A spotlight on ESM - who they are and where they have come from
The distinctive green and black colours of Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) will be making a welcome second appearance in the FIA WEC next week in the 6 Hours of Shanghai, following the Florida-based team’s debut in Austin in September.
With an all-star driver line up, two Tequila Patrón-sponsored Honda Performance Development ARX-03B prototypes will be competing in the LMP2 class and they are relishing the opportunity. Here’s a look at who the drivers are and the highlights of what they have achieved to date.
No.30 HPD ARX 0B-Honda: Scott Sharp/Ryan Dalziel/Ricardo Gonzalez:
ESM’s owner/driver Scott Sharp is a former Trans-Am Champion, Indycar star and Daytona 24 Hours winner who competed successfully in the American Le Mans Series in the LMP1, LMP2 and GT classes, winning the LMP1 category with Brabham in 2009.
Scotland’s Ryan Dalziel, now USA-based, is a former FIA WEC champion, winning the 2012 LMP2 title and GRAND-AM’s North American Endurance Championship titles. In addition, he raced to victory at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX-03b LMP2 machine.
The 6 Hours of Shanghai will mark a return to the FIA WEC for reigning WEC LMP2 Champion and 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 winner, Ricardo Gonzalez. The Mexican is a former ALMS LMPC championship winner and has this year competed in the European Le Mans Series for ART Grand Prix.
No.31 HPD ARX 0B-Honda: Ed Brown/Johannes van Overbeek/David Brabham
Ed Brown is President and Chief Executive Officer of Patrón Spirits International and, although a relatively late recruit to the driving seat, the Colorado-born businessman has made a meteoric rise through the ranks. Paired with Johannes van Overbeek, Brown finished 2nd at the notoriously tricky Grand Prix of Long Beach in the ALMS last year, beating off far more experienced drivers.
A former recipient of the Porsche Cup award for top non-factory Porsche driver, Californian Johannes van Overbeek has proved he can be successful in whatever he drives and supremely consistent. With ESM from the start, he and Sharp finished runners up in the 2012 ALMS GT championship, and he has also competed at Le Mans four times.
David Brabham needs little introduction; F3 Champion, former F1 driver, ALMS champion, Peugeot LMP1 driver and Le Mans winner as well as coming from one of the best known racing families in the world, the British-based Australian is hugely experienced and will bring that knowledge plus his skill and meticulous attention to detail to ESM in Shanghai.
Fiona Miller
