Champ[ion assembles team

[KC]

One of the top privateer teams in America has assembled is best team so far to challenge for honors at Sebring.

Champion Racing of Pompano Beach, Fla., has entered an Audi R8 Prototype in the event for drivers Andy Wallace, Stefan Johansson and Jan Lammers. Two of the three are former Sebring winners, two are former Formula One drivers and all are former winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Wallace, from England, will run the full American Le Mans Series schedule in 2002 for Champion Racing. The overall winner at Sebring in 1992 and 1993, Wallace is also a two-time winner of the Daytona 24 Hours (1990, 1997) and won the 1988 Le Mans classic while paired with Lammers. Wallace has one of the most remarkable records of any driver to have competed at Sebring, with four seconds, two thirds and a fifth along with his two wins coming in 12 starts.

Johansson has only raced in five Sebring 12-hour events, but has two overall wins (1984, 1997). The Swede, a former Formula One driver, also has a third and a fourth at Sebring, with the fourth coming last year. He was part of the overall winning team at Le Mans in 1997.

Lammers, who paired with Wallace to win at Le Mans in 1988, is seeking his first Sebring victory. The Dutch driver has a second, third and seventh in five starts at Sebring and is also a former Formula One competitior. In addition, he was part of the winning team in the 1990 Daytona 24 Hours.

This team may have the drivers to get past the factory Ausi's, which are expected to be the best. If they have learned how to get the most from the car they could well push the factories into a mistake and win the event.

[Aysedasi]

That's one heck of a line up for any long-distance race, KC! I'm certainly shouting for them. As some may have gathered, I'm a bit of an Andy Wallace fan anyway - pound for pound, the most underrated driver I've ever had the privilege of watching. How no-one snapped him up for F1 is totally beyond me, bearing in mind some of the dross drivers who have had the temerity to scrawl "Grand Prix Driver" in their passports over the last 15 years!!

[paulzinho]

Dream Team?!

How much is that gonna cost Champion?

Interesting to see Johansson in there as opposed to with his own team.