Tomy Drissi will climb back into the No. 7 BAR1 Motorsports, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty [December 25, 2013] Prototype Challenge car when the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, returns to the streets of Baltimore this weekend for the 2013 Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT.
No stranger to the wild and wicked streets of Baltimore, Tomy enjoyed a win here in 2011 driving with Kyle Marcelli. In 2012, Tomy was back on the podium with co-driver Bruno Junquiera, finishing second.
With his success here and given his first professional win [Trans Am] came on the streets of Long Beach Tomy’s excited about returning to Baltimore and racing in the street.
“I’m a big fan of this race. And, it’s no secret I enjoy the street races.
“There’s always a special vibe when you’re racing on the streets. There’s an intimacy with the crowd that you don’t necessarily feel on the natural terrain circuits. The fans are up close.. and when you come and go throughout the day, you’re out among them. It’s a great party-like atmosphere.
“I think when you race on the street or temporary circuit, the track can really play an equalizing role. It’s not just about whose got the most power or is carrying the most speed. You’ve got to be on your toes and constantly navigating traffic.
“Some corners and parts of the track are simply not going to be fast. You’ve got to use your head, find the places where you can go fast and be patient about passing… or being passed. You’ve got to say focused.
“I’m confident Rusty [Mitchell] and I can get the job done here. The guys are BAR1 no the setups for this track and they always put a well prepared car under us. I’m sure we’ll come off the trailer pretty close to dialed in.
“We’re bring the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty livery on the car this week. It’s a new Ben Stiller movie opening on Christmas day. It’s a pretty big deal and I think fans are really going to like it.”
The ALMS action at the Grand Prix of Baltimore gets underway Friday with a practice session at 8:50am and another at 12:05pm. Qualifying will take place at 4:30pm. Saturday will kick off with a warm-up session at 10:10am, a driver autograph session at 11:00am and the green flag will fly at 3:45pm for the 2 hour main event.
Qualifying can be seen live on ESPN3 as can Saturday’s race. Network coverage will be tape delayed airing Sunday, September 1 at 12pm EDT on ABC.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Opening in theaters December 25, 2013. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is an epic drama/fantasy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. Bored office worker Walter Mitty [Stiller] spends his days creating elaborate fantasy worlds for himself in which he gets to live a life of adventure while romancing his co-worker Cheryl [Kristen Wiig]. However, when both their jobs are threatened in the real world, Walter finally shakes off his lethargy and sets off on a global journey to introduce some genuine excitement into his life.
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. 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.