Drissi and Mitchell Hang Tough At American Le Mans Monterey

May 13, 2013

It wasn’t the finish they’d hoped for, but Tomy Drissi and co-driver, Rusty Mitchell, left it all out on the track driving the No. 7 EPIC Prototype Challenge for BAR1 Motorsports, as they took on the highly competitive Prototype Challenge class in the American Le Mans Monterey presented by Tequila Patrón at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Known for it’s elevation changes, the 2.238 mile Mazda Raceway is a fan and driver favorite alike. The circuit offers a challenging variety of corners, none more challenging than the historic corkscrew.

“Mazda Raceway is our kind of track,” said Tomy. “We really enjoy being out here… it’s just the perfect track for sports car racing. It’s fan friendly and a blast to drive. We were really hoping to do well.”

Tomy got off to a great start and ran very strong in the early going. With the leaders in sight, Tomy turned the car over to Rusty in great shape. Unfortunately, Rusty took a pretty hard hit from a class competitor and lost a couple of laps making repairs.

“We had a really good car under us,” expressed Tomy. “The crew made a lot of headway throughout the week and we felt good about the package come race day. It’s unfortunate that in a four hour race some drivers have difficulty running clean, but it is what it is. Rusty was doing a great job out there.”

“The crew did what they could to get us back out there and keep the car competitive,” Tomy added. “But time wasn’t on our side. We’ll take pride knowing we survived the battle and be ready for another run at it when we return from the break and return to racing at Lime Rock Park in July.”

The next round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. The race, from Lime Rock Park, is set for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 6 with live coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN3.

Viewers outside the U.S. can watch races live on ALMS.com. The series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, timing and scoring, and car-to-pit radio for all users around the world.

Visit ALMS.com for current and future event information including tickets and area accommodations. Follow the ALMS on Twitter (#ALMS, #LimeRockALMS), Facebook and the official YouTube channel.

EPIC is a 3D CG adventure comedy that reveals a fantastical world unlike any other. From the creators of ICE AGE and RIO, EPIC tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, who keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil, who wish to destroy it. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she teams up with an elite band of warriors and a crew of comical, larger-than-life figures, to save their world…and ours.

This film stars Beyoncé Knowles, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Christoph Waltz and Amanda Seyfried. Learn all about Epic, play games, and read more about Epic characters as you get ready to experience this adventure in theaters May 24!

Tomy Drissi is an American driver and Trans Am Champion. His driver experience includes ALMS, Trans-Am, NASCAR and Speed World Challenge.

Born December 9 in Hollywood, California, Tomy owns an advertising firm that produces upcoming film displays for cinemas. Drissi’s first racing experience in motorsports was street racing on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills.

His professional racing career highlights include; 1999 Trans-Am Rookie of the Year, 2000 Trans-Am BBS Most Improved Driver, 2000 Trans-Am Crew of the Year and Trans-Am Champion. In 2010 Tomy competed in Trans-Am taking 1 win, 1 pole, 3 podiums, 4 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens; He also competed in the American Le Mans Series LMP1 class at Mid-Ohio finishing 3rd. 2011 saw Tomy’s return to the American Le Mans Series, LMPC division. He scored a 2nd at Long Beach, 3rd at Lime Rock, 1st at Mid Ohio,1st at Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix and second at Road Atlanta -Petit Le Mans. In 2012, Drissi teamed with Bruno Junqiera for finishing 2nd at Laguna Seca, a win at Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park), 2nd at Baltimore and second at the season finale, Petit Lemans.

Tomy is married to Lacy Livingston Drissi

Find out more about Tomy Drissi at http://www.tomydrissi.com or follow Tomy on Facebook /tomydrissi and Twitter @tomydrissi

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is the world`s leading sports car championship and is recognized as the Global Leader in Green Racing. In the tradition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, multiple classes of cars – purpose-built prototypes and production-based Grand Touring automobiles – race on the track at the same time to create compelling race action and constant passing. All cars in the Series compete using one of five approved alternative fuels or energy sources: clean sulfur-free diesel, cellulosic E85 or E10, Isobutanol and electric hybrid technologies. The Series has more automobile marques involved than any other major race series in the world as manufacturers develop relevant technologies on track that transfer directly to the customer showroom. The ALMS competes at North America`s premier road racing tracks and selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets.