CORE Porsche to debut in Monterey

ROCK HILL, S.C. (May 2, 2013) – CORE autosport’s long awaited debut in the American Le Mans Series GT category will take place next week in Monterey, Calif., at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. There, Porsche factory star Patrick Long and three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kimber-Smith will race the No. 06 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for the first time.

When CORE’s Porsche takes to the track in Monterey for Round Three of the ALMS Championship, it will be riding on Michelin tires, a brand who’s record of success in ALMS GT competition is unparalleled. The partnership between CORE and Michelin is already a proven winner: CORE scored ALMS PC Championships in 2011 and 2012 on Michelin tires.

Following January’s announcement that CORE would expand to the GT category in 2013, the team took delivery of its Porsche RSR shortly before Sebring and has since tackled a testing program with Long and Kimber-Smith. The duo, who between them have five wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, most recently spent a day in Birmingham, Ala., lapping Barber Motorsports Park.

The team has welcomed several new members to help support the GT program, but the lead engineer for the No. 06 Porsche will be the familiar face of Gary Davies, who moves over from the PC program.

Operating in tandem with the Porsche program, CORE will continue to field the No. 05 ORECA FLM09 in the PC category with drivers Jon Bennett and Colin Braun in its quest for a third-straight PC championship.

Jens Walther
President & CEO • Porsche Motorsport North America
"The addition of a multi-time American Le Mans Series class champion to the ranks of Porsche 911 GT3 RSR competitors is very exciting for Porsche Motorsport. CORE autosport has shown themselves to be among the elite of professional race teams and with the driver lineup of Patrick Long and Tom Kimber-Smith, I see the program continuing its impressive history in the very competitive ALMS GT class."

Jon Bennett
Team Owner - CORE autosport
“This year is a bit of a transition for us; with the unified series for 2014, things are going to be changing quite a bit. We’re expanding the capabilities of the team to put us in the best position possible for the long term. Our team has a dream of one day going to Le Mans, so one of the attractive parts of the GT program is that it’s a class that’s clearly coordinated with the ACO and the rules package at Le Mans. We had the opportunity to be a customer of Porsche in 2013 and get a preview of what running a GT car will be like.”

Patrick Long
Driver: Porsche No.06
“We’re definitely prepared. I’m excited to push forward on all the team objectives and race criteria, but I’m also looking forward to CORE to debut to Porsche fans so people can understand what this team is all about. I feel like I spent the offseason trying to tell people how legit this team is and how well they operate and I’m looking forward to everyone seeing it first hand.” “I don’t feel much hype or expectation. The only hype is my own confidence in this team. “Certainly, coming in with a known quantity like Michelin is a huge help. It means we have no concerns on the tire side. We know we have the speed and reliability that the front-runners have. People underestimate how important those four contact patches are. You could have a perfect car, but if the tires aren’t working, it’s all for nothing.

Tom Kimber-Smith
Driver: Porsche No.06
“The more time I get to drive it, the quicker I’m getting, but to have Patrick on board – being a factory Porsche man and the history he’s had with Porsche – I couldn’t ask for anyone better to get me up to speed. “CORE is a very young team and in their short time in motorsport, they’ve been very dominant. For me, they don’t need to prove themselves by moving up to GT. This year they’re running a dual program with a car still in the PC class and at the last race at Long Beach, they ran very well with Colin and Jon. The work ethic has been transferred to the GT car, so there’s no better team at the moment to take this project on.”

CORE autosport