Pirelli Tyres at Petit Le Mans
Recent Podiums Offer Encouragement to GTS and GT Ranks
Braselton, Georgia, Oct. 15, 2003 - Fresh from a triple podium at the Grand Prix Americas on the streets of Miami, Pirelli is looking to continue its recent trend of podium appearances at this Saturdays American Le Mans Series (ALMS) finale Petit Le Mans. Although Pirelli is focusing primarily on GTS and GT customers during 2003, the baby prototype of Essex Racing has been more than a pleasant surprise this season. The reliable #18 entry prepared by Tony Dowe and managed by Mike Gue has earned five podiums this year, including a third-place finish at Miami, and is only three points behind the Intersport team for second place in the 675 championship. Lead driver Jason Workman will be joined by Scott Bradley (San Jose, Calif.) and Andrew Davis (Lilburn, Georgia) at Road Atlanta this weekend.
Pirellis strong bond with Ferrari includes two World Sports Car championships in 1995 and 1998, as well as winning the inaugural Petit Le Mans overall and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the prototype class in the latter year.
With a deficit of only eight points going into the final round, Ferrari 550 Maranellos have already demonstrated that they are capable of dethroning the Corvettes in the GTS championship this year and Gabriele Rafanellis Team Olive Garden is hungry to help. Drivers Emanuele Naspetti (Italy) and Mimmo Schiattarella (Monaco) have scored two podium finishes so far, including a third place at Miami where three Ferraris kept a Corvette off the podium for the first time in years. Team Olive Garden is already assured of improving on last years fourth-place finish in the GTS championship.
The two-car team of London-based PK Sport has shown promise throughout the ALMS season, often running in the top three in class, only to fall to the vagaries of racing. However, Scot Robin Liddell and ex-F1 driver Alex Caffi (Monaco) earned a well-deserved podium at Miami in the #60 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. At Petit, they will be joined by David Warnock (UK) while veteran Vic Rice (San Rafael, Calif.) will compete in the #61 Porsche with Jon Groom of New Jersey.
Pirelli will also fit the #71 Carsport America Viper of team owner Tom Weickardt (Whitefish Bay, Wisc.), experienced Frenchmen Jean-Phillippe Belloc and Eric Cayrolle that finished fourth in GTS at Sebring.
In addition to these seasoned teams in the ALMS, one of the most interesting developments of the season has been the debut of Hyper Sports Panoz Esperante GTLM.
Built " just down the street" from Road Atlanta, the Panoz Esperante GTLM with the 5.0-liter Elan power plant will be the only American-bred car challenging the likes of the German and Italian thoroughbreds in the ALMS GT class this season. The Hyper Sport team that made its debut at Sebring has an interesting background.
Team principals Rick Skelton (Atlanta) and Brad Nyberg (Houston) are graduates of the Panoz GT and Pro Series where they were top competitors for the past two years while Joe Foster, Chief Driving Instructor of the Panoz Driving School, is the teams lead driver.
SPEED Channel will broadcast seven hours of Petit Le Mans beginning at 11 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, Oct. 18. Race fans can listen to live coverage of the race on the American Le Mans Series Radio Web at www.americanlemans.com
Founded in 1972, the Pirelli Group is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of tires for most cars and light trucks plus cables for telecommunications, electronic data and power transmission. Pirelli tires are fitted as original equipment to more than 350 different vehicle models, from the worlds most powerful supercars to modest gas-, diesel- and electricity-driven city cars.
Pirelli Tire North America specializes in the manufacture and marketing of high-performance car, light truck and motorcycle tires and currently has three of its highly advanced MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System) modules in operation in a new factory in Rome, Georgia, to better serve the American OEM and Replacement markets. For more information, visit the Company's web site at: www.us.pirelli.com.