ALMS: Scott Dixon To Join deFerran At Petit LeMans

(from autosport)

Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar championship leader Scott Dixon will join Gil de Ferran's American Le Mans Series team for Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in October.

The New Zealander, who has won six IndyCar races this year and is 78 points clear at the top of the standings, will share the Acura ARX-01b with fellow Indy 500 winner de Ferran and Frenchman Simon Pagenaud in the 10-hour race on October 4, a full month after the conclusion of the IndyCar season.

He will be making his first Petit Le Mans appearance in nine years following his debut run at the event in 1999 when he shared a Ferrari with Stefan Johansson and Jim Mathews.

"I'm very excited about driving Gil's car at Petit Le Mans," said Dixon. "He's put together a strong team and I believe we'll have a chance to win.

"I'm really looking forward to it and I'd like thank Chip (Ganassi) and the team for giving me the opportunity to try a car in a completely different category."

De Ferran added: "We're delighted to add Scott to our line up, he's currently one of the world's best drivers and is having a fantastic season. We're happy and flattered to have a driver of his talent and stature behind the wheel."

 

That seems like a great fit, Dixon and DeFerran have very similar personalities, driving styles, etc. I'm glad to see Gil back racing in America and doing well.

 

This is absolutely fantastic news - not only is Scott a great driver/asset to Gil but also he seems to have the fan friendly personality of the series.

Petit this year is definitely the race NOT TO MISS! With European teams coming over the car count this year will be terrific.

Carol

 

What euro teams are coming over??? REALLY WISH I COULD GO!

 

FYI - only Risi #62 is running at Mosport this weekend but both running at Detroit the end of the month - yipee!!! Rob Bell back in #61.

Re: Petit - it would be fantastic if Audi would run a Joest third car (wishful thinking on my part) and put Katharine Legge in as one of the factory drivers.


Until the official entry list is available here's some of the knowns and guesses:

known:
LMP1
07 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP V-12 diesel ( Minassian, Gené, Klien)PLM
08 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP V-12 diesel ( Lamy, Sarrazin, Wurz)PLM
10 ECO Racing Radical R10 AER/ECO ( Collins, Toivonen, Wright) PLM/Laguna
14 Creation Autosportif Creation CA07 AIM ( Simpson, Halliday )PLM/Laguna
88 Creation Autosportif Creation CA07 AIM ( Campbell-Walter, Ortiz)PLM/Laguna

speculative:
LMP1
19 Chamberlain-Synergy Lola B06/10 AER ( Berridge, Evans)
48 Corsa Motorsport Zytek 07S Zytek (Jeanette, Mowlem)
10? Charouz Racing System Lola B08/60 Aston Martin ( Charouz, Mücke)
XX LNT/Zytek Zytek 07S Zytek (Kimber-Smith, Watts)
LMP1 with

spectulative:
LMP2
19 van der Stuer Racing Radical SR9 AER P07-E (van der Stuer, Pecorari)
24 Binnie Motorsports B05/40 Zytek (Binnie, Timpany)


spectulative:
LMGT1
008 Bell Motorsports/FUX Aston Martin DBR9 (Borcheller,Ducot)
59 Team Modena Aston Martin DBR9 (Enge, Garcia)


spectulative
LMGT2
2nd Vici Porsche; LG Corvette; 2nd Panoz; 2nd Farnbacher Loles Porsche; JMB Racing Ferrari F430

 

any news on the Dome P1 coupe? Best looking race car presently competing, I would love to see that thing blasting around Road Atlanta. That car gives me hope in a world of ugly F1, IRL, and NASCAR COT machines.

 

Carol-Anymore said on the Mansell and Son team. The Lola Mazda coupe. The Rahal M3 rumors seam to have died down.

Peoguets vs the Audis

Dixon and Deferran. Good choice. Deferens team has run very fast, very quickly.

And you can be sure, this is one of the greatest racing events in the US. Probably the best. In the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. My favorite racecourse in the US. More elevation change than Laguna, I think. It's close. I'm going. WooHoo!

 

Last I read about Mansell and sons was need for funding/sponsors. Last read about M3 is not until 2009 and the rumor mill has Jamie Melo perhaps driving for Rahal and Mika Salo going to Peugeot in one of the 908's - he'd be perfect with Pedro Lamy. Next story is AGR not going to be in ALMS in 2009 (no big loss to P2), apparently Michael is going into partnership with someone else buying out Kim Green so instead of AGR it could be AS.....anyway Michael is taking over the USA effort in A1GP....should be interesting. Another rumor is that Rubens, who is a good friend of Gil, would possibly be driving a second ALMS entry for Gil (that would leave his (Ruben's) Honda F1 seat open). If that does play as the rumor suggests it will be fantastic as Rubens has the personality for being in a VERY fan friendly series. Audi rumors are the old guys will be replaced by the "young kids"....Penske may be out as apparently Porsche is pulling the works plug - - - or perhaps it will be a Porsche P1 endavour.....Dario has been referenced as a possible to team with Rubens for Gil .. . .Acura may be going P1 and one would hope the logical team choice would be Dayton Duncan's Highcroft guys . . . back to Petit and the Lola Mazda coupe is perhaps a go - also mentioned is maybe the Horag Porsche P2

Lots of stuff going on in ALMS right now. FYI, Audi Experience is still showing openings at Petit - I mentioned it to Andreas at Road America but unfortunately he'll be unable to make it - darn....he'll miss more great racing!

Carol

 

Tim Cindric was on Wind Tunnel a few weeks ago, said the contract with Porsche is year to year, claims he "has no idea" what will happen in '09...yeah right...

a P1 Porsche coupe would rock, but would they create an intramural rivalry with Audi?

I love all the action in the ALMS silly season right now, best racing series in North America, let's hope '09 is even better!

 

No No No No No No No No No No No No No NO! I love the current Risi team, two of the nicest drivers I have met.

 

+1

I would love to see Rubens in ALMS once he retires from F1. He's a class act and a real gentleman.

 

It might be helpful for Gil if he stopped running into other cars.

 

The more and more I watch and learn about the ALMS the more it's very close to replacing the IRL as my #2 series.

 

+2

 

Now . . that's a VERY GOOD THING!!! Now . . . need to work on it being #UNO.

Carol

 

My favorite racing period!

 

Hmmm.......gonna be a hard climb to replace F1! I will say though that I'd rather go to an ALMS race than an IRL race.

 

I used to think F1 was where it was at and goodness knows we've certainly helped with the F1 ticket sales, but honestly . . . a 1.5 +/- procession and the costs associated with attending are very hard to grasp anymore. For 25€ for the weekend to attend the LMS race at Monza this year and go anywhere on the track for a 1000km or 6 hour very exciting race with four classes competiting on the track at the same time can't be beat! not to mention some of the best drivers in the world !

I applaud you for rather going to an ALMS race than IRL - good work!!!

Carol

 

The only downside is that he might miss a "Danica Dukeout". But I guess you would need good pit access for that, and you could always watch the You Tube here later. Just think, If I wasn't hanging with you Texans I could have had pics of Milka smashing her with a tissue. I was probably better off.