Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing team

founded: Petersen Motorsports: 1997
White Lightning: 1989
headquarters: Pahrump, Nevada, USA
web site: www.petersenmotorsports.com
unique note: Petersen/White Lightning has won every major endurance sports car race: 24 Hours of Le Mans ('03-'04), 24 At Daytona ('01), 12 Hours of Sebring ('05), the Petit Le Mans ('05) and the Monterey Sports Car Championships ('05).

principals: Michael Petersen (team owner),
Dale White (team manager/entrant/owner, White Lightning Racing)

road racing:
2007- Tomas Enge (Czech Republic), Dirk Müller (Germany) and Darren Turner (England) team together at various points over the season as Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing begins a new era of sports car competition with the introduction of the Ferrari F430 GT. 2007 marks the fifth, full-season of American Le Mans Series competition for the team.

2006- Jörg Bergmeister (Langenfeld, Germany) and Patrick Long (Las Vegas, Nev.), returned to Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing for their second consecutive season and the success of 2005, as well as Le Mans '04, was again evident. Bergmeister won his second GT2 Driver Championship while the team won its second IMSA Cup Championship. Long finished third in the Driver standings because he opened the season driving the Porsche RS Spyder in LMP2 class. The team finished second in the Team Championship. The No. 31 led all but one race during the season but faced mechanical obstacles early in the season. Despite several problems which knocked the team out of contention prior to Le Mans in June, they finished all ten American Le Mans Series GT2 races. After a mid-season chassis change due to an accident at Le Mans, Bergmeister and Long went on to win three races (Lime Rock, Road America and Petit Le Mans). The Road America title was the team's third in four years and it was their second, consecutive Petit Le Mans GT2 win. They won three pole positions (Mid-Ohio, Salt Lake and Road America) and three IMSA Cups. Ran the full ALMS season.

2005- With full-season drivers Bergmeister and Long, Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing became the first non-factory team to win an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) team championship in the GT2 class. Bergmeister became the first non-factory driver to win the Drivers Championship since 1999 and Long became the first American since '99 to win the GT2 Drivers Championship. Through first-time victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans and Monterey Sports Car Championship, the team made a sweep of the endurance races in the ALMS. They earned a season-high five victories including closing the year with four straight race wins. Their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR on Michelin tires never started outside of the top-three, sat on the front row in nine of ten events and took two pole positions (Sebring and Lime Rock). Earned a remarkable nine podium finishes and nine of ten IMSA Cup event awards for the highest finishing privateer-entrant dominating the GT2 season-long IMSA Cup championship. Ran the full ALMS season. In non-ALMS competition they finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (drivers: Bergmeister, Long and Timo Bernhard) after winning the GT(2) title the two previous seasons at La Sarthe. Ran the full ALMS season.

2004- Petersen/ White Lightning captured its second straight LM GT class title at the Le Mans with Bergmeister, Long and Sascha Maassen. In the ALMS, Craig Stanton and David Murry contended the full ALMS season. The team earned six podium finishes- including second at Mosport and Road America- in nine races, finished third in the season-long team championship and second in the season-long IMSA Cup championship for privateer teams (winning four individual race IMSA Cups). Ran the full ALMS season.

2003- Petersen/ White Lightning joined with ALMS rival Alex Job Racing (AJR) to win the LM GT class pole and race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in their Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Following that success, they returned to the ALMS becoming the only GT class team to defeat AJR, taking a convincing victory at Road America. They earned a second (with Mowlem, Stanton and Nic Jönsson) at the 12 Hours of Sebring and a third at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Of the races run, the team only finished outside the top-five once- due to an on-track incident early in the Petit Le Mans. Ran partial season of ALMS.

2002- Effort was consistently on the podium in the ALMS including a GT class second-place at the prestigious Petit Le Mans. Ran partial season of ALMS.

2001- Took GT class honors, second overall, at the 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona. First full season of ALMS.

2000-Full-time road racing took precedence as Petersen and White moved their operation into the ALMS and SCCA World Challenge Series. In World Challenge they combined to take three victories (Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta and Texas Motor Speedway). Ran partial season of ALMS and World Challenge.

1999- Debuted in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with two starts earning two top-10 GT finishes.

1998- Won the GT2-class at the Six Hours of Watkins Glen in a USRRC Porsche and at Road America in the Trans-Am Series (Chevrolet Camaro).

off-road:
The team began operation in the late 1980s competing in off-road endurance events. Major off-road successes include championships in SODA, SCORE and SNORE, over 50 wins and 80 podiums and four consecutive class victories in both the Baja 1000 and Baja 500 (overall titles in 1995, '96 and '97). Official Chevrolet/GM Motorsports factory team from 1995-'99.

2007- Petersen/White Lightning returned to the world of off-road racing in January with an impressive debut in Euromilhões Dakar 2007. In what is widely considered the world's most difficult motorsports event, for a first year, privateer team is almost unheard of. However, not only did the team finish in its debut, Michael Petersen drove in the two wheel-drive class with co-driver Matthew Stevenson (Ipswich, England) to 23rd-place overall finish, fifth in the class and as the third-highest finishing American. The team will return for a second effort in 2008.

1999- Off-road accolades with the SNORE Class 1, unlimited championship and the SCORE International, Class 8 championship winning over 50% of the races in that series.

1998- Won the inaugural Protruck Stadium Series championship and began competing in professional road racing.

1995-1997- Won the Baja 1000 and Baja 500 overall.

at a glance - significant accomplishments

2007
- Ferrari Corse Clienti-supported team, ALMS (road racing)
- Drivers: Tomas Enge, Dirk Müller and Darren Turner
- Euromilhões Dakar 2007, 23rd overall, fifth in class, third-highest American (off-road racing)

2006
- Porsche Cars Factory-supported team, ALMS and Le Mans (road racing)
- Drivers: Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long
- ALMS GT2 Class Driver Champion, Jörg Bergmeister
- ALMS GT2 Class IMSA Cup Champions
- LM GT2 Class 11th-place, 24 Heures Du Mans
- GT2 Class, ALMS
      seventh, 12 Hours of Sebring
      fourth, Grand Prix of Houston
      pole position, American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio, seventh-place finish
      victory, New England Grand Prix
      pole position, Utah Grand Prix, second-place finish
      second, Grand Prix of Portland
      victory and pole position, Road America 500
      sixth, Grand Prix of Mosport
      victory, Petit Le Mans
      second, Monterey Sports Car Championships

2005
- Porsche Cars Factory-supported team, ALMS and Le Mans (road racing)
- Drivers: Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long
- ALMS GT2 Class Team Champions
- ALMS GT2 Class Driver Champions
- ALMS GT2 Class IMSA Cup Champions
- LM GT2 Class second-place, 24 Heures Du Mans
- GT2 Class, ALMS
      pole position, race victory, 12 Hours of Sebring
      third, Grand Prix of Atlanta
      second, ALMS at Mid-Ohio
      pole position, second, New England Grand Prix
      second, Grand Prix of Sonoma
      eighth, Grand Prix of Portland
      race victory, Road America 500
      race victory, Grand Prix of Mosport
      race victory, Petit Le Mans
      race victory, Monterey Sports Car Championships

2004
- Porsche Cars Factory-supported team, ALMS and Le Mans (road racing)
- LM GT Class winner, 24 Heures Du Mans
- GT Class, six of nine ALMS race podiums
      GT Class, third-place, 12 Hours of Sebring
      GT Class, third-place, Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio
      GT Class, third-place, Grand Prix of Portland
      GT Class, second-place, Grand Prix of Mosport
      GT Class, second-place, Road America 500
      GT Class, third-place, Petit Le Mans
      GT Class, third-place, team championship
      GT Class, second-place, IMSA Cup/ Privateer team championship

2003
- LM GT Class winner with Alex Job Racing, 24 Heures Du Mans
- GT Class winner, Road America 500
- GT Class, second-place 12 Hours of Sebring
- GT Class, third-place, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

2002
- GT Class second-place, Petit Le Mans (road racing)

2001
- GT Class victory, second-overall, Rolex 24 at Daytona (road racing)

2000
- three-time World Challenge Series winner (road racing)
- ALMS debut (road racing)

1999 -’95
- Chevrolet/ GM Motorsports Official Factory effort (off-road)

1999-’89
- over 50 victories and 80 podiums (off-road)

1999
- SCORE International, Class-8 Champions (off- road)
- SNORE, Class-1 Unlimited Champions (off-road)

1998
- GT2-class victory, Six Hours of Watkins Glen (road racing)
- Trans-Am Series victory, Road America (road racing)
- Protruck Stadium Series Inaugural Champions (off- road)
- Class victory, Baja 1000 and Baja 500 (off-road)

1997
- SODA Unlimited 2wd Champions (off-road)

1997-’95
- Overall victory, Baja 1000 and Baja 500 (off-
road)