I’ve been promising Leo that I’d write this piece for some time now – sorry Leo, but here goes.. I’m somewhere above Greenland on the way to Daytona Beach to kick off the 2013 season with the legendary Rolex Daytona 24. This will be my third attempt of this event. The first opportunity came in 2008 through a team called Synergy via my Porsche Supercup engineer Mario Prezel. A guy called Cole Scrogham owned the team. And, it’s funny how live works – all three of us worked together again in the American Le Mans Series last season with Green Hornet Racing. My second chance at Daytona came last year with TRG. Co-incidentally, this year I will drive in the American Le Mans Series with them. And, if you’re not already confused, I’m driving for Alex Job Racing at this weekend’s event! I enjoy racing in the US. I first came over here over ten years ago to race Indy Lights in 2001. Back then; I was still harbouring hopes of ultimate success in single-seaters. Despite a very successful season during which I finished third in the championship with two race victories my career stumbled. I eventually found my way into sportscar racing thanks to Fergus Brennan organising for me to drive the “guest” car for Porsche Cars GB in the first round of the British Carrera Cup Series. I won both races. One year later an Irishman by the name of Eddie Mc Elhinney hired me to drive for him in the same series. Eddie’s company SAS; was the largest sponsor in the category. We enjoyed tremendous success winning two championships (‘04/’05). This success propelled me towards the Porsche Supercup with the help of personal sponsors; Gerard Kelly and Derek Mc Mahon. This is one of the most hotly contested championships on the planet and it has a great platform with all races supporting Formula One around Europe, Bahrain, Turkey and Abu Dhabi. I did three seasons with the Lechner Team finishing as championship runner-up twice and winning four races. It was a great experience hearing the Irish National Anthem ring out from the F1 podium two hours before the Grand Prix. In 2011 I got a call from Jeroen Bleekemolen – my old nemesis from Supercup. He was in the US and asked if I could fill in for him for four races in the ALMS with Black Swan Racing. I duly took him up on his offer. My first race was the Sebring 12-hour. We had a great race and won it. My performances in 2011 lead to a full time seat last year with Green Hornet. That’s one of the beauties of racing in the US – merit still has some weight. I’ve moved on a bit from Greenland! Hopefully Orlando isn’t too far away now. I’m arriving a day early, as I like to acclimatise to the time difference. It’s still relatively cool for Florida so the heat isn’t too much of an issue. 24-hour races are physically tough and it’s imperative as a professional driver to be appropriately fit and healthy. Well fuelled and well watered. We have a great chance, on paper at least. You never know with 24-hour races how they will pan out, but I’m confident. I’m also looking forward to sharing the car with Jeroen Bleekemolen (who’s now a friend!), Porsche work’s driver Marco Holzer and Cooper Mac Neil. We are in the GT class in the number 23 WeatherTech sponsored white Porsche. Daytona is a great event and getting more competitive by the year. You can keep up to date by following me on Twitter @DamienFaulkner and/or Facebook. I hope to upload some short videos to my new website too: www.damienfaulkner.com

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Damien Faulkner: The American Dream

Donegal’s Damien Faulkner, something of the “forgotten man” of Irish motorsport, is back in full-time motorsport having completed his comeback season in the USA. The Donegal man has secured a full time contract to race in the 2013 American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Faulkner, 35, has a huge racing pedigree and has multiple international titles to his name, including the European Palmer Audi Championship as well both the British Porsche Carrera Cup and the Porsche Mobile One Supercup, a series that supports European rounds of Formula One weekends. Faulkner’s last Supercup success was back in 2009, but the following two years were pretty lean as he was restricted to a series of one-off drives as well as supplementing his living as a driver coach. However, determined to get back behind the wheel and back into the full time professional ranks, Faulkner went to the United States in 2011 and picked up four drives with Black Swan Racing and in the process became the first Irishman since the legendary Derek Daly to win his class in the 12 hours of Sebring. Those four races led to a full season this year as he switched teams, moving to Green Hornet Racing to partner with 57-year-old team owner Peter LeSaffre, and the pair did all 10 rounds of ALMS, registering one win and taking five pole positions. “I was always determined not to quit” – Damien Faulkner “It’s been a long road back,” said Faulkner. “But I had a good year for in the Green Hornet Racing Porsche in 2012, taking a win at Long Beach after winning pole position five times. “In fact the season could have been so much better because on the other four occasions that we were on pole, we got taken out of it while leading the race.” Faulkner is perhaps the only Irish international driver currently racing paid to pursue his passion, with most others having to bring sponsorship to their chosen teams. In a near 20-year career he has a long driving history, having raced in Karting and Formula Ford in Ireland in the early 1990s before moving to the UK to race in Formula Vauxhall Junior and Formula Ford. The Irishman then moved to the emerging British Formula Palmer Audi class in 1998 where he finished third in the 1999 season. In 2000, Faulkner dominated the new European Formula Palmer Audi series, taking six wins on his way to claiming the title. His prize for winning the series assisted him in finding a seat in the 2001 American Champ Car feeder series – Indy Lights. He drove for Dorricott Racing, capturing two wins on his way to third place overall and he also went back to Mondello Park during the season, winning his class in a one-off FIA Sportscar Championship race. A fallout with his management company after his Formula Palmer Audi win, and his subsequent races in Indy Lights, didn’t help Faulkner’s ambitions. However, he picked himself up and in recent years he has become synonymous with the Porsche brand and is currently one of the fastest and most sought after Porsche drivers in the world. Having achieved great success in Porsche series’ in Britain and across Europe, Damien joined ALMS in 2011. He won his first ALMS race at the famous 12 Hours of Sebring and he is now a regular and highly regarded Sportscar driver in the USA. “Back in 2009 and 2010 I didn’t do a lot of racing. “In fact all I did was one Supercup race and a couple of Sportscar races in the middle east and did some driving coaching along with the Dubai 24 hour race. “It was the second time in my 19-year career that I took an enforced break, but I was always determined not to quit. “Now I have signed up to a significant deal for the 2013 season. I don’t want to go into it too much as the official announcement hasn’t been made, but suffice to say it’s a great offer and I’m excited about the New Year. “I’m also doing the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January for Alex Job Racing in the Porsche. “That should be interesting as Alex Job Racing used to be the Porsche works team in the US and are the defending ALMS GTC champions.” The Rolex 24 at Daytona features international stars of Prototype and GT-class racing around the clock in the ultimate test of driver and machine. Past race winners include Indy Car champion Dario Franchitti of Scotland and Columbian Juan Pablo Montoya, the former McLaren F1 driver now competing in NASCAR in the USA.

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John Kenny: Damien Faulkner back in full-time motorsport

Ferrari GT driver Matt Griffin will be heading to the famous Road Atlanta track in Georgia to compete in one of the world’s biggest races, the Petit Le Mans. Along with team mates Marco Cioci and Piergiuseppe Perazzini he will pilot the Number 60 AF Corse run Ferrari 458 GTE. The 1000-mile race, which takes place on The 20th of October, is well known for being a huge test for man and machine. Road Atlanta will also be a new track for the Irish driver and the first time he has raced on American soil. “I am expecting a tough race, the track is very fast and unforgiving. I don’t think it will be a problem not knowing the track, as a professional driver you get used to having to learn tracks very fast. As always I am expecting AF Corse to be at the top of their game so we will go fully prepared. I am really excited about the race, I have been keen on racing in the ALMS (American Le Mans Series) for a few years but never had a really top opportunity. Now I have one” Matt will compete in the GT AM class with the Petit Le Mans doubling as the final round of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). This means that fighting for overall honours in the GT Class will be tough as the regulations state that the GT AM cars must be 2011 spec cars rather than the most developed 2012 cars. “Our main aim will be to go there and try to beat the IMSA Porsche which is our rival in the ELMS championship. As far as fighting for overall honours in the GT Class it will be tough because we will be at a disadvantage, but I still think getting in amongst the 2012 cars is do-able and in a 10hr race anything can happen. “ noted Griffin With the addition of this race to Matt’s Calendar, 2012 has been a very busy year for the professional GT Driver who has so far raced 28 races on 4 continents. The race will be shown live on Motors TV (Sky 413) on Saturday the 20th of October at 5.45 GMT. Twitter: @Mgriffinracing Web: www.Mattgriffinracing.com

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Griffin looking for Success at Petit Le Mans

What do INDYCAR race winners-turned-team owners Jimmy Vasser and Bryan Herta, Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice, American Le Mans Series Champion Joey Hand and Grand-Am Rolex Series Champion Andy Lally have in common with rising stars such as Charlie Kimball, J.R. Hildebrand, Josef Newgarden, Bryan Sellers, Conor Daly, Connor De Phillippi and Spencer Pigot? They are all former winners of prestigious Team USA Scholarships which since 1990 have provided opportunities for young American race car drivers to display their talents on an international stage early in their careers. The quest to see who will follow in their footsteps continues next weekend during the combined IZOD IndyCar Series/American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patron event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where more than a dozen candidates will be interviewed by an illustrious panel of judges. The candidates will vie for three fully funded rides in England later this year. Two youngsters will be entered under the Team USA Scholarship/Cliff Dempsey Racing banner in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on October 27-28 and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on November 3-4, while one slightly more experienced driver will be invited to contest the final two rounds of the Formula Renault BARC Championship at Silverstone on October 6-7. This year’s contenders are: Neil Alberico, 19, from Redlands, Calif. – Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda Luigi Biangardi, 16, from Chicago, Ill. – Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda (one pole) Matthew Brabham, 18, from Manalapan, Fla. – Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda (one win, three poles) Tristan DeGrand, 16, from Eureka, Mo. – Skip Barber Racing Summer Series race winner Jake Eidson, 17, from Littleton, Colo. – Skip Barber Winter Series champion and Summer Series points leader) Conner Ford, 16, from Carson City, Nev. – Pacific Formula F Super Series (six wins) Sean Johnston, 21, from Mt. Shasta, Calif. – IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge points leader (two wins, two poles) Bobby Kelley, 20, from Riverside, Calif. – Pacific F2000 points leader (three wins, two poles) Jack Mitchell Jr., 16, from Clarendon Hills, Ill. – Skip Barber Summer Series (three wins)/Canadian F1600 (one win) Brandon Newey, 19, from Carmel, Ind. – F1600 Championship Series points leader (two wins) Tristan Nunez, 16, from Boca Raton, Fla. – Cooper Tires Prototype Lites points leader (six wins, seven poles) Adrian Starrantino, 17, from Simi Valley, Calif. – Skip Barber Summer Series (three wins) Colin Thompson, 18, from Perkasie, Pa. – Cooper Tires USF2000/F1600 Championship Series (one win) Falco Wauer, 16, lives Drobak, Norway – UK Formula 4 (five wins)/European Formula Ford The adjudicating panel will include INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard, American Le Mans Series President Scott Atherton, Director of Motorsports at Mazda North American Operations John Doonan, Cooper Tires Director of Motorsports Chris Pantani, USF2000 series promoter Dan Andersen, ALMS team Level 5 Motorsports Race Engineer Jeff Braun and, representing the Road Racing Drivers Club’s widely acclaimed SAFEisFAST.com initiative, Performance Prime founder Dr. Jacques Dallaire and PitFit Training President Jim Leo. Former Team USA Scholarship winners Herta, Kimball, Hildebrand, Newgarden, Hand and Sellers also will be on hand to assist and offer advice. “The Team USA Scholarship continues to be an important part of shaping our home-grown stars of INDYCAR,” said Bernard. “Drivers such as J.R. Hildebrand, Charlie Kimball and Josef Newgarden have come through this program and I look forward to working with the panel to identifying future talent for our sport.” “I’m excited to meet some of the up-and-coming racers with the Team USA Scholarship program,” added Kimball, who recently stepped onto an IZOD IndyCar Series podium for the first time after guiding his No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen, Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing entry to a fine second place on the streets of Toronto. “Having the opportunity to compete as part of Team USA in 2004 is still one of my best memories as a young driver and a real help to my career. I look forward to seeing this year’s candidates and hopefully I can pass along some advice to them too.” The Team USA Scholarship is supported by Doug Mockett & Company, Road Racing Drivers Club, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Walldinger Racing, Robo-Pong, INDYCAR’s Mazda Road to Indy, Mazda, Honda Performance Development, NameSilo, Silicon Salvage, McMurry Inc., Robertson Racing, PitFit Training, Sparco USA, RACER Magazine, eFormulaCarNews.com, Speedstar Management, Styled Aesthetic and Manifest Group as well as numerous past Scholarship winners. For more information, please visit www.TeamUSAScholarship.org

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CDR to run Team USA Scholarship cars at Formula Ford Festival & Walter Hayes Trophy!