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New Year-New Opportunities With IMSA Development Series
The 2013 IMSA Development Series season is quickly approaching, and the series’ entry lists are taking shape to include veteran drivers as well as rookies who are looking to bring fresh on-track perspective to a Series that is rich in heritage and a history of excellence.
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IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama series presents a preliminary entry list rich with talent. Several Porsche Cup veterans will run full-season entries, including Madison Snow of Snow Racing/Wright Motorsports. Snow will be chasing his first championship in Platinum Cup after finishing 2nd place overall in 2012.
Wright Motorsports will begin the 2013 season on a high-note after winning the 2012 Platinum Cup Team and Driver Championship with rising star Sean Johnston. Series veteran Kasey Kuhlman has also confirmed he will return to race, along with previous teammate John Baker.
After placing third in the Platinum Cup standings, Effort Racing is set to return with an expanded program that includes a three-car team featuring a unique combination of youth and experience with returning veteran Michael Mills, 20-year-old Sloan Urry and a third exciting new entry from the open-wheel ranks to be announced in the very near future.
Along with Effort Racing, newcomer Colin Thompson will also be moving from open-wheel to sports car to race for Thompson Racing, a new team coordinated by his family in Pennsylvania. Thompson, 19, formerly raced in the USF2000 pro series.
An exciting new edition to the series rookie line-up is the NGT Motorsport entry of Mark Llano who will compete under the Serket Racing banner. Veteran owned and operated, Serket was formed by Llano and and Randy Webb with the goal of the goal of raising awareness and assistance for military veterans and their families. Llano, a former US Marine, recently raced in the Porsche GT3 Cup feature at Circuit of the Americas during the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix.
The 2013 NGT Motorsport roster will also include the 2011 Gold Cup runner-up, Eduardo Cisneros, and returning favorites Carlos Gomez and Amadeo Quiros.
Ansa Motorsports recently confirmed Patrick-Otto Madsen will be running a full-time 2013 entry. Madsen joined the series just last year at the season finale at Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda.
TruSpeed Racing will return with three full-time entries: Phil Fogg, Jr., returning young gun Miles Maroney, and another welcome new face, 22-year-old Brett Sandburg, whose racing background includes a run at the Rolex 24 at Daytona as well as events in the World Challenge Series. The team may feature as many as six potential entries throughout the season.
The latest news and results from the IMSA GT3 Cup Challege by Yokohama Series can be found on the official website, or Facebook and Twitter pages.
Fellow North American sister series, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin is hoping to exceed last year’s record series growth with lots of new activity this off-season. The 2013 entry list is expected to be released soon, and can be found on the Series website, Facebook page or on Twitter.
Among the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda drivers, the returning veterans hope to make a dominant statement in the entry books.
Jim Garrett of Eurosport Racing is confirmed to re-enlist in the L1 Masters Class along with teammate Dan Weyland. Weyland, who hails from Dallas, Texas made his IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama debut last season and successfully navigated both series.
Eurosport will also feature series newcomer Joel Janco. Janco, of Tulsa, Oklahoma ran his Prototype Lites competition debut last year at Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda and plans on a full season of competition in 2013.
Ferrari of Houston is pleased to announce that they will be once again fielding the entries of Owen Kratz and Richard Fant, both returning to compete in the L1 Masters Class.
While age and wisdom can provide the better part of valor, young guns Mikhail Goikhberg of JDC Motorsports and Ryan Booth of Performance Tech plan on proving their mettle, and Goikhberg, who finished the 2012 season in second place for the championship, definitely has his eyes on the top prize in 2013. Booth, who only competed with the series at a handful of races last year, he ran impressively by earning a victory and second-place finish at Petit in the final rounds of series competition.
Performance Tech, the 2012 L1 Prototype Lites Championship team, will also field returning series favorites Daniel Goldburg, Daniel Mancini and Ritchie Holt. Both Holt and Mancini finished 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the L1 Masters Championship in 2013.
Comprent Motor Sports has confirmed that Lamont Harris and Darryl Shoff will both be returning to compete in the L1 Masters Class this season.
The Cooper Tires Prototype Lites series is pleased to announce and welcome a new team entry for 2013 competition. Formerly involved in World Endurance Championship, American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM, 8Star Motorsports has confirmed two entries for the 2013 season with rookie drivers who will be announced shortly.
The latest news and results from the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Series can be found on the official website, or Facebook and Twitter.
The 2013 IMSA Development Series season will begin at the Sebring Open Test Feb. 5-6, with invitations to all three competing series participants. The action will continue as IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites will hit the track at the 61st Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida on March 13-16.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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