After finally getting a chance to catch its breath over the last few weeks, the squad which fields the number 81 8Star Mishumotors Oreca FLM09-Chevrolet LMPC and DragonSpeed Audi R8 LMS ultra GT3 machines returns to challenge for American Le Mans Series honors at Lime Rock Park’s annual Independence Day speedfest.
Having run the Dunlop Dubai 24 Hours, LiquiMoly Bathurst 12 Hour, Mobil 1 Sebring 12 Hours, and Patròn Monterey 4 Hours by mid-May, the core of the Florida-based team was finally able to complete its move into 8Star Motorsports’ state-of-the-art Pompano Beach facility, settling in to prepare for the ALMS’ summer swing of classic North American venues.
As a result of the alliance forged between Enzo Potolicchio’s 8Star Motorsports and Elton Julian’s DragonSpeed operations after Sebring, 8Star now fields cars in each of the world’s major sportscar series. With separate Grand-Am Daytona Prototype, FIA World Endurance Championship GTE, ALMS Le Mans Prototype Challenge, and IMSA Lites programs now under the 8Star banner, each crew is striving to outpace the other in a spirit of friendly competition.
Starting at Lime Rock, team principal Elton Julian, team manager Mark Scott, and race engineer Leon Gutfreund will be joined by new crew chief Steve Gysin and Buddy Lindblom, providing a stable platform for the team’s future efforts. After his stunning debut at Laguna Seca, Dutchman Renger van der Zande will again partner car owner and 2011 European Le Mans Series FLM-class champion Mirco Schultis. The team also welcomes German clothing brand Tigha as a major sponsor at Lime Rock. It all adds to the young team’s optimism going into the weekend.
“I’m really enjoying the challenge of these famous American circuits, every one is a new experience for me,” said Schultis. “Sebring and Laguna lived up to their reputations, and I’m sure Lime Rock will too. It is a short track with the corners of a longer track, and much narrower than European venues. I feel like we’re ready to score a strong finish, and look forward to contributing to that.”
Van der Zande said, “I’m so happy to be back with this great team. Elton’s wins at Lime Rock in 2010 and 2011 mean we should have a great set-up on the car, and the team will be even stronger than last time. The competition in the ALMS is fantastic and I hope to give the American fans a great show.”
“It’s been a steep learning curve, but we’ve clearly shown our speed,” said Julian. “Pierre Kaffer dominated the opening double stint at Sebring, Renger nearly grabbed the pole at Laguna, and we’ve topped the practice times on a few occasions. Now we need to put it all together and deliver a solid race result. Mirco has shown many times what he can do, so all the pieces are in place.”
Source : 8Star Mishumotors