Flying Lizard Motorsports announced today its driver lineup for the 2012 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The team will field two new racecars in the GT class for the ALMS season: the No. 45 and No. 44 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, both Porsche factory drivers, will return for their fourth consecutive season driving together in the No. 45; this will be Bergmeister’s fifth year with the team. Bergmeister is a five- time ALMS GT drivers’ champion (2005-2006 and 2008-2010).

The 2008, 2009 and 2010 championships were won with Flying Lizard in the No. 45. Long has won the title three times: 2005, and 2009-2010, each with Bergmeister. At Sebring, the pair will be joined by Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer. 2012 will be Holzer’s second year with the team. After Sebring, Holzer will return to his regular seat in the sister No. 44 Porsche for the season.

For Sebring, in the No. 44, Seth Neiman will be joined by Darren Law and Andy Lally. Law has driven with the Lizards since 2004 and will return as a guest driver in 2012. Sebring will be Lally’s first race with the team. Lally heads to Sebring following a GT win last week at the 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona (with Magnus Racing). 2012 is Lally’s fourth GT win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Among his notable achievements in endurance racing and stock car racing, Andy Lally was named NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year for 2011.

Thomas Blam, Flying Lizard Chief Strategist said, “Marco Holzer has proven to be a highly consistent driver; he contributed a great deal to our 2011 program. He will be a very solid addition to Joerg and Patrick in the No. 45 for Sebring. In the No. 44, we have an All-American lineup with Seth, Darren and Andy Lally. This will be Andy’s first time driving with the Lizards but he has a proven performance record in Porsches and brings a wide breadth of endurance racing experience.”

The new Porsches will have their inaugural run at the ALMS Sebring Winter test this week: February 8 and 9 in Sebring, Florida. Developments to the RSR for 2012 include a wider body, increased front tire diameter and wider front and rear track width. Porsche has also modified the bodywork to optimize aerodynamics and added new air intake ducts to the rear quarter panel. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is powered by a six-cylinder boxer engine with a four-liter capacity.

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1. Andy Lally back with TRG for the 2011 Watkins Glen 200

You're reading Andy Lally joins Flying Lizard for 60th 12 Hours of Sebring originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

Flying Lizard announced today that the team has received two entries for the 2012 24 Heures du Mans in Le Mans, France, on June 16-17, 2012. The full entry list was unveiled today by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) in a press conference in Paris.

The Flying Lizard entries will be the No. 80, which will compete in the GTE Pro class, and the No. 79, which will compete in the GTE Am class. Both racecars will be Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. The full entry list is here.

Flying Lizard team principal Seth Neiman commented, “It’s an honor to be invited to participate at this prestigious event. 2011 was our first year fielding two entries and we are pleased to be able to return in 2012 with the No. 80 and No. 79 Porsches.”

Flying Lizard has competed in the 24 Heures du Mans for seven consecutive years: 2005 to 2011. The Flying Lizard No. 80 finished third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008 and sixth in 2011.

The driver lineup will be announced later this Spring.

- Flying Lizard Motorsports | Photos: © Bob Chapman

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1. Flying Lizard Motorsports Roar Before the 24 report

You're reading Two cars for Flying Lizard Motorsports for the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

Patrick Long qualified the No 45 Flying Lizard Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fourth in GT for Saturday’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. With 42 GT cars on track for the 15-minute qualifying session today, Long clocked the fourth-fastest time of 1:49.550. The No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche took the GT pole with a time of 1:49.342.

Long commented on the result, “I’m pretty happy with how qualifying ended up for us. It was a trying day: we fought some car issues in the first session and had to cut the second session short for repairs. So to have everything come together for a top- five result is a good morale booster for the race.”

A total of 46 cars are entered in GT representing a diverse group of manufacturers. Long added, “With such a large GT field, the race is going to be extremely hectic: it’s definitely the largest GT field I’ve ever raced in. I am sure it will be a race of attrition but I also expect there to be a significant number of top cars fighting for the GT win at the end.”

For the 24-hour endurance classic, Long (USA) will be joined by Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Mike Rockenfeller (Germany), and Seth Neiman (USA). Bergmeister and Long are Porsche factory drivers and co-drivers of the team’s No. 45 Porsche in the American Le Mans Series. Rockenfeller has been an Audi Factory driver since 2007; this will be his first race with the Lizards since the 2004 Rolex 24, in which he finished second in GT in the No. 74 Porsche. Neiman is Flying Lizard team principal and drives the team’s No. 44 ALMS Porsche.

- Flying Lizard Motorsport | Photos: © 2012 Corey Beaman

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1. Flying Lizard Motorsports Enters 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona

You're reading Flying Lizard Porsche Fourth in GT for Rolex 24 At Daytona originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

Flying Lizard leaves Daytona today after a successful test of the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Over the three-day Roar Before the 24 test, drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA), Mike Rockenfeller (Germany), and Seth Neiman (USA) took the Porsche through its paces in preparation for the 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona race, January 28-29.

Patrick Long

“The driver objective for Daytona test days is two-fold: get a balance with the Porsche and get comfortable with the car. By the time we get to race week, we need to have completely sorted through ergonomics issues and be 100 percent with the car. This week, everything came together seamlessly: with Flying Lizard and John Wright’s team we worked through all of our objectives.”

Long added, “It’s a huge GT field this year. I’m confident that the Porsche will be competitive, but of course we won’t really know how things stack up until the race. Over the last few days, we stayed focused on our own program; I think we’re well on our way to having a solid car that drives well through the entire stint.”

Mike Rockenfeller

“It’s great to be back at Daytona. It’s been a while since I’ve driven a Cup car so it was important to have the time to get used to it again. We had time this week to try a lot of things on the car. We’ve still got some work to do to get to race setup, but overall I’m happy with what we accomplished. GT competition is really strong: both internally with all of the other Porsches and the other manufacturers. It’s going to be a wild race. We need to have an easy car to drive and find our rhythm early on. I’m happy to be back here and with the Lizards again.”

Joerg Bergmeister

“We are still learning the car and the tires but we made a lot of progress over the test. The competition in GT is going to be tough: there are over 20 Porsches alone and a lot of other manufacturers with good cars and lineups. All signs point to GT being even more challenging than the DP class was in 2011.”

Rolex 24 At Daytona Details

The Rolex 24 At Daytona gets the green flag on Saturday, January 28 at 3:30 pm ET. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on SpeedTV (select broadcast hours – see your local listings) and also in Europe on MotorsTV. Flying Lizard will broadcast the team radio live and offer a real time race blog: for details see www.lizardms.com.

Flying Lizard at Daytona

2012 will be Flying Lizard’s fourth year at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. In 2011, the GT team fielded their first prototype: the No. 45 Porsche-powered Riley DP. After a promising start from the pole (Bergmeister) and having set the fastest race lap, the No. 45 was retired at hour 23 after a challenging race. In 2010, the No. 67 Flying Lizard/TRG Porsche GT3 Cup finished second in GT. In 2005 the No. 75 Porsche finished thirteenth, and in 2004, the No. 74 Flying Lizard Porsche GT3 Cup was second in GT and third overall.

Bergmeister has won three times here: in GT in 2009 (with Patrick Long), in GT and overall in 2003, and in GT in 2002. Rockenfeller won overall in 2010.

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1. Flying Lizard Motorsports Enters 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona

You're reading Flying Lizard Motorsports Roar Before the 24 report originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

The 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona is shaping up to be a great one, especially in the GT class. With the Audi R8 Grand-Am making its debut and Ferrari now in the mix, the fans are in for a show. An ALMS fan favorite, the Flying LIzard Motorsports team, will now be lining up at the start. Current team members Bergmeister, Long, Neiman will join up with Audi factory driver Mike Rockenfeller.

Flying Lizard Motorsports announced today the entry of the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in GT for the 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 28-29. The No. 45 will be run in conjunction with Wright Motorsports. The driver lineup is Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA), Mike Rockenfeller (Germany), and Seth Neiman (USA). Bergmeister and Long are Porsche factory drivers and co-drivers of the team’s No. 45 Porsche in the American Le Mans Series. Rockenfeller has been an Audi Factory driver since 2007; this will be his first race with the Lizards since the 2004 Rolex 24, in which he finished second in GT in the No. 74 Porsche. Neiman is Flying Lizard team principal and drives the team’s No. 44 ALMS Porsche.

This will be Flying Lizard’s fourth year at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. In 2011, the GT team fielded their first prototype: the No. 45 Porsche-powered Riley DP. After a promising start from the pole (Bergmeister) and having set the fastest race lap, the No. 45 was retired at hour 23 after a challenging race. In 2010, the No. 67 Flying Lizard/TRG Porsche GT3 Cup finished second in GT. In 2005 the No. 75 Porsche finished thirteenth, and in 2004, the No. 74 Flying Lizard Porsche GT3 Cup was second in GT and third overall.

Bergmeister has won three times here: in GT in 2009 (with Patrick Long), in GT and overall in 2003, and in GT in 2002. He was also the Grand-Am DP champion in 2006. He reflected on the famous circuit: “It’s great to be back at Daytona. I’ve had a lot of success here: three wins, including one overall. And of course, last year, being on the pole in the No. 45 DP was definitely a rush. We’ve also had some tough breaks at this track. In 2011, we were the fastest car on track but weren’t able to translate that into results and in 2010 we had a strong lead until a problem at the end knocked us back to second.”

Bergmeister and Long have not driven with Rockenfeller under the Lizard banner but the three are long-time colleagues. Over his career, Rockenfeller has won numerous elite distance races including the Rolex 24 (overall in 2010), the 24 Heures du Mans (overall in 2010, GT in 2005) and several championships including the 2008 Le Mans Series title. In 2006, Rockenfeller and Long drove together in a DP and won twice overall during the Grand-Am season. “Rocky is a great guy and a very good friend,” continued Bergmeister. “He, Patrick and I last drove together in 2007 but we know each other really well and should be able to hit the ground running at the test in January.”

Flying Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam added, “This is such a big event. We’ve never won here, but we’ve come close: after taking a break for a few years we came back to finish second in 2010, and last year had a superfast car. Of course, I don’t think we will ever forget our first year here in 2004 (the last time Rocky drove with us) when we came within seven seconds of winning in class.”

Blam continued, “We’re pleased to be working with Wright Motorsports on the program; I’m confident we’ll have a solid entry. GT is certainly going to be competitive: there are numerous new entries since we last ran GT in 2010 — including Audi and Ferrari. It should be a very exciting race and we are very happy to be back.”

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1. Flying Lizard Announces 2012 ALMS Racing Program

You're reading Flying Lizard Motorsports Enters 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

Flying Lizard Motorsports announced today that the team will return for the 2012 American Le Mans Series season, fielding two 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs in the GT class. Porsche factory drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long return to lead the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche in their fourth consecutive year driving together with the Lizards. Seth Neiman will pilot the No. 44, joined again by Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer for his second season with the team.

2012 is Flying Lizard’s ninth season of ALMS competition. The Lizards have won two ALMS GT team championships (2008 and 2009) and have finished in the top three each year since 2004. The team has secured three ALMS GT drivers’ championships: Bergmeister and Long took the title together in 2009 and 2010 and Bergmeister with Wolf Henzler in 2008. Bergmeister is five-time ALMS GT drivers’ champion (2005- 2006 and 2008-2010) and Long has won the title three times (2005, and 2009-2010), all with Bergmeister. In 2011, Neiman and Holzer competed together in six ALMS races in the No. 44, finishing eighth and tenth, respectively, in the ALMS drivers’ standings.

The new Porsches will have their inaugural run at the ALMS Sebring Winter test February 8 and 9 in Sebring, Florida. Developments to the RSR for 2012 include a wider body, increased front tire diameter and wider front and rear track width. Porsche has also modified the bodywork to optimize aerodynamics and added new air intake ducts to the rear quarter panel. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is powered by a six-cylinder boxer engine with a four-litre capacity. For full specifications, click here.

“Porsche Motorsport North America is very proud of the efforts made by our colleagues in Weissach in creating the 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, and we are pleased that Flying Lizard, which has been a successful Porsche customer team since 2004, has chosen us to partner with us to compete for the championship in the strongest GT class in the world,” said Jens Walther, President, Porsche Motorsports North America, Inc.

Flying Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam commented on the coming year, “Porsche has pushed hard to deliver a new RSR for 2012. We’re optimistic about what we’ve seen so far; we’re looking forward to our first experience with the new car at Sebring. All signs point to an intensely competitive year in GT between Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, and Corvette. This is the first time since 2008 that the Lizards are not defending a championship title: our 2012 goal is to re-take both the driver and the team championships.”

Patrick Long added, “I’m very enthusiastic about this year. You learn a lot about yourself when the results don’t come and in 2011 we certainly had to pull together as a team to get through a tough season. The changes to the RSR and the momentum coming off of the end of 2011 (with a win at Laguna Seca and second place at Petit Le Mans) are strong starting points for 2012. I’m as excited heading into this racing year as I’ve ever been.”

Team manager and strategist of the No. 44 Eric Ingraham added, “2011 was certainly one of those years when the results didn’t reflect the team’s competitiveness. Even in that environment, the No. 44 finished consistently in points at every race and our goal is to carry that consistency forward into 2012. With the allowed GT modifications, I expect the field to be more evenly competitive this year. We are definitely eager to get back on track and see how the off-season changes that we and Porsche have made play out.”

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1. ALMS: Flying Lizard heads to Lime Rock for Round 3

You're reading Flying Lizard Announces 2012 ALMS Racing Program originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

Flying Lizard Motorsports unveiled today a new line of performance products at Rennsport Reunion IV at Laguna Seca. The performance products allow customers to quickly and easily set up a wide variety of cars at home, shop, and at the racetrack. The products are ideal for all levels of auto enthusiasts: from those looking to improve the performance of street cars, to club racers and professional racing teams.

Flying Lizard Chief Engineer Craig Watkins will demonstrate the products during Rennsport weekend Oct 14-16 at the Flying Lizard exhibit. The exhibit also features a retrospective on the team’s history from 2003 to 2011 and a full retail store. It is located at the Flying Lizard transporter in the main paddock near the pit lane entrance. All weekend, the team will host a series of pit stop demonstrations and presentations on race setup and race strategy. The full weekend schedule is below.

The performance products are SmartStrings, SmartCamber, and SmartSetup.

SmartStrings is a setup tool which allows customers to precisely align all four wheels and ensure that the front and rear axles are parallel. SmartStrings may be used in all types of real-world conditions from a home garage, to the shop and at the track.

The SmartCamber Gauge accurately measures camber, regardless of the surface angle on which the vehicle sits. SmartCamber utilizes precise digital technology and can be used with a wide variety of wheel and tire combinations. In most cases, camber can be adjusted without removing hub caps or lug nuts or lifting the car off the ground.

SmartSetup Fixtures attach to the wheel hub and are used in place of wheels. The aluminum wheels stay attached to the hub while all the adjustments are made (camber, toe, ride height, corner weights, etc.). The bearings at the bottom of the fixtures eliminate the problem of “stiction” (tire carcass distortion) caused by suspension setting changes.

The three products are sold separately. Special introductory pricing is available onsite only at Rennsport Oct 14-16, 2011.

• SmartStrings list price is $410. Rennsport price: $380.
• SmartCamber Gauge list price is $270. Rennsport price: $240.
• SmartSetup Fixtures list price is $5,000. Rennsport price: $4,000.

SmartProducts are available at the Flying Lizard exhibit at Rennsport and at select dealers. For additional information and a list of authorized dealers click here.

Rennsport Schedule

Friday, October 14
10:00 am – Pit Stop Demonstration
10:15 am – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler. Featuring the new Flying Lizard Performance Products
11:00 am – Pit Stop Demonstration
11:15 am – Race Strategy 101 — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
12:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
12:15 pm – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler
1:15 pm – Racing at the 24 Heures du Mans — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
2:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
2:15 pm – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler
3:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
3:15 pm – Race Strategy 101 — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
4:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
4:30 pm – Q & A — Porsche Factory Drivers Joerg Bergmeister & Patrick Long

Saturday, October 15
9:00 am – Pit Stop Demonstration
9:15 am – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler
10:00 am – Q & A — Porsche Factory Drivers Joerg Bergmeister & Patrick Long
11:00 am – Pit Stop Demonstration
11:15 am – Race Strategy 101 — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
12:15 pm – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler
1:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
1:15 pm – Race Strategy 101 — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
2:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
2:15 pm – Racing at the 24 Heures du Mans — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
4:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
4:15 pm – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler

Sunday, October 16
9:00 am – Pit Stop Demonstration
9:15 am – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler
10:00 am – Pit Stop Demonstration
10:15 am – Race Strategy 101 — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
11:00 am – Pit Stop Demonstration
11:15 am – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler
12:00 pm – Racing at the 24 Heures du Mans — Chief Strategist Thomas Blam & Team Manager Eric Ingraham
1:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
1:15 pm – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler
2:00 pm – Pit Stop Demonstration
2:15 pm – Set up to Win: Racecar Setup Discussion — Chief Engineer Craig Watkins & Crew Chief Tommy Sadler

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1. Rennsport Reunion IV to be held October 14 – 16

You're reading Flying Lizard Launches Performance Product Line at Rennsport Reunion IV originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

Joerg Bergmeister brought the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche home to a second place finish at the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans today, edging out the No. 55 BMW with a late-race pass. In the No. 44, Marco Holzer crossed the finish line eighth in GT. The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari won in GT. Gallery after the jump!

Both Porsches ran virtually problem-free over the race, which lasted nearly 10 hours at Road Atlanta. In the No. 45, Bergmeister started fourth on the GT grid and Darren Law started twelfth in the No. 44. It was a clean start for the 52-car field, and both Bergmeister and Law held their positions at the start.

Over the next four hours, both Lizard Porsches cycled uneventfully through driver lineups: Patrick Long and Patrick Pilet in the No. 45 and Seth Neiman and Holzer in the No. 44. Incident after incident on track resulted in four lengthy yellows in the first four hours which fragmented the GT field pit stop sequence into several groups.

Just past the 4.5 hour mark, Bergmeister, back in the No. 45 for his second stint and in P3, had a left front tire puncture, sending him into the pits for an unscheduled stop. The stop dropped him to P6. Just past hour five, a second tire puncture sent Bergmeister back into the pits again. Meanwhile, the No. 44 had gradually climbed through the GT field to P8.

The race of attrition continued through the afternoon, claiming car after car and resulting in a total of 10 full-course cautions over the race. At hour nine, Bergmeister was once again behind the wheel of the No. 45, now in P3 behind the No. 55 BMW in P2. The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari was in the lead. Over the last 30 minutes, Bergmeister gradually closed the gap to the No. 55 and was putting pressure on the BMW looking for an opportunity to pass. A final caution at the end of the race ate up precious laps, leaving Joerg only a few laps to make his move. With just a lap and a half to go, Joerg overtook the No. 55 to take P2, securing the tire manufacturer title for Michelin. No. 44 finished eighth.

Bergmeister: “When we went green after the final caution, I had just 1.5 laps to go to the checkered. I had a one-lap lead on P4 and knew I had to make my move. At Turn 6, Dirk defended on the inside so I went to the outside and got by him. There was a bit of contact but I got by and from there it was just staying ahead of him. It was a great finish to a tough year. Thank you to the crew who worked so hard this year.”

Patrick Pilet: “I was really happy to have the opportunity to be here as a last minute addition. The team did a really good job and made everything easy for me. We had fast pit stops and gained time at every one. No one made a mistake and of course there was Joerg’s fantastic pass at the end. I’m really happy to be back with the Lizards and finish on the podium.”

Patrick Long: “Over the last two races, we’ve shown that if we stick to the plan and let the race come to us, and are in there at the end, you can get results. To end the year on a high note gives us good momentum into the offseason.

Marco Holzer: “Even with all of the traffic it was actually a really good race. The No. 44 didn’t have any problems over ten hours and we finished P8. I was happy with my times, and the crew did a fantastic job at the pit stops. I want to say thank you to the Lizards: I learned a lot this year in my races with the ALMS. I really hope to be able to come back here next year.”

Darren Law added, “The No. 44 guys drove a great race and the crew did an excellent job. It was incident-free, and I’m happy with the result. It was a difficult race dealing with all of the classes, but a lot of fun.”

Craig Watkins engineer of the No. 45, “It’s been a long, challenging year. Any time you are in it for the long haul you are going to have years that are tougher than others. We ended the year on a high note: first with the win at Laguna, then with a second here at Petit. Thanks to the crew of the No. 45 for putting up with the endless changes to the car to improve it. In the end, we brought a solid racecar to the grid at every race this year thanks to their hard work.”

Thank you to our fans, friends and family for all of your support over a long season. We’ll see you in 2012!

- Flying Lizard Motorsports

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1. Flying Lizard Motorsports 5th in Petit Le Mans GT Qualifying

You're reading Flying Lizard 2nd and 8th at Petit Le Mans 2011 originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

The 2011 American Le Mans Series season comes to a close this weekend at the 14th Annual Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The ALMS flagship race gets the green flag on Saturday, October 1 at 11:30 am ET; the race runs a maximum of 1000 miles or 10 hours. In the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long who will be joined by Patrick Pilet, also a Porsche factory driver. Pilet fills in for scheduled guest driver Marc Lieb, who due to last minute travel issues cannot participate. In the No. 44, Darren Law, Seth Neiman, and Marco Holzer will team up. The trio last raced together at Sebring in March; Law and Holzer have traded off driving duties with Neiman over the season.

Heading into Saturday’s race, Bergmeister and Long are sixth in the ALMS GT driver championship, Neiman is ninth and Holzer is tenth. The team is currently third in the team championship. Both driver and team championships have been decided (won by BMW), but the manufacturers’ championship is still undecided. Porsche is second with 132 points; BMW leads with 154 points. There are 30 points available on Saturday.

Flying Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam commented, “We are coming off an exciting win at the Laguna Seca six hours which gives us some welcome momentum heading into Petit. The last three years we’ve had to race very conservatively here because we were trying to clinch the championship. This year it’s unfortunate that we aren’t in the championship hunt, but it puts us in a position where we can race hard from the beginning.”

He continued, “The volume of really good GT cars here is going to make for a very exciting race. There are 19 entrants in GT (Pro) alone — including three additional Ferraris — and 58 cars overall. We are disappointed that Marc Lieb can’t be here, but are pleased to have Patrick Pilet with us. Patrick raced with the team for the 2008 season and I’m confident he’ll acclimate quickly.”

- Flying Lizards

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1. Flying Lizard Motorsports head to the 2011 Petit Le Mans

You're reading Flying Lizard Motorsports 5th in Petit Le Mans GT Qualifying originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.

The 2011 American Le Mans Series season comes to a close this weekend at the 14th Annual Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The ALMS flagship race gets the green flag on Saturday, October 1 at 11:30 am ET; the race runs a maximum of 1000 miles or 10 hours. In the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long who will be joined by Patrick Pilet, also a Porsche factory driver. Pilet fills in for scheduled guest driver Marc Lieb, who due to last minute travel issues cannot participate. In the No. 44, Darren Law, Seth Neiman, and Marco Holzer will team up. The trio last raced together at Sebring in March; Law and Holzer have traded off driving duties with Neiman over the season.

Heading into Saturday’s race, Bergmeister and Long are sixth in the ALMS GT driver championship, Neiman is ninth and Holzer is tenth. The team is currently third in the team championship. Both driver and team championships have been decided (won by BMW), but the manufacturers’ championship is still undecided. Porsche is second with 132 points; BMW leads with 154 points. There are 30 points available on Saturday.

Flying Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam commented, “We are coming off an exciting win at the Laguna Seca six hours which gives us some welcome momentum heading into Petit. The last three years we’ve had to race very conservatively here because we were trying to clinch the championship. This year it’s unfortunate that we aren’t in the championship hunt, but it puts us in a position where we can race hard from the beginning.”

He continued, “The volume of really good GT cars here is going to make for a very exciting race. There are 19 entrants in GT (Pro) alone — including three additional Ferraris — and 58 cars overall. We are disappointed that Marc Lieb can’t be here, but are pleased to have Patrick Pilet with us. Patrick raced with the team for the 2008 season and I’m confident he’ll acclimate quickly.”

- Flying Lizard Motorsports

Related posts:

1. Porsche teams head to Road Atlanta for Petit Le Mans 2011

You're reading Flying Lizard Motorsports head to the 2011 Petit Le Mans originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.