Perseverance pays off in Guasch’s race to prototype challenge crown

The PC class championship went down to the wire and was decided by a single point.

The 2013 American Le Mans Series season's closest championship battle – unresolved until a late-night points re-check – was in Prototype Challenge in which Michael Guasch of PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports took the title by a single point. Jon Bennett's CORE autosport claimed the PC team title.

"It has been an emotional roller coaster all year," said Guasch, who opened the year with a victory at Sebring. "Nothing has come easy. We've been hit, we've wrecked in warm up, taken the pole but not the race win (and) just had everything thrown at us all season.

Pit stop for #52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca FLM09 Oreca: Mike Guasch, Dane Cameron, David Cheng

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

"It just shows how difficult it is to compete at this level where getting anywhere near the front takes an enormous amount of energy. It is such an incredible accomplishment by the whole team and all of our supporters that helped make this possible."

Guasch also received the ALMS Founder's Cup presented to a gentleman driver who embodies the "learn by doing" spirit of founder Don Panoz.

Named Mechanics of the Year were Daryl Fox of Muscle Milk Pickett Racing (P1); Randy Penning of Level 5 Motorsports (P2); Alex Zaric of Team Falken Tire (GT); Larry Ellert of JDX Racing (GTC); and Troy Cowgill of RSR Racing (PC).

The International Motor Sports Association's TUDOR United SportsCar Championship hits the track for the first time on Nov. 16-17 with testing at Sebring International Raceway. Rolex 24 testing follows on Nov. 19-20 at Daytona International Speedway.