Corsa Car Care




		PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports on Pole at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 21, 2010 Monterey, CA - After a month to contemplate what could have been at Long Beach, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports came to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca determined to not let another opportunity go unfulfilled. With the car fully repaired and meticulously tested and tuned, the #52 Corsa Car Care/ Autosport Design Oreca FLM09 took its first laps at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Thursday and immediately turned pace setting times. Ryan Lewis, of Royston, Hertfordshire, England quickly adapted to the car, leading a portion of the first session and co-driver Tom Papadopoulos, of Long Island , NY successfully completed the team’s testing programs. Johnny Mowlem of Berkshire, England, and Lewis would then combine efforts early Friday morning to lead the first practice session of the day, with Mowlem posting a 1:19.976 lap time, nearly one full second ahead of the nearest rival. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports used the second and last practice session of the day to focus on race setups, posting the second fastest lap of the final test before turning their focus towards the impending qualifying effort. With Mowlem getting the honors to qualify the car, the previous Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca winner spent the overwhelming majority of the session locked in a battle for second place. With lap times dropping amongst the top five with every lap, Mowlem rocketed to the top of the time sheets with a blistering 1:17.866 lap on his second to last lap. For added insurance, on Mowlem’s final lap, he circled the legendary circuit in 1:17.800, giving PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports its first pole position in only the team’s second race in the American Le Mans Series presented by Patrón. The competition for the LMPC class remains fiercely competitive with the top four cars separated by less than half a second. For Mowlem, today’s pole position performance was an act of redemption. “I’m absolutely delighted to perform for the team,” Mowlem said. “I completely messed up for them in Long Beach and hit the wall. I was about a centimeter away from being a hero, but ended up a zero. That was really annoying as I believe we had a good enough car to be on the pole there as well as here today. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports worked so hard to deliver a fast car, and both my co-drivers, Ryan and Tom, are really pushing themselves this weekend as well, so I wanted to get the pole for all of them.” “We were struggling a little with the balance, but as the tires came in, the car just got better and better,” Mowlem continued. “I was completely surprised how good it got actually. If you would have told me before the session that we would be in the 17’s, I wouldn’t have believed you. But the balance really improved, which made me more confident to go into turn two that much deeper, and to get on the throttle that much sooner through turn nine. Overall, amazing effort by the team and I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.” Lewis is pleased with the team’s progress throughout the weekend so far. “Starting off, things are going really well,” Lewis said. “Johnny putting the car on pole is a testament to that. We tried some adjustments, went the wrong direction, came back and tried some new things, and now we’re in a really, really strong position for the race. I’ve got tremendous faith in the car and I think we’ll be a threat tomorrow.” Papadopoulos is appreciative of both the team, and with his co-driver’s efforts today. “I couldn’t be any happier,” Papadopoulos said. “I’m so proud of Johnny. He just pulls it out of the hat whenever he needs it. I’m proud to be a sponsor of the car as well as a driver. And I’m proud of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports for getting this stellar program up and running in such a short amount of time. I just hope that tomorrow brings as much excitement as today. I can’t wait.” For Ray Mathiasen, of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports, being on pole at one of his favorite tracks is truly a moment to cherish. “What a great effort, and on just our second race together,” Mathiasen exclaimed. “Of course it’s a long six hours tomorrow, but so far we’re delivering. I’m proud of everyone and I’m thrilled with today’s results.” Bobby Oergel, PR1/ Mathiasen Motorsports Team Principal, credits his drivers and his team for today’s accomplishments that have made him optimistic for tomorrow’s challenge. “The boys have done a great job keeping it on the pavement, getting the testing done, really coming through for us today,” Oergel said. “Johnny did a great job. He deserved that. It’s a testament to the crew as well. They’ve been working hard towards that result and the fact that our car shows better over longer stints is a perfect situation for tomorrow’s six-hour race. I like our chances.” The American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca begins at 2:30 pm PT on Saturday, May 22. Full race coverage will be streamed live at americanlemans.com. CBS Sports will broadcast the event at 1:30pm ET on Saturday, May 29. Drivers and potential partners interested in the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón LMPC program can contact the team directly at pr1motorsports@aol.com or at (559) 277-1300. Corsa Car Care manufactures professional grade automotive detailing products including cleaners, polishes and protective sealants for exterior finishes, interior leathers & textiles, glass, vinyl and rubber applications. As a division of Miracle Sealants Company, Corsa Car Care draws on over 25 years of knowledge and experience in advanced polymer chemistry. For more details, visit corsacarcare.com. Autosport Designs Inc. 30,000 sq. ft. facility performs all mechanical services from basic maintenance and repairs to performance upgrades, modern improvements, mechanical rebuilds and restorations. Our in house body shop performs panel, sheet metal fabrication, chassis, collision and dent repairs plus partial and complete repaints and insurance repairs. We also perform all interior and trim work including leather and wood repairs, interior upgrades to complete interior re-upholstery. From start to finish, all work is performed under one roof. As a Registered Importer, Autosport Designs can import and conform (whether for Full Importation or Show and Display) unusual cars for USA compliance. Our storage facility offers secure & maintained storage for your vehicle. For more information, search out www.autosportdesigns.com or give us a call at (631) 425-1555. In paddocks packed with excellent teams and quality drivers, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports has established itself as one of the top driver development programs. Based in Fresno, CA, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports occupies an expansive facility housing a stable of F2000 Zetec and professional sports cars. Team drivers enjoy the benefits of a completely professional program including engineering support, state-of-the art data acquisition, and a race winning experienced crew. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports drivers, and partners, also enjoy first-class trackside hospitality and comprehensive marketing support. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports team information can be found at www.PR1Motorsports.com www.MathiasenMotorsports.com www.corsacarcare.com www.autosportdesigns.com www.ryanlewisracing.co.uk www.johnnymowlem.com For more information please contact Eric Wildt at (707) 480-7350 or Eric@MotorsportsCG.com ### For Corsa Car Care Albert Salvo > 626.443.6433 X3003