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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: PR1/Mathiasen Confirms Sebring Lineup
Henri Richard, Ken Dobson, and Ryan Lewis will pilot team's Oreca FLM09 LMPC car in season-opener...
PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will be making its Sebring debut next week. (Photo: John Dagys)
After a highly successful 2010 debut season in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will return for the 2011 season, once again competing in the LMPC category. Last year, the team’s all-new Oreca FLM09 arrived from France too late to compete in the season-opening Twelve Hours of Sebring, forcing the team to make their series debut at the second round of the season.
This year, however, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will be running a full season including the the opening race, the 59th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.
Featuring 17 turns across 3.7 miles, Sebring International Raceway is one of the United States’ oldest, and most world-renowned circuits. Infamous for its extremely bumpy track surface, the facility is a converted WWII US Army Air Force Base that was transformed for sports car racing after the war.
Sebring hosted its first event in 1950 with the inaugural Twelve Hours of Sebring taking place in 1952. This year, the 12-hour event will also have the honor of hosting the first round of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
Henri Richard, Ken Dobson, and Ryan Lewis will be driving the #52 Future Electronics/ Quest Software/ MOBOTIX/ Freescale Semiconductor/ Hewlett-Packard Company/ Synnex/ Corsa Car Care/ Silicon Tech Racing Oreca FLM09 for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports at the Spring endurance classic. Having competed in the GTC class in 2010, Richard, a native of France now living in Los Altos Hills, CA, is looking forward to driving a more powerful car at this year’s race.
“I am very excited with the perspective of being in a faster class after my first experience at Sebring,” Richard said. “It is a lot easier than being passed by everyone. Sebring is very physical but entertaining and it has a nice rhythm to it. There is nothing to dislike about it, except the for the bumps.
"I’ve been focusing on delivering a good result for the team first and foremost as PR1/Mathiasen has been truly outstanding. They are flexible, professional, disciplined and make a lot of efforts to really understand their driver’s mindset and capabilities. I know they’ll give us a quick and reliable car.”
Dobson, an accomplished GT veteran of Sonoma, CA, will be making his LMPC class debut with a deep respect for Sebring’s rich history.
“The Twelve Hours of Sebring is one of those races that everyone watches, and everyone wants to win,” Dobson explained. “When you look at all the guys that have competed there over the years, Andretti, Gurney, it really puts the whole event into perspective.
"That’s the good side, the bad side is that the concrete blocks are absolutely punishing. I’ve been focusing on my cardio and finishing my recovering from an injury I had a little while back, but after my successful test in the #52 at Buttonwillow, I feel more than ready to help get PR1/Mathiasen the result they deserve.”
Lewis, of Royston, Hertfordshire, England, will be making his third LMPC start for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports while racing on Sebring’s full layout for the first time.
“I’ve only tested the short course at Sebring in an Atlantic car, but that was more than enough to get an idea of just how rough that track is on drivers and equipment,” Lewis said. “I’m not that worried about it though. The guys at PR1/Mathiasen always give me a quick car, so we should be fine. After having done a few long distance races like this, I’m starting to get an idea of how the race will have to develop to ensure that you’re in a position to challenge for a podium at the end.
"I know that everyone on the team is preparing themselves for the unique challenges that Sebring will inflict upon us, and with a clean opening stint, good strategy, and smart driving, we should be right where we’ll need to be.”
PR1/Mathiasen Team Principal, Bobby Oergel, has his team ready for the Twelve Hours of Sebring’s brutal race pace.
“Sebring is unlike any other track in the ALMS,” Oergel said. “The concrete surface tests every component on the car, and really pushes them to their absolute limit. The car must be rugged enough to take that abuse, but it can’t be fortified to the point that you begin to weigh everything down as the pace at Sebring is like a 12-hour sprint race.
"Finding a balance between speed and reliability, and calling the correct strategy while utilizing all of our driver’s talent, will be essential. We’ve been preparing for Sebring even before the checkered flag flew at Petit last year, so I know we’ll be ready to deliver for our partners once again.”
This year, however, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will be running a full season including the the opening race, the 59th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.
Featuring 17 turns across 3.7 miles, Sebring International Raceway is one of the United States’ oldest, and most world-renowned circuits. Infamous for its extremely bumpy track surface, the facility is a converted WWII US Army Air Force Base that was transformed for sports car racing after the war.
Sebring hosted its first event in 1950 with the inaugural Twelve Hours of Sebring taking place in 1952. This year, the 12-hour event will also have the honor of hosting the first round of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
Henri Richard, Ken Dobson, and Ryan Lewis will be driving the #52 Future Electronics/ Quest Software/ MOBOTIX/ Freescale Semiconductor/ Hewlett-Packard Company/ Synnex/ Corsa Car Care/ Silicon Tech Racing Oreca FLM09 for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports at the Spring endurance classic. Having competed in the GTC class in 2010, Richard, a native of France now living in Los Altos Hills, CA, is looking forward to driving a more powerful car at this year’s race.
“I am very excited with the perspective of being in a faster class after my first experience at Sebring,” Richard said. “It is a lot easier than being passed by everyone. Sebring is very physical but entertaining and it has a nice rhythm to it. There is nothing to dislike about it, except the for the bumps.
"I’ve been focusing on delivering a good result for the team first and foremost as PR1/Mathiasen has been truly outstanding. They are flexible, professional, disciplined and make a lot of efforts to really understand their driver’s mindset and capabilities. I know they’ll give us a quick and reliable car.”
Dobson, an accomplished GT veteran of Sonoma, CA, will be making his LMPC class debut with a deep respect for Sebring’s rich history.
“The Twelve Hours of Sebring is one of those races that everyone watches, and everyone wants to win,” Dobson explained. “When you look at all the guys that have competed there over the years, Andretti, Gurney, it really puts the whole event into perspective.
"That’s the good side, the bad side is that the concrete blocks are absolutely punishing. I’ve been focusing on my cardio and finishing my recovering from an injury I had a little while back, but after my successful test in the #52 at Buttonwillow, I feel more than ready to help get PR1/Mathiasen the result they deserve.”
Lewis, of Royston, Hertfordshire, England, will be making his third LMPC start for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports while racing on Sebring’s full layout for the first time.
“I’ve only tested the short course at Sebring in an Atlantic car, but that was more than enough to get an idea of just how rough that track is on drivers and equipment,” Lewis said. “I’m not that worried about it though. The guys at PR1/Mathiasen always give me a quick car, so we should be fine. After having done a few long distance races like this, I’m starting to get an idea of how the race will have to develop to ensure that you’re in a position to challenge for a podium at the end.
"I know that everyone on the team is preparing themselves for the unique challenges that Sebring will inflict upon us, and with a clean opening stint, good strategy, and smart driving, we should be right where we’ll need to be.”
PR1/Mathiasen Team Principal, Bobby Oergel, has his team ready for the Twelve Hours of Sebring’s brutal race pace.
“Sebring is unlike any other track in the ALMS,” Oergel said. “The concrete surface tests every component on the car, and really pushes them to their absolute limit. The car must be rugged enough to take that abuse, but it can’t be fortified to the point that you begin to weigh everything down as the pace at Sebring is like a 12-hour sprint race.
"Finding a balance between speed and reliability, and calling the correct strategy while utilizing all of our driver’s talent, will be essential. We’ve been preparing for Sebring even before the checkered flag flew at Petit last year, so I know we’ll be ready to deliver for our partners once again.”
Monterey
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