For Dunlop and BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL), it doesn’t get any better than a 1-2 finish in the GT Class of the American Le Mans Series 12 Hours of Sebring race on Mar. 19 in Sebring, Fla. Dunlop racing tires provided the traction for the pair of BMW M3 race cars as they raced to a strong finish in the season-opening race. Dirk Muller, Joey Hand and Andy Prialux co-drove the Number 56 BMW M3 GT to victory, finishing 312 laps of the 3.7-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway. The Number 55 M3, co-driven by Dirk Werner, Bill Auberlen and Augusto Farfus came in second to complete the clean sweep for BMW and Dunlop. This year’s Sebring success follows the 2010 season successes as ALMS team and manufacturer champions. The BMW Team RLL now looks toward the next challenge, the Long Beach Grand Prix, the second race of the 2011 ALMS campaign, which will be held Apr. 16.
Johnny Greaves Sponsored by Maxxis in 2011
Johnny Greaves will ride Maxxis for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The off-road racer recently signed a sponsorship deal with the company, joined by Monster Toyota teammates Marty Hart and Greaves’ son C.J. Greaves, who will compete in the full TORC season and selected LOORRS races this year, is pleased with his new sponsor. “The Monster Toyota team is excited and proud to be a part of Maxxis. I’m just really excited about it,” he said. “Maxxis is fairly new to the whole off-road racing market, and with the development of the project tire, it just opened up a whole new opportunity.” Both Greaves and Hart will run Maxxis’ new Razr SCR off-road tire this season. “We have tested with the Razr SCR a little bit, and I’m really impressed with it,” said Greaves. “They’ve left a lot of room to make adjustments for track conditions, and it’s working really well.” “With Johnny and his team on board, we have taken a huge stride in becoming one of the elite tire programs in off–road racing,” said Brad Williams of Maxxis. “Along with capturing podiums, Johnny’s knowledge and talent will help us tremendously in the continuous development of our race products. There aren’t too many drivers that have earned the right to be called an off-road legend. Johnny is certainly one of them. We are extremely fortunate he has decided to join the Maxxis team and look forward to a great future with him.”
An Increased Focus on Clean, Efficient Cars
The 2011 Michelin Green X Challenge season-opener at Sebring, Fla., on Mar. 19 offered a glimpse into the future of technology and innovation that become more relevant every day. Now entering its third season, the Michelin Green X Challenge recognizes the Prototype and GT category cars that prove “cleanest, fastest, most efficient” in the race within the race at every American Le Mans Series event. Similar Michelin Green X Challenge competitions are now also part of every Le Mans Series event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Adding to the competition, the ACO is offering a significant reward for becoming the 2011 Michelin Green X Challenge champions. At the end of the season, the champions will receive automatic invitations for entry to the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans for 2012, an invaluable prize to any competitor in the American Le Mans Series. “The ALMS and Le Mans offer very progressive rules that encourage the development of new technologies, electronics and energy forms in competition,” said Silvia Mammone, Michelin motorsports manager. “The Michelin Green X Challenge provides an incentive and a method to recognize the cleanest, fastest, most efficient cars and help accelerate the development of new technologies through motorsports.”
Michelin Celebrates Record Sebring Win
Michelin has a memorable 13th consecutive victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the opening race of the 2011 American Le Mans Series and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Racing a year-old Peugeot 908 HDi FAP diesel, the France-based Team Oreca Matmut Peugeot and drivers Nicolas Lapierre, Loic Duval and Olivier Panis delivered an emotional victory for team leader Hugues de Chaunac. They outraced the factory Audis and a pair of new Peugeots, and then withstood heavy pressure from the ALMS champion Highcroft HPD squad to claim one of the biggest wins in the team’s storied history. “In the world of endurance racing there are really two big races you must win; Le Mans and Sebring,” said de Chaunac. “To win at Sebring is huge because we have won this race by doing a perfect job. We were quick in every condition.” Finishing second after a spirited chase over the final three hours was the Highcroft Racing HPD of Simon Pagenaud, David Brabham and Marino Franchitti. The 2009 and 2010 ALMS Prototype champions completed assembly of their latest car just seven days ago, but surged to the lead by mid-race. Finishing third was the pole winning new Peugeot of Franck Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy. The Audi R15++ TDI of Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Dindo Capello finished fourth and the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans champions Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller finished fifth as Michelin teams claimed the top five places overall. Michelin was the tire of choice for 26 of the 39 open category entrants and 34 of the 56 total entrants.
Pirelli Shows its Colors Heading Into Australia
With six different, color-coded race tires ready to go, Pirelli is off to Melborne, Australia, for its long awaited return to Formula 1 racing this weekend. To help fans (and likely pit crew members, as well) to tell the six tires apart, each will carry its own distinct coloring on the Pirelli and P Zero logos affixed to the sidewall. Under the sport's rules, only two compounds of slick tire – known as the prime and the option – will be used for each race. In addition to this, intermediate and wet tires can be fitted if it rains.
The six colors are as follows:
Wet - orange
Intermediate - light blue
Supersoft - red
Soft - yellow
Medium - white
Hard - silver
The opening race of the 2011 Formula One season, the Australian Grand Prix, takes place at Albert Park in Melbourne on Mar. 27 with 24 Pirelli-equipped cars lined up to take the start at 5 p.m. local time. It is ironic that Pirelli’s first race back in F1 is in the same country where it ended for Pirelli exactly 19 years, four months and 24 days earlier, at the 1991 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide – which was red-flagged after just 14 laps due to torrential rain and remains the shortest Formula One race to date. This year, the race is being held in Melbourne’s Albert Park for the 16th consecutive year, and marks race one of Pirelli’s three-season agreement with the FIA, the governing body of world motorsport. But there is likely to be just as much drama in Melbourne as there was last time in Adelaide.
Yokohama’s Steele Wins SCORE San Felipe 250
Yokohama-sponsored Heidi Steele captured her first race of the season, winning the Class 6 title at the 25th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in Baja, California on Mar. 12. Driving her customary Ford Ranger, Steele, the former Class 6 (unlimited, production mini trucks) and Class 7 (open, production mini trucks) champion, and her co-driver and Desert Assassins teammate Rene Brugger, finished the demanding course on off-the-shelf Yokohama Geolandar M/T+ tires in 5:50:40. “This was the roughest course I have seen in the six years I have raced here,” said Steele. “It’s awesome to add a San Felipe 250 win to our Baja racing history. It’s truly an accomplishment!”
Yokohama 2011 Motorsports Program Gears Up
From rugged desert terrains to legendary tracks such as Sebring International Raceway, Yokohama Tire Corp.’s motorsports program will be in full swing in 2011. Once again, Yokohama will be involved in off-road racing’s SCORE, SNORE and Lucas Oil series, as well as endurance racing in the competitive ALMS classes. Additionally, Yokohama’s eco-racing campaign will continue in the GT3 and GTC series with its orange oil-infused Advan ENV-R2.
All told, Yokohama will participate in six race series during 2011, ranging from sports cars to off-road trucks. Series include:
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama
This is the third year Yokohama is sponsoring the 16-race series (two races at eight venues). The ENV-R2 is the series’ spec tire and will be on a fleet of Porsche 911 GT3 racecars at leading U.S. tracks such as Sebring, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta.
ALMS and GT Challenge Class
This season, Yokohama and the West Racing Team are teaming up together to campaign an Advan A005 tire-shod Lamborghini in the ALMS GT Class. Drivers are veterans Nicky Pastorelli and Dominik Schwager. Also new this season: Yokohama will be partnering with Paul Miller on his Porsche GT3 entry in the GT Class. The Porsche will be on A005 tires and will be driven by Bryce Miller and René Rast. The nine-race series begins with the 12 hours of Sebring on March 19, and travels to many top courses, including Road Atlanta, where Yokohama is the “Official Tire.” For the ALMS GTC class, Yokohama’s orange oil-infused ENV-R2 race tires will again be campaigned. A field of approximately 10 cars will compete at all ALMS events, including the endurance races, such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
SCORE International Off-Road Racing
The Yokohama-sponsored Steeles – Heidi and Cameron – have a score to settle this season. Heidi, a three-time titlist, looks to reclaim her Class 6 SCORE (Southern California Off Road Enthusiasts) championship, while husband Cameron, a Trophy Truck class veteran and TV commentator, is aiming for more podium finishes. Heidi is off to a great start, winning the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 in San Felipe, Baja, Mexico, which took place Mar. 11-13. The next race is the Baja 500 in Baja Mexico, June 3-5.
SNORE
Cameron Steele, a two-time Unlimited Truck Class series champ, will pilot his new 800-horsepower Geiser Brothers Chevrolet truck (fitted with specially-engineered 37-inch Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S R tires) at SNORE (Southern Nevada Off Road Enthusiasts) events during the six-race 2011 season.
Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series
Last season, Yokohama expanded its off-road activities by being an associate sponsor of the Lucas Oil Series. This year, Yokohama is partnering with Stronghold Motorsports and Cameron Steele in the Pro Lite Class. Steele will pilot Stronghold’s 300 hp Pro Lite Unlimited truck (on off-the-shelf Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S tires) in the eight-race series, which combines the Midwest tradition of short course off-road racing with a West Coast influence. Yokohama is additionally sponsoring Jimmy Stephenson – who will also be on Geolandar A/T-S tires – in the Pro Lite Unlimited Class. Other Yokohama sponsored drivers include Stronghold team member Brandon Bailey in the Pro Unlimited Buggy Class and FUNCO Motorsports’ Chad George in the Super Lite Class. The season kicked off Mar. 19-20 at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix.