12 Hours of Sebring
The British are Here: Ryan Dalziel of JaguarRSR
By Kate Shaw
Photos © Lisa Salazar 2010
SEBRING, Florida (March 18, 2010) — When last we saw Ryan Dalziel in the American Le Mans Series, it was 2005 and he was in a Corvette. This Saturday the Scotsman returns to the series in a British marque, as he joins JaguarRSR for their full debut season alongside Marc Goosens. And he’s very pleased with the way the car is running this weekend. “I’ve done about 40 laps in the car this weekend,” he said. “We set some goals for speed that we realistically thought we could achieve, and we have exceeded them already. The car is easy and comfortable to drive; I have driven this track in a number of different cars, and this one is by far the easiest on the driver, an important feature in a 12 hour race. It doesn’t do crazy things; it is just nice to drive. It is a new car, and of course we have development work to do. But all in all we know what needs to be done, we have our goals in mind, and we think we will represent the brand very well this weekend. GT2 is a very competitive class, and we aren’t expecting a podium in our first race, but we do expect to hold our own.”

The biggest challenge in a 12 hour race for a new car, said Dalziel, is reliability, and Sebring has chewed up many cars, old marques a well as new. “Sebring,” he said, “is a very aggressive track, but our car has proved so far to be a reliable package and all things being equal, we fully expect to be there at the end. Speed is a secondary concern to the factory this weekend.” As Murray Walker famously said, To finish first, first you must finish.

Dalziel started his career in formula cars, but considers that he has found a home in sports cars. “Sports cars and formula cars,” he explained, “have different cultures, and you might say I was groomed for the formula car culture leading to F1. And when you are involved in that culture you miss what might be available to you outside it. But once I became involved in the sports car culture, I knew it was the place for me. I fully intend to stay in sports car racing from now on. I went back to Champ Cars [in 2007] and I wouldn’t say that I didn’t enjoy that experience. But I was happy to return to sports car racing and especially to be running the full season with Jaguar.” The atmosphere in sports cars, he said, was part of the enjoyment, as many former Champ Car drivers have joined the ALMS, followed by many of their fans. “I am always seeing faces I recognize from Champ Cars,” he said. “The fan base in the ALMS is fantastic. And the ALMS is a very technical series, which is not the norm in racing now; there are so many cool gadgets, and we drivers love cool gadgets. These cars have them all. Add to that the great tracks, and the ALMS goes to some of the best, and events, and a driver can’t ask for more. In the end, we are not scientists saving the world; we are out there to entertain.  And if you can succeed at that and have fun, its great.”

Although Dalziel is a proud Scot, he makes his home in nearby Orlando, Florida, and his wife’s family is from Sebring and environs. This weekend he will make his debut before his very own fan club as family and friends plan to be present and accounted for. “You’ll spot them,” he assured us. “They’ll be loud!”

Looking beyond the weekend, I asked if he had considered some day taking the track at Le Mans with Jaguar. “That will be up to Paul [Gentilozzi],” he said. “We have talked about it, and I really hope it will happen some day. For a British driver in such a famous marque as Jaguar on that track – it would be historic!”

But meanwhile this weekend, there’s another famous race to run, and a brand new Jaguar to introduce to the fans of the American Le Mans. Look for Ryan Dalziel in the thick of the fray as the green flag flies Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Sebring.