DBM Racing Team enters LMP900 battle

The Legendary Vic Elford is back in business as sporting manager and the DBM Racing Team is ready for the ALMS LMP900 battle.

The new LMP900 entrant for the American Le Mans Series 2002 season and 24 Hours of Le Mans, the DBM Racing Team, is working very hard to be competitive right from it’s first outing at the 50th edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring, next March.

The North-American base team, is finishing up all the details of the structure, which included this week an important meeting with the Japanese principals of Mugen, in Tokyo.

Jacky Ickx and Vic Elford.

Photo by DBM Racing Team.

The first practices for the Panoz-Mugen cars are scheduled for February 18 and 21 at Sebring or Road Atlanta. The tire supplier has not yet been named. Also the DBM Racing Team is negotiating sponsorship coverage with some major internationals brand name companies.

Larry Holt, Vice-President of Multimatic Inc, the Canadian engineering services company for development of global automotive, is the technical director in this ambitious program; American team manager Dick Barbour and former European Rally champion, Formula One driver and Sports Prototype legend, British Vic Elford, will head up the sports management responsabilities.

“The DBM Racing Team is in the unique position of being able to draw on the experience of Panoz, Mugen, Dick Barbour and myself – said Vic Elford – The Japanese factory has the reputation of ‘taking on the world’ and beating them! Add to that Multimatic and you have a world beating team!”.

In recent years, Elford was the coach and mentor of the Venezuelan female driver Milka Duno, and now has the opportunity to continue with his protegee in the powerful LMP 900 cars: “I’m totally confident in Milka's ability to take one more step toward the top. I have rarely, if ever, met anyone with the will, the dedication and ability to succed”

TOP THREE DRIVERS FROM 675 TO 900
The first three ALMS 2001 drivers in the LMP675 class are confirmed in this new team: Belgian Didier de Radigues, Venezuelan Milka Duno and Canadian John Graham. The names of the others drivers of DBM Racing Team for the Endurance 12 Hour race of Sebring will be released soon.

Belgian Didier de Radigues moves to the top class and he will be the lead driver of the squad. The former GP motorcycle champion won seven races in LMP675 class in 2001 and took the drivers title. Canadian John Graham also has a lot of experience and his third place with three victories in 675 class offers to the new DBM Racing Team a reliability and confidence in this new project with the LMP900 cars.

The third regular driver for 2002 season will be beautiful Venezuelan Milka Duno. In less than two years she completed all the steps in the American Le Mans Series, and now, the 29 year old driver is on the top of the wave. She started in the ALMS GTS division in 2000, in a Dodge Viper of Chamberlain Motorsport and finished third in class at the Adelaide Race of a 1000 Years. In 2001, she signed with Dick Barbour Racing for the LMP675 prototype and finished second in overall drivers position scoring four victories. Now, she will be the first ever woman to compete in the top class of prototypes in ALMS history.

-DbM-