M1 GT Racing Continues with Audi Sport customer racing program As Well As Announces 2016 Drivers and Series of Competition
Looking forward to the 2016 racing season, M1 GT Racing is set to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) and Sprint-X programs in North America. Piloting a 2012 Audi R8 LMS ULTRA GT3 in previous seasons, company and team officials have agreed to continue to be part of the Audi Sport customer racing (AScr) program and will see action in their new 2016 Audi R8 LMS GT3 machine this coming season.
“We are very excited to continue with Audi Sport customer racing,” explained M1 GT Racing Technical Director Remi Lanteigne. “We had our eyes on the new car since it was announced in late 2014 and were the first team in North America to place order for the new Audi R8 LMS. We traveled to Road Atlanta last month to drive the Audi R8 LMS test car under the guidance of AScr and confirmed all our initial thoughts about this impressive machine. The speed and presence that the Audi machine brings to the track is second to none and we can’t wait to get our testing program started.”
Committing to order the new Audi in March 2015, M1 GT Racing received their new Audi R8 LMS just last week and immediately went to work. With the car housed close to Indianapolis for the initial prep, the complete data system and livery was installed before a shake down test planned before Christmas. With an extensive testing program planned for the winter months, M1 GT Racing is in full preparation mode for the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge and Sprint-X.
Lanteigne continued, “With a new car comes new branding, a new livery, a new www.M1GTRacing.com website and marketing program that we have worked hard on for the past few months. We have signed drivers and corporate partners for the upcoming season as well as begun the move in and build up of our new state of the art race shop. Moving the M1 GT Racing operations to Brooksville, Florida, we have been very busy and will continue to push forward to ensure we are ready for our planned testing and the upcoming season.”
Along with the announcement of the team, continuation with Audi, series of competition and drivers, M1 GT Racing is also excited for their launch of the new M1 GT Racing website, www.M1GTRacing.com.
Walt Bowlin will continue as part of the M1 GT Racing driver lineup as the primary driver for the new Audi R8 LMS with the support from Tampa Bay Jaw Surgery, providing cohesiveness for a solid springboard into 2016. Walt will see action in the Pirelli World Challenge GTA division, Sprint-X and yet to be announced programs. Also rejoining the team for 2016 will be recent 25 Hours of Thunderhill race winner and a driver who needs no introduction, Guy Cosmo. Cosmo returns to M1 GT Racing with a resume that is second to none and will be a great partner for Bowlin in the Sprint-X side of M1 GT’s program. Venturing from the two-wheel world of motorsports to the four, AMA World Superbike rider Larry Pegram will close out the team’s driver lineup for North American competition, as he will also see action behind the wheel of the new Audi R8 LMS. Both Cosmo and Pegram will partner with Bowlin in PWC Sprint-X competition.
“I am excited to drive the new Audi R8 LMS and rejoin the motorsports family at M1 GT,” explained Bowlin. “After driving the car on track at Road Atlanta confirmed what I was expecting and I was really impressed. The sound, handling and overall design and concept of the car will provide M1 GT Racing with a solid platform for next season. I am also looking forward to working with Guy (Cosmo) and Larry (Pegram) as they are both legends in their sports and I think the three of us will make for a great team.”
M1 GT Racing is taking a professional approach to the 2016 GT3 season by putting the right people in the right places. With a full support team including trackside crew and data acquisition specialist, Paul Mata will act as Team Manager, Russ Gaglio as M1 GT Racing’s Crew Chief and Remi Lanteigne as Technical Director.
Paul Mata has been the M1 GT Racing Owner/Team Manager since the team’s debut in 2014. In the past two seasons, he has gathered valuable experience and information on the GT side of racing which continually gets put to use each and every day. M1 GT management has full confidence that Mata will be able to solidly lead the full 2016 program, despite the highly challenging objectives that have been set to accomplish.
M1 GT Racing is extremely excited to welcome Russ Gaglio as the Crew Chief for the 2016 season. Russ brings a wealth of experience to the team having participated in numerous full seasons in both Pirelli World Challenge and World Touring Car Championship winning programs with AIM Autosport and Turner Motorsports. Gaglio’s work is second to none as he provides extremely high quality racecar preparation. A valuable asset to the team, Gaglio will bring the credibility and experience to a team that will look to turn heads with the new 2016 Audi R8 LMS.
Remi Lanteigne will be returning for his third year to the M1 umbrella of teams as Technical Director. With an in-depth resume, Lanteigne has spent the last two years focusing on and understanding the GT side of racing. With more than twenty years of experience in the highest levels of open wheel racing, M1 GT Racing expects Lanteigne to deliver a solid performance and help take Audi and M1 GT to the top. Lanteigne will be in charge of the complete technical aspect of the M1 GT program as well as supporting the team’s administrative tasks, such as marketing, budget and important team decisions. Lanteigne will be primarily engineering the 2016 Audi R8 LMS as well as providing input on all other cars competing under the M1 GT Racing banner.
For more information on M1 GT Racing, please visit them online at their new website, www.M1GTRacing.com and be sure to follow M1GTRacing on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/M1GTRacing), Twitter, Instagram and You Tube all at @M1GTRacing.
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