ALMS: Corsa set for historic debut

Corsa Motorsports are just days away from making an historic debut in the American Le Mans Series this weekend.

The Utah-based team will make its first ALMS appearance of the season at their home race in Salt Lake City in what will be the first ever appearance for a hybrid prototype in the championship.

Their LMP1 Ginetta-Zytek 09HS will be raced by an experienced all-star driver line-up sportscar star Johnny Mowlem and ex-F1 veteran Stefan Johansson.

Mowlem shook the car down at Silverstone last week, with the car running on both E10 and electrical power.

“The car has arrived,” said team owner Steve Pruitt. “And that’s beneficial because our guys are getting to see something they haven’t seen before. Our requirements are that everything be gone through - wiring, harnesses to make sure there is no friction or rub to make sure the car can go through an endurance race. We’re in the process of putting the car back together today.”

“I’m absolutely delighted that the car ran so well at its first ever track test,” Mowlem said. “It’s a testament to all the hard work from everybody at Ginetta-Zytek that technology as new and as complicated as this could run so well and effectively on its debut. This now allows us to take this brand new technology and demonstrate it at Miller Motorsports Park. This is very important for Steve and the whole Corsa Motorsport team, as it is the home track for this team. This car is a technical marvel and it is going to turn a lot of heads.”

The Corsa Ginetta-Zytek will employ a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that enables the collection and conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy. It permits the use of an electric motor resulting in more efficient power and a lower carbon footprint.

“It’s like a cordless drill under electric power. It’s something that will be interesting to hear and see it come down pitlane for the first time under battery power,” Pruitt said. “We know how it works in theory and on a computer. Going from the drawing board to asphalt is where everything is unknown. We still haven’t driven the car with both systems engaged. Then there are other dynamics; if it works as it should, what’s the impact and effect on a driver?”

Watch the ALMS race from Salt Lake City, delayed in full on Saturday 23 May at 5pm (BST) on Motors TV.


Andy Wilkinson