Tequila Patron Back With ALMS
Excitement on the track will be at an all-time high this year, as Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM), the Tequila Patron-sponsored ALMS team owned by veteran driver Scott Sharp, recently announced that it will field two Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-03b prototypes – in the P2 class – to replace the GT-class Ferrari 458 Italias the team entered in previous years.
“Watching those Patron Ferraris at ALMS races was a spectacular sight, but it will be even more exhilarating to watch the extraordinary power and performance of these new P2 cars," commented Matt Carroll, Chief Marketing Officer at Patron Spirits International. “We’re looking forward to our fourth year of sponsoring the American Le Mans Series, and we’re thrilled with ESM’s decision to enter the highly competitive P2 class with HPD as our partner. Most importantly, we can’t wait for fan reaction when they see these impressive Patron ESM race cars take to the track."
The 2013 10-race season of the American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patron will begin next Saturday, March 16, at the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway.
“Any sports property would be fortunate to enjoy the presenting partnership of such a premium brand as Tequila Patron. It’s particularly gratifying to see their continued investment in our Series," said Scott Atherton, American Le Mans Series President and CEO. “We have believed for a long time that our Series delivers a return on investment unmatched in motorsports and this is a continuing validation of that belief. We all welcome and thank Tequila Patron for their confidence in the future of sports car racing during this transition year to a unified North American sports car championship in 2014."
The P2 class features purpose-built prototype racing machines – some of the most technically sophisticated race cars in the world.
“These machines are pure bred racing cars and will look and perform like nothing else out there. They are derived from F1 technology that has been implemented throughout the car with cutting edge design work from the whole design team. The powerplant is a new spec, and HPD have done a phenomenal job on tuning the unit," said Robin Hill, ESM’s Director of Operations, and a 30-year veteran of championship motorsport racing. “These cars in the Patron livery will put on a great show for the fans. Our drivers and team are very excited to be competing with these cars and are looking forward to the race and the season."
“We’re enormously fortunate to have Robin leading the team," added Carroll. “Nobody has more experience competing – and winning – in the prototype class."
Ed Brown, Guy Cosmo, Scott Sharp, and Johannes van Overbeek will again drive for the ESM team this season.
“Moving to P2 is an exciting new chapter for us at ESM, and a homecoming for Tequila Patron," said Sharp, referring to the 2009 ALMS season where he won the LMP1 championship driving for Patron Highcroft Racing. “We enjoyed our three-year run in the GT class with Ferrari, but now we have a terrific opportunity to learn and develop the P2 car this year, and that will put us in an ideal position going into the merged season with Grand-Am in 2014."