BAR1 Motorsports returns to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the ‘Roar by the Shore’, April 19-21. The team will field two American Le Mans Series ORECA Prototype Challenge cars competing on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course. The series will race Saturday, April 20. The television broadcast will air April 21 at 1:00 p.m. EDT on ABC. Live streaming of the race will be on April 20 starting at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN3.com with live streaming qualifying running April 19 at 89 p.m. EDT on ESPN3.com.
This is the first event since the seven week break following the season opener, the 12 Hours of Sebring. BAR1 put the No. 8 car on the podium with driver’s Kyle Marcelli, Chris Cumming and Stefan Johansson finishing 2nd in class. The No. 7 car, driven by Tomy Drissi, Rusty Mitchell and Chapman Ducote finished in 6th.
The 2 hour Long Beach event will require a different strategy than the 12 hour race at Sebring. The team will use only the primary drivers in each car; Kyle Marcelli and Chris Cumming in the No. 8 and Tomy Drissi with Rusty Mitchell in the No. 7. Given the shortened format, they’ll be required to turn in sprint race times as they carefully navigate the tight confines of the legendary street course.
Brian Alder – Team owner:
“We’re excited to get back to the track after such a long break. The crew has been busy prepping the cars and making the necessary setup changes to take on the unique city streets of Long Beach.
“I think the key is going be managing the tires and how we time our driver changes. Both Kyle and Tomy have enjoyed podium finishes here, so they both know the way to victory lane.”
The No. 7 car will carry a livery featuring the movie, EPIC, opening in theaters May 24.
EPIC is a 3D CG adventure comedy that reveals a fantastical world unlike any other. From the creators of ICE AGE and RIO, EPIC tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, who keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil, who wish to destroy it. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she teams up with an elite band of warriors and a crew of comical, larger-than-life figures, to save their world…and ours.
This film stars Beyoncé Knowles, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Christoph Waltz and Amanda Seyfried. Learn all about Epic, play games, and read more about Epic characters as you get ready to experience this adventure in theaters May 24!
Source : BAR1 Motorsports