Andy Meyrick suffers but scores at Sebring!

WRDA member Andy Meyrick had a frustrating debut in the American Le Mans Series at Sebring after the car had to make a lengthy pit stop after only twenty minutes racing.  The pit stop, to fix electrical problems, lost the team more than 50 laps, and looked like it had put paid to any chances of a good result. Even so the BP Castrol Mazda Lola coupe driven by Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Andy Meyrick, fought back from dead last to 21st place overall, taking 3rd place in the LMP 2
class.

The car was using a new BP fuel & Chris Dyson team owner said "The engine ran flawlessly on the isobutanol fuel, and there are a lot of good things from this race for us to build on for the rest of this year.”

After driving two double stints, Andy was happy to take home a podium finish from his first race in America. “It was a tough start to the race, but it showed the spirit of the team. I think it does show what we will be bringing to the table for the rest of the season. It was certainly a day to remember. I’ve never learned so much from one race in my entire life! It was incredible. I felt that I learnt more about sports car racing in that one race than I probably did in the whole of last season; it was fantastic. All kinds of things, from how to approach the race to strategy to race craft.

"I got a lesson from David Brabham ( former American Le Mans Series champion) at one corner which was very nice! I’d kind of switched off, having done what I thought was a pretty good stint, and was thinking that it was nice to have him behind me. I was on my in lap and had started unplugging my drinks bottle, with about 5 GT cars behind me, and he pounced straight away.  It’s little things like that, and those type of mistakes I need to make and learn from so I won’t make them again. Technically, it was really interesting and instructive to see how the cars changed throughout the race and how the circuit itself changed. I’ve never experienced circuit change like that from start to finish. It was also my first time racing in the dark, going from daylight into darkness and that was a good experience, as well as having to nurse the car and push at different periods during the race. I had two stints in the full heat of the day which, in a closed cockpit car, really puts your fitness to the test. I was glad I’d done all the work over the winter as those were the hardest conditions I’ve had to race in yet. As far as the team’s result was concerned, it was great to get a result and some championship points. I’m really looking forward to Laguna Seca in May and driving this car again. I’m sure the weeks will go by really quickly!"

Andy will next be partnering in the BP sponsored entry at the third race of the American Le Mans season at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in California.

Live Commentary from Radio Le mans http://rlm08.0157.org/alms.php

Test session interview from Radio Le Mans

Live coverage on SPEED, http://www.speedtv.com/programs/american-le-mans-series/

and Motors TV 20/3/2010 13.30 ALMS Preview + on 22/3/2010 ALMS Sebring Highlights

http://www.andymeyrick.com     http://www.dysonracing.com/ http://www.americanlemans.com/