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ALMS: Cytosport Returns With Porsche RS Spyder
Written by: John Dagys   
06/20/2009
Palos Park, IL
 
Team Cytosport is a familiar name to American Le Mans Series followers, having competed in a partial season in 2007 and taking its LMP1 program to the 24 Hours of Le Mans the following year.

But since then, the Greg Pickett-owned organization has been out of the sportscar racing scene, selling both of its Lola prototypes and focusing its entire efforts on the resurrected Muscle Milk Trans-Am Series.
After a limited 2007 schedule with an LMP1 Lola, Cytosport is back starting at Mid-Ohio with an ex-Dyson Porsche RS Spyder to battle Acura and Mazda for LMP2 honors. (LAT) » More Photos

However, Pickett and company are now back, and stronger than ever. SPEEDtv.com has learned that Cytosport has purchased an ex-Dyson Racing Porsche RS Spyder and is set to rejoin the ALMS field starting at Mid-Ohio in August. This latest addition gives a boost to car counts in LMP2, with Cytosport joining Dyson Racing’s two Lola B09/86 Mazdas and the lone Lowe’s Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-02b in the slightly depleted prototype category.

But more importantly, it won’t be just another car filling the grid, proven by the team’s driver lineup of veteran Porsche factory driver Sascha Maassen, fellow German Klaus Graf and team owner Greg Pickett. Maassen is the most experienced RS Spyder driver, having completed the majority of the car’s development and will be the team's third driver at the Petit Le Mans, also providing supplementary technical and driver support in testing.

The 39-year-old German was part of Penske Racing’s lineup, claiming six class victories over the past three seasons. Just last week, he was behind the wheel of Team Goh’s RS Spyder at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

With Porsche’s LMP2 known for its finicky handling, Maassen’s impact
on the program would be immediate, which will help both full-season drivers Graf and Pickett get up to speed quicker.

After selling their Lolas last year Pickett and company had been on the lookout for another sportscar opportunity. “We’d had a Riley-Pontiac and planned to do some Grand-Am races this season but when Trans-Am became a reality, that’s where our hearts led us,” said newly appointed technical director Jim Dunford. “Once the Muscle Milk Trans-Am Series settled into place, we wanted to add in some cutting-edge prototype racing, and that’s what the Porsche represents to us.”
The former #20 Dyson Porsche RS Spyder will return to action with Porsche factory driver Sascha Maassen lending his considerable experience to the program. (Marshall Pruett) » More Photos

Negotiations began last November to acquire the No. 20 Dyson RS Spyder, but plans were put on hold due to the unstable economic conditions. Talks continued early in the year, with Pickett ultimately green-lighting the program in mid-April.

“We were weighing all of our options at the time,” said Dunford. “In all honesty, we had the chance to do a P1 car again. There were a few options out of Europe where we could have potentially had a Pescarolo Judd.

“But we thought P2 made more sense, especially as we think we have a shot to go out and race the Fernandez Acura and the Dyson Lola-Mazdas with this RS Spyder. Based on the lap times we were seeing in the first few races, we’re pretty sure we can be a formidable challenge to those guys.”

Shortly after inking the deal, Dunford and the entire Cytosport team spent a week in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. with the Dyson crew learning the nuances of the technically complex RS Spyder.
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