New Porsche RS Spyder team to enter series

CET/Solaroli Motorsports From Jacksonville - The Next Privateer Porsche RS Spyder Team For The American Le Mans Series

SEBRING, Fla. - March 15 -- CET/Solaroli Motorsports, located in Jacksonville, Florida, will make its debut in the American Le Mans Series this summer with two 2007 Porsche RS Spyder prototypes and a 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Al Solaroli, the owner of the team and president of Combustion Engine Technology, innovators with proprietary engine technology for the marine industry, the military and OEM manufacturers (www.cetengines.com), becomes the third ALMS customer team to campaign the latest Porsche LMP2 prototype. Dyson Racing purchased two Porsche RS Spyders earlier in the year, and will debut those cars this weekend at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Penske Motorsports ran the initial two 2006 Porsche RS Spyder entries last year, with Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr capturing the LMP2 drivers championship. The Penske-prepared RS Spyders have also returned to defend their title for 2007.

"We are pleased that Mr. Solaroli has chosen Porsche to enter the ALMS arena at such a high level," said Uwe Brettel, president of Porsche Motorsport North America.

"In discussions with CET/Solaroli Motorsports, we are convinced that they will put together a top- notch team with professional drivers that will be competitive right from the start. Having six Porsche RS Spyders in the American Le Mans Series exceeds our expectations for a car which is less that two years old," said Brettel.

Solaroli has named 35-year motorsports veteran and former Lola cars executive Nick Jordan as team manager, and is in the process of interviewing top professional drivers to pilot his new race cars, although no arrangements have been finalized to date. The two RS Spyders have been built at Porsche's new prototype motorsports assembly facility in Weissach, Germany, and should arrive at his Jacksonville shop shortly. If everything goes according to schedule, Solaroli hopes to debut his RS Spyders mid-season in preparation to run for the championship in 2008.

Al Solaroli, a Toronto native who still calls Mosport his home track, is a long-time Porsche racer, and has raced both motorcycles and cars in both Canada and the U.S.

-credit: pm