Sebring: Terry Borcheller preview

Terry Borcheller is impressed with his team's preparation for the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, the 2005 American Le Mans Series season opener. Borcheller, of Gainesville, Ga., will drive the No. 63 ACEMCO Motorsports Saleen S7R in the March 19 race with Ralf Kelleners of Germany and Johnny Mowlem of England. The race, on the demanding 3.7-mile Sebring International Raceway road course in Sebring, Fla., is the first for the car with Michelin tires.

"The team has worked really hard over the winter and the car is better, for sure," Borcheller said. "The whole package is better -- we have a great driver lineup, a great team and Jeff [Giangrande, team owner] has worked very hard to build the team over the winter. The Michelins have been a great asset to the whole program."

Borcheller and ACEMCO will compete in the newly named GT1 class against the ALMS champion Corvettes and new Aston Martin and Maserati teams.

spring break

A record crowd is expected for the 12-hour race, eclipsing last year's 160,000 fans. Borcheller will participate in several off-track activities for the series and fans, including a volleyball game that pits drivers against the Hawaiian Tropic Girls and a party hosted by race insurance mentor John Gorsline. He will also speak to students at Sebring High School for the sixth-consecutive year.

details

The Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring is scheduled from 10:45 am to 10:45 pm on Saturday, March 19 on the 3.7-mile Sebring International Raceway road course in Sebring, Fla. The race will be telecast live on Speed Channel from 10:30 am to noon, 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm to 11 pm. Live timing/scoring and the ALMS Radio Web will be accessible on americanlemans.com.

futures

ACEMCO Motorsports is focused on the Sebring race this week, but the team is already well into preparation for les 24 Heures du Mans in June. "They started working on the car in December, so it's a pretty serious deal," Borcheller reported.