Lites: Comprent Motor Sports Road Atlanta test summary

Comprent on-track to defend IMSA Lites Championship title.

Monday, February 23, 2009. Athens, GA. - Comprent Motor Sports has completed another preseason test as the team gears-up for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2008 IMSA Lites Championship Presented by Frisby Performance Tire to be held as part of the 57th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring event.

The defending IMSA Lites 1 Team Champions stayed close to their Athens Georgia home, testing at the demanding Road Atlanta circuit near Braselton, Georgia.

Driving was Australian Tom Drewer, who joined Comprent after winning the 2008 IMSA Lites 2 Championship, along with American's Jonathan Gore and Charlie Sheers.

It will be these three drivers who will spearhead the championship attack for Comprent in their quest to take back-to-back Team and Drivers' Championship honours.

Comprent won the 2008 IMSA Lites 1 Championship convincingly, winning nine races with Jonathan Goring (Torrington, CT) at the helm.

"We committed everything and worked extremely hard last year to win the Championship. We are going to have to dig even deeper this year to make it two in a row," said Team Owner Kevin Kloepfer.

"I know Tom shares the same personal goal. He won the Lites 2 Championship last year, so we're both defending titles, but Charlie and Jonathan are just as committed and hungry.

The three drivers were lapping within a couple of tenths all day. It's shaping up to be a very exciting season.

I think we could have all three drivers fighting for the Championship, and I know the competition will be strong so it's going to make for one hell of a year.

The team is working together extremely well. Today proved that yet again, and I was very happy with the progress we made and the data collected.

Everyone in the team has one aim, to win the Championship. Our goal is to be first, second and third all year regardless of the order. There will be no team orders."

Joining the IMSA Lites squad for the test was the Comprent prepared StarFire AMLS GT2 spec Porsche driven by Dr Michael Cawley and 13-year-old Sean Rayhall's Formula SCCA Enterprise Van Diemen.

Dr Cawley, who will contest in a number of PCA and PBOC events throughout 2009, completed a successful shakedown of his beloved Porsche, the car he raced at Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans event with Comprent in 2005.

While not competing in the car this year, Sean Rayhall continued his driver development program in his Formula SCCA lapping Road Atlanta in times that would have put him on pole at the last SCCA National event held at the circuit. Sean is racing in the Skip Barber National Series in 2009.

The 2008 IMSA Lites Presented by Frisby Performance Tire season begins at Sebring, Florida as part of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring event, on Friday, March 13 with official practise preceding Saturday's Round 1 race and Sunday's Round 2, 1 hour 15 minute enduro.

-credit: comprent.net