Heading in to the backyard of Silicon Tech Racing Team Principal Henri Richard, Silicon Tech/Dempsey Racing came in to this weekend’s third round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón full of promise. Following their most recent fifth place finish on the streets of Long Beach, not only did full season drivers Henri Richard and Duncan Ende have extensive experience and success at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, but the team also brought in the addition of Ryan Lewis as a third driver for this six-hour event, who during his last drive with the team would take a triumphant victory at the Petit Le Mans.
Unfortunately, after a superb drive resulting in Lewis taking the lead 55 minutes in, an early penalty would put the team at the back of the field and out of sequence for pitting. Handing the car over to Henri Richard, a fight through traffic would ensue, however the team never got in a position to recover that deficit. Bad luck would also strike when confusion on wave around instructions led to another penalty, setting the team several laps down, with the no. 25 Future Electronics / STANDD / HP / Freescale / RacersRoast.com / Pounce Consulting eventually taking seventh place. The team would still score valuable championship points, as well as take the checkered flag in front of over 120 guests and VIP’s visiting from the nearby Silicon Valley.
“It definitely wasn’t the day we’d hoped for, but the car returned in one piece,” stated Henri Richard, who lives in nearby Los Altos. “Ryan, Duncan, and the entire team did a fantastic job, and Dempsey Racing launched a two car program with the addition of a P2 entry this weekend!”
“The important thing for me is that the team is gelling well,” continued Richard. “Everyone drove solidly, and we’re all gaining valuable seat time, so we’ll take the result and consider how to further improve every aspect of our team over the break. Duncan and I will be heading over to France next month to participate in the open test days at the famous Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe in preparation for our bid to race in the 2013 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
Source : Silicon Tech Racing