Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) enlists two additional world-class championship drivers for 16th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda – the season and series finale of the American Le Mans Series presented Tequila Patrón (ALMS) at Road Atlanta on Oct. 19.
David Brabham returns to co-drive the No. 01 Tequila Patrón Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-03b with Scott Sharp and Anthony Lazzaro. The last time Brabham drove for ESM was at the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring, where he helped ESM earn a fifth-place finish. Brabham, the two-time ALMS champion (2009, 2010), has 23 ALMS wins on his résumé, including two victories at Petit Le Mans in 1999 and 2010.
Rob Bell will co-drive the No. 02 Tequila Patrón Honda Performance Development ARX-03b with Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek. Bell, the two-time Le Mans Series champion (2007, 2008), returns to ESM for the first time since 2011, where he competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans in a GT-class Ferrari.
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.
David Brabham : “Well, I am pretty bored at the moment as the last race I did was with ESM was Sebring, so I can’t wait to get back out there again! In all seriousness though, I am so looking forward to seeing the team, drivers and the fans; I have missed everyone since March. I’ve been keeping an eye on the team since Sebring and they’ve made huge progress with the P2 cars. I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel. 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.”
Rob Bell : “I’m delighted to be asked back to race with ESM. I enjoyed my races in 2011 and think I fitted in well to the team ethos. The difference this time is the move from GT to prototype which makes it even more interesting for me. I’m really looking forward to driving with Ed again and pairing up with Johannes. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully repay their faith in me. 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.”