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Tequila Patrón ESM Returns to IMSA with Familiar Lineup

0017 ND WEC2016 USA

After two seasons competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), Tequila Patrón ESM is preparing its homecoming to the United States for the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Florida based team will return with its familiar but strong lineup of Scott Sharp, Ryan Dalziel, Ed Brown, and Johannes van Overbeek as the full time drivers in the No. 2 and No. 22 Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier DPi cars. Luis “Pipo” Derani, Bruno Senna, and Brendon Hartley will join the squad for the first race of the year, the Rolex 24 of Daytona.

The team previously announced its two car entry, transitioning from the Daytona Prototype chassis to the new Daytona Prototype international (DPi) cars. Partnering with Nissan Nismo, the 2017 return to IMSA with Ligier and Oak Racing, with which team has already celebrated success together. The two new DPi cars will run with the ACO/FIA homologated LMP2 Prototype Ligier chassis in the IMSA Prototype class.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Closes out WEC Campaign at the Six Hours of Bahrain

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Saturday evening at the Bahrain International Circuit, Tequila Patrón ESM bid adieu to the FIA World Endurance Championship with one of the strongest performances the team has seen all season. Pipo Derani, Ryan Dalziel and Chris Cumming perfectly executed the team’s strategy to hold an impressive lead for several hours of the Six Hours of Bahrain for the No. 31 Patrón ESM Ligier to finish fourth.

Derani and Cumming qualified with a combined average speed to set a seventh place starting position. A post-qualifying change further up the field moved the No. 31 Ligier up for Derani to start sixth. The young Brazilian showed strength on the start, jumping from sixth to fourth in the opening lap. He continued his climb in the opening stint, racing side by side with the sister No. 30 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier of Giedo van der Garde. Derani took the position to run third before making his first pit stop 45 minutes running. He rejoined in fifth, involved in a three way battle for position with the No. 44 Manor and the No. 26 G-Drive machines. Derani took fourth before handing the wheel off to Ryan Dalziel with an hour and a half complete.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Makes Preparations to End WEC Season on High Note at Bahrain

1108 ND WEC 2016 SHANGHAI

This weekend, the Middle East will host the season finale for the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship season. After starting the season with a second place finish at the 6 Hours of Silversone, Tequila Patrón ESM hopes to finish the season with the No. 31 Nissan powered Ligier JS P2 again on the podium. In the eight races competed thus far, Tequila Patrón ESM earned four podiums and an additional three top five finishes.

The Bahrain International Circuit held its first FIA WEC event in 2012, and will celebrate its fifth anniversary this weekend with 92 drivers in 30 cars competing in the four classes. With 24 turns, the 3.914 endurance circuit will be the final battle ground for the 2016 race season.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Produces Top Five Finish in China

Shanghai Race

Sunday evening at Shanghai International Circuit, Tequila Patrón ESM earned their seventh top five finish of the weekend in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship. The 6 Hours of Shanghai ran under the green flag for the majority of the event, where the Ligier ran error free and finished a fifth place after starting in ninth place.

Dalziel showed a strong race start, gaining two positions in the opening lap before the race went under safety car for two laps. At the end of his 50 minute stint, Dalziel pitted in sixth, strategically setting up Chris Cumming to rejoin in fifth position. Despite heavy race traffic, Cumming ran a clean stint, at one point dropping to ninth in the LMP2 class, but a consistent run brought him back up to sixth at the two hour mark. Dalziel rejoined in seventh, and quickly climbed up to fifth before his stint ended shortly after the halfway point.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Returns to Asia for Six Hours of Shanghai

Shanghai pre

SHANGHAI, China, (October 31, 2016) — This weekend the FIA World Endurance Championship visits China for the 6 Hours of Shanghai, the penultimate race of the 2016 calendar.

While the LMP2 class looks to continue to be competitive, Tequila Patrón ESM has previously shown strong performances at the Shanghai International Circuit.  In 2015, the team had a top three finish in sight when a gearbox issue forced the car to retire early.

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VISIT FLORIDA Racing Shows Perseverance in Petit Le Mans

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Braselton, Ga. (1 October 2016) – With the 2016 Petit Le Mans setting the stage for the final race of the Daytona Prototype era, longtime DP competitor VISIT FLORIDA Racing had been hoping to close out the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on a high note. Unfortunately for the team that finished runner-up in last year’s IMSA championship season, the day ended early with an ongoing mechanical issue.

Rejoining full-season drivers Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens in the VISIT FLORIDA Racing DP was Florida’s own Ryan Hunter-Reay, who competed for the team at the Rolex 24, 12 Hours of Sebring, and Long Beach Grand Prix. The trio opened the 2016 season with a run to third in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. 

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VISIT FLORIDA Racing Set to End DP Era at Road Atlanta

Ryan Dalziel puts the No. 90 Chevrolet Corvette DP on the third row for Saturday’s Petit Le Mans

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Braselton, Ga. (30 September 2016) – Visit Florida Racing will start the 19th Annual Petit Le Mans from eighth position after Ryan Dalziel set a quick qualifying time of 1:14.276-seconds in the No. 90 VISIT FLORIDA Chevrolet Corvette DP. Dalziel, Marc Goosens and 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, will share driving duties in Saturday’s 10-hour endurance classic, the season-finale of both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

With just .3-seconds separating the entire Prototype class, the competition for the finale could not be tighter as the event also ushers in the end of the DP era for the IMSA series.

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VISIT FLORIDA Racing Closes Out DP Era with Petit Le Mans

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DRIVING IN THE PETIT LE MANS: Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens and Ryan Hunter-Reay will co-drive the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.

ROAD ATLANTA: At 2.54-miles long with 12 turns, the popular road course is located outside of Atlanta, Georgia. This year’s Petit Le Mans marks the 19th running of the event.

2016 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS – VISIT FLORIDA RACING: 4th with 248 points after 9 of 10 rounds complete.

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VISIT FLORIDA Racing Perseveres to the Finish in Texas

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Austin, Texas – Hopes of a return trip to the Circuit of the Americas podium for VISIT FLORIDA Racing went unfulfilled on Saturday when a driveline failure on the No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype took drivers Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel out of contention for a top-three run.

 Goossens opened the race from the fourth row after qualifying the car seventh during an afternoon session on Thursday. He had made his way up to fourth in the order when he reported that the car had lost drive just about 35 minutes into the race.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Qualifies in Austin

This evening at a scorching Circuit of the Americas, Tequila Patrón ESM qualified for Round Six of the FIA World Endurance Championship: The 6 Hours of COTA. The event stands as the only North American race on the nine race calendar for the season, adding additional pressure to the American team to secure a podium finish.

The 20 minute qualifying session was trying for the team, battling ambient temperatures of 87 degrees and track temperatures of 122 degrees (F). The 20 turn 3.427 track will make tire management a crucial for the six hour endurance event. At the previous round of the 6 Hours of Mexico, the team’s qualifying run was hampered by a red flag, resulting the team at the rear of the field. Despite contact from several cars throughout the race, the No. 31 Ligier worked its way up through the field to finish an impressive third place.

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Dalziel Double: VISIT FLORIDA Racing driver Ryan Dalziel Raising Rett Syndrome Awareness in his Double-Race Day Saturday

COTA Raffle

A lot of people have busy Saturdays, but none have plans like Ryan Dalziel, who will race sports cars in two endurances races this Saturday at the Circuit of the Americas with VISIT FLORIDA Racing and Tequila Patron ESM for “Ryan’s Rett Razzle Dazzle Double Weekend…” 

Enter the #DalzielDouble raffle here:https://rafflecreator.com/pages/7192/ryan’s-rett-razzle-dazzle-double-weekend

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VISIT FLORIDA Racing Focused Forward in Texas

COTA Preview

DRIVING AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS: Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens will co-drive the No. 90 VISIT FLORIDA  Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.

CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS: An F1 grade facility that features 20 corners along a 3.4-mile road course, Circuit of the Americas marks the penultimate round of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The event is held in conjunction with the World Endurance Championship’s Six Hours of COTA.

2016 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS –VISIT FLORIDA RACING: 4th with 223 points after 8 of 10 rounds complete.

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ESM Earns Tequila Patrón Worthy Podium at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

MexicoRace

MEXICO CITY, Mex. – With over 700 Patrón Spirits employees in attendance on race day for the FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Mexico, Tequila Patrón ESM celebrated a third place finish today at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Starting in 10th position, the No. 31 finished overcame much adversity to finish third in Mexico City, earning its fourth podium in five races.

After a difficult qualifying session, the No. 30 and No. 31 starting 10th and 11th in the LMP2 field. With no pressure from behind, the Pipo Derani was able to gain two positions in the opening lap, and Johannes van Overbeek climbed up one position. In his opening stint, Derani fell victim to the first of many accidental attacks on the black and green Ligiers. Despite being forced off track, Derani was able to continue with no positions lost. Using traffic to his advantage, Derani advanced to fifth position before pitting the No. 31 for fuel, tires and a driver change to Chris Cumming. Enjoying a relatively uneventful stint, the No. 30 followed suit in 10th, trading out van Overbeek for Ed Brown.

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ESM Brings Tequila Delivery to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

MexicoPrerace

After a brief summer break, the FIA World Endurance Championship resumes this weekend in Mexico City for the fifth round of the eight round championship, the inaugural 6 Hours of Mexico. As the series begins its North American stretch of the season, the event marks a special one for LMP2 team Tequila Patrón ESM, as every bottle of Tequila Patrón is proudly produced in Jalisco, Mexico. The Patrón Spirits Company will have strong representation at the event, bringing over 600 employees to the race track to support the two car effort.

Located in the southeast area of the city, the 2.674 mile track has a rich history, hosting Formula 1, Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), NASCAR XFINITY Series, as well as the GRAND-AM Road Racing Series. This weekend will be the first time the World Endurance Championship has competed at the 17-turn track, leaving the entire field of competitors with much to learn in the opening sessions.

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VISIT FLORIDA Racing Finishes Sixth at Road America

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Elkhart Lake, Wis. (7 August 2016) – VISIT FLORIDA Racing persevered through a frustrating weekend at Road America to bring the No. 90 VISIT FLORIDA Racing Corvette DP shared by Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel to a sixth place finish in the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase on Sunday.

The Daytona Beach, Florida-based team worked throughout the weekend to find the speed needed at the 4-mile legendary road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The group made several changes to the car on Saturday ahead of qualifying and Goossens put it sixth on the grid.

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VISIT FLORIDA Racing Targets More Speed at Road America

Qual1

Elkhart Lake, Wis.  – The VISIT FLORIDA Racing No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype will start Sunday’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase from the third row of the grid after Marc Goossens qualified sixth in an abbreviated session on Saturday.

The 15-minute qualifying session was cut short due to a red flag period, which ultimately saw the No. 90 car miss out on what would have been the team’s fast lap. Goossens was still able to post a quick time of 1.56.992-seconds during the abbreviated session.

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Visit Florida Racing Returns to Road America

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DRIVING AT ROAD AMERICA: Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens will drive the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.

ROAD AMERICA: Round 8 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship held at one of the most historic road courses on the 2016 calendar. At 4 miles in length, it’s the longest track that IMSA visits.

2016 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS – VISIT FLORIDA RACING: 4th with 197 points after 7 of 10 rounds complete.

TEAM HISTORY AT ROAD AMERICA: Visit Florida Racing has made five starts at Road America since 2011. The best finish by the team was in 2014 when Richard Westbrook and Michael Valiante took a fourth place result. Last year, that same driver pairing finished fifth in the Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Returns to the Podium at Nürburgring

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Tequila Patrón ESM celebrated National Tequila Day in great fashion on Sunday, earning a third place finish at the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Nürburgring. The No. 31 Ligier P2 of Ryan Dalziel, Luís Felipe “Pipo” Derani finished in third place, earning its third podium in the four completed races of the 2015 race season.

In an effort to prepare and gather information for the 2017 race season, Tequila Patrón ESM switched tire manufacturers to run Michelin, the most successful tire manufacturer in sports car racing. No small move, the two car team worked diligently all weekend to dial in the set up as quickly as possible without any previous tire testing. Focusing on set up instead of outright speed, the No. 30 and No. 31 Ligiers tested numerous variables in the practice and qualifying sessions leading up to the race.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Returns to WEC Ready for Nürburgring

NurburgringPreview

It has been almost a month since the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the drivers and crew of Tequila Patrón ESM are eager to return to the World Endurance Championship for the Six Hours of Nürburgring. Following four podium finishes in the first four races of the FIA WEC and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship  calendars, mechanical difficulties have hampered the two most recent races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Six Hours of the Glen.  Hungry to be back at the front of the field, the Florida based team should be a strong contender with its pair of Nissan Ligier JS P2 cars.

In 2015, both cars struggled to find overall pace in the first half of the race, only getting up to speed in the final half. Throughout 2016, the continuing development of the team from last season has proved to be immense, starting the WEC season off with two first place finishes. The 3.199, 16-turn Germany facility should prove favorable this weekend to the Ligier, a car that shows its strengths on fast and flowing tracks.

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Visit Florida Racing Fourth at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

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Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada (10 July 2016) – Visit Florida Racing came up just short of a podium finish in the Mobil 1 Sportscar Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Sunday when the team and its drivers Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel combined for a fourth place finish.

After leading mid-way through the race, a gamble on strategy didn’t pay off for the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype as the squad targeted victory at the Canadian road course.

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Visit Florida Racing Set for Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix

Mosport qual

Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada (9 July 2016) – Looking to make a return to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park podium, Visit Florida Racing is aiming to move forward in Sunday's Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix as the IMSA WeatherTech Championship stages Round 7 of the 2016 season.

At the sweeping 10-turn, 2.459-mile circuit outside of Toronto, Marc Goossens drove the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP that he shares with Ryan Dalziel to a sixth place starting position on the grid with a fast time of 1:11.296-seconds.

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Visit Florida Racing Heads North to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

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DRIVING AT CTMP: Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens will drive the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK: Round 7 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship held at the quick 2.459-mile permanent road course in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.

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Promising Run for Visit Florida Racing Comes Up Short in Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen

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Watkins Glen, N.Y. - Looking to make it three victories in a row at Watkins Glen International, Visit Florida Racing came up short of that goal on Sunday as a promising outing didn’t deliver the desired result for the Florida-based squad in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.

 Drivers Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens combined for a run to sixth place after six hours of hard-fought IMSA WeatherTech Championship racing as the duo shared the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP.

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Visit Florida Racing Scores Seventh on Watkins Glen Grid

Glen Qual1

Watkins  Glen, New York –  Visit Florida Racing will start Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen from seventh on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship grid after Ryan Dalziel posted a fast lap time of 1:36.473-seconds in qualifying on Saturday. The team is pursuing a third consecutive victory in the 6 Hour classic.

 Dalziel will share the driving duties with his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar teammate Marc Goossens, who won the 2015 edition of the Six Hour in GTD class competition. After the duo set a best time of 1:38.125-seconds in Friday’s first practice session, the team improved for a best time of 1:37.873-seconds in the second practice, and then going even better in practice on Saturday with a quick time of 1:36.461-seconds.

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Defending Winners Visit Florida Racing Look to go 3-for-3 at The Glen

GlenTesting

DRIVING AT THE GLEN: Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens will drive the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype. Visit Florida Racing is just one of three prototype teams utilizing a two-driver line-up.

SAHLEN’S 6 HOURS OF THE GLEN: Round 6 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship held at Watkins Glen International, a 3.4-mile permanent road course with 11 turns.

2016 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS – VISIT FLORIDA RACING: 4th with 142 points after 5 of 10 rounds now complete.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Endures to Finish 24 Hours of Le Mans

LemansRace

LE MANS, Fra., — This week, in Le Mans France, Tequila Patrón ESM showed a monumental effort at the 84th annual 24 Hours of Le Mans. The two-car LMP2 team performed well all week long in every session, promising to again be a podium contender in the third FIA World Endurance Championship race of the season, also the longest on the 2016 calendar. As the world’s oldest active sports car endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has always been a force to be reckoned with, unpredictable in who survives the adversity to come out on top. For Tequila Patrón ESM, the team endured hardship not to finish on the podium but to still complete the grueling 24 hours in 11th and 16th positions.

The opening practice as well as the first qualifying session were only under dry conditions, allowing the six drivers the opportunity to become more confident on track. Torrential downpour hampered the last two remaining qualifying sessions, restricting the chances of the Tequila Patrón cars to better their starting positions. The No. 31 of Ryan Dalziel, Pipo Derani and Chris Cumming qualified in sixth position, and the sister No. 30 car of Scott Sharp, Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek 16th. Unfortunately, Ed Brown’s qualifying stint was during one of the monsoons, not allowing him to get close enough to the required 110% within the pole position. Per FIA WEC rules, the No. 30 car was sent to the back of the field to start in 21st position.

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24 Hours of Le Mans Qualifying Quotes

LeMansQualifying

The No. 31 Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier JS P2 will start P6 in class, P15 overall // Best lap time 3:39.366

Ryan Dalziel // No. 31 Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier JS P2
We had a good first day. Obviously the weather was better on Wednesday than we expected. We’re a little bit off the Orecas, which we expected to be. We’re also a little faster than we expected to be. I think we have a pretty good race car. As always, it seems like tire management will be the important thing. It’s a shame we didn’t get to get any good laps on Thursday to verify some changes. Hopefully the first part of the race can be dry and we’ll see what we get at the end of the race.

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24 Hours of Le Mans Preview: Tequila Patrón ESM

LeMansTest

LE MANS, Fra., ---Race week has arrived in Le Mans, France for the 84th running of the world’s oldest active sports car endurance race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Riding the momentum of a highly successful season to date, Tequila Patrón ESM returns for their second consecutive year, entering two cars in the 60 car field. The black and white Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier JS P2 Nissans will compete in the P2 class, currently the largest field of this year’s running, with 23 cars listed.

The driver lineups for the Tequila Patrón ESM cars will remain the same, with Scott Sharp, Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek sharing the duties in the No. 30 car, and Ryan Dalziel, Chris Cumming and Luis Felipe “Pipo” Derani in the No. 31. Van Overbeek leads the charge for the best Le Mans finish of the No. 30 drivers after his third place finish in the GT class in 2005. This year will mark Sharp’s third Le Mans, and second for Brown, President and CEO of the Patrón Spirits Company. Ryan Dalziel is the only Tequila Patrón ESM driver to grace the top step of the Le Mans podium, winning the LMP2 class in 2012. Cumming and Derani both made their Le Mans debuts in 2015. Cumming’s race ended early with a gearbox problem, but Derani earned an impressive fourth place finish.

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Disappointment in Detroit for Visit Florida Racing

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Detroit, Mich. - After making a very promising start to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship visit to Detroit, Visit Florida Racing’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers took a sudden turn for the worse on Lap 10 when the No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype made heavy contact with the tire wall.

The contact caused significant damage to the right side of the iconic blue Visit Florida Chevrolet Corvette, and the damage was further exacerbated by a second hit when the car was hit by another Corvette DP that had no chance to take avoiding action.

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Visit Florida Racing Chevy on Belle Isle Front Row

Detroit qual2

Belle Isle, Mich. (3 June 2016) – In his first-ever race at the Belle Isle street circuit, Marc Goossens put the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype on the front row for the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic presented by Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers. Goossens’ fast lap time of 1:23.863-seconds was just .048-seconds off of the pole time as he rounded out the all-Chevy front row at the track located in the shadow of Chevrolet’s headquarters.

Goossens and co-driver Ryan Dalziel worked with the Visit Florida Racing team to dial in the Daytona Prototype machine through two practice sessions held earlier in the day.

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Visit Florida Racing Heads to Chevy’s Hometown of Detroit

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DRIVING AT DETROIT: Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens will drive the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.

CHEVROLET SPORTS CAR CLASSIC PRESENTED BY METRO DETROIT CHEVY DEALERS: Round 5 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship held through the streets of Belle Isle Park, a 2.34-mile temporary street course.
 
2016 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS – VISIT FLORIDA RACING: 3rd with 117 points after 4 of 10 rounds now complete.

STRENGTH IN DETROIT: Visit Florida Racing has shown strength at the Detroit street course event ever since IMSA first visited the venue in 2012. The team has brought home three top-five finishes including the pole position and a runner-up finish in 2014. 

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Tequila Patrón Announces Paul Mitchell as Primary Sponsor for 24 Hours of Le Mans

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RIVIERA BEACH, Fla., — This June, FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) team Tequila Patrón ESM will return to France for its second effort at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, currently the world’s oldest sports car endurance event. Paul Mitchell Systems will join Tequila Patrón ESM as the primary sponsor of the legendary race, boasting a striking black and white livery on the pair of P2 Ligiers.

“We are so excited that Paul Mitchell has finally arrived to Le Mans racing,” said Paul Mitchell CEO John Paul DeJoria. “Our world distributors are looking forward to the race, and all of us thank our family, Patrón Spirits, for making this possible. This Tequila Patrón ESM team won both Sebring and Daytona. Look out France, here we come!”

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Tequila Patrón ESM Celebrates Podium after Chaotic Spa-Francorchamps

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Saturday’s race at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps can only be described as dramatically unpredictable. The lead for the LMP2 class battle grew more intense as the hours went on, leading to a final lap battle for the podium steps. Tequila Patrón ESM earned a second podium finish of the 2016 WEC season, securing a third place finish in a tight points fight for the LMP2 class championship.

Throughout practice and qualifying the high downforce Nissan Ligiers struggled to find pace at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, despite topping the charts in the opening practice session. For the Tequila Patrón ESM Nissan Ligiers, the race began like any other, with Pipo Derani starting 8th in the No. 31, and Scott Sharp starting 12th in the No. 30. Both drivers advanced position during their opening stints, with the most impressive jump up the charts happening during the first round of pit stops. Derani pitted the car in 9th, and after a perfectly executed stop, the Brazilian left the pits four positions ahead in 5th.  During his opening stint, Sharp brought the No. 30 into the top 10 before passing the driving duties on to Johannes van Overbeek.

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Teamwork Sees Visit Florida Racing Score Second in Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix

Starts last, finishes second for encore podium result at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

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Monterey, Calif. (1 May 2016) – Visit Florida Racing showed on Sunday that even when it is raining, there is sun behind those clouds. Despite starting the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda over a minute behind the race leader, Visit Florida Racing drivers Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel finished the race in second place to notch the team’s best IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship result of the season so far.

Looking to make a vigorous defense of the team’s 2015 IMSA victory at the California track, Visit Florida Racing had been frustrated in the early practice and qualifying sessions during the weekend as the Corvette DP just didn't have the pace to be a front runner. But lots of data analysis, and another round of adjustments in the morning, saw the car improve come race time.

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Visit Florida Racing Set for Seventh on Continental Tire Grand Prix Grid

LagunaQual1

Monterey, Calif. – Defending Continental Tire Grand Prix powered by Mazda race winners Visit Florida Racing will look to mount a strong push to the front on Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as the team is set to start from the fourth row of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship grid.

The two-hour sprint will see Marc Goossens and Ryan Dalziel team in the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP as the duo hope to return the bright blue skies VISIT FLORIDA Corvette to victory lane for the second year in a row. With a pair of practice sessions on Friday followed by one full session  Saturday, the 15-minute qualifying session yielded a fast lap time of 1:19.652-seconds with Dalziel behind the wheel to lock in seventh on the GTLM and Prototype class field.

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Defending Race Winner Visit Florida Racing Returns to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

DRIVING AT MAZDA RACEWAY: Ryan Dalziel and Marc Goossens will drive the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.
 
CONTINENTAL TIRE MONTEREY GRAND PRIX POWERED BY MAZDA: Round 4 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, a 2.238-mile track with 11 corners featuring the famous Corkscrew.
 
2016 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 4th with 84 points

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6 Hours of Silverstone Podium Finish for Patrón ESM

 Silverstone

Continuing an impressive run in 2016, Tequila Patrón ESM earned a second place finish on Sunday at the World Endurance Championship (WEC) season opening race at the 6 Hours of Silverstone. The finish marks the team’s third podium finish in three races, following record setting wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The team returned for a second full season in the WEC with a two car effort. Starting the event in 10th, the driver lineup for the No. 30 Nissan Ligier JS P2 consisted of Team Owner Scott Sharp, Tequila Patrón CEO Ed Brown and ESM veteran Johannes van Overbeek. Ryan Dalziel, Chris Cumming and Pipo Derani completed the team lineup in the No. 31 Nissan Ligier JS P2, leading the team qualifying effort with a 2nd place result.

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Debrief: 6 Hours of Silverstone Podium Finish for Patrón ESM

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Continuing an impressive run in 2016, Tequila Patrón ESM earned a second place finish on Sunday at the World Endurance Championship (WEC) season opening race at the 6 Hours of Silverstone. The finish marks the team’s third podium finish in three races, following record setting wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The team returned for a second full season in the WEC with a two car effort. Starting the event in 10th, the driver lineup for the No. 30 Nissan Ligier JS P2 consisted of Team Owner Scott Sharp, Tequila Patrón CEO Ed Brown and ESM veteran Johannes van Overbeek. Ryan Dalziel, Chris Cumming and Pipo Derani completed the team lineup in the No. 31 Nissan Ligier JS P2, leading the team qualifying effort with a 2nd place result.

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Tequila Patrón ESM Sets Out for 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship

The FIA World Endurance Championship season officially begins this weekend with the 6 Hours of Silverstone, the first of nine races on the 2016 calendar. Tequila Patrón ESM is returning to the sports car endurance racing series with two Nissan-powered Ligier JS P2s, and a driver lineup to be feared.

Returning drivers Ed Brown, Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek will share the No. 30 Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier. The trio, and Brazilian driver Pipo Derani, have already enjoyed great success this season, winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, the first team to do so since 1998. Derani will join team newcomer Chris Cumming and ESM veteran Ryan Dalziel in the No. 31 Tequila Patrón ESM Ligier.

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Fighting Fifth in Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for Visit Florida Racing

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Sebring, Fla. (19 March 2016) - Visit Florida Racing survived a treacherous run through the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in a race that saw variable Florida weather conditions throughout. The 64th running of the historic event opened under dry and sunny conditions, followed by race-stopping torrential rain, and finished under the always challenging Sebring blanket of darkness.

Drivers Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel, and Ryan Hunter-Reay persevered through some of the most challenging race conditions in Sebring 12-hour history to bring home a fifth place finish.

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Visit Florida Racing Sixth on Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Grid

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Sebring, Fla. – The rich annual tradition of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring will continue on Saturday as the 64th running of the annual endurance challenge will take the green flag at 10:40 AM ET (live broadcast: FOX Sports 1, 10:30 AM ET).

The race marks Round 2 of the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as the Sebring crowd greets nearly 50 cars set for 12 hours of battle on the fabled 3.74-mile circuit.

Looking to build from a podium finish in the opening race at Daytona International Speedway,  Visit Florida Racing will start from the third row of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP of drivers Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens, and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

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Visit Florida Racing Heads South to Sebring International Raceway

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DRIVING AT SEBRING: Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens, Ryan Hunter-Reay will drive the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.
 
RACING AT ‘HOME’: In terms of racing at the home track, none comes closer to home than Daytona International Speedway for Visit Florida Racing. But a close second is Sebring International Raceway located some 150 miles south of the Visit Florida Racing race shop. For Ryan Dalziel, who lives just outside of Orlando, Sebring is his home track, and with Ryan Hunter-Reay 150 miles south of the Sebring road course in Fort Lauderdale, it’s also the closest stop of his four IMSA races.

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Visit Florida Racing Takes Home Podium Finish in Rolex 24 At Daytona

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Daytona Beach, Fla.  – With scores of Visit Florida guests and hometown supporters on hand, Daytona Beach-based Visit Florida Racing drove to a third place finish after 24 hours of hard-fought racing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. It matched the team’s best result in the race after finishing third last year on the way to taking second in the 2015 IMSA Championship.

Visit Florida Racing’s driving trio of Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens and Ryan Hunter-Reay proved to be a potent one as the three drivers combined to deliver a podium result in their first race together. And with the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title the ultimate goal for Visit Florida Racing, the Daytona result was a good step forward in its pursuit of the championship.

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Visit Florida Racing Ready for Rolex 24 At Daytona

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Daytona Beach, Fla. (28 January 2016) – While Florida attracts millions every year with its warm beaches and sunny skies, fans at Daytona International Speedway got a little taste of the orange-growing Florida weather as Visit Florida Racing began its first day of the famed Rolex 24 At Daytona with two soggy practice sessions and an outright downpour during qualifying on Thursday.

Despite the deluge, Visit Florida Racing’s Ryan Dalziel secured an eighth place starting position with the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette DP he shares with Marc Goossens and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

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Good Weekend of Testing in Daytona for Visit Florida Racing

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Daytona Beach, Fla. – Visit Florida Racing spent a productive three days testing at its home track just down the road from the team headquarters, at Daytona International Speedway over the weekend as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship staged its annual ‘Roar Before the 24’. For the Daytona Beach based-team, it was the first opportunity for its new driver line-up of Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel and Ryan Hunter-Reay to turn laps in the No. 90 Visit Florida Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype.

The test saw a mix of Florida weather conditions with clouds, sun, and even some rain drops throughout the test. The various conditions were beneficial in preparing for the Rolex 24 At Daytona which sees a wide range of weather conditions throughout the 24 hours of racing.

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VISIT FLORIDA RACING'S *MEET THE TEAM*

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9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Sunday, January 10
at the Visit Florida Racing transporter

Join us for donuts and coffee at the Visit Florida Racing transporter on Sunday, January 10th at 9:00 AM!

After scoring second in the 2015 IMSA Championship, the Visit Florida Racing team is preparing for an even stronger 2016 IMSA WeatherTech campaign, starting with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Chat with Visit Florida Racing drivers Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel, and Ryan Hunter-Reay as well as team owner Troy Flis.

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Next Event

Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen
IMSA

Watkins Glen, New York
July 14th-14th

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