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Le Mans / ALMS
LE MANS: ESM Readies For LM24 Debut
Scott Sharp, Guy Cosmo, Ed Brown to pilot GTE-Am class Ferrari in Florida-based team's Le Mans debut...
Extreme Speed Motorsports will make its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut this June. (Photo: LAT)
Following a breakout 2012 season that included class victories at Mosport and the season-ending Petit Le Mans round, Extreme Speed Motorsports is set to take on a new challenge this year, as it embarks on the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time.
Courtesy of an automatic invitation by IMSA, as one of three "at large" entries selected by the American Le Mans Series sanctioning body, the Scott Sharp-owned team will make its much-anticipated debut in the famed twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
Sharp will be joined by Guy Cosmo and Patron Spirit CEO Ed Brown in the team's GTE-Am class Ferrari F458 Italia. It will be both Cosmo and Brown's respective debuts in the race.
"I think we got ourselves competitive and got ourselves thinking that if things go well, we have a chance, anywhere we race," Sharp told SPEED.com. "Ed [Brown] showed a real interest. As he progressed as a driver, he'd love to do that race. He feels that it's such a cherished event.
"It's not something you go, 'One and done.' [Ed's] going to have to learn the track, build on it, and come back year after year to be as successful as he'd one day like to be. So let's start now."
While Sharp is no complete stranger to Le Mans, having taken part in the 1996 event in a Riley & Scott MkIII Oldsmobile, the former ALMS champion feels his Florida-based team is fully prepared to take the next step forward.
"Most of our guys, independently with different teams, have gone [to Le Mans], but collectively, we haven't," Sharp said. "But I think we have a good jump on the game plan in laying everything out.
"From travel schedules to personnel, I think we're pretty organized. For us, it will be about just acclimating to the event itself. Ed and Guy learning the track, me re-acclimating myself to the track, and really just hope for no problems and have smoothness."
One of the apparent challenges, aside from transforming its now 2013-spec Ferrari back to last year's configuration to meet GTE-Am class specifications, is the issue of alcohol sponsorship being banned in France.
Sharp and Tequila Patron are already working through alternative plans for the brand's activation in the event.
"We'd obviously love to have some kind of benefit to them," Sharp said. "We're working through some schematics to see if we could have a pretty cool livery that may not have the word Patron Tequila on it. I think Ed would want to fly as close to the Patron colors as we can."
As for the team's goals, Sharp remains realistic for their first year, especially when considering the level of competition. GTE-Am sees 14 entries, the second largest class on this year's grid.
"We have a great lineup but we started looking at the entry list and there's a lot of great lineups," he said. "I think for us, to make it through the whole 24 mistake-free, we're going to be looking really good.
"We are truly looking at it as a learning year but at the same time hoping that a podium finish is definitely within our grasp."
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
Courtesy of an automatic invitation by IMSA, as one of three "at large" entries selected by the American Le Mans Series sanctioning body, the Scott Sharp-owned team will make its much-anticipated debut in the famed twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
Sharp will be joined by Guy Cosmo and Patron Spirit CEO Ed Brown in the team's GTE-Am class Ferrari F458 Italia. It will be both Cosmo and Brown's respective debuts in the race.
"I think we got ourselves competitive and got ourselves thinking that if things go well, we have a chance, anywhere we race," Sharp told SPEED.com. "Ed [Brown] showed a real interest. As he progressed as a driver, he'd love to do that race. He feels that it's such a cherished event.
"It's not something you go, 'One and done.' [Ed's] going to have to learn the track, build on it, and come back year after year to be as successful as he'd one day like to be. So let's start now."
While Sharp is no complete stranger to Le Mans, having taken part in the 1996 event in a Riley & Scott MkIII Oldsmobile, the former ALMS champion feels his Florida-based team is fully prepared to take the next step forward.
"Most of our guys, independently with different teams, have gone [to Le Mans], but collectively, we haven't," Sharp said. "But I think we have a good jump on the game plan in laying everything out.
"From travel schedules to personnel, I think we're pretty organized. For us, it will be about just acclimating to the event itself. Ed and Guy learning the track, me re-acclimating myself to the track, and really just hope for no problems and have smoothness."
One of the apparent challenges, aside from transforming its now 2013-spec Ferrari back to last year's configuration to meet GTE-Am class specifications, is the issue of alcohol sponsorship being banned in France.
Sharp and Tequila Patron are already working through alternative plans for the brand's activation in the event.
"We'd obviously love to have some kind of benefit to them," Sharp said. "We're working through some schematics to see if we could have a pretty cool livery that may not have the word Patron Tequila on it. I think Ed would want to fly as close to the Patron colors as we can."
As for the team's goals, Sharp remains realistic for their first year, especially when considering the level of competition. GTE-Am sees 14 entries, the second largest class on this year's grid.
"We have a great lineup but we started looking at the entry list and there's a lot of great lineups," he said. "I think for us, to make it through the whole 24 mistake-free, we're going to be looking really good.
"We are truly looking at it as a learning year but at the same time hoping that a podium finish is definitely within our grasp."
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
Monterey
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