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ACEMCO Motorsports Ready for ALMS and Le Mans with Michelin Rubber In 2005 ALMS

Team Story 1-4-2005

Braselton, Ga. - American Le Mans Series sports car racing is not the only competition on the track. The ever-present tire battle in the ALMS is a grueling fight in which manufacturers pull out all the stops in order to provide teams with the best product available to help ensure coveted podium appearances. Tires are constantly evaluated by manufacturer technicians and are many times destroyed to protect the valuable information that can mean the difference between first and second place.

As a result, one of the fan favorites in the American Le Mans Series has decided to change tire manufacturers in hopes of finding a better fit for the extreme competition that is synonymous with the ALMS. ACEMCO Motorsports announced that they will run their number 63/ACEMCO Motorsports/Saleen S7-R GT1 racer in the entire ten race American Le Mans Series in 2005 with Michelin rubber, giving the team the edge they needed to go ahead and take on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

The Michigan based team is hungry to improve on their 2004 ALMS GTS points finish of third and get the drivers up on the top step of the podium in '05. "Michelin has been able to keep up with the technology of the cars and engineer their tires to be consistent over long runs, which endurance racing demands," said Jeff Giangrande, ACEMCO Motorsports team owner. I believe that to be able to compete for wins with the factory teams and the quality privateers you have to run the car on Michelin tires. I am sure that with our driver lineup and the improvements that we have made to the car along with the tires we will be in an excellent position to compete for overall GT1 victories this coming season."

ACEMCO Motorsports will also tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005. "We ran Le Mans for the first time in 2003 and we were able to lead our class for a period," continued Giangrande. "Le Mans will be a challenge; we will see Corvette with their new cars and a new entry from Aston Martin. I am hoping that the year of competition we have under our belts with the Saleen, plus the improvements in the off season will put us on par with those teams come June. We are preparing our second car for Le Mans and we will keep one car here for ALMS."

Driver's Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem are set to return to the team for the coming season. The duo posted consistent top three finishes in GTS while continuing to make improvements to the Saleen and its Elan powerplant in 2004.

"I am looking forward to starting the season with ACEMCO and the revitalized car," said driver Terry Borcheller. "Jeff has done a great job in the off season to address the needs of the car and the team. We have the pieces in place to move forward. The Michelin tires are an essential part to running a competitive car. The GT1 class has been dominated by the Corvette; you still have to believe that their new car will be faster. I don't think that the bar has gotten any lower, but we will be in a position to compete. Le Mans will be a challenge. This will be my third time at Le Mans in the S7-R. Le Mans demands the complete package of aero, motor, dependability and teamwork. It will be great to see how we match up with the Le Mans hopefuls come Sebring in March."

"Jeff negotiating to have his ACEMCO Saleen run on Michelin tires in 2005 is huge!" said driver Johnny Mowlem. "I think this is a ringing endorsement of the team and everyone involved - now we will be expected to deliver. Obviously going back to Le Mans is going to be a highlight for the whole team. I first drove for Jeff at Le Mans in his Ferrari 360 in 2003, and was fortunate enough to lead the class for him before an engine failure. Coincidentally the last time I was at Le Mans in a Saleen, I also led but eventually DNF'd, so this time I'm hoping that we'll be leading that all important lap... the last one! Ultimately any success requires a certain amount of luck, but we'll hopefully be in a position to make our own luck this year. I am hoping we can be a major factor at all the races next season, and then I'll consider 2005 to have been a success."

ACEMCO Motorsports has an extensive test calendar planned between now and the season opener March 19 in central Florida running the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Sebring represents the toughest race on the American Le Mans Series schedule and is an excellent precursor to what the car and team will face at Le Mans three months later.