Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From Motorsport.com:
Former top Atlantic team PCM switches to sportscars
Racing series ALMS
Date 2005-03-08
[font=verdana,arial]By Nancy Knapp Schilke - Motorsport.com[/font]
[font=verdana,arial,helvetica]With a top-notch history in the Toyota Atlantic Championship series, Pacific Coast Motorsports to test the waters in the American Le Mans Series. A major switch from openwheel racing to sportscar endurance racing.
PCM had closed out the 2004 Atlantic season with the team and driver championship. Jon Fogarty, one of the many openwheel top drivers to have made the switch to the ALMS, returned to the Atlantic series with the Figge family after sitting out the 2003 season. Fogarty had notched the 2002 drivers' title. His and Alex Figge's sole purpose was to win the titles which they did but it was not easy.
Fogarty's main rival last season was Ryan Dalziel; the two battled it out all season to take the title fight to the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
In 2005, the two will meet again, but this time in a new series and in different classes. PCM has signed Dalziel to co-drive with Figge in a GT1 Corvette whilst Fogarty will be in a GT2 Porsche.
PCM will take on the factory-backed Corvette Racing team in a C5-R. The newest Corvette, the factory C6-R, will be driven by roadracing endurance specialists Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, along with the 2004 GT co-champions Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows.
The privateer team will have their work cut out for them, but they are driving a known reliable machine. And their sponsor, the home improvement retailer Menards, is well aware of all the facts leading into the ALMS season opener -- the historic 12 Hours of Sebring next week, March 16th to race day March 19.
"Our association with Menards not only adds tremendous support and credibility to our program, but it also affords us the opportunity to develop associate-level sponsorships with existing and potential Menards vendors," commented PCM Team Director Tyler Tadevic. "Menards obviously has an extensive history in racing and a current sponsorship portfolio across multiple series that touches different audiences. We're thrilled to represent the company in ALMS sportscar racing."
Why would the Atlantic champions switch gears? According to the team it was purely a business decision and the opportunity to purchase the Pratt & Miller Corvette that has dominated the ALMS GT championships.
"Everyone in our organization is excited about our new Menards Corvette program," said Tadevic. "With the well-developed and proven C5-R, our aggressive driver line-up and the support of Menards, we are fielding a formidable privateer effort against some big-time factory programs."
Dalziel and Figge are known for their ability on any racing track. Californian Figge has won races in his three years of Atlantic competition. Dalziel hails from Scotland and also proved himself in the Atlantic series, winning races and almost taking the title two years running.
Dalziel recently had his taste of endurance racing in the Daytona 24 Hours Grand American Rolex Series' first event.
Canadian David Empringham will co-drive with the duo at Sebring. Empringham is a former Atlantic champion, who also earned a championship in the former Indy Lights series. He has been running endurance racing for several years and will provide the team and drivers his insight.
Tadevic feels that the driver lineup and the team's past experience will be an asset in their first ALMS challenge. "The Toyota Atlantic Championship was a great place for PCM to compete over the past couple of seasons. The fact that our three drivers have extensive experience and achieved success in the Toyota Atlantic series speaks to the fact that the series does a great job preparing drivers to progress their careers to higher levels of motorsports competition."
"We're proud to be a championship-winning team in the competitive Toyota Atlantic Championship and our team and our drivers hope to represent the series well in the American Le Mans Series," added Tadevic. "We very much look forward to our first season in the ALMS."
[/font]Discuss this article in the Motorsport.com Forums channel: ALM
Former top Atlantic team PCM switches to sportscars
Racing series ALMS
Date 2005-03-08
[font=verdana,arial]By Nancy Knapp Schilke - Motorsport.com[/font]
[font=verdana,arial,helvetica]With a top-notch history in the Toyota Atlantic Championship series, Pacific Coast Motorsports to test the waters in the American Le Mans Series. A major switch from openwheel racing to sportscar endurance racing.
PCM had closed out the 2004 Atlantic season with the team and driver championship. Jon Fogarty, one of the many openwheel top drivers to have made the switch to the ALMS, returned to the Atlantic series with the Figge family after sitting out the 2003 season. Fogarty had notched the 2002 drivers' title. His and Alex Figge's sole purpose was to win the titles which they did but it was not easy.
Fogarty's main rival last season was Ryan Dalziel; the two battled it out all season to take the title fight to the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
In 2005, the two will meet again, but this time in a new series and in different classes. PCM has signed Dalziel to co-drive with Figge in a GT1 Corvette whilst Fogarty will be in a GT2 Porsche.
PCM will take on the factory-backed Corvette Racing team in a C5-R. The newest Corvette, the factory C6-R, will be driven by roadracing endurance specialists Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, along with the 2004 GT co-champions Johnny O'Connell and Ron Fellows.
The privateer team will have their work cut out for them, but they are driving a known reliable machine. And their sponsor, the home improvement retailer Menards, is well aware of all the facts leading into the ALMS season opener -- the historic 12 Hours of Sebring next week, March 16th to race day March 19.
"Our association with Menards not only adds tremendous support and credibility to our program, but it also affords us the opportunity to develop associate-level sponsorships with existing and potential Menards vendors," commented PCM Team Director Tyler Tadevic. "Menards obviously has an extensive history in racing and a current sponsorship portfolio across multiple series that touches different audiences. We're thrilled to represent the company in ALMS sportscar racing."
Why would the Atlantic champions switch gears? According to the team it was purely a business decision and the opportunity to purchase the Pratt & Miller Corvette that has dominated the ALMS GT championships.
"Everyone in our organization is excited about our new Menards Corvette program," said Tadevic. "With the well-developed and proven C5-R, our aggressive driver line-up and the support of Menards, we are fielding a formidable privateer effort against some big-time factory programs."
Dalziel and Figge are known for their ability on any racing track. Californian Figge has won races in his three years of Atlantic competition. Dalziel hails from Scotland and also proved himself in the Atlantic series, winning races and almost taking the title two years running.
Dalziel recently had his taste of endurance racing in the Daytona 24 Hours Grand American Rolex Series' first event.
Canadian David Empringham will co-drive with the duo at Sebring. Empringham is a former Atlantic champion, who also earned a championship in the former Indy Lights series. He has been running endurance racing for several years and will provide the team and drivers his insight.
Tadevic feels that the driver lineup and the team's past experience will be an asset in their first ALMS challenge. "The Toyota Atlantic Championship was a great place for PCM to compete over the past couple of seasons. The fact that our three drivers have extensive experience and achieved success in the Toyota Atlantic series speaks to the fact that the series does a great job preparing drivers to progress their careers to higher levels of motorsports competition."
"We're proud to be a championship-winning team in the competitive Toyota Atlantic Championship and our team and our drivers hope to represent the series well in the American Le Mans Series," added Tadevic. "We very much look forward to our first season in the ALMS."
[/font]Discuss this article in the Motorsport.com Forums channel: ALM
