Bryan Sellers Named 2012 ALMS Most Popular Driver
Falken Tire Factory Driver Sees Success in Petit Le Mans Effort
BRASELTON, Ga., October 23, 2012 – Winning is what Team Falken Tire factory driver Bryan Sellers does best. His resume is a string of race and championship titles. Sunday evening, October 21, at the annual American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón “Night of Champions” banquet, the Braselton, Ga.-resident added what may be the most humbling and important honor of his young career. Sellers was awarded the fan-voted “American Le Mans Series Most Popular Driver” award for 2012. The annual prize goes to the driver, in any of the sport’s five classes, deemed the most popular after an extensive online vote at www.ALMS.com . Entering the evening’s celebration of the season, Sellers knew he was among the final ten drivers eligible for the award. However, it was not until the ceremony itself that the affable driver heard his name called by event MC Brian Till affirming his place as one of the Series’ most significant drivers.
As for the race that brought the world of sports car racing to Sellers’ hometown, Saturday’s Petit Le Mans did not add to the accolades. But, perhaps, the race said more about the former open-wheel racing champion than all the podiums he has amassed in his career. Joining with fulltime teammate Wolf Henzler (Germany) and team regular Martin Ragginger (Austria) in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Sellers and team would end the 1,000-mile race sixth in GT class. The ALMS finale was a result far from the winning performance they showed earlier in the season at the Grand Prix of Baltimore, but it was a near perfect execution by all involved that drew almost as much satisfaction for Sellers.
The 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans has become a hallmark event in international sports car racing with teams being drawn from around the globe. The competition was intense both within the 42-car field and with the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta circuit itself. Knowing they were down on outright speed to their challengers, the team put in place a strategy to run quickly and consistently, gaining wherever they could but never leaving anything on the table. It was a mental and physical exercise for the drivers who knew that any Falken Tire-shod wheel put wrong would jeopardize the entire day.
Sellers took the green flag for the event, his 50th career ALMS start, and pulled the No. 17 into the top-six by the end of the first hour. Thus begun the team’s fight to gain positions with each driver getting roughly an hour in, two hours out of the car for the race’s nine-hour, 37-minute duration to travel 1,000 miles. In the end, the group would come within five seconds of breaking into the top-five. However, the checkered flag fell on the race and the season before that final time could be erased. Despite the frustration of not breaking into the top-five, the approach demanded of his skill, patience and precision was rewarding in-and-of itself.
For his season-long effort, which included the win at Baltimore – his third career victory in the ALMS – as well two fourth-place finishes, Sellers was awarded eighth in the Driver Championship. In addition, he helped Porsche’s four-car 911 GT3 RSR GT class effort capture second in the Manufacturer Championship, Falken to third in the Tire constructors battle and Team Falken Tire to fifth in the Team Championship.
Quotes
Bryan Sellers:
On receiving the 2012 ALMS Most Popular Driver Award: “It is an amazing honor to receive the Most Popular Driver Award. There are really no other words to describe it. This sport is so great because of the people in it and because of our fans. For them to vote me as one of their favorite drivers is fantastic. I am very thankful to be able to do what I get to do for a living and to be recognized for showing others how much I love it. It is almost odd to get an award for just being so happy about what you do for a living. I just cannot say ‘thank you’ enough to all the fans, to Team Falken Tire, Porsche, to the ALMS and IMSA. Without the incredible support from everyone, I wouldn’t have ever been in the position to receive such a cool and humbling honor.”
About the Petit Le Mans: “Team Falken Tire always delivers a solid effort and this race was no exception. We raced much better than we practiced or qualified and that was our goal through the whole week. I would say we were satisfied with how we ended but not pleased. We thought we could have still been a little bit better than what we were. Every race you go into you have to know where you rank and what your strategy going in needs to be. This race was all about staying out of trouble and continuing to run. We set our mind on being consistent and solid every lap.”
On his feelings of the results: “I would say there is no satisfaction like winning, but what you do have from this result is a sense of accomplishment. We knew our job and we were able to deliver on it.”
On his initial feelings of the season: “Seasons like this make you stronger as a program and forces you to be good in every aspect of the races. When you do have the ability to win you are prepared. I think we have put ourselves in that position at Team Falken Tire.”
For more on Bryan Sellers, please visit him on the web at "> www.BryanSellersRacing.com . Follow Bryan on Twitter ("> www.Twitter.com/BryanSellers ) and LIKE him on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/BryanSellersRacing . Tune-in to Bryan’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/BryanSellersRacing .
Visit www.FalkenTire.com for more on Team Falken Tire. Learn more about the American Le Mans Series at www.ALMS.com .
Getting on the road riding Blue with Bryan by visiting www.RideBlue.com .
Go R/C racing with Bryan at www.HPIRACING.com .
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