. Ferrari, Audi, and Michelin as the only Helping Corvette to deliver both are With seven Sebring 12 Hours GT manufacturers in the Sebring Hall of long-time program manager Doug recent wins to its credit and another Fame. Fehan, the talent and dedication of seven at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, “Corvette is an iconic name in General Motors and its technical including a dramatic come-from- motorsports around the world,” said centers, and the Pratt & Miller crew led behind victory in changing conditions Silvia Mammone, Michelin motorsports by Gary Pratt. at Le Mans last year, Corvette has manager. Joining Corvette in the 2012 class are proven its stripes in international “The fans in the ALMS and at Le Mans former driver Johnny O’Connell, racer sports car competition in North love the Corvettes and their fans turn turned writer Denise McCluggage, America and overseas. out in great numbers at every race and Nissan hero Geoff Brabham, Mazda The Detroit iron has 73 wins in the car corrals are always filled with the driver and HANS device inventor Jim American Le Mans Series competition Corvette faithful.” Downing and Porsche legend Hans and 8 ALMS manufacturer and team Beautifully designed and thoroughly Herrmann. championships. prepared cars, top drivers and crews, Yes, Friday will be a big day for Racers often say that the tougher and a spirit of pride knowing that many Corvette, but the Corvette Racing team the competition, the sweeter the eyes in and out of the paddock are hopes to make Saturday even bigger. victory. upon them are all part of the Corvette The only thing better than winning the With a list of competitors including tradition. Twelve Hours of Sebring seven times Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Aston Martin, Drivers like Ron Fellows, Johnny would be to celebrate their induction Viper, Lotus, Maserati, Jaguar, O’Connell, Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta into the Sebring Hall of Fame by making Lamborghini, Panoz, Saleen, and and Jan Magnussen have helped build it eight. thealley 4 SEBRING The w rld comes to Sebring CONTRAry TO FOlklORE, Sebring, headed by legendary eight-time Le and Jeroen Bleekemolen; and a trio of Florida, is not located at the end of the Mans race winner Tom Kristensen, HPD ARX 03a-Hondas in the hands of world. In fact, you cannot even see the joined by Allan McNish and Dindo Strakka Racing (Nick Leventis, Danny end of the world from Sebring. Capello. Watts, Jonny Kane), JRM Racing (David What you can see are the newest cars Each of the three Audi squads Brabham, Peter Dumbreck, Karun and top endurance racers from around includes a pair of Audi Le Mans winning Chandhok), and the American-based the world as the center of the sports car drivers including 2011 Le Mans winners Muscle Milk Pickett Racing squad universe shifts 4,470 miles west from Le Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer, featuring Lucas Luhr, Klaus Graf and Mans, France, to Sebring International Marcel Fassler and 2010 winners Timo Simon Pagenaud. Raceway for the opening round of Bernhard and Romain Dumas join Also making its debut at Sebring is a the new 2012 FIA World Endurance them. new Dyson Racing Lola Mazda for ALMS Championship (WEC). Audi has been the dominant champions Chris The arrival of top teams, drivers and force in the sports car Dyson and Guy technical wizards and a hefty 61-car field world for the past dozen Smith, now joined is a fitting tribute to the 60th Sebring years, claiming by Steven Kane. race. 10 wins at Le In the GTE-Pro The 3.7-mile Sebring circuit is fast, Mans and nine ranks, the competition should be bumpy, flat and sure to be filled to the overall wins at Sebring. exceptionally fierce with the 2011 brim with a massive crowd as Sebring Audi’s main competition here at Intercontinental Le Mans Cup champion will be the only 2012 North American Sebring is expected to come from a AF Corse Ferrari drivers Giancarlo stop of the new FIA World Endurance pair of Rebellion Toyotas featuring Fisichella and Gianmaria Bruni taking Championship. Heading the field will Nicolas Prost, Neel Jani, Nick Heidfeld on ALMS champions Joey Hand and be a trio of Audi R18 diesel prototypes and Harold Primat, Andrea Belicchi Dirk Mueller from BMW Team RLL. thealley SEBRING 5 The w rld comes to Sebring Corvette stirs the mix of the 2011 Le multi-time ALMS champions Joerg dozen Nissans, led by Signatech, Mans GT winning Corvette combo of Bergmeister and Patrick Long with ADR-Delta, Gulf Racing Middle East Antonio Garcia and Tommy Milner, Marco Holzer. They are joined by and Pecom Racing take on Lotus, the by pairing Oliver Gavin and Richard Lizard leader Seth Neiman, Darren Morgans of Oak Racing and Conquest, Westbrook with Milner and placing Law and Andy Lally. and the Honda powered Starworks Jan Magnussen and newcomer Jordan Porsche presents an interesting tire and Level 5 squads. Taylor with Garcia. battle with Team Falken’s Wolf Henzler Top shoes to watch here include The Extreme Speed Motorsports and Bryan Sellers and the Dunlop- Stephane Sarrazin, Soheil Ayari, Ryan team of Scott Sharp and Johannes van fitted Paul Miller Racing Porsche with Dalziel, Robbie Kerr, Christophe Overbeek expects to be the top ALMS- Bryce Miller and Sascha Maassen. Bouchut and Luis Diaz. based Ferrari along with Patron’s Ed Aston Martin presents the Aston The LMP Challenge class includes Brown and Guy Cosmo. Martin Vantage V8 with stalwarts aces Memo Gidley, Bruno Junqueira, Weapons-grade cars and top Adrian Fernandez, Stefan Mucke and Butch Leitzinger, Colin Braun and teammates do not stop there as AF Darren Turner. Duncan Ende in identical Chevy Corse tosses Andrea Bertolini and The TEG -Am lineup includes the powered Oreca prototypes. The TG Olivier Beretta into the mix. BMW goes defending Intercontinental and Le Challenge class matches identical with Joerg Muller and Bill Auberlen.