CDN_Wolf_eh

Well it's time to start planning the various American Le Mans Series events for 2009!

The series starts off with a Bang! The Historic 12 Hours of Sebring!

An Amazing Endurance Race, that most drivers say, rivals the 24 Hours of Le Mans due to the rough and challenging track.

This year will feature an amazing line up of the world's best Sport Cars, and Proto-Type Sport Cars ... We'll get to see our Beloved GT1 Corvettes racing for one of the last times prior to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then when they return to North America ... they will be retired, and Corvette Racing will then start campaigning 2 GT2 Corvettes.

Audi will premiere their new R15 P1 car ... can't wait to see it!

BMW will enter the fry with their new M3-R in the GT2 division.

Lou G is planning to return with his GT2 Corvette as well ... he will be down in Florida at the Sebring Winter Testing Sessions ... but he has yet to finalize his driver line up.



This will be my third trip down to this race ... and I'm really looking forward to the warm - hot weather that Florida has to offer!

ALMS Web-site:

http://www.americanlemans.com/home/ALMSHome.aspx

Sebring: Get Tickets Here! Info. on the race and the track.

http://www.sebringraceway.com/corral.lasso

IMSA: Home of the American Le Mans Series

http://www.imsaracing.net/




Corvette Corral ... Well here is the official schedule of events for the corral.

http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/car%2...20Schedule.pdf


Rob (Vettali) is planning on attending as well ... although he will not be driving his C3 down to the race

So .... is there any interst from anyone else out there?

Mark


Roll Call!:
CDN_Wolf_eh
Vettali

Highway Hawk

What's the travel plan Mark? What day do you travel down/back? I'm assuming you take 2 days both ways?

pewter99

Corral Tix for Sebring are on sale now..and have been

CDN_Wolf_eh

I normally give myself 2 travel days, down and back, but the first year I came back in just over a day.

Not sure what day I will be leaving at this point ... My Aunt and Uncle, my cousins and their children are going to Disney, so I might stop by there for a day and visit, if the timing works.

Tentative Travel Plans:

Leave on Tuesday, March 17th ... Stay in Charlotte, NC (Holiday Inn Express of Course!) ... Breakfast at IHOP just off the I75, then head for Florida! Arrive in Florida on Wednesday, March 18th ... Head to Bartow, great location to stay at, and a fun drive to the track each day ... through orange groves, and small town USA ... lots off fun back roads down to Sebring.

I'll spend time at the track on the Thursday and Friday ... but I'll pace myself so I'm not burnt out for the race!

Race day is incredible down there, watching the sun rise prior to the race is a site too!

Now I'm starting to feel like Corrado, counting down the days!

Mark

CDN_Wolf_eh

There are a number of Corral's that operate at the Sebring race ... but there has not been anything official yet about the Corvette Corral.

Here is what IMSA has up for the Corvette Corral ... http://www.imsaracing.net/imsaNS2.cf...8corvette.html

CDN_Wolf_eh

Well I just got off the phone with Sebring Raceway ... I bought two 4-Day Corvette Corral passes ... not sure what kind of set up they will have this year ... but as long as they have a tent to give us some shade, the private grandstand, bottles of cool water, and a few closed circuit TV's, then we should be good to go!


Mark

pewter99

told ya

the last 2 years we have had to call...nothing posted.

HRD2CTCH

Hi Mark
The count down is on and we will see you down there
Ron&Sue

CDN_Wolf_eh

Excellent Ron!

Will you be bringing the Vette this year?


Mark

CDN_Wolf_eh

BACK ON TRACK: WINTER TEST NEARLY HERE

de Ferran Motorsports (No. 66) and Flying Lizard Motorsports are just two teams that will have new cars on hand for the annual Sebring Winter Test.
A group of the most anticipated new entries to the American Le Mans Series will make their public debuts next week at the annual Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway. It's one of many reasons to look forward to the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the start of the Series' second decade of sports car racing and its 100th all-time event.

The highlights? There are plenty:



Three brand new prototypes grace the entry list. The pair that fans are perhaps the most eager to see are Acura's two ARX-02a sports cars in LMP1. De Ferran Motorsports and Patrón Highcroft Racing, which finished second in last year's LMP2 championship and won four times in class, each will field one of the new cars.

All four drivers return with their teams from last season - Simon Pagenaud with team owner Gil de Ferran, and David Brabham and Scott Sharp in the Patrón Highcroft Acura.

"I can't wait for next week; the car looks fantastic," Sharp said. "It is such an innovative design and looks menacing in plain carbon but once it is in the Patrón colors I think it is going to look like Darth Vader on wheels.

"There will be a lot more cars out there at the test laying down a lot of rubber," he added. "That will simulate what conditions are like during a race weekend which will be great."

Adrian Fernandez, Luis Diaz and Michel Jourdain Jr. will drive Lowe's Fernandez Racing's Acura in LMP2. The ARX-01b received a few updates and improvements over the offseason.

Dyson Racing and Mazda will trot out a Mazda-powered Lola coupe in LMP2. America's premier independent team, Dyson Racing is back with longtime partner Lola after two years with Porsche's RS Spyder. Chris Dyson, Ben Devlin, Butch Leitzinger, Guy Smith all will see time in the sleek Lola coupe, which debuted in the Series last year at Petit Le Mans.

GT2 sees the world debut of Porsche's new 911 GT3 RSR. Fresh on the heels of regaining the class manufacturer championship from Ferrari in 2008, Porsche has made several improvements to an already legendary machine.

Panoz and Ford are just two of eight manufacturers that will be represented at Sebring next week.
Redesigned radiator air ducting, which became necessary with installation of the new air conditioning unit, was added to comply with the ACO 2009 regulations. The aerodynamics under the rear also underwent further fine-tuning. The rear wing now features a wider adjustment range. The weight-optimized brake system and the lighter wiring harness contribute to further improved handling for 2009.

There are six Porsches entered at the Winter Test: three for defending team champion Flying Lizard Motorsports (Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Johannes van Overbeek, Seth Neiman and Darren Law), and one each for Farnbacher Loles Racing (Wolf Henzler and Dirk Werner), VICI Racing and Team Falken Tire.



BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team also will bring one of its fourth-generation BMW M3s to the Winter Test. Full-season drivers Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Tommy Milner and Dirk Müller will split time. The 2009 season marks BMW's return to the American Le Mans Series, having last competed in 2006.

Entries from Robertson Racing (Doran-Ford GT-R), Panoz Team PTG (Panoz Esperante GTLM) and LG Motorsports (Riley-Corvette C6) fill out the entry. All together there are a near-record 15 cars representing nine different manufacturers.

The latest entry is the Primetime Race Group Dodge Viper Competition Coupe of Joel Feinberg and Chris Hall.

The American Le Mans Series Winter Test is scheduled for January 26-28 at Sebring International Raceway. Daily passes will be available for $10 with paddock access and overnight camping prohibited.

The American Le Mans Series will open its 11th season with the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 21. SPEED will televise the race live from 10 a.m. to noon and 2-11 p.m. ET. Live Timing & Scoring and American Le Mans Radio will be available at americanlemans.com.

HRD2CTCH

Hi Mark
we will be driving this year but not the Vette. discovered when putting the car away in the fall that the a rear sway bar had a stripped bolt holding one of the pillow blocks on, and the front spoiler has been removed for painting
Ron

vettali

Anyone watching 24 hr at Daytona?Last 10 minutes very exciting:

LJD51

Although I will be in FL on 3/21 but about 85 miles north in Mickey's backyard with the grandkids...Mark, hope you have a great time...and give my best to our favorite Corral organizer and a genuine hello to our favorite "Astronaut"...

I look forward to seeing your reports and pics.

CDN_Wolf_eh

Yep, I watched it ... still think the DP's are not as cool as the ALMS Proto-Types

OhioDave

Saw the DP's at Mid-Ohio and they are fast, but I would much rather watch the American Le Mans Prototypes.

Hart

We will be driving down the 16th. Our first time at Sebring. Also my first time to Florida.
Has any one done the parade lap? Do they fill up quickley? 100 car limit, correct?

LJD51

Yes, 100 car limit so get there early on Thursday morning. Don't bother to wash/wax the car; it's gonna pour down anyway around 2PM.

I have done the parade lap twice: 2007 and 2008. Depending on the lead vehicle, if you are in the middle of the pack, you may be able to get a little "spirited" going down the back straight like we did last year. If you go to Photobucket and look up my albums, I have a couple of vids from last year (I cannot access Photobucket from work...); check lap 2 and watch the HUD...

You will have a great time...

Hart

Thanks for the info!! Looking forward to the race and the weather.

LJD51

Parade Lap 2, Sebring 2008

Hart

Looks like a great time. Can't wait!!