Highcoft Racing to Campaign former Dyson P1 American Le Mans Series
12-08-2005, 08:35 AM
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Highcoft Racing to Campaign former Dyson P1 American Le Mans Series
DAYTON'S HIGHCROFT RACING TO CAMPAIGN FORMER DYSON LOLA IN 2006 AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES
Braselton, Ga. - The question as to who will field the other AER-powered Lola EX257 from Dyson Racing's stable has been answered. Longtime American Le Mans Series competitor Duncan Dayton has purchased the No. 16 Lola and will campaign it in LMP1 for the 2006 season, starting with the 54th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Dayton plans to compete in all 10 races on the American Le Mans Series calendar next year with the car, which will be entered by his team, Highcroft Racing. The car's new home base is Highcroft Racing's new, state-of-the-art, 48,000-square-foot shop in Danbury, Conn.
"Purchasing the Dyson car was an opportunity to jump-start the team with a proven package, and we're hoping to get a new P1 car for 2007," Dayton said of his plans going forward.
"We plant to continue where Dyson left off," added Dayton, who was visiting the AER factory in England on Thursday. "There are some new developments (from AER) that will allow us to be even more competitive."
Dayton also confirmed that the car will be at the second annual Wheels Down Winter Test at Sebring from Jan. 23-25.
The Lola EX257 (factory type B01/60) won three times in the American Le Mans Series in 2004 and 2005 in the LMP1 class. It became the first car in the LMP675 class to ever take an overall victory in ALMS history, which occurred in 2003.
Dayton has won five races in LMP2 (formerly P675) in the American Le Mans Series, all with Jon Field's Intersport Racing. Dayton and Field led the P675 point standings in the series for most of the 2003 season but they ended up tied for second in the final class point standings.
They were victorious in the P675 class at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in both 2002 and 2003. Dayton also was part of the class-winning team at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2002 driving with Field and Michael Durand, which was the first international victory for the Lola EX257-MG.
In his only series appearance of 2005, Dayton, Field and Gregor Fisken finished third in P2 at the 53rd annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Dayton, who has a stellar reputation in formula car, vintage and endurance sports car racing, has always enjoyed driving famous race cars. He has countless victories in vintage racing with the 1978 John Player Special Lotus 79 that Mario Andretti drove enroute to the Formula 1 world championship in 1978. He has multiple all-out overall lap records in Jacques Villeneuve's Players Reynard 95i. He's a four-time winner of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix (1997, 2000, 2002 and 2004). He's also successfully driven endurance sports cars for various teams everywhere from Le Mans to Sebring to Watkins Glen to Daytona.
In addition to its numerous victories in vintage races in the last 15 years, his own team, Highcroft Racing, was a powerhouse in the U.S. Formula Ford 2000 series in the nineties. It often fielded up to four cars in one FF2000 race.
Dayton is actively looking for sponsorship for the season, and hopes to announce who his co-drivers will be soon. He did say that Rick Knoop will be one of his co-drivers at the ALMS season opener, the prestigious Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla. March 15-18.
Like Dayton, Knoop, 52, of Laguna Beach, Calif., is a versatile driver who has been successful in many different types of race cars, and he's driven for several factory teams. He has consistently won and placed in some of the most challenging and prestigious races in the world. Among his career highlights are a Group 5 class victory at Le Mans in 1978; a class victory and third-place finish overall at the 24 Hour Pepsi Challenge (Rolex 24) at Daytona in 1983; and even NASCAR stock car experience.
"Duncan and I have been racing together in Historic Grand Prix events, which is how this relationship began," the second-generation racer said. "I just returned from visiting his new shop in Connecticut, and I'm excited about the program. This is a first-class operation from drivers to equipment and team. Combing our experience in sports car and endurance racing with the proven Dyson car should make us competitive throughout the season."
Braselton, Ga. - The question as to who will field the other AER-powered Lola EX257 from Dyson Racing's stable has been answered. Longtime American Le Mans Series competitor Duncan Dayton has purchased the No. 16 Lola and will campaign it in LMP1 for the 2006 season, starting with the 54th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Dayton plans to compete in all 10 races on the American Le Mans Series calendar next year with the car, which will be entered by his team, Highcroft Racing. The car's new home base is Highcroft Racing's new, state-of-the-art, 48,000-square-foot shop in Danbury, Conn.
"Purchasing the Dyson car was an opportunity to jump-start the team with a proven package, and we're hoping to get a new P1 car for 2007," Dayton said of his plans going forward.
"We plant to continue where Dyson left off," added Dayton, who was visiting the AER factory in England on Thursday. "There are some new developments (from AER) that will allow us to be even more competitive."
Dayton also confirmed that the car will be at the second annual Wheels Down Winter Test at Sebring from Jan. 23-25.
The Lola EX257 (factory type B01/60) won three times in the American Le Mans Series in 2004 and 2005 in the LMP1 class. It became the first car in the LMP675 class to ever take an overall victory in ALMS history, which occurred in 2003.
Dayton has won five races in LMP2 (formerly P675) in the American Le Mans Series, all with Jon Field's Intersport Racing. Dayton and Field led the P675 point standings in the series for most of the 2003 season but they ended up tied for second in the final class point standings.
They were victorious in the P675 class at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in both 2002 and 2003. Dayton also was part of the class-winning team at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2002 driving with Field and Michael Durand, which was the first international victory for the Lola EX257-MG.
In his only series appearance of 2005, Dayton, Field and Gregor Fisken finished third in P2 at the 53rd annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Dayton, who has a stellar reputation in formula car, vintage and endurance sports car racing, has always enjoyed driving famous race cars. He has countless victories in vintage racing with the 1978 John Player Special Lotus 79 that Mario Andretti drove enroute to the Formula 1 world championship in 1978. He has multiple all-out overall lap records in Jacques Villeneuve's Players Reynard 95i. He's a four-time winner of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix (1997, 2000, 2002 and 2004). He's also successfully driven endurance sports cars for various teams everywhere from Le Mans to Sebring to Watkins Glen to Daytona.
In addition to its numerous victories in vintage races in the last 15 years, his own team, Highcroft Racing, was a powerhouse in the U.S. Formula Ford 2000 series in the nineties. It often fielded up to four cars in one FF2000 race.
Dayton is actively looking for sponsorship for the season, and hopes to announce who his co-drivers will be soon. He did say that Rick Knoop will be one of his co-drivers at the ALMS season opener, the prestigious Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla. March 15-18.
Like Dayton, Knoop, 52, of Laguna Beach, Calif., is a versatile driver who has been successful in many different types of race cars, and he's driven for several factory teams. He has consistently won and placed in some of the most challenging and prestigious races in the world. Among his career highlights are a Group 5 class victory at Le Mans in 1978; a class victory and third-place finish overall at the 24 Hour Pepsi Challenge (Rolex 24) at Daytona in 1983; and even NASCAR stock car experience.
"Duncan and I have been racing together in Historic Grand Prix events, which is how this relationship began," the second-generation racer said. "I just returned from visiting his new shop in Connecticut, and I'm excited about the program. This is a first-class operation from drivers to equipment and team. Combing our experience in sports car and endurance racing with the proven Dyson car should make us competitive throughout the season."
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