Sebring: Guy Cosmo preview

GUY COSMO BEGINS A NEW CAREER CHAPTER AT 58th Mobil 1 12 HOURS OF SEBRING PRESENTED BY FRESH FROM FLORIDA

(Sebring, Fla. March 15, 2010) When the field takes the green flag for Saturday's 58th running of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, Guy Cosmo will shift his driving career into high gear. Piloting a brand new Ferrari F430 GT car under the banner of Tequila Patrón Extreme Speed Motorsports, Guy will rejoin the upper echelon of sports car racing competing in America's premier sports car series, the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

Extreme Speed Motorsports will compete with two cars, one piloted by Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek, and the other with Ed Brown and Guy Cosmo behind the wheel. Tequila Patrón, a longtime supporter of motorsports racing, is sponsor, along with Ferrari Corse Clienti and the team's official tire sponsor Michelin.

Sebring, a former WWII airfield, is known for it's unprecedented abuse of cars and drivers alike. It is one of the most difficult sports car endurance circuits in the world. For many, simply finishing the 12 Hours amounts to a victory of sorts. In a word, the 12 Hours of Sebring is brutal.

For Guy Cosmo, the 58th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring comes down to a lifetime of preparation.

"This is huge for me," noted Cosmo. "You think of all the corny cliches you hear athletes say in interviews, and suddenly, in a situation like I'm in today, they don't seem quite so corny."

"When you find yourself in a scenario where everything feels right, your confidence soars," explained Cosmo. "Not that you want to be over confident, but you step outside of yourself and review the task at hand. Driving in the American Le Mans Series and at this level of racing is what I've worked and trained for my whole career. Driving for a high-caliber team like Scott Sharp's Extreme Speed Motorsports is where I'm supposed to be... it's a seat I worked for and I've earned. On top of all that, I understand the professional requirements of working with a partner like Tequila Patrón. So upon personal review, I'm ready for this. This is what I've worked for and this is where I'm supposed to be."

Extreme Speed Motorsports and the Ferrari F430:

"I can't say enough about the car and the team," said Guy. "The testing and development program has gone very well. I think Scott has assembled a fantastic team and it's remarkable what they've accomplished to get us to this point. And, the cars... well, I chuckle to myself now and then... but after all, it's a Ferrari. Seriously, how can you not love driving a Ferrari. They're just great cars to drive."

Michelin Tires:

"If there is one single component on the car a driver is intimately attached to, it's the tires," expressed Cosmo. "The tires are your sensory connection to the track. They tell you everything you need to know in order for you to attack the track intelligently. The Michelins do it in spades. You can have the best car in the world, but if it's not on the right tire, it doesn't matter... "

Sebring and the 58th running of the 12 Hours:

"My first American Le Mans race ever was the 2003 Sebring 12 Hour," Guy recalled. "I've only raced in it a handful of times, so I can't wait to get another one in the log book. As a start-up team and as our first race, we are approaching Sebring with realistic expectations... from both cars. I certainly expect us to be right in the mix, contending with the best in the class and sending a message that the Patrón Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferraris are strong and the team a force to be reckoned with. We have no intentions of writing off the year simply 'coming-up-to-speed.' We're here to race."

Guy will be joined in the car by Ed Brown. Brown is formerly a Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama driver who made his debut in the American Le Mans Series in 2009 in the GT Challenge class with ORBIT Racing. Brown's best finish in the GT Challenge class last season was in the runner-up position at Lime Rock Park.

Joao Barbosa and Dominik Farnbacher will join the team for the 58th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, and Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans later this year.

Barbosa, who won the 24 Hours of Daytona earlier this year, will compete with Cosmo and Brown while Farnbacher, a four-time winner in the Series driving an F430 GT, will join Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek in the team's other entry.

Guy Cosmo, 2005 American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year and also a former ORBIT Racing driver, competed last season in the No. 47 Porsche 911 GT3. He finished the season 3rd in the Challenge class championship qualifying on the pole three times.

-source: guycosmo.com