Autocon Motorsports have laid down ambitious plans for a full season of the American Le Mans Series with their Lola-AER LMP1 challenger in 2010. Team boss Michael Lewis recently caught up with lola-group.com to talk over his teams plans for the new season.
Autocon had some great races last season. What are the main aims for the 2010 ALMS campaign?
“We would like to continue to build upon the late season performances of 2009. The Lola worked very well for us all during 2009 but we had some bad luck in the first half of the season. The B06/10 has been an amazingly consistent and fast platform for us.”
You have registered an entry for Le Mans. Do you see the great race as unfinished business for the team?
“Yes, we got through quite a bit of the race in 2008 and I want to finish it. It will be a regret for my entire life if I don’t get it done as a driver and a team owner. There is nothing quite like Le Mans and it was heartbreaking to have the gearbox fail in ’08 when we ran the Creation LMP.”
Will Bryan Willman and Tony Burgess be part of the driving squad again this year?
“Yes, Bryan and Tony will be back and I hope to finalise a third driver as soon as this week. I think that Bryan was the most improved driver in ALMS last year and is looking to build on that this season. Tony is very quick and just needs the laps to build consistency through an entire stint.”
What is it about the Lola LMP1 that you like the most?
“The ‘sweet spot’ is very large and consistent once you establish what you’re looking for. That’s important for a team comprised of guys who don’t get a lot of seat time. The car needs to be consistent and forgiving, yet quick when called upon. The Lola fits that bill better than anything else we’ve ever had. Also, the factory support (even though we bought the car from private party) is outstanding and that is invaluable to a small team with limited engineering resource.”
Are you considering a Coupe version of the LMP1 in the future?
“We would love to and we are just waiting for the five year payment plan to come from Lola! Seriously though, we have to see what direction the ACO take us in final form for 2011.”
Source : Lola Cars