Following on from the American outfit’s debut at the 6 Hours of CoTA, Extreme Speed Motorsports has now decided to bring two Honda HPD ARX-03b LMP2s to the Shanghai International Circuit in November. However, the team will not compete in the Tudor United Sports Car Championship finale this October, at the famed Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta.
Competing in the LMP2 category with the help of Tequila Patron’s title sponsorship, driver/owner Scott Sharp is looking forward to taking their long-term association to the next level on a global stage: “We’re equally excited to race against the top P2 cars in the world. We’re equally excited to utilize Tequila Patrón’s investment in motorsports to help further expose the brands to one of the hottest global markets.”
The #30 car will be driven by Sharp, Ryan Dalziel and WEC LMP2 champion Ricardo Gonzalez, with veteran David Brabham joining Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek in the #31, as the team will prepare the cars for the forthcoming race at the 3.4-mile track. Brabham has already raced with the team this year, as he finished third with co-drivers Sharp and Dalziel in the famed 12 Hours of Sebring.
Brown explained that the first outing at CoTA was a good test for the team, with Shanghai providing the most demanding of locations when it comes to rising to the challenge:
“I feel it is important for us to pick the absolute hardest race that the team could do, and that means racing in China; there’s language, food and logistic issues, among other challenges. The best thing we can do is throw a challenge to the team. It will pay huge dividends."
ESM Doubles Up For 6 Hours of Shanghai
Story: Alex Goldschmidt