Florida-based Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) announced its team will return unchanged for a fourth straight year in the 2013 season of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. The team's GT-class Ferrari 458 Italia race cars will be driven Scott Sharp, Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek and Guy Cosmo.
ESM team owner and racer Sharp will once again co-drive with Northern California racer van Overbeek in the No. 01 Patrón Ferrari Italia 458 and Brown will re-team with Cosmo in the sister No. 02 machine. In 2012 Sharp and van Overbeek earned two wins (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Petit Le Mans), two pole positions (Virginia International Raceway and Road Atlanta), and four additional podium finishes (third place at Long Beach, Baltimore, Road America and Virginia International Raceway) en route to a second place finish in the fiercely competitive GT driver standings. It also ranked third in the ALMS GT class standings, an impressive feat considering ESM is the lone Ferrari team in the GT class,. In the previous two seasons of ALMS competition, ESM finished sixth (2011) and fifth (2010).
“It's been so rewarding to watch the Tequila Patrón ESM team get stronger with each season and even each race. The continuity in our team has been the key to all of the success we've seen on all fronts and all positions," said Sharp. "ESM is blessed with quite a combination of drivers. Ed has progressed at a meteoric rate and came on so strong at the end of this season, while Guy has showed tremendous speed throughout this year and has played a critical role in coaching Ed to this level. Johannes, of course is so solid – super fast, smart, and very professional. We are excited to start the next ALMS season and can't wait to get back to the season opening race at Sebring.”
“All of the hard work began to pay dividends this year with six podiums and two wins in a field ultra-competitive teams and drivers. Although I'm satisfied with finishing second in the driver championship, I'm not happy with second.
Added van Overbeek: “I'm really looking forward to continuing the hard work in 2013 that we started back in 2010. The ESM-prepared Ferrari 458 on Michelin tires have been a joy to drive and I know next year they will be even better.
“In 2012 I celebrated my 100th ALMS start and I'm thrilled that many of those races were with ESM. This team is one of the best groups of guys that I've ever worked with in racing. They are a “team” in the true sense of the word.”