DUMAS QUICKEST AGAIN IN MUSCLE MILK PORSCHE

Frenchman back in force at Mosport

Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas was quickest again at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday in the first official practice for Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. The reigning overall champion at the 24 Hours of Le Mans set a lap of 1:07.489 (131.168 mph) around Mosport International Raceway for Muscle Milk Team CytoSport in its Porsche RS Spyder.

Dumas is driving the Porsche prototype for the first time in competition since 2008. He and Timo Bernhard were overall winners at Mosport in 2007, and Dumas also won in LMP2 driving the RS Spyder. He will drive this year with Klaus Graf.

The Frenchman was 1.357 seconds clear of Intersport Racing’s Clint Field in the Intersport Racing Lola-AER he will share with father Jon Field. Another Lola was next in the queue – Chris Dyson in Dyson Racing’s Mazda-powered Lola coupe that he will drive with Guy Smith. Dyson’s best lap was a 1:09.124 (128.066 mph).

Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Jörg Bergmeister went quickest in GT in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR that he will drive with Patrick Long at 1:17.691 (113.944 mph). The German ace’s best time was just 0.016 seconds better than Risi Competizione’s Gimmi Bruni; he will drive one of the team’s two Ferrari F430 GTs with Jaime Melo.

Corvette Racing’s Jan Magnussen was third quickest in class at 1:17.829 (113.742 mph) in the Corvette C6.R he will drive with Oliver Gavin. The class again was the tightest on the track with the top eight class within 0.379 seconds. One of those was Pierre Kaffer in a second Risi Ferrari. He went off hard between Turn 1 and Turn 2 with heavy damage to the front of the car.

Kaffer was alert and awake but was transported to Lake Ridge Health in Bowmanville for precautionary observation.

In LMPC, Gunnar Jeannette was fastest for Green Earth Team Gunnar at 1:12.546 (122.025 mph). The ORECA FLM09 that he will drive with Elton Julian sat 0.071 seconds quicker than Intersport Racing’s Kyle Marcelli, from nearby Barrie. He was another 0.613 seconds better than Luis Diaz for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.

Jeroen Bleekemolen was the fastest GT Challenge driver for Black Swan Racing with a lap of 1:22.440 (107.30 mph). His Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry that he will drive with Tim Pappas was 0.793 seconds quicker than TRG’s Andy Lally, who will drive Henri Richard. ORBIT/Paul Miller Racing’s Bryce Miller was third at 1:23.233 (106.357 mph).

SERIES IS BALTIMORE-BOUND FOR 2011!

Added to Labor Day lineup in prominent Eastern market

The Baltimore Grand Prix announced today that the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, has been added to the inaugural auto racing event scheduled for September 2-4, 2011. Baltimore City Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, along with Baltimore Racing Development (BRD) President Jay Davidson and American Le Mans Series President and CEO, Scott Atherton, officially announced the world’s leading sports car series will join the IZOD IndyCar Series to headline the “Festival of Speed” on Labor Day Weekend 2011.

The American Le Mans Series, based in Braselton, Ga., includes multiple classes of cars – Prototype and Grand Touring – which race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. 

“From the beginning we wanted to create an entire weekend racing experience and the addition of American Le Mans Series does just that,” said Davidson “We’ve been talking with the Series team for a while now and have always wanted them to join the IZOD IndyCar Series to enhance our event. This is a great addition to the weekend and we believe fans will be eager to see these amazing cars in action.”

The Series competes on North America’s premier road courses such as Sebring International Raceway, Road America, Mosport International Raceway, Road Atlanta and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It also annually holds events on urban street circuits in some of the nation’s major markets such as Long Beach in southern California.

American Le Mans Series President and CEO Atherton said, “The combination of two premier race series in one location on the same weekend is a rare opportunity for race fans. We have had outstanding doubleheader successes on street courses such as Long Beach, Houston and St. Petersburg, and I’m confident that the Baltimore Grand Prix will provide more of the same with a stellar backdrop for some of the best road racing on the planet. It will be the place to be next Labor Day weekend.”

The American Le Mans Series has more participating marques than F1, NASCAR and IndyCar combined. It includes prestigious and elite brands such as Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Mazda, Panoz, Peugeot and Porsche. All cars in the Series race on one of five alternative fuels or energy sources, leading to its position as the Global Leader in Green Racing. It operates a nine-race schedule in top markets throughout North America for 2010.

Atherton added, “As the global leader of green racing we have developed very close ties to the leadership of both the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy. Having a race so close to our nation’s capital will enable those in government and the Washington, DC community to attend an American Le Mans Series race and see for themselves the progress we’ve made in this area. The timing of this event, in light of all that is happening involving the auto industry and government, couldn’t be better.”

The Baltimore Grand Prix will be a combination of racing and festivities that will begin Friday morning and culminate on Sunday with the IZOD IndyCar Series race. The event is billed as a “three-day festival of speed”, and organizers are now in the process of planning a variety of non-racing activities such as a family fun zone, go-karting, beer gardens, extreme sports demonstrations and professional beach volleyball. Live music will be available all weekend, from local artists performing throughout the day to nationally known acts in the evenings. The event offers something for all Marylanders, and organizers intend for the event to be very family-friendly. 

“By adding the American Le Mans Series, one of world’s leading sports car championships, we are greatly enhancing what is being offered to fans during the Baltimore Grand Prix weekend,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake.  “The American Le Mans Series will attract more racing fans to Baltimore, and will make the Grand Prix and even greater success for the City.”

The Baltimore Grand Prix is expected to attract more than 100,000 people to the area and have an estimated economic impact of $70 million, based on visitor spending on hotel nights, meals, tickets and other purchases. The racetrack will be a 2-mile temporary circuit constructed around the streets of downtown Baltimore, including sections by Oriole Park at Camden Yards, West Pratt Street and along the Inner Harbor on Light Street. Tickets for the event will go on sale this fall and will be offered at a variety of price levels to make the event affordable for all fans. A title sponsor is expected to be announced soon and a wide range of sponsorship and hospitality opportunities are available. 

About the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, based in Braselton, GA, is the world’s leading sports car series. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars – Prototype and Grand Touring – race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing.  The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom.  All cars in the Series race on one of five alternative fuels or energy sources, leading to its position as the Global Leader in Green Racing. For 2010, it operates a nine-race schedule in top markets throughout North America.  For more information, visit americanlemans.com

About The Baltimore Grand Prix

Baltimore Racing Development, LLC was formed in 2008 with the intention of bringing a “Grand Prix” street race to Baltimore in 2011. The group retained a world-class team of professionals to assist with their efforts, including two-time Indy 500 winner, Al Unser, Jr.  On June 2, 2010, the group formally announced that Baltimore had been awarded a race in the IZOD IndyCar Series for 2011 and that the Baltimore Grand Prix would be a fixture on that circuit for the next five years. For more information, visit www.baltimoregrandprix.com.