Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, still finalizing its 2012 American Le mans Series LMP1 program, has added an LMPC car to its garage. The new car, an Oreca FLM09, will be driven by American racers Memo Gidley and Mike Guasch.
“We’re extremely excited about the upcoming season and our two-car ALMS program,” said team owner Greg Pickett in a company press release. “We’ve been slowly expanding our racing efforts and this was a logical choice for us, to have both a Challenge car and a P1 car on track this season.”
Mike Guasch and Memo Gidley are friends off the track, and should make a solid driving team in the new Muscle Milk Pickett Oreca.
Mike Guasch has some miles in an LMPC Oreca already, having driven for Genoa Racing in a few 2011 events. He has also raced for FIA GT3 European Championship and British GT Championship teams through the past two years.
“I’m very excited to be joining Muscle Milk Pickett Racing with the LMPC car,” he said in the press release. “I’ve had a chance in 2011 to race the Challenge car in a couple of races and do some testing and this is what I wanted to do for 2012.
“I’ve been racing GT in Europe for the last two years and I really wanted to run the ALMS this season. Doing this deal with Muscle Milk is fantastic.
“Secondly, and more importantly is getting to run with Memo. We’ve been friends for a number of years and we’re very excited to run together. I think as a team we will have a very good package between the two of us and that’s a good piece of the puzzle.”
Memo Gidley has never driven an LMPC ca, but he has already raced prototypes for Muscle Milk: he co-drove with Greg Pickett to third place in LMP1 in the 2007 Petit Le Mans and second at Laguna Seca in 2010. Gidley has also competed in ChampCar and more recently in Grand Am. Gidley is also a multiple shifter kart champion and a class-winning jet-skier.
“For me to be a part of Pickett Racing and racing for Muscle Milk is really a dream come true. I’ve been a Muscle Milk athlete for close to 10 years now and they, not only the organization but the people like Greg and Penny Pickett and their son and daughters, have turned into family and have been great supporters of mine,” Gidley said on the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing website.
“The team synergies are great. Mike, the Picketts and I, all come from a similar background, which is essentially from very little and then with good old-fashioned hard work, we got to where we are today.
“I’m stoked to be racing with my friend Mike. I have huge respect for him as a driver, a person and a friend and I know we are going to have a fantastic time with great success.”
The pair of American drivers will make their official debut at the American Le Mans Series Winter Test February 8–9, 2012 at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida.
Muscle Milk Pickett Racing has run an LMP1 car in ALMS for a several seasons, finishing second overall in 2011 and earning an invitation to the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Muscle Milk also fields a GTC Porsche 997 for driver Mark Bullitt in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge. Bullitt finished third in the series in 2011, his and the team’s first season in GT3 Cup.
The American Le Mans Series 2012 season starts on March 17th with the 60th Anniversary 12 Hours of Sebring.
