EXTREME SPEED MOTORSPORTS SUFFERS DISAPPOINTING DEBUT IN SEBRING

Team Finishes 6th in GT2 Class in No. 02 Car, Endures Sad Ending in No. 01

For 10 of the 12 hours in today’s 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the day was progressing favorably for Extreme Speed Motorsports’ debut race in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

Then coming into Turn 17, just after the competition’s 10-hour mark this evening, a major rear fire ended the race for the team’s No. 01 Ferrari F430 GTC, driven by Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek, and Dominik Farnbacher. Extreme Speed Motorsports’ No. 02 car, driven by Ed Brown, Guy Cosmo, and Joao Barbosa, went on to complete the race in sixth place in the highly competitive GT2 Class.

The problem in the No. 01 car began shortly after the team made a change to the front brakes. With Sharp behind the wheel coming out of the pit, he heard a thumping noise coming from the car, which accelerated as it gained speed. Sharp pitted again, the problem was inspected, and determined to be ok. The noise continued though as Sharp got back on the track, and then on the back straightaway during lap 271 the car started “glowing,” Sharp said.

Sharp was able to quickly exit the car, unhurt, and the IMSA safety team swiftly extinguished the fire.

“It was a sad ending to our first race, but it was a very good day until then and I’m incredibly proud of the hard work and professionalism of this team,” Sharp said after the race. “Everybody did their job and gave it everything they had – we came a long way and it’s a shame we couldn’t finish both cars, but I’m very pleased with our overall performance out there today.”

The team’s No. 02 Ferrari started in ninth position on the grid this morning, advancing into the seventh place spot mid-race, and finished the 12 hours on the track in sixth place.

“This is undisputedly one of the toughest competitions in motorsports, and to finish in sixth place, for a new team like our’s, I’m extraordinarily proud of our team and the effort everyone put in,” said Brown. “It’s unfortunate what happened with our No. 01 car, especially for as hard as we worked out there, but we’re pleased that our No. 2 car finished, and we’ll build from what we learned today.”

Extreme Speed Motorsports is sponsored by Tequila Patrón, along with support from Ferrari Corse Clienti and the team’s official tire technical partner Michelin. Patrón, a longtime supporter of motorsports racing, also recently signed on as a sponsor of the full American Le Mans Series.

Courtesy ALMS © RIF