Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) knows what it takes to win the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, and the two-car team looks put all six drivers on the podium this weekend. There are two goals for the final race of the ALMS season – an ESM one-two finish and the P2 championship title for Scott Sharp.
Sharp stands alone in second place in the standings, just six points out of first place. Anything can happen during the 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans; with extra points and a championship on the line, ESM is focused and determined to leave Petit with another first-place finish.
One year ago, the No. 01 team of Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Toni Vilander dominated the GT class and won the event with an impressive 30-second lead on the rest of the GT field.
Sharp will co-drive the No. 01 Tequila Patrón Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-03b with Atlanta native Anthony Lazzaro and two-time ALMS champion David Brabham. All three drivers have found success at Road Atlanta over the years.
Lazzaro competed in the first Petit Le Mans and has two victories at the Atlanta-based track. In 1993, Lazzaro won the season opening Oldsmobile Pro Series race and the season ending Van Diemen Formula Ford race. Lazzaro has four podium finishes at Petit: two runner-up finishes (2000, 2006) and two third-place finishes (2001, 2003).
Brabham also has plenty of success at Petit Le Mans. The Australian – one of ALMS’ founding drivers – has two wins (1999 – an overall win – and 2010) at the American classic. The two-time champion returns to ESM to help his 2009 ALMS P1 co-champion Sharp earn the P2 championship this season.
As a two-time Petit Le Mans (2007, 2012) class winner, van Overbeek looks to add another Road Atlanta win behind the wheel of the No. 02 Tequila Patrón Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-03b with co-driver Ed Brown. Both Brown and van Overbeek list the 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit as one of their favorites in the series.
With the addition of Rob Bell, the No. 02 is primed and ready to finish on the podium. Brown and Bell have co-driven at Petit before during the 2011 event and finished 10th in class. The two-time Le Mans Series GT2 champion makes his P2 debut this weekend.
The 1,000-mile/10-hour race is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 19. It will air on both FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2.
The 16th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta will be televised:
11 a.m. – noon ET on FOX Sports 2
2:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2
6:30 – 8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
8 – 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2
Scott Sharp
“Road Atlanta naturally feels like a comfortable track. It is an exciting, fast track and certainly one of my favorites. My opinion of the track went up a couple of notches when we won Petit last year. That was a big win for our team. We were excited. Saying all that, driving the P2 car is even that much more exhilarating there. It will be a different race for us this year; any of the corners that were a bit iffy in the GT car, they are flat in a P2. I think we have great driver lineup. I’m excited for both David and Rob to join us. We continue to learn and hone in on our setup and get closer and closer to where we want to be. It would be really sweet for all of that to culminate and repeat as winners there.
“This is a critical race in most of the championships. Obviously it is the last race but at the same time, due to its length, there are extra bonus points. There’s a lot on the table. It has been a long season for everybody and it culminates in a rough, long race too – 10 hours, lots of cautions, lots of incidents. You’ve really got to keep yourself clean. It is an exciting, yet tough race to get to.”
Anthony Lazzaro
“It is my home track; I grew up there. I’ve been watching races there since the early 1970s – ’74 to be exact. It holds a special place for me. I don’t know what it is about your home track but you kind of get up on the wheel a little bit more. I’ve always had good success there. I’ve never won. I’ve won at Road Atlanta, but I’ve never won at Petit. Certainly the No. 01 car has a good chance of winning again at Petit. We can contend for the win in P2 and I want to do it – plain and simple. I’ve been on the Petit podium a couple of times and finished second. I’ve just never made it to that top step.
“My favorite part about Road Atlanta is the speed. I like the old original configuration much better than what we run now with the chicane. I understand that it makes it better for the race fan, because it offers a passing point, but they took away two of the coolest corners in racing, which were the Dip and Turn 11, under the bridge.It is a fast, fast old school race track that they widened back in 1993. It has all the elements of the old but a lot of the improvements of the new. In a P2 car, it will be freaking awesome.”
Johannes van Overbeek
“I won Petit twice, last year with ESM/Patrón. It is a race that I always have a soft spot for. It is a lot of work; it is hard, it is a long week but it is a terrific track, terrific event. I’m really proud to be part of the last ALMS race at Road Atlanta. I’m looking forward to doing a good job with Ed and Rob.
“The P2 car at Atlanta is incredible. We did a short test there in May and it was a delight to drive. Like every track that I had previous experience with in the GT car with, the track drives very different in prototype car. In some respects it is a lot easier, but in others it is harder with the demands on your body. In all, I’m much happier to be driving a prototype car than anything else.”
Ed Brown
“It is the last race of the year and the last race of the American Le Mans Series, so I think it will be pretty cool race from that aspect. Road Atlanta is my absolute favorite track. I always seem to race better there than everywhere else. I’ve had a pretty good run here the last three races, so I’m really looking forward to getting to Petit. We’re heading back to an endurance race, 10 hours. Strategy plays in and lots of other things can happen versus some of these sprint races that we’ve been to lately. I’m really looking forward to that and being out there and being able to see what this car can do for 10 hours.
“Road Atlanta is one of those tracks that throws you in so many different types of corners. You are never bored. It is fast, technical and this prototype car really seems to perform there.”
David Brabham
“I know Atlanta well and I had a great race in 1999 at the second Petit Le Mans, so it is a special place for me. I know we have a very strong driver lineup, so it gives us and the team a great shot at winning. It will be the last race of the ALMS – a series I have spent the last 12 years of my life racing. I feel privileged to be doing the last one.
“A 1,000-mile race at any track is a real challenge, but the Road Atlanta track is a rewarding track to drive on. But with all the different classes in the championship on narrow, blind and awesome corners make it a great fantastic event for the drivers and teams to get to the finish line first.”
Rob Bell
“This will be my fourth Petit Le Mans. It’s a fantastic event and as it’s always the last race of the season, it always has an added bite. As championships go down to the wire there is usually more at stake, more pressure and I get a buzz out of being in that environment.
“The circuit itself is a formidable challenge. It’s an old-school classic that demands your full attention and respect throughout the whole event. It’s very fast and flowing, which I love. I’m looking forward to getting some clear laps in testing, enjoy its curves and get up to speed in ESM’s prototype car. Come race day we should all be in full stride and aiming for a great result.
“The key to a successful race will be to stay out of trouble, something which can be easier said than done around a busy Road Atlanta, and making the right strategy calls…something the ESM engineers do really well.
“I flew over on the Saturday to get my seat fit and used to the car. By coming in early, I’ve had the chance catch up with the guys and swap a few stories from the past year. I’m thrilled to be back with ESM and racing with Johannes and Ed.”