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GRAND AMERICAN ROAD RACING ASSOCIATION |
15/06/2004 |
Jim Michaelian & Michel Orts Join JMB Racing |
Team Look Forward To Watkins Glen |
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Jim Michaelian & Michel Orts Join JMB Racing USA For The Salhen's Sports Car Grand Prix At Watkins Glen
This is a motivated JMB Racing USA team that enters the fifth round of the 2004 Rolex Sports Car Series, the legendary six hours of Watkins Glen. Almost a month after being forced to retire from the 6 Heures du Circuit Mont Tremblant in Canada, due to a minor oil pump problem, the JMB USA crew is now ready for the second six-hour endurance rendezvous in a row.
Racing at The Glen for endurance racers has always been a must. Rising from ragged infancy in 1948 to its position as America's premier racing facility surely qualifies The Glen as an astounding and unlikely success story, which continues to be written fifty years later. Watkins Glen hosted a wide variety of racing competition, including F1, Can-Am, Trans-Am and Indy cars. Victory Circle at The Glen saw many of the top names in international motorsports, including Jackie Stewart, Francois Cevert, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Mark Donohue and Alan Jones.
For this race, the JMB Racing USA No.11 Lineltex / The Inn at English Harbour Antigua Ferrari drivers' lineup is made up of Edi Gay from Italy, Jim Michaelian from the United States of America and Michel Orts from France. The two new JMB Racing USA drivers have extensive endurance racing experience. Not only is Jim Michaelian an experienced endurance racer with seven Rolex 24 at Daytona and two 12 Hours of Sebring under his belt since 1998, Jim is also the President and CEO of Long Beach Grand Prix Association. The Sahlen's GP of Watkins Glen will be Jim's second race at the wheel of a Ferrari 360 Modena GT this season, as he competed earlier this year with Mastercar Ferrari in the 2004 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
"I am pleased with our eclectic drivers line-up," announced Ludovico Manfredi, co-owner of JMB USA. "Our two new drivers, Jim Michaelian and Michel Orts are both experienced with good credentials. I raced the 2002 Rolex 24 at Daytona with Jim and I know that he will be a great asset for the team".
"Michel Orts has also a short but notable European racing background and he knows what it takes to race amongst prototypes in a GT car" commented Manfredi. "Michel drove a Saleen GTS in the 2004 inaugural Le Mans Endurance Series, the Monza 1000 km earlier this season and was able to compete with the best GTS drivers in his class."
"This race is also a great opportunity for Edi Gay to get more seat time behind the wheel and there is nothing that replaces racing experience" confirmed the JMB USA co-owner. "Edi is improving her performance lap after lap and this 6 hour endurance race is another important milestone for her career".
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, JMB Racing Europe competed in additional races since Mont Tremblant.
In the FIA GT round raced at Brno, Czech Republic, the JMB Racing Ferrari 575 GTC co-driven by Karl Wendlinger and Jaime Melo finished second. In the Italian GT Championship the JMB Racing finished second at Enna with a Ferrari 550 and won the two races last weekend at Misano with the Ferrari 575 GTC. Last weekend was also another big event for JMB Racing where the team was entered in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic. The JMB team qualified their Ferrari 360 GTC second in GT, but was forced to retire shortly before the half-race mark because of a power-steering problem.
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