CORE autosport may have won the opening three rounds of the 2012 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in the Prototype Challenge (PC) class, but this weekend the members of the South Carolina-based organization know they cannot put a wheel wrong at the shortest venue on the ALMS schedule – Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.

The team, with drivers Jon Bennett, Colin Braun, Alex Popow and Tom Kimber-Smith, currently lead the ALMS PC team standings with three wins and three podiums in the first three races of 2012.

Lime Rock Park is a challenging seven-turn, 1.47-mile road course, renowned for its short, high-speed layout. The track can wreak havoc for all five ALMS classes, especially the PC class, which is not as fast as the P1 or P2 prototypes, but faster than the GT and GTC cars. Qualifying for the two hour and 45 minute race will be crucial for all competitors, as track position at the beginning of the race can determine who survives the first lap – and with more than 30 cars in five classes, the probability for difficulties can be high.

Drivers Bennett and Braun in the #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09, and Popow and Kimber-Smith in the sister #06 Soloson Import machine, are prepared for the challenge.

Bennett and Braun are still on a high after winning their first race in the ALMS at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May, and they are ready to add another win at Lime Rock. In the last six weeks, Braun spent time behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car and truck, as well as driving a few GRAND-AM Rolex Series events for Starworks Motorsport. Bennett continued a strict fitness regimen, spent hours on the simulator and in karts, and was able to visit this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with Team Manager Morgan Brady.

Kimber-Smith comes to Lime Rock as a 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans champion, finishing first in the P2 class with Starworks’ World Endurance Challenge (WEC) effort at the fabled event. This is Kimber-Smith’s third Le Mans class win in four attempts and his second in a row, having been on the top spot on the podium in 2011, as well as in 2006. Kimber-Smith has driven with CORE once prior – at the May Laguna Seca round, where he was nearly a lap up on the field before caution periods bunched up the field and his lead was lost.

Popow is currently in the lead for the ALMS PC-class driver’s championship and makes it a priority to drive nearly every week, whether it’s in the U.S. or his home in Venezuela. He has been spending time behind the wheel in GRAND-AM, driving for Starworks in the Rolex Series as well as driving in the Continental Tire Series.

Source : CORE autosport