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ALMS: Drayson Racing Chooses Michelin
Drayson Racing, the United Kingdom-based team owned by Elspeth, Lady Drayson and Paul, Lord Drayson, has announced the choice of MICHELIN as technical partner for their #8 Lola-Judd prototype competing in the 2010 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Paul, Lord Drayson is a member of the United Kingdom Parliament’s House of Lords and the present Minister for Science and Innovation in the UK Government and has long been dedicated to ‘green’ environmental causes.
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In 2007, Drayson secured the first-ever national victory in the UK for a bio-ethanol fueled car. Drayson continued his green initiatives when he competed in the ALMS GT2 class in 2008 with an E85-powered Aston Martin Vantage GT2. In 2009, Drayson captured the first MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge award in Asia, at Okayama, Japan.
Drayson Racing has quickly established itself as a major player in the world of endurance motorsports. After competing in the British GT Championship, European Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Series with a GT2 class Aston Martin, Drayson Racing made the switch to the LMP1 ranks with a Lola-Judd prototype and debuted the Coupe last season in the ALMS at Petit Le Mans and the Monterey Sports Car Championship, Laguna Seca.
The team, in its second season with Michelin, captured the pole for the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series event in Okayama last October.
For the fourth consecutive year, Paul Drayson will team with co-driver Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK). Cocker, 24, won the 2004 British GT Championship and 2005 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.
Dale White, Team Manager, brings exceptional experience and endurance racing success to the team. White’s teams have won GT honors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2003, 2004), the Twelve Hours of Sebring (2005), the Petit Le Mans (2005, 2006) and American Le Mans Series GT2 titles (2005, 2006).
"With Michelin, I can say they are a true partner to Drayson Racing," said Dale White, Drayson Racing’s Team Manager. "I have worked with nearly every tire manufacturer in the business and the approach Michelin takes is proven again and again by their success. Michelin is a company committed to the same core principles that we are; performance, the environment, professionalism and family. Michelin knows the lessons that can be learned from our sport and they take what they learn on the track – be it adhesion, rolling resistance, manufacturing techniques and put it into their street tires."
"One of the single greatest on-track benefits that Michelin has provided to us is its consistency over the course of a long stint," continued White. "With the Lola-Judd-Michelin combination, we can run two and even three fuel stints before we need to change tires. Considering the amount of time it takes to change four tires, that is a remarkable benefit to the overall race strategy. That alone can mean the difference between winning and losing a race."
"We are delighted to have Drayson Racing join as a full-season technical partner team in the LMP class," said Silvia Mammone, Michelin motorsports manager. "The team’s commitment to technology, innovation, success and education are an ideal match for Michelin."
PaddockTalk Perspective
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Also in American Le Mans Series News: |
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