After the announcement that I would be returning to Panoz, I have some pretty interesting questions thrown at me. What happened there? I never thought you would return to...? Aren't Aston Martin racing this year? and others besides.
I could write down now all of the events that brought this about, and tell you all about how it all happened, but I won't. To be honest, there's no need to say anything as I look forward to a new challenge - winning the GT2 title for Multimatic Team Panoz.
The next question I can hear you about to ask is 'Multimatic'?
You might not be aware, but Multimatic is now running the Panoz racing programme - and I could not be more pleased, even though I enjoyed my team at the 'factory' team. I have worked with Multimatic before, both through Dynamic suspensions, a company they own and which worked with Panoz just before I left, and with the race team, as we won the
Daytona 24 Hours together in the first year of the Daytona Prototype class in 2003, driving the Multimatic-Ford DP.
The team tested at Sebring the other day and, even though I wasn't there, I hear that the car proved quick and reliable. Scott Maxwell was at the wheel of the quickest GT2 car at the test, and he is my team-mate, so that can't be bad. Scott was one of my team-mates in that Daytona win, so we have tasted success before. I get to drive the Panoz at the end of February at Road Atlanta - my home away from home - and, hopefully, we can be just as successful there too.
It's also nice to be back in the ALMS. I can't wait to return, as I have missed competing in the championship full-time. I have started 49 times, and have ten wins, 27 top threes and 38 top fives, so I know the ALMS pretty well...!
