ROCK HILL, SC, Tuesday, September 13, 2011: Six hours at 100 percent. That is what the Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) championship leaders CORE autosport is up against at the upcoming race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
After mixed results in Baltimore which narrowed the American Le Mans Series LMPC standings to a one-point lead for CORE autosport drivers Ricardo Gonzalez and Gunnar Jeannette over Eric Lux, and a mere two point lead for the team championship over Genoa Racing, CORE autosport is taking no chances as they approach the six-hour ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Tequila Patrón.
Three drivers will pilot each CORE autosport entry. In the #05 Bayshore Recycling / Composite Resources ORECA FLM09 will be former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Andy Wallace joining regulars Frankie Montecalvo and team founder Jon Bennett for the first time.
The sister #06 Excel Consultants / Composite Resources machine will feature Road America LMPC winner Rudy Junco along with driver championship points leaders Gonzalez and Jeannette. The #06 lineup comes back together after a podium finish at the first-ever American Le Mans Series race for CORE autosport, the 2011 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.
Four of the six CORE autosport drivers have not driven an LMPC car on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit, known for turns 8 and 8a, otherwise known as “The Corkscrew,” which drops five and a half stories in a mere 450 feet.
#05 drivers Montecalvo and Bennett have driven there in the IMSA Cooper Tires Prototype Lights series, while #06 drivers Gonzalez and Junco competed in the ALMS GTC class in 2010, as well as in other series. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will prove even more special for Gonzalez and Junco, as the Mexican natives will be celebrating 201 years of Mexican independence on Friday, Sept. 16
CORE autosport will celebrate by featuring a special “Viva Mexico” livery on the #06 as well as holding an independence day celebration from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. on that day. The event is open to all ALMS paddock pass holders and will feature a mariachi band, Mexican snacks, a trivia contest with prizes, photograph opportunities for the #06 car and the Michelin Man, and a Q&A and autograph session with Gonzalez and other guests.
Qualifying for the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Tequila Patrónwill be aired live on ESPN3.com on Friday, September 16 at 6:30 p.m. EST, with live race coverage on ESPN3.com on Saturday, September 17 at 4:15 p.m. EST. ESPN2 will televise a tape-delayed highlight of the event on Sunday, September 18 at 1 p.m. EST.
International viewers can see the event live on MotorsTV, Rogers Sports Net, Fox Sports Middle East and Fox Latin America Networks. Live radio broadcasts are available at www.americanlemans.com.
