The American Le Mans Series has gained another Le Mans Prototype Challenge team: Merchant Services Racing is entering two Oreca FLM-09s in the fast-growing class.
Merchant Services, a credit card processing company whose CEO and President, Chapman Ducote, is also a professional racing driver, has long sponsored young drivers, as well as sponsoring Ducote’s rides, including the Intersport LMP1 he raced from 2009–2011.
Intersport shut its doors after 2011, leaving Merchant Services looking for t team to back. Rather than back an existing team, Ducote and company decided to buy Intersport’s LMPC cars and start a team of its own.
“Racing has always been integral to Merchant Services LTD, so we jumped at the chance to expand our commitment this year from the individual level to the sponsorship of an entire race team,” Chapman Ducote told americanlemans.com. “We are very excited about the opportunity and the value it brings to our brand, we look forward to an exciting season of racing in 2012.”
The team will make its formal announcement on Monday, March 5, but it can safely be assumed that one driver will be the very quick 22-year-old Kyle Marcelli, who drove Intersport’s LMPC cars in 2010–2011.
