Intersport Racing News

Merchant Services Racing Returns To Action At Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

2012-05-16T15:10:54Z

Two-car LMPC Effort Aims For Podium Positions

No strangers to the American Le Mans Series, the newly organized Merchant Services Racing team brings a wealth of experience to their paddock. Armed with veteran prototype drivers, Chapman Ducote, Kyle Marcelli and Tony Burgess, the team presents a formidable threat for this weekend's American Le Mans Monterey Presented by Tequila Patron at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

"We are very excited about coming to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the 6 hour endurance race," said team principal, Brian Alder. "We have a strong driver line up in both cars and are anxious to get the weekend started. The drivers and crew have really gelled as a new team and we are aiming for both cars to be on the podium."

Marcelli and Downs enjoyed a 4th place finish last month at Long Beach while Chapman Ducote grabbed 4th at this year's grueling 12 Hours of Sebring.

The team will campaign two ORECA FLM09 Chevrolet powered prototypes. Car #8 will be driven by Kyle Marcelli, Lucas Downs and Dean Stirling, and the #7 car will be driven by Chapman Ducote, Tony Burgess and Antonio Downs. The cars will feature a new black with yellow trim livery and share sponsorship with Merchant Services LTD., Lafarge, Lamex, One24.com, MBRP Performance Exhaust, Butterfield Farms and Nasamax.

The American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón will air on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 13. Live coverage is available starting at 4:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3. Competitors will take the green flag 1:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 12, on the 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit.

Merchant Services Racing Announces Driver Line-Up

2012-03-13T14:48:00Z

On March 17, 2012, the newly formed Merchant Services Racing team will take part in the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida, the first race of the 2012 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season and Merchant Services Racing’s personal ALMS debut. For the 2012 ALMS season, Merchant Services Racing will field two LMPC cars, and will be supported by a host of sponsors, including: Merchant Services LTD, One24.com, MBRP, Lafarge, Butterfield Farms, Lamex, Nasamax, Sun Ski and Braille Battery.

“When given the opportunity, we jumped at the chance to be the title sponsor of Merchant Services Racing,” said Chapman Ducote, President and CEO of Merchant Services LTD.”

For the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida, Merchant Services Racing’s #7 LMPC will be driven by Chapman Ducote, Javier Acheverria and Pablo Sanchez, its sister car, the #8 LMPC will be driven by Kyle Marcelli, Lucas Downs and Dean Stirling. This first endurance race not only kicks off the ALMS season, but also serves as the first round of the newly forged 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, which will attract new teams and manufacturers from all over the world to the small town of Sebring, Florida and one of the world’s most demanding race tracks.

“The twelve hours of Sebring will surely be the toughest race on the 2012 calendar. Not only is it the longest race of the year for the American Le Mans Series but will also be the busiest as the track will be filled with over 60 of the worlds most exotic sports cars and prototypes. It will be a race of attrition for sure. It will be important we drive fast, keep our noses clean and work well as a team.” said Kyle Marcelli, who has been signed to lead the #8 LMPC for Merchant Services Racing. “Although we’re a new team this year, we have a tremendous amount of combined experience, between our team principals, managers, engineers and drivers. It is not our first rodeo and we have our sights set on the top step of the podium.”

Amongst the talent and experience at Merchant Services Racing is Brian Alder who will act as Team Manager for the 2012 campaign. “We are certainly looking forward to the launch of this new team, its been a lot of work behind the scenes to get to this point. We’re all looking forward to Sebring but its important we race smart and keep our eyes set on a driver and team championship.”

Don’t miss a moment of the action! Live coverage of the historic 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida will begin on March 17, 2012 at 10:15am EDT on ESPN3.com, and the action will be replayed for a wider television audience on March 18, 2012 at 12pm EDT on ABC.

For more information on Merchant Services LTD visit www.merchantservicesltd.com, and additional information on the American Le Mans Series can be found at www.americanlemans.com.

ALMS: Merchant Services Racing Enters PC

2012-03-05T16:02:00Z

Two-car Prototype Challenge effort for American Le Mans Series season, beginning with 60th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring...

The American Le Mans Series received a boost to its already expansive PC grid Monday, as Merchant Services Racing announced a two-car, season-long effort in the spe c prototype ranks, beginning with next weekend's 60th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Former Intersport Racing team manager Brian Alder heads up the newly formed team, owned by Chapman Ducote, which sees a mix of former Intersport drivers at the wheel of the two Oreca FLM09s for the around-the-clock Florida classic.

Twenty-two-year-old Canadian rising star Kyle Marcelli leads the driving force in the team's No. 8 entry, joined by Lucas Downs and Dean Stirling. The No. 7 car sees Ducote, Javier Acheverria and Pablo Sanchez at the helm for the ALMS season-opener.

“We are certainly looking forward to the launch of this new team. It's been a lot of work behind the scenes to get to this point," team manager Alder said. "We’re all looking forward to Sebring but it's important we race smart and keep our eyes set on a driver and team championship.”

Marcelli, who appeared to be left without a drive in the ALMS, is looking forward to the challenge ahead, although in familiar territory.

“Although we’re a new team this year, we have a tremendous amount of combined experience, between our team principals, managers, engineers and drivers," Marcelli said. "It is not our first rodeo and we have our sights set on the top step of the podium.”

The addition of the two Merchant Services Racing entries brings the PC entry total to nine for Sebring, which now sees only one space remaining on the ALMS grid for a full-season entrant.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-merchant-services-racing-enters-lmpc/

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at askdagys@gmail.com

Merchant Services Racing to Enter ALMS LMPC Class

2012-03-05T15:56:00Z

The American Le Mans Series has gained another Le Mans Prototype Challenge team: Merchant Services Racing is entering two Oreca FLM-09s in the fast-growing class.

Merchant Services, a credit card processing company whose CEO and President, Chapman Ducote, is also a professional racing driver, has long sponsored young drivers, as well as sponsoring Ducote’s rides, including the Intersport LMP1 he raced from 2009–2011.

Intersport shut its doors after 2011, leaving Merchant Services looking for team to back. Rather than back an existing team, Ducote and company decided to buy Intersport’s LMPC cars and start a team of its own.

“Racing has always been integral to Merchant Services LTD, so we jumped at the chance to expand our commitment this year from the individual level to the sponsorship of an entire race team,” Chapman Ducote told americanlemans.com. “We are very excited about the opportunity and the value it brings to our brand, we look forward to an exciting season of racing in 2012.”

The team will make its formal announcement on Monday, March 5, but it can safely be assumed that one driver will be the very quick 22-year-old Kyle Marcelli, who drove Intersport’s LMPC cars in 2010–2011.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/sports/merchant-services-racing-to-enter-alms-lmpc-class-199492.html

Intersport Racing Tops Off 2011 ALMS Season With 2nd Place Finish At Petit Le Mans

2011-10-04T18:58:35Z

Ricardo Vera Crowned Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Champion

Fighting back from a devastating crash in practice, winning the class pole then being put to the back of the grid on race day, wasn't enough to stop the #89 Intersport Racing The Sitter / Muscle Milk / Merchant Services / Lafarge / DynaPep LMPC march to the podium at the 14th running of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron Petit Le Mans.

Piloted by Tomy Drissi, Kyle Marcelli and Chapman Ducote, the Intersport LMPC car rose up from the ashes to dominate the LMPC over 999 miles of racing at the historic Road Atlanta road course.

Anyone witnessing the horrific crash of David Ducote during Friday's practice could not have predicted the ultimate outcome of Saturday's race. When a Ferrari GT car made contact with Ducote's rear quarter, the car was pushed partially off track. Fortunately several cars exiting the turn were able to drive around as the car sat perpendicular to the racing line. Suddenly, the Robinson Ford GT driven by David Murray was caught up in the incident. Quick thinking Murray immediately threw the Ford GT into a sideways slide and was able to shift the impact to a side by side as opposed to head-on. David was airlift to a local hospital and kept for observation.

The Intersport team sprung into action and quickly went to work repairing the car. Amazingly… and to everyones disbelief, taking spares from the team's #37 car, the #89 car was ready for afternoon qualifying. Kyle Marcelli climbed in and when the checkered flag was thrown on the session, Kyle was at the top of the time sheets.

"I can't say enough about the hard work our guys put in this weekend," said team manager Brian Alder. "And I don't know what to say about Kyle Marcelli… other than amazing. Kyle is as dedicated and talented as they come. He put his team on his back and left it all out on the track."

With David Ducote sidelined, driving duties were redistributed among Tomy Drissi, Chapman Ducote and Marcelli. Due to tech inspection questions regarding replacement parts from the teams #37 backup car, Marcelli was forced to start the car from the back of the grid. However, when the green flag dropped on the 1000 mile race, Marcelli wasted no time chasing down the rest the LMPC field. Intersport was heading to the front.

"The team made no secret about riding on Marcelli's talent," said Kyle's co-driver, Tomy Drissi. "First, he's earned it. He's consistently fast and takes care of the car. We knew Chapman and I had to stay on pace, be aggressive but keep the wheels on the car. The team was flawless with fueling stops and the driver changes where perfect."

Marcelli kept the team up front all day. Then, with just two laps to go, in traffic, the #52 car tucked himself into the headlights of a few P1 cars and Marcelli lost him in his mirrors. The #52 got by leaving the #89 to take second. A brilliant race and a brilliant drive by Marcelli none-the-less.

The season concluded with Intersport enjoying five podium finishes; 2nd at Long Beach, 3rd at Lime Rock, wins at Mid-Ohio and Baltimore and 2nd place at the prestigious Petit Le Mans. Intersport Racing finished its season taking third in the LMPC Championship.

Ricardo Vera Crowned Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Champion

On the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites side of the team, Ricardo Vera ascended to the top of the IMSA Lites ranks taking the 2011 Drivers Championship. In the Thursday's round 13, Vera drove to a solid fourth place finish. Friday, in the season closing round 14, all Vera need to do to secure the championship was simply start the race. Never one to rest on his laurels, Vera drove to a 3rd place finish taking the championship and a spot on the podium.

“The Intersport Racing team gave me a great car all year,” said Vera. “I’m really happy to have won the championship! I knew that with the lead I had, all I had to do was finish near the top. It’s been great racing against everyone this year.”

For the 18-year-old Vera, the championship brings many awards, not the least of which is a test session in the Dyson-Mazda LMP car. To win the title in his rookie season means a great deal to the young Puerto Rican.

Intersport Racing: One of the founding teams of the American Le Mans Series, Intersport has established itself as a premier independent team in sports car racing. The Dublin, Ohio-based team has taken on mightiest of factory prototype teams in recent seasons and posted noteworthy class victories within that span including an LMP1 triumph at Detroit in 2008 and 2006 at Sebring. You can find out more about Intersport Racing at http://www.intersportracing.com, join our Facebook Fan Page or follow us on Twitter at Intersport37.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the world`s leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars - purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles - race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North America`s premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.

The Cooper Tire Prototype Lites mission is two-fold: present an opportunity for semi-professional race car drivers to compete in a world-class environment while also providing an avenue for drivers to move up the ladder into the LMPC or LMP classes in the American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón.

The series is divided into two classes: Lites 1, featuring the Élan DP02 chassis, powered by a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder Mazda MP2 engine; and Lites 2, utilizing the West WX10 and WR1000 chassis, with either a Kawasaki ZX10R or a Suzuki GSXR motor.

Intersport Racing Hoping To Keep LMPC Podium Streak Alive At Petit Le Mans

2011-09-27T20:04:44Z

Ricardo Vera Seeking Drivers Championship In Cooper Prototype Lites

With a record 58 car field, Intersport Racing will concentrate their efforts on the No. 89 Merchant Services / The Sitter / Lafarge LMPC car for the 14th running of the American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

This year’s final round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón features a 58-car entry and a starting grid of 53. The 1,000-mile/10-hour enduro also is the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. With the number of entries and because the LMPC class is not recognized for ILMC competition, only a limited number of LMPC entries are qualified for the race. To accommodate ALMS regular season entries and drivers, an agreement was reached between IMSA and the ACO to allow for four driver teams. Taking advantage of the four-driver rule change, Intersport will run Kyle Marcelli, Tomy Drissi, Chapman Ducote and David Ducote.

"The rule change somewhat plays in our favor," noted team manager, Brian Alder. "We've got four experienced drivers on our roster. Tomy and Kyle have been especially strong together in the US while Kyle and Chapman have had great success in Europe. I think the No. 89 car will be the LMPC car to watch."

Meanwhile, Ricardo Vera will be running for his first IMSA championship in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites division. He goes into Atlanta with the lead in the drivers championship and a first and second place win at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The 14th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda is set for a 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 1 from Road Atlanta. The race will air on ABC at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 2. Live coverage will be available in the U.S. on ESPN3 or outside the U.S. on americanlemans.com. Ticket and schedule information is available on the ALMS schedule page.

Intersport Racing

One of the founding teams of the American Le Mans Series, Intersport has established itself as a premier independent team in sports car racing. The Dublin, Ohio-based team has taken on mightiest of factory prototype teams in recent seasons and posted noteworthy class victories within that span including an LMP1 triumph at Detroit in 2008 and 2006 at Sebring. You can find out more about Intersport Racing at http://www.intersportracing.com, join our Facebook Fan Page or follow us on Twitter at Intersport37.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the world`s leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars - purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles - race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North America`s premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.

The Cooper Tire Prototype Lites mission is two-fold: present an opportunity for semi-professional race car drivers to compete in a world-class environment while also providing an avenue for drivers to move up the ladder into the LMPC or LMP classes in the American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón.

The series is divided into two classes: Lites 1, featuring the Élan DP02 chassis, powered by a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder Mazda MP2 engine; and Lites 2, utilizing the West WX10 and WR1000 chassis, with either a Kawasaki ZX10R or a Suzuki GSXR motor.

Intersport Racing Continues Podium Streak At Monterey

2011-09-23T16:40:28Z

Intersport Racing enjoyed a successful weekend for the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Finishing 3rd and 5th in LMPC and taking a win in Cooper Tire Prototype Lites.

Kyle Marcelli, teamed with Chapman Ducote and David Ducote, drove the No. 89 Merchant Services / Lafarge / DynaPep car to a solid 3rd place finish after taking the pole in Friday's qualifying. Teammate, Tomy Drissi, together with Ricardo Vera and Luca Moro drove the No. 37 The Sitter / Muscle Milk car finishing 5th.

"Both cars ran strong all day," noted team manager, Brian Alder. "We had no issues, it was just fuel, tires and driver changes throughout the race. The No. 89 really ran strong. Kyle had an excellent 3-hour stint in the car, managing to get a lap back that we had lost earlier in the day. That put him in the lead."

"Tomy had a great opening stint in the No. 37," added Alder. "He was easily matching lap times of the leaders. Unfortunately starting from the rear of the grid put us at a major disadvantage to the rest of the field, and the yellow flag we were hoping for never came. Tomy handed to car over to Ricardo Vera who in only his 2nd LMPC race set the fastest lap time of the race for the 37 car. Luca drove a solid double stint during the middle of the race before handing the car back to Ricardo then Tomy for the finish."

On the Cooper Tire Prototype Lites side of things, Ricardo Vera dominated the weekend with a 2nd place finish Saturday and a 1st place finish Sunday. Ricardo heads to Road Atlanta with an impressive 15 point lead in the Championship points.

"Ricardo drove amazing in the 1 hour endurance race," said Alder. "He's been doing exactly what he needed to do to extend his championship points lead. He didn't make a single mistake all day long. He's really showing great maturity, knowing when to push and when to be patient and conserve his tires."

The teams now head to Atlanta for the final race of the 2011 season. The 14th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda is set for Saturday, Oct. 1 from Road Atlanta. The race will air on ABC at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 2. Live coverage will be available in the U.S. on ESPN3 or outside the U.S. on americanlemans.com. Ticket and schedule information is available on the ALMS schedule page.

Intersport Racing

One of the founding teams of the American Le Mans Series, Intersport has established itself as a premier independent team in sports car racing. The Dublin, Ohio-based team has taken on mightiest of factory prototype teams in recent seasons and posted noteworthy class victories within that span including an LMP1 triumph at Detroit in 2008 and 2006 at Sebring. You can find out more about Intersport Racing at http://www.intersportracing.com, join our Facebook Fan Page or follow us on Twitter at Intersport37.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the world`s leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars - purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles - race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North America`s premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.

The Cooper Tire Prototype Lites mission is two-fold: present an opportunity for semi-professional race car drivers to compete in a world-class environment while also providing an avenue for drivers to move up the ladder into the LMPC or LMP classes in the American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón.

The series is divided into two classes: Lites 1, featuring the Élan DP02 chassis, powered by a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder Mazda MP2 engine; and Lites 2, utilizing the West WX10 and WR1000 chassis, with either a Kawasaki ZX10R or a Suzuki GSXR motor.

Intersport Racing Mixes Things Up For The ModSpace American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón

2011-09-15T15:12:14Z

Intersport Racing will shake up their winning driver combination when they head to the Monterey Peninsula and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for this weekend's ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey Presented by Tequila Patron.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has been hosting world-class sports car racing for more than 50 years. And the ModSpace Monterey is one of the season favorites among teams and fans alike. If six hours into the darkness doesn't get you excited, dropping the equivalent of five and a half stories through the downhill CorkscrewTurn will.

Currently the most winning team in the LMPC class, Intersport has chosen to break up the winning combination of Kyle Marcelli and Tomy Drissi. With the pair coming of their most recent win at the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, Drissi will join Ricardo Vera and Luca Moro in the No. 37 The Sitter / Muscle Milk LMPC, while Marcelli will hook up with the Ducote brothers, Chapman and David driving the Merchant Services / Lafarge / DynaPep car.

"We've got the cars working really well," said team manager Brian Alder. "With a six hour race, we feel we can maximize our driving talent by moving them around to the current line up. They are all talented and have the maturity to work together for getting the most from each combination. They've got good equipment and if they can keep the cars underneath them, I'm confident we'll see two cars on the podium."

The ModSpace American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón will go green Sept. 16 at 1:30 PM (PT). The race will air on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 17 and be carried live on ESPN3 beginning at 12:50 PM.

Intersport Racing

One of the founding teams of the American Le Mans Series, Intersport has established itself as a premier independent team in sports car racing. The Dublin, Ohio-based team has taken on mightiest of factory prototype teams in recent seasons and posted noteworthy class victories within that span including an LMP1 triumph at Detroit in 2008 and 2006 at Sebring. You can find out more about Intersport Racing at http://www.intersportracing.com, join our Facebook Fan Page or follow us on Twitter at Intersport37.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the world`s leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars - purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles - race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North America`s premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.

Drissi and Marcelli Win For Intersport Racing at the Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix

2011-09-07T14:08:39Z

As they dominated their class taking the top spot on the podium and third overall at the American Le Mans Series Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, it was a near-perfect run for Tomy Drissi and Kyle Marcelli in the No. 37 Intersport Racing Alvin and the Chipmumks: Chipwrecked / Muscle Milk / Lafarge / DynaPep LMPC car.

Drissi turned in a picture perfect start falling into lock step with the leaders, staying out of the turn one melee and holding firm ground through another charge of traffic into turn two. The race became a three-way battle with the No. 6, No. 63 and the No. 37 car of Tomy Drissi. Tomy grabbed the lead on lap 14 when the No. 6 car began falling by the way side. The No. 6 went in for a lengthy pit stop dropping the car well down the order and out of contention.

From that point on Tomy Drissi navigated the streets of Baltimore with ease.

At 57 minutes and according to schedule, Tomy brought the car in for a driver change and fuel only. Tomy and Kyle, who were winners in round five at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, ran the rest of the race unchallenged for their second win of the season and fourth podium for the year.

It was the decision to double stint the tires that widened the lead for the team and would prove to be unsurmountable for any of the LMPC challengers. The win was truly a near perfect team effort.

"The track was really, really difficult," Drissi said of the 2.1-mile street circuit along Baltimore's Inner Harbor. "With the risk you take for a second here, tenth there, another tenth there, you have to keep your ego in check. I got it [lap time] down to race pace during my stint after settling in. So then it was about delivering a good car to Kyle to let him drive it in."

"I think going into a temporary circuit on a weekend like this, you have to come in with a well-prepared car," added Kyle Marcelli. "We unloaded off the trailer with a baseline. We sat in the board room and picked what we wanted to do. I knew my job was to bring the car home and maintain the lead that I knew Tomy would bring us…. I kept my nose clean and did what I could to get by trying to be as clean and lean as possible. Our pace was really close for overall finish, but we had our own issues getting out of the pits, it took me three times to get the starter working, otherwise we might have been able to get out in front of the Dysons."

"You can't say enough about Brian [Alder] and the Intersport crew," added Tomy. "I always refer to Intersport as the little giant slayers. Both Jon and Clint Field drive all out and the team works the same way. This is just so much fun being with people that are all working together for the same goal. And I can't say enough about Kyle... he's so fast and so consistent. Everyone here makes me want to bring my best… you just don't want to be the guy that lets the team down. This was a great weekend for us."

Intersport's No. 89 Merchant Services LMPC car driven by Chapman and David Ducote didn't fair so well. It was all up hill for the duo after Chapman was hit during qualifying. Suffering damage beyond a quick repair, Chapman was unable to return to the track and get a fast lap.

At the start of the race, the No. 89 was caught up in the first turn melee and forced down the turn 1 access road. The rest of the field had run over 1/2 lap before the car got clear to proceed.

Adding insult to injury, nearing the end of the race, the No. 89 Merchant Services LMPC was hit by one of the Ferraris bringing an end to an already frustrating day.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón will make a cross country trip to California for round eight at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The ModSpace American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón will go green Sept. 16 at 1:30 PM (PT). The race will air on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 17 and be carried live on ESPN3 beginning at 12:50 PM.

Intersport Racing

One of the founding teams of the American Le Mans Series, Intersport has established itself as a premier independent team in sports car racing. The Dublin, Ohio-based team has taken on mightiest of factory prototype teams in recent seasons and posted noteworthy class victories within that span including an LMP1 triumph at Detroit in 2008 and 2006 at Sebring. You can find out more about Intersport Racing at http://www.intersportracing.com, join our Facebook Fan Page or follow us on Twitter at Intersport37.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the world`s leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars - purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles - race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North America`s premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.

Intersport Racing Sets Sights on Eastern Seaboard

2011-09-01T03:07:52Z

American Le Mans Ready for the Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix

Intersport Racing will roll into to Baltimore, Maryland this week for round seven of the American Le Mans Series championship. The inaugural running of the Baltimore Grand Prix will be a two-hour sprint race starting at 4:30pm on Saturday, September 3.

The second street race of the 2011 American Le Mans Series season, Baltimore's newly constructed temporary 2.0-mile race track represents an unknown challenge to the Series' drivers and teams. The Baltimore circuit will work its way through the streets of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area and around Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The former railroad center will serve as the backing to pit row for the 12-turn temporary road course.

Mid-Ohio winners, Tomy Drissi and Kyle Marcelli will be back together piloting the No. 37 Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked / DynaPrep / Lafarge / Muscle Milk LMPC car. It should also be noted that Drissi and Marcelli combined for a 2nd place finish the last time the Series raced a temporary street circuit in Long Beach California. In addition, the pair made their way to the podium in the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock.

"I'm really looking forward to getting back in the prototype with Kyle," said Tomy Drissi. "I've been off doing a couple of NASCAR Nationwide events and campaigning the No. 47 TruSpeed Motorsports Porsch GT Cup car in World Challenge. ALMS weekends are always good competitive racing and it's even better when you're teamed up with a driver like Kyle and a crew like Intersport."

Brothers, David and Chapman Ducote will pilot the No. 89 Merchant Services LMPC car for Intersport. The brothers recently teamed up with team principal Clint Field, for the Time Warner Cable Sports Car Showcase at Road America. The trio was looking at a podium finish when a gamble on pit strategy caught them out on a caution dropping them back to fourth. David and Chapman like their odds in Baltimore citing the unknown circuit will level the playing field in the highly competitive LMPC class.

With the track being *the* unknown factor for the weekend, the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix has the potential of being the most challenging race of 2011 for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. It's no secret that team engineers have been trying to find any knowledge or detail that might provide an edge for the weekend event. The drivers will get their first full look at the track during a two-hour track walk on Thursday.

Track time will be at a premium with just two hours of practice before qualifying for Saturday's main event. The first practice session for ALMS cars is scheduled for 9:25 a.m. Friday. Who did their homework and guessed right will quickly become apparent.

The Baltimore Grand Prix is the seventh round of this year’s American Le Mans Series championship. It is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 3. The race will air on ABC, Sunday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) and be shown live in the U.S. on ESPN3 or americanlemans.com outside the U.S. Live coverage also will be available on Rogers Sportsnet One in Canada and MotorsTV in Europe. Ticket and schedule information is available on the ALMS schedule page.

Intersport Racing

One of the founding teams of the American Le Mans Series, Intersport has established itself as a premier independent team in sports car racing. The Dublin, Ohio-based team has taken on mightiest of factory prototype teams in recent seasons and posted noteworthy class victories within that span including an LMP1 triumph at Detroit in 2008 and 2006 at Sebring. You can find out more about Intersport Racing at http://www.intersportracing.com, join our Facebook Fan Page or follow us on Twitter at Intersport37.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the world`s leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars - purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles - race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North America`s premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.