Braun, driving the #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09 Prototype Challenge (PC) machine made a thrilling outside pass of the then-leading #9 car of ex-Indy 500 pole winner Bruno Junqueira with less than two laps left in the race, using a slower GTC car as a “moving pic,” catapulting him into the first spot in PC (third overall).

The win marks the first for the #05 car for the 2012 season, and the first-ever American Le Mans Series (ALMS) victory for Braun and team founder and owner Bennett.  Although CORE autosport had won both driver and team championships in 2011 with Bennett co-driving the #05, it was only after today’s six-hour event that he was able to stand on the top step of the podium.

At one point during the race, the #05 machine was more than two laps down to the lead PC car, but smart pit strategy by lead engineer Gary Davies, fast pit stops by the crew led by mechanics Eric Van Bibber and Jay Ribas, as well as hard driving by Braun and Bennett made up the difference.

The sister #06 Soloson Import machine, driven by Alex Popow and Tom Kimber-Smith finished in third spot after holding the PC-class lead for more than half of the race, putting the rest of the field more than one lap down in the process.   Due to long caution periods over the race that bunched up the field, the #06 drivers lost their expansive lead and with one lap to go, Kimber-Smith was in fourth spot.  Hard driving allowed him to get by the car ahead and the #06 drivers were able to bring home a podium finish.

Competition was very tough among the nine PC-class entrants in today’s event – after a full day of racing around the legendary 2.238-mile, 11-turn track, the top three cars were a mere 1.725 seconds apart.

The 2012 ALMS season has been filled with wins and podiums in three rounds of competition for Rock Hill, SC-based CORE autosport.  The season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring was won by lead driver Popow in the #06 machine, as well as the second round on the streets of Long Beach, with the #05 Bennett / Braun pairing taking third spot in both events.

Thanks to consecutive wins and podium finishes in the three 2012 ALMS rounds, CORE autosport holds a comfortable lead in the 2012 ALMS PC driver and team championships.

A two-hour recap of the American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented by Patrón event will be broadcast on Sunday, May 13 on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ET.

Jon Bennett, founder, CORE autosport and co-driver, #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09:

This is a dream come true.

“It’s been a long time getting here for me and I’m very honored and proud to be part of CORE autosport.  The group of guys put together by our team manager Morgan Brady have been spectacular considering the relatively short time that we’ve been together.

“I drove the wheels off of this car during my stint.  And Colin put together a smokin’ move at the end of the race and here we are.

“I’m so happy.  It’s just an unbelievable result.”

Colin Braun, co-driver, #05:

In the middle of the race, after my first stint in the car if you would’ve told me I would’ve won the race, I would’ve said ‘no way,’ I wasn’t sure we could do it when we were a few laps down.

“Jon did a great job in the middle of the race and we were able to stay there and be in contention.

“Those last few laps were really exciting, racing Bruno [Junqueira] and I knew that Tom [Kimber-Smith] was coming from behind.  It was important to push really hard and I was trying to set Bruno up in traffic.

“Finally he ended up going one way, I tried to go the other way and it ended up working out.  Bruno is a great racer and I appreciate him racing me clean.

“I’ve got to thank Jon and Morgan for giving me the opportunity to be a part of CORE autosport.  Jon and I have finished on the podium at each race this season and to get his first win as a belated birthday present to him (May 4) is an honor.

“This win shows the kind of solid team that CORE autosport is. It’s easy to be able to come in, fit in and be part of the group.  I can’t be happier!”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

We may have lost a few points today, but we’re still glad we’re leading the championship.  It always feels good to be in that spot.

“The #06 had this race in our pocket, but that’s how races can be sometimes.  We had been up a lap over everyone, but racing luck was against us.  There were too many yellow flags and we lost our lead.

“At 10 minutes to go we were not going to get a podium finish, but Tom did an amazing job putting the car in third place with just one lap to go.

“We will keep working, winning races and complete our goal of winning the championship.”

Tom Kimber-Smith, co-driver, #06:

I’m disappointed with third place, but to have four or five cars after six hours all nose to tail was pretty exciting.

“Going down to the last couple of laps I knew I just had to make a maneuver to get on the podium.  I would’ve been devastated to finish fourth.

“Alex did a superb job out there and I cannot say enough about CORE autosport. It’s such a professional organization that I really enjoyed driving with for this event.”

After standing atop the charts for today’s two practice sessions with a fast time of 1:19.376 around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn track, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09 driver Tom Kimber-Smith quickly set a fast time in the incident-shortened qualifying, but the competition also rose to the occasion.  In the 13-minute session (versus scheduled 15 minutes), the two-time Le Mans winner was able to set a best time of 1:18.092, a mere 0.2 seconds off of the PC-class pole position time.  Kimber-Smith, along with lead #06 driver Alex Popow, will line up second in the PC class, seventh overall.

This is Kimber-Smith’s first visit to Mazda Raceway and his first pairing with PC championship leader Popow.  Popow has co-driven the #06 to victories in the first two American Le Mans Series (ALMS) events of 2012, the 12 Hours of Sebring in March and the street race at Long Beach in April.

The sister #05 Composite Resources machine also got faster as the day went on.  Qualifying duties were given to Colin Braun, who was able to set a fast time of 1:18.423, good for a fifth place starting spot (10^th overall).  Braun is partnered with CORE autosport founder and owner Jon Bennett, who has seen his small Rock Hill, SC-based team emerge as a powerful force in ALMS competition since the team’s entry in the series in 2011, when it won both driver and team PC championships.

The cost-contained ALMS PC class, with a combination of standardized engines, chassis and tires, as well as requiring a combination of amateur and professional co-drivers, has proven to be very popular among drivers and fans, and boasts close competition and increased field sizes.  The first eight PC class cars qualified within 0.9 seconds of each other, each driver fighting to shave a tenth of a second around the challenging course.

Saturday’s six-hour American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented by Patrón will be broadcast live on ESPN3 starting at 4:15 p.m. ET / 1:15 p.m. PT.   Live timing and scoring for the race are available at www.alms.com.

A two-hour recap of the event will be broadcast on Sunday, May 13 on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ET.

Jon Bennett, founder, CORE autosport and co-driver, #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09:

Qualifying is fun to watch and I think we had a solid showing.

“Of course there’s an egotistical side that would like to have us starting first and second tomorrow, but in reality tomorrow is what counts, for championship points and for results.

“It’s a six-hour race and I think our cars are very strong, we have a solid driver line-up and I believe the team will be in great shape.”

Colin Braun, co-driver, #05, qualified fifth in PC (10^th overall):

Fifth place is not what I wanted for the team or for Jon, but I think that the entire CORE autosport organization is up for the challenge of six hours of hard racing tomorrow.

“The #05 car was very good and improving throughout the day, and the session.  Gary [Davies, lead engineer] gave me a very good setup for qualifying and I was getting faster and faster.  I know the car has a lot of speed left in it, which is a good feeling as we enter into what’s going to be a tough race for everyone – the drivers and crew.

“Tomorrow our plan is to keep our nose clean out there, drive as hard as possible and emerge back on the podium.  It’s going to be a challenge, but should be a lot of fun.”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

We’re happy to be here and running so well.  Trying to get another first place, that is our goal.

“We have been in first place for two races in a row – I think we can’t improve on that, just maintain it, so we’re going for a win.

“Tom has demonstrated that he can be faster than everyone here and I try to keep the other ‘gentleman’ drivers behind us.  I think we can win the race tomorrow.”

Tom Kimber-Smith, co-driver, #06, qualified second in PC (7^th overall):

In qualifying every lap was getting better and better, I was shocked how quick qualifying was.  I didn’t think we could get down to the 1:18s, and pole was 1:17.8.  I think if there were those extra two minutes at the end, I think I could’ve gotten down to a 1:17.6, but I’m glad to say the car was definitely coming towards me.

“We’ve definitely got a very strong race car, and it’s always nice to be quick in qualifying, but tomorrow’s where it counts.

“All the racing I’ve done in Europe has been for six hours, so the time is nothing new to me.  Doing it with two drivers is going to be slightly different – I haven’t done the ‘two driver thing’ for a while.

“Alex is a super-quick driver.  He’s classified as an amateur driver, but he can mix it with the pros.  So having us two in a car we should be pretty good out there.”

The former Le Mans winner, new co-driver of the #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09, turned his first laps of the challenging 11-turn, 2.238-mile track today and immediately went to the top of the PC charts, maintaining that lead until a mere 10 minutes was left in the session.  He drove the entire session, with a fast lap time set of 1:20.746, good enough for fourth place in the Prototype Challenge (PC) class (tenth overall).

#05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09 drivers Jon Bennett and Colin Braun both set strong times in their runs, with a fast lap of 1:20.592, for third place in PC (ninth overall).

Next practice is slated for 10:50 a.m. (PT) on Friday, May 11^th, with a second session in the afternoon and qualifying at 5:20 p.m. (PT).  Timing and scoring is available at the American Le Mans Series website (www.alms.com).

Tom Kimber-Smith, co-driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

It’s a very busy place.  I think traffic is going to be a big issue here.

“The Corkscrew is interesting but it was always dirty.  Every lap it was getting worse and worse.  My last run there was no tarmac, only sand.  During the race that’s going to be difficult.

“But it’s a good fun track to drive.  No rest.  You’re always doing something.  Which is unusual for me because European circuits have long straights with plenty of time to think, but here it’s just straight into the next corner.

“At the moment it’s really hard to have an opinion, as it’s still going on in my mind.   But we seem to be fairly quick, which is good, and the car was improving.  I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.”

Alex Popow, lead driver of the #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09, will have a new co-driver for the event, 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 and GT class winner and sports car champion Tom Kimber-Smith. The line-up in the sister #05 Composite Resources machine – team founder Jon Bennett and Colin Braun – look to win for the first time in 2012 after consecutive third-place finishes in the first two events.

Since first meeting the team at the April Long Beach event, Kimber-Smith has spent a lot of time with the team, working with them in a variety of levels, which included a visit to CORE autosport’s 30,000 sq. ft. headquarters to get fitted for the #06 car and driving on the team’s simulator.  Kimber-Smith also spent time at a rainy test at the Snetterton Circuit in England, piloting the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) Nissan-powered Zytek Z11SN P2-class prototype that he regularly drives in Europe.

Joining Kimber-Smith at Snetterton, albeit with a different team, was Bennett, who went for a test in a P2-class prototype machine.  It was Bennett’s first test in a P2 car, as well as his first time at the English track. Despite the rain, Bennett was able to turn some quick laps and gain valuable experience in a different racing environment.

Popow has also kept very busy behind the wheel since the Long Beach win, including driving in a veritable deluge to a hard-fought fourth spot in the Daytona Prototype (DP) class at the GRAND-AM event at Homestead-Miami Speedway in April.

Sunshine smiled on Braun in April, who scored two podium finishes in two races in his World Challenge Kia – at Long Beach and at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

The drivers have remained race ready and the team has reassembled the PC machines for the day-into-night six-hour event.  In 2011, the dual-championship organization scored a second place finish, fighting hard to lead the PC class and since then, the team has refined and rebuilt with new processes and procedures.

New partner Neo Synthetics joins CORE autosport for the 2012 season, beginning at Mazda Raceway.  Neo, the official lubricant partner of the team, creates 100% synthetic racing oils and greases with applications to provide severe protection for high-performance usage.

First practice for CORE autosport at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is on Thursday, May 10.  Additional practice and qualifying will take place on Friday, May 11, with live qualifying coverage on ESPN3 and ALMS.com starting at 7:40 p.m. ET / 4:40 p.m. PT.  Saturday’s six-hour American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented by Patrón will be broadcast live on ESPN3 starting at 4:15 p.m. ET / 1:15 p.m. PT.   Live timing and scoring for all sessions and the race are available at www.alms.com.

A two-hour recap of the event will be broadcast on Sunday, May 13 on ESPN2 at 5 p.m. ET.

Jon Bennett, founder, CORE autosport and co-driver, #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09:

It has been an exciting season for us so far and the entire organization is ready to keep going against a very tough PC field.  Between the driver lineup for both cars and the structure that team manager Morgan Brady has put into place, I think that CORE autosport should do well at Mazda Raceway.

“Colin and I have been working hard on optimizing the #05 car and really learning each other’s styles.  He’s a very talented driver and I’m learning a lot from co-driving with him this season.  We have had some good results in the #05 car – on the podium for Sebring and Long Beach – but both of us are ready to stand on that top step!

“I always enjoy driving at Mazda Raceway.  It’s such a great track, always challenging, and rewards a precise driving style.  Six hours is a long time to race, but there’s no question that Colin and I are up for the task.”

Colin Braun, co-driver, #05:

I am ready to win a race in 2012.  And I’m ready to do it at Mazda Raceway in the #05 car with Jon.  I know he’s celebrated a birthday recently so there’d be nothing better than to give him the gift of a win.

“Mazda Raceway is one of my favorite racetracks.  It’s got a lot of unique high-speed corners, and I love the layout of the track and the flow.

“I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with the team and the car since Long Beach, and we have been able to experiment and learn more about what this PC car can and cannot do.  Developing this #05 car with Jon, coordinating our driving styles and thoughts is what’s important to win races.

“Six hour races can be some of the hardest endurance races out there.  You can’t go into it with the same mindset as a 12 or 24 hour race, but as a really long sprint race.  They are a lot of fun, but it’s tough because you want to have a long-race mindset but don’t have enough time to recover from mistakes, but a very long time to make them.”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

I’ve driven at Mazda Raceway before and I really like the track.  And even though I’ve not driven a PC car there I know that with its great handling and braking it will be a lot of fun.

“Tom is going to be a good co-driver for this six-hour event.  He has a lot of experience endurance racing, including at Le Mans, and from the time I’ve spent with him he is very fast and methodical with the way he works with the team.  I think I’m going to learn a lot from him as my co-driver – it’s very important for me to learn as much as I can from him so I can improve and keep the #06 car up front.

“So far with only two races in my first year of ALMS we have won both of them.  No question that CORE autosport is a great team, and it will be up to me and my co-driver to continue the championship lead this weekend.”

Tom Kimber-Smith, co-driver, #06:

I was able to visit the CORE autosport shop last week and I’ve got to say it’s a really impressive facility.  It could put quite a few European teams to shame, including F1 teams.  It’s not what I was expecting at all and definitely got the ‘wow’ factor.

“I’m really looking forward to getting out on Mazda Raceway. It’s a big deal for me to be able to drive the track for the first time.  I’ve done a lot of work with Nissan for the past two years and they are very involved in Grand Turismo 5, which is based around Mazda Raceway.  Besides on the Playstation, I’ve seen a lot of ALMS on UK television, and it’s one of the tracks that you see that you say to yourself ‘I’d like to go there one day,’ and that day will be this week!

“At Mazda Raceway, you always talk about the Corkscrew.  At Brands Hatch in the UK, Paddock Hill is what you talk about.  I’ve done Paddock Hill more times than I can say, but the Corkscrew should be an amazing experience.

“There’s a lot of pressure stepping into a car with Alex, who’s won both races this year.  But I don’t think I could be in a better seat with a better team and I thank Alex and CORE for allowing me to do so.”

Kimber-Smith will co-drive the Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) class #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09 with lead pilot Alex Popow.  After two class wins in two rounds – Sebring and Long Beach – Popow and CORE autosport are currently leading the 2012 ALMS LMPC statistics for driver and team, titles won by the organization in 2011.

The 27-year old British driver’s career began in 1990 behind the wheel of a kart.  He graduated to cars in 1999 and won a “T-Car” saloon-car championship in 2000.  Since then, Kimber-Smith’s racing resume has been filled with accolades, including championships in British Formula Ford (2003) and Le Mans Series LMP2 class (2011) and two class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in the LMP2 class (2011) and GT2 class (2006).

Kimber-Smith has driven in both ALMS and GRAND-AM in the U.S., but has never taken on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway before.  He did spend time with CORE autosport at Long Beach and for a few days thereafter.  Popow, CORE autosport team manager Morgan Brady and team owner / founder / driver Jon Bennett are glad to welcome Kimber-Smith on board due to the Briton’s abilities, experience and demeanour.

Practice for the American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented by Patrón starts on Thursday, May 10 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  The six hour event will take place on Saturday, May 12.

Tom Kimber-Smith, co-driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

I’m very excited about teaming up with CORE autosport and Alex Popow for the third round of the ALMS championship at Mazda Raceway.

“CORE autosport is an incredible team that won the LMPC championship in 2011 and are leading the championship again in 2012 so I could not be with a better team.  And Alex will be a great teammate.  He is super-quick and already has two wins under his belt this season.

“Although I’ve done a lot of racing, this race will be my first time at Mazda Raceway.  I’ve been trying to prepared the best I can, working on a simulator and viewing as many videos as I can get ahold of.  I will be ready come first practice and of course for the race!”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06:

Tom is a very good and fast driver.  I did not know him that well before we met up at Long Beach, but I really like the methodical way he prepares himself and works with the team and cars he drives.  He is a great choice as my co-driver for Mazda Raceway.

“The #06 is leading the championship right now – winning both races in 2012 – and it’s very important to keep good drivers in the car.  It’s also important as I develop as a driver to have co-drivers that are faster than me so I can keep improving.

“I’m familiar with the track and I think that the #06 car will be very good and we can continue our winning streak.”

This is the second win for the #06 in 2012 out of two ALMS rounds this season, with the first at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.  It was also the second year in a row that the team won the pole and the race on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit.

The sister #05 Composite Resources machine, driven by team founder Jon Bennett and Colin Braun, finished in the third position (fifth overall) after starting in the same spot.

Typical southern California sunshine greeted the Rock Hill, SC-based CORE autosport team on Saturday, welcome after Friday’s deluge which wreaked havoc on the ALMS field for the sole practice session and caused qualifying to be cancelled.

The #06 car began the two-hour event with Popow behind the wheel.  The Venezuelan driver – a very experienced racer but an ALMS rookie – had only turned a handful of wet laps at the course and had never raced at Long Beach prior.  Starting off in the LMPC pole position (8^th overall), Popow immediately gunned for the front, ricocheting off of two “faster” LMP2 cars on the first lap but holding onto the first spot until about 50 minutes into the race when he dropped to second spot after contact with a slower GT car.

Popow turned the car over to Dalziel at the 56 minute mark during a full-course caution period, and fast work by the CORE autosport team allowed the #06 to return to the first spot once again.  When the green flag flew with 54 minutes to go, Dalziel was fast while saving fuel, pulling out a decisive lead over the second place car – to more than 20 seconds by the time the checkered flag was waved.

This was a special victory for Scotland native Dalziel, as he not only celebrated his 30^th birthday this race weekend, but also his 10^th year of racing in North America.

For the #05 machine, team founder Bennett was caught in the first-lap melee and within the first minute had lost two spots in the LMPC class, and more than five in the overall standings.  For the next 55 minutes Bennett steadily worked his way through GT traffic, returning the car to the third position.  Braun was able to take over the boss’ machine and hold onto the spot while dispatching all lower-class traffic, bringing the car home safety and rounding out the LMPC podium.

Next for the CORE autosport team is the third round of ALMS competition, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Ca.  The six-hour American Le Mans Series Monterey Presented by Patrón takes place on Saturday, May 12, with the first practice session on Thursday, May 10^th.

Jon Bennett, founder, CORE autosport and co-driver, #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09:

I’m thrilled with the result this weekend – two back-to-back double podiums in two races for CORE autosport is fantastic.

“The team did great job and so did my co-driver Colin.  It’s never easy to run a race without any real practice, but team manager Morgan Brady, our engineers and the crew made it work and allow us to run as hard and fast as we can.

“All of the #05 crew are ready to start moving up to the top-spot on the podium, but we’re all very satisfied with today’s result.”

Colin Braun, co-driver, #05:

Today turned out well and it was a lot of fun.

“Jon did a great job in his stint and it was a challenge to take over the car in the middle of such an intense race and get after it, but the crew and Jon all gave me a good car and a good situation.

“Overall it was a tough weekend without any real dry track time – the whole field had to go from nothing to the race.

“Our podium finish puts us in a good position to win a championship and what’s that we’re all about this year.  We know what we need to do and these type of finishes will allow us to do just that.”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

The beginning of the race was a little stressful for me as it was my first time racing at Long Beach and my first laps in the dry.

“I knew I was going to have to fight from the beginning, even though I was starting on the pole   So I was confident and aggressive.  In the first turn of the first lap I got caught between two LMP2 cars and they made me a sandwich – one hit me on one side and the other hit me on the other side, but I was able to pass both.

“I was able to hold onto first spot, but second-place car was catching up and I was being held up by a GT car that was blocking me.  I was also trying to save fuel.  It was tough and I had some contact with that GT car and lost first spot.

“The CORE autosport team did an awesome job in the pits and we rook first spot.  Ryan did a great job keeping the car in the lead and we won the race.  Two wins in a row is a great start for my first season in the ALMS and I cannot wait to win more!”

Ryan Dalziel, co-driver, #06:

What a great day – Long Beach means so much to me and to get a win to celebrate my 10-year anniversary is just great.

“I had been bugging Alex and CORE for the last few weeks to allow me to rejoin the team to race with them at Long Beach.  I have known Alex for a few years, I’ve driven with him as a teammate for some of that time and I wanted to help Alex extend his championship lead with another win.

“The performance that Alex put on today – to never have seen this place before Friday and to hold off guys who have raced here for so many years – that’s the performance that won the race.

“The pit stop was extremely fast and we were able to save fuel.  I had a lot of fun and I hope to return to CORE autosport at some point soon to win more races with Alex.”

A series of rain storms drowned the streets of the normally sunny California town all day Friday, with moderate-to-heavy downpours wreaking havoc during the morning two-hour practice session and cancelling the qualifying session for Saturday’s Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach.

As a result of the weather, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) field will line up according to points gained at the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, and the #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09 of Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel will be lining up first in LMPC (8^th overall).  The sister #05 Composite Resources machine of team founder Jon Bennett and Colin Braun will start in third (10^th overall).

The first time CORE autosport and the ALMS field were able to take to the track since arriving in California was at 7:15 a.m. PT on Friday, and it was at that exact time that the clouds opened.  Due to the potential of vehicle damage and the standing water on the track, the both CORE autosport cars took to the track for a combined 26 laps.

Qualifying began for the ALMS GTC class at 5:05 p.m. PT in drier conditions.  By the time that the faster GT cars took to the circuit at 5:20 p.m., the rains began.  To ensure that the slowest class was not starting in front of the four faster classes (GT, LMPC, LMP2 and LMP1) and causing a safety issue, the ALMS cancelled qualifying. This is the first time in ALMS history that qualifying has been cancelled and the field will line up on points.

Friday morning was the first time #06 pilot Popow had ever driven the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit, and he was unable to take any laps at competition speed.  Luckily for the Venezuelan racer, his co-driver Dalziel has driven almost every type of car to take to the track in the past decade, instilling the Long Beach newcomer with confidence for Saturday’s event, which is slated to be dry and sunny.

Last year’s Long Beach event was the site of CORE autosport’s first pole position and win, in only the new-for-2011 team’s second race.

The 2012 Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach will take place on Saturday, April 14 at the temporary street course in Long Beach, Calif.  The race will be broadcast live at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and on-line at ESPN3.  Live timing and scoring can be found on the ALMS website at www.alms.com.

Jon Bennett, founder, CORE autosport and co-driver, #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09:

Racing is unpredictable and sometimes unfair, but I’m quite happy with the results of qualifying today and lining up on points.

“Unfortunately with the rain today, we were not able to practice as much as we wanted to prepare for the race tomorrow, but we are starting in a very good position for the race.

“Street courses like Long Beach can be very tough and with this third place start, and first place for the #06 car, we’re in a good place to run a smart race and keep our noses clean, and hopefully repeating our victory at the race tomorrow!”

Colin Braun, co-driver, #05:

Tomorrow’s race should be pretty good for the #05 and the team overall.

“I think that the ALMS did the right thing calling qualifying when it started raining in the middle of the session.  It would’ve been pretty unfair and hard to set the grid for everyone tomorrow.

“Even though it was raining, we had a really great session this morning.  Jon did a great job in the car and was able to get through a bunch of issues caused by the wet condition.  We set down some good laps and tried to make sense of it all as tomorrow it’ll be dry, but we know we have a good car and will give it our best shot.”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

It’s a strange feeling sitting here for a pole position without even driving on the track for qualifying, especially my first time here at Long Beach and the second time I’ve ever driven a street race.

“I was only able to get a few laps in this morning with lots of rain and lots of puddles.  I just have to get used to the track tomorrow, try to drive it as far as I can, be smart and keep it on the track.

“We are in a good position because we won the Sebring race and I’m very happy about that.  For Saturday I’m just going to go hard and keep it up front as far as I can.”

Ryan Dalziel, co-driver, #06:

It’s special for me to be back here on my tenth anniversary of racing in North America and to reflect over that time on how my career has developed over that time.

“I’m really excited to be working with CORE autosport again after our work together last year (Sebring and Petit Le Mans) and it’s always great to work with Alex, who I’ve driven with a lot in the past two years.

“We’re very excited to be starting up front.  Tomorrow’s race will be very interesting for the fans and the drivers, because there are going to be a lot of people racing tomorrow who have never turned a lap of Long Beach in the dry.

“I know that CORE autosport will give us a good car and we’re going to have to keep it in one piece and look forward to a good finish.”

Two pairs of drivers will take on the shortest race of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season on the challenging 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit. Team owner and founder Jon Bennett will be paired with season-long co-driver, motorsports phenom Colin Braun in the #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09, while Sebring-winning driver Alex Popow is co-driving with Long Beach veteran Ryan Dalziel in the sister #06 Soloson Import machine.

CORE autosport, competing in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) class, was a new team in 2011 and had never competed at a street course prior to last year.  The victory at Long Beach propelled the team to a successful season – winning the 2011 ALMS LMPC driver and team championships.

The 2012 ALMS season began with the team on a high, and that did not change despite a new driver lineup – scoring first and third positions at the legendary Sebring International Raceway.  For that event, winner Popow co-drove with IZOD IndyCar Series star E.J. Viso and sports car regular Burt Frisselle, while the combination of Bennett, Braun and Eric Lux finished a strong third place.

For Long Beach only two drivers are needed per car, and Viso, who is unavailable due to his IndyCar schedule at the event, was replaced by Dalziel, a teammate of Popow’s in GRAND-AM and a former winner at Long Beach.  Dalziel’s first event in his storied U.S. racing career was at the venue in 2002.

Since the Sebring win in mid-March, the CORE driver lineup has been very busy keeping their skills up to par. Braun drove in the World Challenge event at St. Petersburg, while Popow also drove at St. Petersburg, but in a Ferrari Challenge event, where he scored a pole and victory.  Both Popow and Dalziel competed in GRAND-AM events at Barber Motorsports Park.  Bennett did a lot of time behind the wheel of a kart, and opened the new CORE autosport headquarters, a world-class 30,000 sq. ft. facility located right next to its parent company, Composite Resources.

There was also cause for off-track celebration, as Braun was married to his longtime girlfriend Melissa on Saturday, April 7.

The 2012 Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach will take place on Saturday, April 14 at the temporary street course in Long Beach, Calif.  On Friday, April 13, the team will practice for two hours at 7:15 a.m. PT / 10:15 a.m. ET, with LMPC qualifying at 5:50 p.m. PT / 8:50 p.m. ET, which can be seen live on-line at ESPN3.  Saturday’s race will be broadcast live at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and on-line at ESPN3.  Live timing and scoring can be found on the ALMS website at www.alms.com.

Jon Bennett, founder, CORE autosport and co-driver, #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09:

Long Beach holds some great memories for us, as the team’s first win and pole position.  I’m really looking forward to going back this year to build on our experience, for the team and for me – it was my first-ever street race.  Last year there were so many unknowns, but now we can build upon our experience and optimize our performance

“The event has a great history and it’s exciting to drive there, for the challenging track as well as the festival atmosphere.  The track itself is pretty tough – it’s not that smooth, has lots of concrete and very little runoff area.  It really rewards precision driving, something I’m comfortable with.

“Overall I think that between myself and Colin, who has got a lot of experience on street courses, we should be in a good position for success this weekend.”

Colin Braun, co-driver, #05:

I’ve only raced at Long Beach once in a GRAND-AM car and I really like the track.  It’s going to be a very different experience this time because the LMPC car is lighter, has much better brakes and of course has no roof, which opens up your field of vision incredibly.

“We do have some challenges ahead of us as a team, but I think the biggest one is that there are only two hours of practice for the whole event, and it’s first thing in the morning on Friday.  The track will be pretty dusty and dirty and it will take an hour to clear out the track and get some rubber laid down, and hopefully the second hour we can really work on the car.

“We really won’t be out there again for any length of time until almost Saturday night, after cars have been out there for nearly two full days, which will change the surface of the track a lot.  So it’ll be interesting predicting what the track will do from the morning to the evening, from no cars to a lot of cars out there.

“I realized that at Sebring, my last stint was three and a half hours. If you add up the time I’ll be in the car at Long Beach, it may be only half that.

“The traffic on street courses will also be tough – with more than 30 cars out there of varying speeds, it’s a good thing that I’ll be able to see as much as I can in the #05 car because you’ve got to be smart, safe and fast to get through it all.

“The fans are going to love this event.  It will be action-packed from start to finish!”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

I’ve not driven at Long Beach before but I have some experiences on street courses, including a few weeks back when I raced in the Ferrari Challenge at St. Petersburg.

“I’m preparing for the event back in Venezuela, and I have got videos, including in-car and will be spending a lot of time on the simulators.  Most importantly will be speaking with my co-driver Ryan, who knows this course very well and has driven just about every type of car out there.

“After Sebring and our success there, I know that CORE autosport will give me a good, fast car and now I know what to expect with bumpy surfaces.  I think that we will be able to get out there, make it happen and be  contenders for first place.”

Ryan Dalziel, co-driver, #06:

I am very happy to be driving at Long Beach this year, celebrating my 10-year anniversary of racing in the U.S. with a team that I really enjoy, CORE autosport, and to have Alex as my co-driver.

“I remember coming to the track for the first time in 2002 [in Toyota Atlantics] and it was this place that showed me how good, how competitive and how professional racing was in this country.  I think it may have ‘sealed the deal’ as to why I’ve stayed in the U.S. and focused on driving in this country.  What a first impression.

“I have driven many different kinds of cars at Long Beach, from Atlantics to Champ Car to different sports cars, and I think that it’s a really technical track but very fast.  It can be difficult to get it right on some of the tight sections and the placement of the car really makes a difference on this course.

“Hopefully I can help Alex for his Long Beach debut, teach him what I know and keep up the pressure out there.  I’d love to keep him on the top step of the podium and help him win his first ALMS championship, as well as the team’s second one.”

This event marks the tenth anniversary of Dalziel’s U.S. racing debut in the U.S. – his first was at Long Beach in 2002, driving a Toyota Atlantic Championship machine.

Dalziel will be paired in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) class #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09 with lead driver and Sebring winner, Alex Popow.  Dalziel and Popow are teammates in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Starworks Daytona Prototype team, and have co-driven with that team and others throughout the U.S. and the Middle East since they were first paired in early 2011.

Most recently in the ALMS, Dalziel and Popow each scored respective class victories at the 60^th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida – Dalziel in the WEC LMP2 class and Popow in the CORE #06 LMPC machine.

Dalziel’s experience with CORE autosport goes back to its debut in 2011, as a driver coach to Bennett and as a co-driver of the #05 at two events – the 2011 Sebring race, the team’s first-ever event, in which they finished second in class; and the season-ending Petit Le Mans, where the #05 got a fifth-place LMPC finish after a very late-race altercation.

Long Beach is a favorite for Dalziel, and over the past decade he has driven a variety of cars on the 11-turn 1.968-mile temporary street circuit including Toyota Atlantics, GRAND-AM prototypes, ALMS GT machines and Champ Cars.  Most notably, in 2004, Dalziel won the pole position and led every lap to victory in Toyota Atlantic competition.

Originally from Scotland and now residing in Orlando, Fla., Dalziel is one of his country’s leading professional racing drivers with a track record of success in the highest levels of both open-wheel racing and sports car competition in North America and Europe.  He celebrates his heritage with his racing gear, proudly wearing the St Andrew’s flag on all his overalls and race cars, as well as wearing a tartan design-oriented helmet.

CORE autosport, which won the 2012 Sebring 12 Hour event in the LMPC class as well as the 2011 driver and team ALMS LMPC championships, continues to expand its operations and has recently moved into an all-new, purpose-built 30,000 square-foot facility.

The 2012 Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach will take place on Saturday, April 14 at the temporary street course in Long Beach, Calif.  The race will be broadcast live at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and on-line at ESPN3.

Ryan Dalziel, co-driver, #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09:

I’m really excited to be back with CORE autosport.  Everyone knows that I had a good relationship with the team last year and we were working hard to find a way to work together in 2012.  Due to my other commitments [World Endurance Championship] we couldn’t make it work full-time, but I’m really happy to be working with the team in Long Beach, one of my favorite venues.

“Long Beach was my first race ever in the U.S. and when I saw it for the first time I knew it was the Monoco of the U.S.  It really opened up my eyes as to how great U.S. racing can be with the combination of venue, course layout and fans, and really bolstered my decision to keep racing in the U.S.  I’ve made sure to return to Long Beach whether I was driving or not.

“I have worked with Alex for a long time and it’s always good to be driving with him, especially with a team that is as professional as CORE autosport.  My goal is to help Alex learn the ‘tricks’ of Long Beach, which is challenging because it’s quite fast for a street circuit, while helping him gain points and win the championship.”

Alex Popow, lead driver, #06: 

Ryan and I go back awhile and have been co-drivers in three races this year alone – the 24 hour race in Dubai, 12 hour race in Abu Dhabi and the Daytona 24 hours.  We had some good results, including the pole position and a second place finish in Daytona.  I know Ryan is a good, fast and safe driver.

“Having Ryan as my co-driver gives me confidence, as I have never raced on the streets of Long Beach before.  I know he knows the track really well, definitely knows the car and he has a great relationship with CORE autosport – all good things for success.

“With Ryan’s speed and the tips he can give me to be fast and smart on the track, we have a very good shot to stay out of trouble and win the race.”