The familiar Petersen Motorsports/ WhiteLightning Racing graphics which have appeared on American Le Mans Series(ALMS) GT class Porsches since 1999; will be flown on Porsche's new 911GT3 RSR in 2004. Petersen/ White Lightning took delivery of its new RSRin Los Angeles and has begun preparations to campaign the full,nine-race ALMS schedule with drivers David Murry, Cumming, Ga., andCraig Stanton, Long Beach, Calif., in the No. 31 Westward Ho Casino/MMPIE/ PAWS/ Justice Brothers Michelin-tired Porsche.
The 2003 Road America 500 GT class winners have started an extensive tear-down of the latest iteration of the world's most recognized sports car, the Porsche911, in order to learn its every nuance and makeunique-to-Petersen/White Lightning 'tweaks' to the car in preparationfor the 52nd running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 20.While each of Porsche's 445 horsepower 911 GT3 RSRs is built to theexacting standards of the Weissach, Germany-based Porsche Motorsports,the Dale White-led team incorporates special features learned fromdecades of endurance and off-road competition into each new race car.Due to this preparation time, time that the team feels is more valuablethan on-track testing, the Las Vegas-based operation will not runon-track until March 15 at Sebring International Raceway. Followingtear-down and rebuild, the all-white Porsche will be festooned in thosefamiliar Westward Ho Casino graphics which take nearly a week to apply. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is the competitive extension of the highlysuccessful 911 GT3 R and RS that have dominated GT class competitionsince GT3 introduction in its current, water-cooled (chassis designation996) form. The RSR has extensive improvements over the 2003 RS model.Improvements include better aerodynamic downforce on the front axles, asequential gearbox, increased horsepower and torque ratings and safetyimprovements. The Michael Petersen-owned car will be the primary mountof the team in 2004. However, the team's 2003 RS, which won the 2003 24Hours of Le Mans (in conjunction with Alex Job Racing) and the RoadAmerica round of the ALMS, will be utilized as a back-up car for Murryand Stanton. Uwe Brettel, Porsche Motorsport North America president: "As long-timePorsche Motorsport customers, Mike Petersen and Dale White have reallyrisen to the top of the Porsche pack in the last year with their win atLe Mans and the ALMS victory at Road America. We are confident that theywill prepare their new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR very competitively to aim forthe podium all year."Mike Petersen, owner: "Just recently the new 2004 RSR has hit thePetersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing shop. What a fantasticlooking car! We are all very excited to get the current car stickered-upand get it to the track soon in preparation for the 2004 ALMS season. Ican hardly wait to drive it!"Dale White, team manager: "I couldn't be happier with the new car.Porsche has done another exceptional job with design and manufacture.Combined with Kent Moore's meticulous preparation and we will have awinner." Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing began operation as anoff-road team in the 1980s winning over 50 truck victories, includingthree-consecutive overall wins at the Baja 1000, and multiplechampionships. Since beginning sports car racing, the effort has scoredvictories in the ALMS, the Trans-Am Series, Speed Challenge Series andendurance sports car wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Alex JobRacing, Watkins Glen and at the Rolex 24 of Daytona.
