Tavares, FL – March 11, 2011 – Alex Job Racing (AJR) is ready to defend their 2010 GTC class win in the season opening American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patron Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Last year, running three GTC class cars, AJR swept the podium. The 2011 version of the team has one car and drivers Bill Sweedler, Leh Keen and Brian Wong are up to the task of defending the team’s win in eight days.
The challenging 17-turn, 3.7-mile Sebring International Raceway is a daunting track over 12-hours. Aside from the changing track surfaces – asphalt to cement – traffic, with a record field of over 57 cars as well as the bumps, will test the AJR trio in their No. 23 Battery Tender/Alex Job Racing/Porsche GT3 Cup car.
Bill Sweedler returns to Sebring looking to move up from his second place finishing position last year.
“It is great to finally get back to racing in the ALMS with the Alex Job Racing team,” Sweedler said. “The 12-hours of Sebring is an awesome way to start the season and begin our quest for a GTC championship. Leh, Brian, and I feel really good about how the team is working together after our pre-season testing. This Sebring race is grueling on the cars, drivers, and team – but with the Alex Job team spending the last month fastidiously getting the car ready to race, we will need to be consistent, error free, and cohesive to achieve our goal of winning!”
Leh Keen heads back to Central Florida as the driver who sat on the GTC pole last year, won the race and posted the fastest lap time.
“It will take the same thing it did last year – the Alex Job approach – prepare a great car, race smarts and speed,” Keen said. “We won this race already in GTC. So that gives us an advantage. We know exactly what it takes to win. This year the competition looks very tough. There a many good teams and fast drivers. Everyone wants to race in this GTC class, and of course win the 12 hour. The good competition only makes us stronger and I feel with our driver line-up, in an Alex Job car, we are the team to beat. Twelve hours on the old airport runway is like 24 hours anywhere else. There are many classes racing around a tricky course, a lot of pieces to this puzzle. Like any true endurance race you have to keep the car together. It is a 12-hour sprint race. I am real excited to be driving for Alex again. I am really looking forward to going for a second win at Sebring with Bill and Brian!”
Brian Wong recently returned from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he was testing at the Sepang F1 Circuit preparing for the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season. Wong has confidence in his team and new teammates as he heads to Central Florida.
“My personal goal is to ultimate win the race,” Wong said. “I think that being with the defending champions of this race; we have the car, the people, and the team to get the job done again here in 2011. AJR is one of the best teams in the paddock. AJR brings so much experience to the table, as well as my co-drivers. Bill has a year under this belt running in GTC, and has proven himself time and again to be very fast and consistent. Leh really brings a lot of experience, knowledge, and skill that I think will benefit the entire team. With that said, 12 hour races are difficult, but 12 hours at Sebring is extremely difficult. This year, with the car count being so big, I think that the keys to success are to be consistent, stay on the race track, and stay out of the pits. Dealing with traffic for the full 12 hours will also be difficult, yet very important.”
Team owner Alex Job will be going for the team’s eighth Sebring win.
“We have done all of the work necessary to be successful next week,” Job said. “We have a great team of driving talent; all three have significant Sebring racing miles. Leh and Bill have been on the podium and Brian is hungry for his taste of champagne as well. We have plenty of track time next week which we will use to get the guys reacquainted with the car and track as well as get our gas mileage and other data in line for the race.”
The green flag will drop on the ALMS season opener from Sebring on Saturday, March 19 at 10:30 a.m. ET. The race can be viewed online at ESPN3.com starting at 10:15 a.m. ET. ABC will show a 90-minute highlights program on Sunday, March 20 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Source: Alex Job Racing
