Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing- It's All About The People

Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing – It’s All About The People

LAS VEGAS, November 24, 2003 – In a sport best known for high-tech
machines, one team recognizes that their Porsche 911 GT3 RS, while a
remarkable automobile, cannot prepare or drive itself. Success comes
from the effort put behind the machine. That’s where the group of people
that Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing has assembled separates
it from others that focus more on the technical than the human
resources. 2003 marked Petersen/White Lightning’s most successful sports
car racing season to-date. The Las Vegas-based race team worked with
Alex Job Racing (AJR) to win the LM GT class at the prestigious 24
Heures Du Mans in June. Proving that the Mike Petersen-owned and Dale
White-managed team was up to the task of winning against the
factory-supported AJR effort, they won the American Le Mans Series
(ALMS) round at Road America in GT class. Until an early accident ended
the team’s day while fighting for the lead at the ALMS season-closing
Petit Le Mans, the No. 31 Westward Ho Casino/MMPIE/PAWS/XtraJet/Justice
Brother’s Porsche had finished inside the top-five in class in every
event the team entered in 2003. Despite not attending three races, the
driving duo of Johnny Mowlem, of Warfield, England and Craig Stanton,
Long Beach, Calif., finished ninth in the final points chase for drivers
one point out of eighth with 73 markers. The race team, directed by lead
technician Kent Moore, finished the season as the third highest GT
privateer entrant, fourth of all the GT class entries. The
Petersen/White Lightning team’s success in ’03 helped to win Porsche and
Michelin their respective manufacturers’ titles as well. 

“The 2003 season has now come to the end and what a wild ride it was!”
reflected Petersen. “We started the year with a second at Sebring and
just a few more minutes and we would have beaten Alex (Job Racing)! We
went to Le Mans and, with some luck, won our fist time over there. In
Wisconsin we got our first [ALMS] victory for the Petersen
Motorsports/White Lightning Racing team and it was great to have the
whole team there to celebrate with us as not all of them could be at Le
Mans! The Petit Le Mans is a race we love… or is it? After running up
front for the first hour we were making a pass for the lead when we were
punted off. Watching the car clobber the wall down the straight was very
hard for us all as we knew we were out. We have the hardest working
crew. We are all like family. It was so hard for us all for it to end
this way. With the good things that happened throughout the year we had
to hold our heads up high with the good results we achieved as a team. I
would like to thank the team; without all of their hard work and long
hours we would not be the threat that we always are. Johnny and Craig
really rose to the occasion when we needed it. I also want to thank Dale
for making things work so smoothly and running this team with me first
as a friend then as a partner! To all of the other sponsors that made
this all possible and thank you to Porsche and Michelin for making
terrific products. Last but not the least, thank you Mom for making so
many of my dreams come true. I can never thank you enough!”

Showing that racing is the ultimate team sport, Petersen/White Lightning
has utilized the skills of dozens of team members to support the primary
staff. The list of key members of the team over the course of the 2003
ALMS season included: Petersen, White, Moore, Mowlem, Stanton, and team
engineer Harry Haggard. Technicians Nico Castellaccio, Dennis Chizma,
Chris Manfredi, Pat Williams, Darrin Rudicil, truck driver Sam Andrus
and team tire technician Bill Raifsnyder maintained the car throughout
the year. The team’s web site, PetersenMotorsports.com, was designed and
maintained by Andrew Salas. 

Dale White, Petersen Motorsports’ team manager and owner of White
Lightning, based the season less on the win-loss column and more on the
results of the team members. “We have a great group of dedicated
individuals that all want to be the best. Rewards for our group come
from doing well and they all have the desire to win, you couldn't ask
for anything more than that.”

Opening the season, Sweden’s Nic Jönsson joined Mowlem and Stanton at
the 12 Hours of Sebring finishing second in class after starting third.
The team, focusing on Le Mans, opted to miss the second round of the
ALMS season at Road Atlanta, returning for the Sonoma, Calif. race at
Infineon Raceway starting third and finishing fifth. The former off-road
championship team stayed home for the two Canadian-rounds of the season
before bringing the yellow, white and red car to Road America in Elkhart
Lake, Wisc. There, the No. 31 started fifth on its way to the team’s
first ALMS class victory in an exciting battle between Porsche and
Ferrari. Moving on to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the effort started
third and finished in that position. The penultimate round of the season
on the Miami street course scored the team yet another top-five— a
fourth-place finish starting from third on the grid. That brought the
team to the 10 Hour or 1,000 mile Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta for the
season finale. Fighting for top-three honors in both the GT driver and
the team championships, the team started sixth after a wet qualifying
session and finished against the super-fast turn-12 wall shortly after
one hour of competition. The accident, which occurred while fighting for
the class lead, dropped the team to 17th in class at the end of the race
marking its lowest finish, and only finish outside the top-five, in
2003.

“Of the three years I've driven for Mike and Dale, 2003 was without a
doubt our most successful,” said two-time ALMS winner Mowlem. “The Road
America win was obviously our highlight, but I'm also pleased that we
showed throughout the whole year, in both qualifying and the race, that
we could be extremely competitive. Given what we had at our disposal, I
think it is a testament to everyone involved that we always raced in the
top-three, and only failed to qualify in the top-three on two occasions.
The fact that we went into the final round fighting for second in GT
despite missing three races, shows that the team was the real deal and
thoroughly deserved its success.” 

Stanton reviewed the season in his usual laidback, California way; “The
team gained a lot of momentum throughout the season. We all came
together. I really enjoyed working with the guys this season. Porsche
and Michelin gave us an incredible car to start with and the whole team
put out just an amazing effort every weekend to give us an edge. It was
a real honor to work with Mike, Dale, Harry, Johnny and the guys. Sports
car racing is gaining momentum, which I think is awesome. The fans have
been great this year. I really appreciate all of their support and I’m
looking forward to racing next season with Petersen Motorsports/ White
Lightning Racing.”

Extensive plans are underway for the 2004 season. While later
announcements will confirm sponsorship, driver line-up and anticipated
schedule, Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing is motivated to
achieve the team’s highest success to date in the American Le Mans
Series. To that end, the team just completed a move into a larger
preparation facility in Las Vegas to further strengthen the charge for a
season championship. One key fact will never change at Petersen
Motorsports/White Lightning Racing, however. The team and its success
will always be all about the people. 

For more, please visit www.PetersenMotorsports.com.