Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) are hoping that their good result on a road course will stand them in good stead when they take their HPDs to California and the fourth round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
That result was second place at Sebring where they were only outpaced by Chip Ganassi Racing and their Ford-Riley, for a stretch though they did lead the race outright so are hoping that Laguna Seca can see them get one step higher on the podium.
As the only two car P2 team – and one of the few runners of P2s left following the withdrawal of Muscle Milk – they are hoping to have twice the chance of winning on the track that saw team boss Scott Sharp and David Brabham win the American Le Mans Series P1 title in 2009.
Sharp said: “The ESM Patrón team is excited to return to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s an infamously gorgeous track that leaves a driver appreciating every lap! It is also nice to return to another track where we have had previously competed with the P2 cars. That experience should provide a jump start for us.
“We also are hoping Laguna provides a layout that is more suitable to our P2 cars. Medium-to high-speed corners is what we need against the DP cars and not every track has those. We’re looking forward to see how the weekend unfolds. We’re ready for another Laguna podium finish.”
Before the race though, team driver Johannes van Overbeek will carry on an annual tradition for himself and other ESM crew members. That tradition is an 80 mile cycle trip from San Jose to Monterey in what will be a seven hour journey.
