November 29, 2011 (Los Angeles, Calif.) – Duncan Ende is proud to announce that he will contest the 2012 American Le Mans Series as he joins Henri Richard at Silicon Tech / Dempsey Racing, taking aim at the LMPC class championship.
Ende, who calls Los Angeles, California home, comes off of a strong 2011 American Le Mans Series campaign, in which he won three races en route to finishing second in the GT-C class championship. With strong results in his first full season in the ALMS, Ende is looking forward to the new challenge in the LMPC class, which featured tight competition all year and the closest championship result in ALMS history in 2011. As part of Silicon Tech / Dempsey Racing, Ende will be making a return to prototypes after several seasons in GT cars. Ende contested the IMSA Lights championship in 2006, taking five wins.
“I couldn’t be more excited about partnering with Henri and Dempsey Racing in the American Le Mans Series next season,” said Ende. “It was a difficult decision to leave TRG after a great season with them and with Spencer Pumpelly, who is not only a phenomenal driver but a great friend. But everything fell into place to run LMPC and I’m really looking forward to this new challenge. There is no doubt that LMPC is incredibly competitive and I’m really excited to be a part of it.”
Ende and Richard have partnered once before, when the two drove a TRG Porsche to victory at the 2010 Petit Le Mans. He hopes their winning ways will continue in 2012.
“I’m very excited to see Duncan rejoin our team for the 2012 season,” Richard said. “We had a great time driving together in 2010 at Sebring and Petit Le Mans, and obviously the results at Petit spoke for themselves. Duncan is a young, talented, and extremely affable young man, and I believe he will represent the Silicon Tech Racing brand very well. He’ll be a great asset to us on and off the track, and I look forward to the coming season.”
Ende has more in common with Dempsey Racing team principals Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster than just a passion for motorsports. All three are also avid road cyclists, and Ende hopes join them in next year’s Dempsey Challenge, an annual ride organized and held in Maine each October that benefits the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing.
“I know Henri was looking for a skilled young driver to partner him in 2012 and it sounds like he’s made a great choice in Duncan,” Dempsey said. “He and Spencer Pumpelly got some great results last season and we’re happy to add him to the fold.”
Ende will sample the team’s new ORECA FLM09 for the first time at the annual Sebring Winter Test on February 8-9, 2012, before he and Richard tackle the 60th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida on March on March 14-17, 2012.
Ende will continue with his partnership with STANDD.org
For more about Duncan Ende, visit www.duncanende.com, or follow him on twitter at @duncanende.
To learn more:
Racer’s Roast and the Fox River Coffee Company, visit www.foxrivercoffee.com.
STANDD, visit www.standd.org
Silcon Tech Racing, visit www.silicontechracing.com
Dempsey Racing, visit www.dempseyracing.net
Media contact:
Efrain Olivares, (818) 254-7196, efrain@shiftgroup.net