Park Place Motorsports To Debut in 51st Rolex 24 At Daytona
New Team To Field Porsche GT3 in GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT Division with
Drivers Patrick Long, Spencer Pumpelly, Patrick Lindsey, Jason Hart and Daniel Graeff
Park Place Motorsports’ ‘Arrive & Drive’ Program Offers Full-Service Support for Motorsports Enthusiasts
DALLAS (Dec. 18, 2012) – Park Place Motorsports will make its GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series debut in the 51st running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona Jan. 26-27. The former Horton Autosport team is an extension of Dallas-based Park Place Dealerships, which represents upscale manufacturers Porsche, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Lexus, Bentley, Maserati, Lotus, Rolls-Royce, Volvo and Smart.
Park Place Motorsports will campaign a Porsche GT3 in the 24-hour marathon around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with an impressive driver lineup that includes three Rolex 24 victories. Porsche factory driver Patrick Long headlines the effort, along with Porsche specialist Spencer Pumpelly, Patrick Lindsey, Jason Hart and Daniel Graeff.
Long, the only American factory driver for the German manufacturer, is a three-time American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT2 champion (2005, 2009 and 2010) and winner of the 2009 Rolex 24 in a Porsche GT3. That victory completed Long’s cycle of winning each of sports car racing’s modern endurance classics, as the California native claimed victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring (2005), 24 Hours of Le Mans (2004 and 2007) and Petit Le Mans (2005, 2006 and 2007).
Joining Long will be Pumpelly, who owns two Rolex 24 wins (2006 and 2011), both in the GT category. They are among 19 professional victories Pumpelly has scored in GRAND-AM and ALMS competition. A degree in economics from James Madison University makes Virginia-born Pumpelly equally eclectic as Long, who is fluent in English, German, French and Italian.
Continuing the worldly attributes of Park Place Motorsports’ driver lineup is Californian Lindsey, whose day job is working on Wall Street as he balances a burgeoning racing career that has taken him to GRAND-AM. In 2012, Lindsey co-drove the No. 73 Horton Autosport Porsche GT3 to six top-12 finishes in 11 outings.
Hart was born into a Porsche racing family in Northern California. He has been racing Porsches and countless other makes since his career started in 1995. Ready to race anything anywhere, his motorsports background includes ASCS Sprint Cars, USAC Midgets, go-karts, sports cars, vintage racing cars and even off-road vehicles, as the versatile driver scored a victory in the Class 4 division of the 2011 Baja 1000
Graeff rounds out the team’s Rolex 24 effort. The California native will make his fifth career Rolex 24 start in 2013. In addition to his sports car racing experience, Graeff has raced everything from motocross to stock cars, recently competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
Park Place Motorsports augments the unparalleled service its dealerships provide by offering customers a premium level of support in relation to their motorsports activities. It’s why the team partnered with Horton Autosport, an innovative operation that incorporated leading-edge technologies to quickly rise from start-up outfit to experienced contender.
“In our dealerships and on the racetrack, we’re committed to the highest quality standards. Our driver lineup for the Rolex 24 At Daytona is a perfect example of that commitment,” said Alex Whitman, director, Park Place Motorsports. “We go above and beyond our competitors and focus each and every day on the hundreds of details that add up to an unparalleled ownership experience. And for many Park Place customers, that experience involves motorsports. It’s in the DNA of the cars we sell and in the DNA of our customers.”
Beyond its flagship racing team that will compete in the twice-around-the-clock endurance race at Daytona, Park Place Motorsports delivers a line of full-service solutions to motorsports enthusiasts at every level, from the racing novice to the experienced professional racer, all at a level of service consistent with the exceptional customer experience Park Place dealerships have provided for more than 20 years. Offerings include:
Service and Repair: Park Place Motorsports mechanics will service motorsports-related vehicles as needed or in conjunction with existing service intervals. The broad scope of service and repair Park Place Motorsports offers clients range from basic fluid replacement to complete repairs, including vehicle body and structure.
Driver and Racecar Support: Park Place Motorsports manages as many processes as the client wishes, from one-off support such as racecar setup, to all-encompassing arrive-and-drive-programs.
Parts Engineering and Distribution: Park Place Motorsports has a line of Park Place Motorsports-branded parts, specifically engineered for high-performance and racing applications.
These services will be authentically promoted by Park Place Motorsports’ GT team in GRAND-AM. The same Porsche 911 GT3 Long, Pumpelly, Lindsey, Hart and Graeff will race at Daytona was built and maintained in the same facility as Park Place Motorsports’ customer cars.
“Having an in-house race team exposes us to emerging technologies in real-time while providing real-world applications for those technologies,” Whitman said. “What we learn with our race team and the experience our engineers and professional drivers can provide to our customers is unmatched. It allows a Park Place customer to get the most out of his or her car and the most out of themselves. And the best part is that all of our expertise is under one roof and available to our customers.”
Park Place Motorsports is a unique offshoot for a car dealership. But with its lineup of high-performance cars in a region where there are more than 250 Porsches licensed to race by Porsche Club of America, creating a division catering to racers who buy their personal cars and racecars from Park Place Dealerships is not only a sound business decision, but a savvy one, as well.
“Having qualified support at and away from the track is one of the primary detractors in motivating new entrants into motorsports. We fill that void by managing any and all wants of the customer,” Whitman said. “We have a centralized location, a dynamic product line, an unmatched client experience and an unrelenting effort to become a leader in the racing industry. It’s what makes Park Place Motorsports stand out.”
About Park Place Motorsports:
Park Place Motorsports is an extension of Dallas-based Park Place Dealerships, which represents upscale manufacturers Porsche, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Lexus, Bentley, Maserati, Lotus, Rolls-Royce, Volvo and Smart. Park Place Motorsports augments the unparalleled attention its dealerships provide by offering customers a premium level of support in relation to their motorsports activities. Services include maintenance and repair, driver and racecar support, and parts engineering and distribution. These offerings are authentically promoted by Park Place Motorsports’ flagship GT team in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.