;)
Driving the #02 black Ferrari F430 GT, trimmed in the familiar Patron green, Cosmo was joined by co-drivers, Ed Brown and Joao Barbosa. The trio worked the 12 hour endurance race with precision and harmony, never missing a beat or putting a wheel off while delivering a 6th place finish in their division.
"It was a very long week," noted Guy Cosmo. "But it finally provided the team with an opportunity to make real-time comparisons against the best in the GT class. We were able to make solid gains all week long - not only in the car, but also in our pit stops, teamwork and with the drivers. It was instrumental in accelerating Ed's pace and getting him more comfortable behind the wheel."
"Personally, I really enjoy driving this Ferrari F430 GT," added Cosmo. "It's a great match for my driving style and it's the kind of car that puts a smile on my face lap after lap. Michelotto and ESM have done an incredible job building and preparing these cars. They've contributed to our confidence and made us competitive right away. And to think, this is just the beginning. There is a lot more to learn and extract from our cars and the team. We've only just started to scratched the surface."
Late in the race the #02 Ferrari's sister car, #01 Ferrari F430 GT driven by Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Dominik Farnbacher, experienced a fire in the rear wheel housing. Scott Sharp, who was driving at the time, had the keen sense to pull the car into a safe area, virtually delivering it to the safety crews, who got the fire under control. Scott walked away from the incident unharmed.
"I felt terrible for our teammates Scott, Johannes and Dominik," said Guy. "They were close to grabbing a podium finish before the fire took them out of the race. The Extreme Speed crew have a tremendous task ahead of them rebuilding the #01 car for Long Beach. Fortunately, they're the right crew for the job."
"After such a long week, I'm ecstatic with our 6th place finish," exclaimed Guy. "This was our first outing and Sebring is arguably the most demanding track in the world and the 12 Hour one of the toughest races. I'm happy to have played a part pulling in a solid result for Extreme Speed, Ferrari Corse Cliente, Michelin and our sponsor Tequila Patron. Now I just can't wait for Long Beach!"
Guy Cosmo, 2005 American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year and also a former ORBIT Racing driver, competed last season in the No. 47 Porsche 911 GT3. He finished the season 3rd in the Challenge class championship qualifying on the pole three times. Cosmo has 19 starts in the American Le Mans Series, finishing in the top-five 17 times and has been on the winner’s podium twice. In addition to being an accomplished driver, Cosmo is also a highly sought-after driving instructor. Find out more about Guy Cosmo at http://www.guycosmo.com and follow Guy through the racing weekend on Twitter @guycosmo.
The Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach is the second round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. The race, set at the historic Long Beach street circuit, is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 15 with coverage on SPEED set for 8 to 10 p.m. ET. Live radio coverage will be available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche – a production of Radio Show Limited – as well as Sirius and XM. Visit the the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com.