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Primetime Race Group has signed 19-year-old Canadian driver Kyle Marcelli
He will race alongside team owner Joel Feinberg in the 2010 American Le Mans Series in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge class (LMPC). After clinching the 2009 IMSA Lites championship, the Florida-based team has decided to build on its success and transition from IMSA Lites and the American Le Mans Series’ GT2 class to LMPC.
Throughout 2009, Feinberg and Marcelli competed head-to-head in IMSA Lites, one of the sanctioning body’s premier development championships. Recognizing each other’s abilities behind the wheel as well as sharing the same aspirations as drivers, the two will team up for a run at the LMPC season championship in 2010.
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Together they will co-drive the Primetime Race Group entry through the pre-season testing and in each of the nine events on the American Le Mans Series race schedule. Their goal is to improve upon Primetime’s 2009 championships and claim a 2010 season championships in the LMPC class, which would make Marcelli the youngest American Le Mans Series champion in history.
“This is a dream come true for me,” said Marcelli. “When I was 13, my dad and I used to go to Mosport International Raceway each year when the American Le Mans Series arrived in late August. We would sit on top of Turn 2 with thousands of others and watch the prototypes and GT cars race by. Six years later, I have found myself behind the wheel. I’m excited to team up with Joel and Primetime. He is a quick driver with a good amount of experience in the American Le Mans Series, and the team has shown a great track record over the years. I know we will both be pushing each other all season long.”
Primetime is no stranger to the big show. The team campaigned its Dodge Viper GT2 program in the American Le Mans Series full time for the past two years as an independent team and Feinberg was recently awarded the 2009 Founders Cup Championship as the No. 1 gentleman driver in the Series.
“This move is a true testament to all of our hard work over the past few years,” said Feinberg. “Our goal as a team since day one was to start at the bottom and work our way to the top. We’ve proven ourselves thus far and have established a team that can compete anywhere, against anyone. Racing at this level is a serious commitment and it takes the effort of the entire team to win races. After racing against Kyle last year and getting to know him I feel that he will be a great addition to our team and I look forward to winning lots of races with him this year.”
“When we announced the formation of the Le Mans Prototype Challenge class in August, Joel was one of the first to express interest in participating for the 2010 season. The announcement of Primetime Race Group’s involvement in the Series is a textbook example of what we envisioned – an opportunity for existing teams to advance into the prototype category. Joel’s and Primetime’s experience both as GT competitors in the American Le Mans Series and also IMSA Lites will benefit them significantly in this exciting new category” stated American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. “We offer Joel and everyone at Primetime our sincere thanks for their past involvement and best wishes for a successful 2010 LMPC campaign.”
The team will attend the Series’ annual Winter Test on February 22-23 at Sebring International Raceway. Drivers Feinberg and Marcelli will use testing time to develop the car and be race-ready for the start of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season, which kicks off on March 20th with the 58th Mobile 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.
Source ALMS
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