;)
While Guy and his Extreme Speed Motorsports teammates may have had six weeks off, no one has been sitting around. ESM has used the opportunity to get a couple of test sessions with the F430 Patrón sponsored Ferraris, the most recent taking place in the desert and Miller Motorsports Park.
"The break as been a great opportunity for us to spend time reviewing where we've been and where we're headed," noted Guy. "The team has done a great job thus far. We rolled out of the box being very competitive, speed-wise. As with any new team it takes time to gel and to nail down all the little details, such as race strategy, pit stops, driver changes, etc., and we haven't had any true 'failures' there at all. But when you're competing against the best in the business, it requires every aspect of the team and performance to be at 100% - and we're almost there."
"The first three events of the season put us in a variety of situations," added Cosmo. "We had the rough and rowdy 12 Hours of Sebring, a quick sprint on the tight streets of Long Beach and the long winding natural terrain of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. That's a fantastic amount and variety of data for us to review. It's a lot of experience and I think it will serve us well as we jump into the thick of the schedule."
With the Series heading into five races over the next eight weeks and on some of the toughest tracks in North America, Cosmo is confident in the team's ability. "I think the team is unanimous in our level of confidence," said Guy. "We're running consistent and we're making our way to the front. I'm looking forward to getting back out there and mixing it up. Utah will be a great place to kick off the summer stretch. "
A physically demanding track, Miller is no walk in the park. The high altitude of the 3.048 mile track coupled with the desert heat can be punishing on both driver and car. Getting the right set-up is critical. The race is run counterclockwise and combines a lot of high g-force corners combined with slower high-grip turns putting a lot of load on the car and on the driver's neck.
Cosmo and co-driver, Ed Brown will be on-track at Salt Lake for testing on Friday, July 9. Official practice takes place on Saturday followed by qualifying at 3.25pm (local time). The round four GT battle will commence at 2.35pm on Sunday, July 11.
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón kicks off the summer stint with the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park. The two-hour, 45-minute race will begin at 2:35 p.m. MT on Sunday, July 11, with coverage beginning on SPEED at 4:30 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 Channel 127 and XM Channel 242. Visit 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.
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.
Extreme Speed Motorsports is sponsored by Tequila Patrón, along with support from Ferrari Corse Clienti and the team’s official tire technical partner Michelin. Patrón, a longtime supporter of motorsports racing, is the presenting sponsor of the full American Le Mans Series.