SEBRING, FL March 19, 2009 — In the first qualifying session of the season with their new LMP2 Mazda Lola Coupes, Dyson Racing qualified second and third in class for Saturday’s 57th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Running on the remnants of the WWII Hendricks Field, Chris Dyson qualified the #16 BP sponsored car second in class, followed by Butch Leitzinger in #20 sister entry.

Andy Lally will join Dyson and Guy Smith for the iconic race on the 3.7 mile central Florida course and Ben Devlin partners Leitzinger and Marino Franchitti. Leitzinger Franchitti and Lally were second overall last year and Dyson and Smith led the race four times and finished third in class on the oldest and toughest road course in America. Leitzinger is celebrating his 20th year at Sebring and Dyson Racing first raced here twenty-two years ago. This is the team’s sixteenth Sebring 12 Hour.

“We are pleased to give Mazda their strongest LMP2 Sebring qualifying effort,” Dyson said. “Their engagement in motorsports is second to none. We were at MAZDASPEED a couple of weeks ago, and most every Mazda executive there had their own race cars. Competition on the race track defines their company.”

The American Le Mans Series celebrates its 100th race at this year’s 12 Hour. In the last ten years, there have been 23 world-wide events, 161,235 racing miles, and 129 winning drivers. SPEED will televise the race live from 10 a.m. to noon and 2-11 p.m. ET. Live timing & scoring and ALMS Radio will be available at americanlemans.com.

Mazda is the brand choice of road racers across North America. On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race-tracks of America than any other brand. You will see MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car.

 

Pos Car# Class Drivers Time Car Make
1. 66 P1 de Ferran/Pagenaud/Dixon 1:45.278 Acura ARX 02
2. 2 P1 Capello/Kristensen/McNish 1:45.360 Audi R15
3. 07 P1 Minaassian/Lamy/Klein 1:45.462 Peugeot 908
4. 1 P1 Luhr/Rockenfeller/Werner 1:45.551 Audi R15
5. 08 P1 Sarrazin/Montagny/Bourdais 1:45.559 Peugeot 908
6. 9 P1 Brabham/Sharp/Franchitti 1:46.668 Acura ARX 02
7. 15 P2 Fernandez/Diaz 1:49.686 Acura ARX 01
8. 16 P2 Dyson/Smith/Lally 1.51.534 Mazda MZR-R
9. 12 P1 Willman/McMurry/Burgess 1:51.598 Lola B06/10
10. 20 P2 Leitzinger/Franchitti/Devlin 1:51.840 Mazda MZR-R