GT2 shapes up as Sebring's best battle

Ferrari has not lost a major Grand Touring sports car race in two years, dating back to the 2008 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.

Back-to-back wins at both Petit Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, coupled with last year's GT2 class victory at Sebring, bring the Ferrari winning streak to five.

Whoa! The Years of the Horse (ignoring the Chinese calendar) will be a lot tougher to continue in 2010. Six manufacturers - Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Ford, BMW and Corvette - will battle for GT2 supremacy during the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón season.

Additionally, there will be a fierce tire war in GT2 this season. The Ferraris, Corvettes and Flying Lizard Porsche teams will run Michelin tires. The Jaguar will be on Yokohamas, and the BMWs and Black Swan Porsche will be on Dunlops. The Falken Tire corporation owns the Porsche team that will showcase its tires.

Sorry, Peugeot, but the fans at Sebring will be concentrating on the production-based GT2 action. Can they match the thrilling 2007 finish when Jaime Melo's Ferrari and Joerg Bergmeister's Flying Lizard Porsche banged their way door-to-door through the final turn? The consensus among top GT2 drivers is the race should come down to the last lap again, but maybe without the bumper car action.

"I will be very interested to see how the different manufacturers perform and also how the different tire companies do," says Melo. "We know that companies like Dunlop have put in a lot of work in the last year but I am convinced that Michelin's huge experience, knowledge and consistency - as well as all the work they have done during the winter - will put us in good shape for the season. Dunlop will have worked too to try and close the gap; it will be another battle within a battle."

Corvette Racing has captured four straight GT1 class victories at Sebring, with Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen winning in 2008 and 2009 - Ron Fellows drove with them in '08 and Antonio Garcia last year. Corvette Racing moved to GT2 following Le Mans last year, and finally faces true competition. There are no GT1 cars entered at Sebring this year.

"GT is where the focus of sports car racing is," says O'Connell, the winningest driver in Sebring history with eight victories.. "Since no one would come play with us (in GT1), we made the decision to go where the competition was. We enter this year with a lot of confidence, but we also know how good the Ferrari is, also the Porsche. And the BMW could be there. The level of the drivers is pretty intense. The drivers in GT2 are equal to P1. There are plenty of ex-Formula 1 guys in GT2. Virtually everyone but myself on Corvette Racing has driven F1. Risi has spectacular talent."

Here is a quick overview of the top GT2 teams:

Corvette Racing

No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R - Johnny O'Connell (Flowery Branch, GA), Jan Magnussen (Denmark), Antonio Garcia (Spain)

No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R - Olivier Beretta (Monaco), Oliver Gavin (England), Emmanuel Collard (France)

Corvette Racing is the most successful team in the history of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón with eight GT1 class championships, a record 71 class wins, and 52 one-two finishes. Add in six class titles at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, too.

The move to GT2 last year included one GT2 victory (Mosport) and five straight podium finishes. The new C6.R race car is based on the ZR1 production model will run cellulosic E85 fuel in the brand-new 5.5-liter V8 engine.

O'Connell and Jan Magnussen are two-time defending Sebring GT1 class champions, and Corvette Racing has scored four straight Sebring class wins. The move to GT2 following Le Mans last year was a calculated move to find quality competition. They will have plenty this season.

"The people involved with IMSA and ALMS have created such an exciting series for us," says O'Connell. "We are close to the good ole days of IMSA when we had all the manufacturers involved and great international drivers."

Corvette has a strong 1-2 punch with its veteran lineup. O'Connell will be making his 20th consecutive Sebring start, tops among active drivers.

Flying Lizard Porsche

No. 44 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR - Darren Law (Phoenix, AZ), Seth Neiman (San Francisco)

No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR - Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (Bellaire, FL)

Flying Lizard completed a clean sweep of the ALMS GT2 titles the past two years, including Drivers Championship, Team Championship and Manufacturer Championship for Porsche. Bergmeister and Long are the reigning drivers' co-champions; Bergmeister shared the title in 2008 with fellow Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler, who is now with the new Falken Tire Porsche team.

The distinctive silver and red Lizard Porsches had a productive Winter Test.

"There was a good turnout - it's always heartening to see car counts up and new faces in the paddock," Long says. "The test itself was productive and focused; we had plenty of track time and few distractions. Come race week, we'll see a different environment: more teams, more traffic, track time at a premium, everything just more intense. We made a lot of progress on our setup both for Sebring and the rest of the year. Both Joerg and I are excited about this season: it will certainly be a challenge but one I believe the Lizards are ready to meet."

Team principal and driver of the No. 44 Porsche Seth Neiman adds, "It's great to be back racing again this year in the ALMS. The 2010 GT field will be extremely competitive: numerous cars have the potential to run up front and we will all certainly be looking for every advantage we can find - no matter how incremental."

Risi Competizione Ferrari

No. 62 Ferrari 430 GT - Jaime Melo (Brazil), Gianmaria Bruni (Italy), Pierre Kaffer (Germany)

No. 61 Ferrari 430 GT - Tracy Krohn (Houston, TX), Nic Jonsson (Buford, GA), Eric van de Poole (Belgium)

Only Ferrari can challenge Corvette's popularity among ALMS fans. And there is a mutual love the Ferrari drivers have for the Sebring fans.

"Apart from the circuit - which is very challenging with different types of corners, always-changing grip levels and, of course, the bumps - the best thing about Sebring is the atmosphere and the fans," Melo says. "Their participation at this race is really intense all around the track and that's what makes the race special. The parties around the track, the 'zoo', the fans with all the beads on their crazy cars and bikes going through the circuit ... I love it."

Bruni thinks the 2010 season will be extremely competitive.

"Ferrari and Porsche are close competitors in Europe already so we know what to expect from them, and we now know a little bit what BMW will be like," he says."It's too early and too difficult to say if Corvette will be our biggest competitor because they didn't show up at the official winter test at Sebring. I hope we can all be very close and have a clean fight for the whole year. That would be a good season."

Pierre Kaffer, GT2 winner of all three of 2009's sports car endurance classics - the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans - in a F430 GTC, is set to return to the Texan team in 2010 to defend those titles.

The German ace will be partnered with Bruni and Melo in the No. 62 Rosso Red Ferrari. Kaffer has been competing extremely successfully in a Ferrari F430 GTC for the last two seasons, taking three wins and six podium finishes and never finishing lower than sixth place in a race.

"I really like the team so it's great to be back," Kaffer says. "And, from my side, I will, as always, do my very best to help defend our titles. I am sure that, with Gimmi and Jaime, we present a very strong driver combination for these endurance races. I'm very happy to be back in the USA as I love racing there and, with Ferrari, I think we have a strong package."

Risi will also provide technical support for the No. 61 Ferrari 430 GT for Krohn Racing, which is painted green.

JaguarRSR

No. 75 JaguarRSR XKR - Marc Goossens (Belgium), Ryan Dalziel (Orlando, FL), Paul Gentilozzi (Lansing, MI)

A very welcome addition to the grid is the beautiful JaguarRSR XKR fielded by long-time motorsports entrepreneur Paul Gentilozzi.

"The 12 Hours of Sebring is part of the world's culture for sports car racing," says Gentilozzi, JaguarRSR Principal Partner and driver. "Each sport has its cornerstone events that define history. In the world of endurance sports car racing we have two of those - the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring. These races are respected for their technical and competitive challenges as being world class. It has been 47 years (1955) since a Jaguar has won at Sebring; we are working to change that."

The JaguarRSR factory team made its ALMS debut at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway last year, and plans a full season of GT2 competition. The team has a local flavor as Ryan Dalziel's wife, Jessica, is a Sebring native. They live in Orlando.

"I am so excited to be part of such an amazing brand like Jaguar," Dalziel says. "Coming from the United Kingdom, I naturally grew up following Jaguar's racing heritage and admiring their cars. It's like a dream come true that my first opportunity to drive for a manufacturer is for Jaguar Cars."

"I have known Paul Gentilozzi and his group for a number of years through my Champ Car days, and always enjoyed watching them in Trans Am. I know I am with a great crew and excellent co-drivers. The GT field in ALMS this season looks really strong and I hope I can contribute to Jaguar's successful return to sports car racing."

"I am proud to be representing JaguarRSR," says Goossens. "We are a new team to this series so we have a very big challenge ahead of us. Most of our competitors have been racing in the ALMS for several years now; they have a lot of experience and have been able to really develop their cars. But I believe in the Jaguar brand; the RSR team has a great group of people that have a lot of experience in racing, so I know we can be competitive and we are going to work very hard to be on top."

JaguarRSR will have a private fan club at Sebring. Dalziel's wife, Jessica, attended Lake Placid High School, and then graduated from the University of South Florida before moving to Orlando, where she met Ryan. Her parents, Mary and Arlan Sapp, are well known in the community.

"The 12 Hours of Sebring is a huge part of the locals' lives and I am glad they now have me to cheer on thanks to my wife," Dalziel says. Ryan and Jessica will celebrate their first anniversary on April 9.

BWM Rahal Letterman Racing Team

No. 90 BMW E92 M3 - Dirk Muller (Monaco), Joey Hand (Sacramento, CA), Dirk Werner (Germany)

No. 92 BMW E92 M3 - Bill Auberlen (Redondo Beach, CA), Tommy Milner (Leesburg, VA), Andy Priaulx (Channel Islands)

Popular veteran Indy Car and sports car racer Bobby Rahal and late night TV host David Letterman have one of the most impressive teams in the ALMS paddock. The BMW E92 M3 race cars are improved from last year, and more victories are expected.

"I'm teamed up with some of the best race-car drivers in the world and I'm in an amazing car," Auberlen says. "When you have one of the best race cars under you, it knows the way to victory lane. I have a feeling that this BMW is going to know its way to victory lane.

"I've seen the best days of racing, I've seen the worst days of racing, but I've never seen a more competitive GT2 field. There are so many manufacturers, with factory drivers, so you have the best driver talent with the world's most renowned cars. It's as competitive as it's ever been. As a driver, it's the best time to have such a good car under you because you're going to need it - all year-long, this battle is going to come down to the wire, every race. That's my prediction - this will be the most-contested GT2 class in history."

Extreme Sports Motorsports

No. 01 Tequila Patrón Spirits Ferrari 430 GT - Scott Sharp (Jupiter, FL), Johannes van Overbeek (San Francisco, CA)

No. 02 Tequila Patrón Spirits Ferrari 430 GT - Ed Brown (Tampa, FL), Guy Cosmo (West Palm Beach, FL)

Thanks to Tequila Patrón CEO Ed Brown, there is a new two-car Ferrari team that has high expectations for the 2010 season. The lure was so great that team owner/driver Scott Sharp gave up his P1 ride with Highcroft Racing to form the Stuart-based Extreme Speed Motorsports team.

"I've been helping Ed with his racing for a couple of years," Sharp says. "When we announced a one-car team last year at Laguna Seca, I said I would stay with Highcroft for one more year, but it finally clicked how difficult it would be for me to run one team and race for another.

"Then we decided to add a second car and we hired Guy (Cosmo) as one of our drivers. Guy has a terrific coaching program and he will help Ed move along quickly. This is a bold step for him."

After discussions with almost all the GT2 manufacturers, Sharp settled on Ferrari, which had a strong interest in adding another team to complement Risi.

Sharp has put together a strong crew, including some of the Champion Audi crew and guys he worked with during his Indy Car career.

"We've done a lot of testing over the winter, and we've got some great expectations," Sharp says. "But it's gonna be tough. There are some really established teams like the Lizards and Risi, and now we've got Corvette plus Jag. We're fighting 10 legitimate cars that could win the race - great teams with great drivers. We're not going to come in as a brand new team and walk away with wins. We will have to work hard. We're building an effort that will lead to podium finishes, and that will lead to wins."

Falken Tire Porsche

No. 17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR - Bryan Sellers (Atlanta) and Wolf Henzler (Germany)

Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler will be driving the brand-new 2010 spec No. 17 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR entered by Team Falken Tire, along with co-driver Bryan Sellers. Henzler pointed out that sorting a new car, which first touched the track during the Winter Test, is one thing, but both a new car and new tires are very challenging.

"I did not expect that much good performance the first day out, but the Falken Tire engineers have really done their homework over the winter, and the performance of the car was good. We still have some work to do with the car setup itself, and we are not yet as fast as the BMWs, Ferraris or Corvettes, but we got a lot of work done at the Sebring test, and I think these new tires are up to the task."

"Falken's goal is to come in and to be competitive, and eventually win races," says Sellers. "They can be a contender in ALMS and in tire development, and show they have a good product. Certainly GT2 will be the strongest I've ever seen it personally. This will be difficult, but we must show a constant progression. If we don't try our hardest to win, we will be failing ourselves. Perhaps it is a little naive to think we'll win the first race, but we come in with the goal of winning at Sebring."

Falken Tire is the only team - and the tire manufacturer owns the team - to purchase a 2010 spec Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. "That gives us a better shot at being competitive," Sellers says. "The team is doing everything it can to be competitive and I've got a great new teammate in Wolf."

Robertson Racing

No. 40 Doran Design Ford GT - David Robertson (Ray, MI), Andrea Robertson (Ray, MI), David Murry (Cumming, GA)

The husband-wife team of David and Andrea Robertson return to the ALMS for their fourth season, encouraged by the GT2 pole-winning effort at last year's Petit Le Mans by teammate David Murry. The team's best career finish is a sixth last year at Long Beach.

Black Swan Racing

No. 54 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR - Timothy Pappas (Boston, MA), Jeroen Bleekemolen (Monaco)

Boston condo developer Timothy Pappas will campaign last year's Farnbacher Loles Porsche bought by Black Swan Racing team after Farnbacher Loles dissolved at the end of the season.

It will run on Dunlop tires.