Corsa Team Getting First Up-Close Look At Hybrid

Braselton, May 12, 2009: The countdown to Corsa Motorsports’ history-making debut this weekend with a hybrid prototype in the American Le Mans Series is ever decreasing. The Utah-based team is going through the inner workings of its new Ginetta-Zytek 09HS LMP1 entry just three days before it hits the track for the first time at the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix.

Johnny Mowlem, who will team with former F1 ace Stefan Johansson, shook down the prototype a week ago at England’s Silverstone circuit. Pruitt said the car ran on both E10 power and electrical power on separate occasions.

“The car has arrived,” team owner Steve Pruitt confirmed from the team’s base in Sandy, Utah. “And that’s beneficial because our guys are getting to see something they haven’t seen before. Our requirements are that everything be gone through - wiring, harnesses to make sure there is no friction or rub to make sure the car can go through an endurance race. We’re in the process of putting the car back together today.”

“I’m absolutely delighted that the car ran so well at it’s first ever track test,” Mowlem said. “It’s a testament to all the hard work from everybody at Ginetta-Zytek that technology as new and as complicated as this could run so well and effectively on its debut. This now allows us to take this brand new technology and demonstrate it at Miller Motorsports Park. This is very important for Steve and the whole Corsa Motorsport team, as it is the home track for this team. This car is a technical marvel and it is going to turn a lot of heads.”

The Corsa Ginetta-Zytek will employ a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that enables the collection and conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy. It permits the use of an electric motor resulting in more efficient power and a lower carbon footprint.

“It’s like a cordless drill under electric power. It’s something that will be interesting to hear and see it come down pitlane for the first time under battery power,” Pruitt said. “We know how it works in theory and on a computer. Going from the drawing board to asphalt is where everything is unknown. We still haven’t driven the car with both systems engaged. Then there are other dynamics; if it works as it should, what’s the impact and effect on a driver?”