Sebring: Guy Cosmos race report

COSMO AND EXTREME SPEED A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH AT SEBRING

Guy Cosmo along with Extreme Speed Motorsports, debuted a new team and two new Ferrari F430 GTs at the 58th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. The week-long event kicked off the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron championship season. From wheels down to the checkered flag, Extreme Speed Motorsports, sponsored by Patron Spirits, leveraged their on-track performance making a clear statement to all competitors in the GT2 division, they came to race and they're prepared to win.

Driving the #02 black Ferrari F430 GT, trimmed in the familiar Patron green, Cosmo was joined by co-drivers, Ed Brown and Joao Barbosa. The trio worked the 12 hour endurance race with precision and harmony, never missing a beat or putting a wheel off while delivering a 6th place finish in their division.

"It was a very long week," noted Guy Cosmo. "But it finally provided the team with an opportunity to make real-time comparisons against the best in the GT class. We were able to make solid gains all week long - not only in the car, but also in our pit stops, teamwork and with the drivers. It was instrumental in accelerating Ed's pace and getting him more comfortable behind the wheel."

"Personally, I really enjoy driving this Ferrari F430 GT," added Cosmo.  "It's a great match for my driving style and it's the kind of car that puts a smile on my face lap after lap. Michelotto and ESM have done an incredible job building and preparing these cars. They've contributed to our confidence and made us competitive right away. And to think, this is just the beginning.  There is a lot more to learn and extract from our cars and the team. We've only just started to scratched the surface."

Late in the race the #02 Ferrari's sister car, #01 Ferrari F430 GT driven by Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Dominik Farnbacher, experienced a fire in the rear wheel housing. Scott Sharp, who was driving at the time, had the keen sense to pull the car into a safe area, virtually delivering it to the safety crews, who got the fire under control. Scott walked away from the incident unharmed.

"I felt terrible for our teammates Scott, Johannes and Dominik," said Guy. "They were close to grabbing a podium finish before the fire took them out of the race.  The Extreme Speed crew have a tremendous task ahead of them rebuilding the #01 car for Long Beach. Fortunately, they're the right crew for the job."

"After such a long week, I'm ecstatic with our 6th place finish," exclaimed Guy. "This was our first outing and Sebring is arguably the most demanding track in the world and the 12 Hour one of the toughest races. I'm happy to have played a part pulling in a solid result for Extreme Speed, Ferrari Corse Cliente, Michelin and our sponsor Tequila Patron. Now I just can't wait for Long Beach!"

-source: guycosmo.com