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2013 Sebring: ALMS Race - PR1/Mathiasen Seeking Sebring Redemption
After dueling for victory for twelve relentless hours, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports finished second place at the 2012 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
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Not to be content with second, the Fresno, California based team immediately formulated plans for their 2013 effort and have spent the last twelve months testing, racing, and preparing for another shot at victory at the legendary endurance classic. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports' driver lineup for the 61st annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida features very distinct drivers from a variety of racing and personal backgrounds, but all three of them share the common goal of pushing the #52 Molecule/ Global Precast/ iSkin Oreca FLM09 one spot higher in the finishing order.
Born in Beijing, China, and a longtime Sammamish, Washington resident, David Cheng has spent the last four years competing all across the globe, but his professional career began in earnest with PR1/Mathiasen and has long been considered a close member of the team's alumni of professional drivers. His single American Le Mans Series presented presented by Tequila Patrón entry for the team netted a podium position at Mid-Ohio in 2009, making him very eager to get back behind the wheel of the 500hp LMPC car.
"We've had a very aggressive testing schedule this off-season, which has really helped me get back up to speed in a high downforce car," Cheng said. "It's a matter of trust, really. You have to retrain your mind a bit to believe that the car will stick in those fast corners and to remember just how good these brakes are. Once that's sorted, it's all about learning what your teammates need from the car, finding a balance, working with the team on strategy, then playing a lot of Forza at home to try to give you some idea of what to expect from Sebring's notoriously fast and flowing layout. Seeing how well everyone worked together in testing, and looking at our times, I think we'll be surprising a lot of other teams next Saturday.”
Pleasant Hill, CA, resident, Michael Guasch, co-drove to victory at the 2011 Twelve Hours of Sebring and is looking to add another trophy to his extensive collection.
"It's great to finally get to drive the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports car this year," Guasch exclaimed. "I tested with these guys before the 2012 season and was eager to get started after I felt how fast their car was. I just felt massively confident in it, easily posting fast lap after fast lap. Another opportunity came up, so I wasn't able to race for them, but I really spent the whole year trying to get that same feeling in the other car I was in. I never really got there, but once I returned to the team for this year's testing program, everything I remembered from that test twelve months ago came back to me. It's been a few months since I've been in anything this quick, but the #52 just works so well that I was back up to speed after only a few laps. We all were! That's impressive, and it's the sort of professional preparation, engineering know-how, and savvy race craft that wins these long endurance races. The 2011 victory was a bit unexpected really. But for 2012, it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see us racing up front, fighting for the win."
After spending his entire professional racing career in open-wheel machinery, Canadian David Ostella, from Maple, Ontario, will be making his sports car debut at the brutal Sebring circuit.
"It's true, I've spent my whole life in open-wheel, never really getting involved in sports cars whatsoever," Ostella explained. "Now that I'm here, I can't wait to go racing. I only tested a few GT cars before getting into the LMPC car, and without a doubt the PC car felt much more suited to my style. It's certainly a heavier vehicle compared to the open-wheel cars that I was used to, but the brakes and the power out of the corner is incredible. It didn't take long before I had the confidence to push myself and the car to its limits on the first day, it's just that good."
"This is an all-new and very exciting venture for me," Ostella continued. "Sports car racing is so dynamic, there's so much to absorb. Working with teammates, setting the car up for all of us and not just my driving style is something I'm learning. Dealing with faster and slower traffic, pit stops, then the challenge of racing for twelve hours in one day on what's easily one of the world's harshest tracks is a lot to take in all at once. So far everyone on the team has been great, though. We're all communicating very well, focusing on strategy, learning about our competition, and keeping up with our training routines. One of the first things I learned is that PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports is a family team with a long history of driver development. I come from a big Italian family that's very close to one another, very supportive, so the team's energy is something I picked up on right away. It's given me a lot of confidence that I made the right decision coming here and that I know they'll give me and my co-drivers everything we'll need to hunt for that top step on the podium."
PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Team Principal, Bobby Oergel, has his entire organization focused on the details this year.
“Sebring has never been a track where you can take anything for granted,” Oergel explained. “It's a tough track that beats up the car, the tires, the engine, the crew, and it's especially hard on the drivers. The pace is relentless, and there's not much room for error, not if you want to win. Twelve hours is a long time to recover from an early setback, but we've seen that scenario force teams to play catch up for the whole event, really compromising their strategy and forcing them off of their program. That is not our intent. We are going into this race with all facets of our organization focused on the task at hand. DC (David Cheng), Michael and David all know what to do, the crew has the car as solid as I've ever seen it, and we're ready to unload and push our program to the edge this year. We've gotten second at this race in the past. For 2013, the past is just that, the past. It's time to get that twelve hour victory."
The 61st running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida can be seen on SPEED with live coverage beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET Saturday, March 16.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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