After the tight city streets of Baltimore, the entire American Le Mans Series paddock appears excited to hit the wide open circuit at Virginia International Raceway. This will be the series first appearance at the historic track. Guy Cosmo, like every other driver in the Series, can't wait to hit the track with his Extreme Speed Motorsports Patrón Ferrari 458 GT.
"VIR is a true road racers dream and one of the absolute best circuits to drive, ever," said Cosmo. "It's a very unique blend providing a driver everything he could ask for. The track has a great flow and a variety of challenges. You see some very technical slow and medium speed sections, two very long straights, killer braking and passing zones, and a few death-defying high speed sections that will have you holding your breath on every approach… and that will make you cry for your mamma if you get them wrong. You get all of that, and the place is just beautiful. I love going to VIR."
Earlier this year, the Series set up a special test date to give teams the opportunity to test and have a chance to learn the track.
"We tested a few month ago," note Guy. "I have to say, the ESM Patrón Ferraris were impressive. We had a very productive test. We learned a lot and were able to get the team ready for this place. I'm certain the conditions will be different this week, but I'm very confident we'll have strong cars for the race. I'm really looking forward to the weekend."
The VIR 240 at Virginia International Raceway is the penultimate round for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón Championship. The four-hour race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 15. ESPN2's broadcast begins at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 16. Full, live coverage starts at 2:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
Guy Cosmo, 2005 American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year drives the No. 02 Extreme Speed Motorsports Patrón Ferrari. Cosmo is a race record-holder at Mid-Ohio (for fastest lap in the GTC series, which he set in 2009 in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup). Cosmo has 38 starts in the American Le Mans Series, finishing in the top-five 18 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. You can find out more about Guy Cosmo at http://www.guycosmo.com or follow Guy through the racing weekend on Twitter @guycosmo and on Facebook.
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the worlds leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars - purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles - race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North Americas premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.