BRASELTON, Ga. (September 30, 2014) – Ten hours of fierce competition will determine which Michelin technical partner manufacturer, driver(s) and team will claim the three major TUDOR United SportsCar Championships in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class here in Petit Le Mans, on the fast, tight, technically demanding Road Atlanta circuit.
“At ten hours, Petit Le Mans is a classic endurance race and it reveals the strengths and any disadvantages in each team,” said Chris Baker, director of motorsports for Michelin North America. “The 2.54 mile circuit is very fast and with 56 cars fighting for track position, wins and championships in all four classes, the teams will be in constant traffic.”
“Road Atlanta is a high commitment circuit and drivers need consistent tire performance to have confidence as they work through traffic lap after lap especially as the track changes throughout the day and into the evening hours,” said Baker. “We want our Michelin technical partner teams to have high levels of grip and consistent handling, especially on corner entry and under braking throughout an entire stint.”
GTLM MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP
Heading into the final race of the 2014 TUDOR Championship, the competition for the prestigious GTLM Manufacturer title is deadlocked with Porsche and Dodge Viper SRT each holding 308 points and a pair of wins through the first ten races. Lurking just eight points back and also tied are Chevrolet and BMW. All are Michelin technical partner manufacturer teams.
GTLM DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP
On the GTLM driver front it is Dodge Viper’s Kuno Wittmer and Jonathan Bomarito with a seven point edge over Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia. Viper teammates Marc Goossens and Dominik Farnbacher are just 10 points further back with 36 points available at Petit Le Mans.
GTLM TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The GTLM Team Championships mirror the driver fight with the #93 Dodge Viper SRT holding a seven point edge over the #3 Corvette Racing team and the #91 Dodge Viper ten points further back. The #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari team has been especially strong with a pair of victories in the past three TUDOR Championship GTLM races to vault the Houston based team to within six points of third place, one point ahead of the #55 BMW Team RLL.
Michelin has already secured the GTLM Tire Manufacturer Championship with ten wins in the first ten races in the the only TUDOR Championship class permitting open tire competition.
The Ten Hours of Petit Le Mans starts this Saturday, October 4 at 11:00 a.m. and will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 2 with a special two hour broadcast on Sunday, October 5 on the FOX network.
For more information, visit www.michelinmedia.com or contact:
John Love Brian Remsberg
EMC Strategic Communications Michelin North America
mobile: 313 506 2114 office: 864 458 5908
office: 248 816 0106 brian.remsberg@us.michelin.com
john@emcstrategic.com
About Michelin North America
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The company has earned a long-standing reputation for building innovative premium tires. In addition to tires, the company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs about 22,700 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants.
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Category: Motorsports
Tags: #Corvette Racing, #Petit Le Mans, #BMW Team RLL, Porsche North America, Risi Competizione Ferrari, Antonio Garcia, Dodge Viper SRT, Jonathan Bomarito, Kuno Wittmer, TUDOR United SportsCar Championships, GT Le Mans, 2014 TUDOR Championship