Muscle Milk Pickett Racing

{{short description|American racecar team}} {{Infobox motor racing team | name = {{flagicon|USA}} Muscle Milk Pickett Racing | logo = | founded = 2007 | principal = Greg Pickett Brandon Fry | former series = [[United SportsCar Championship]], [[American Le Mans Series]], [[IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge]] | driver titles = 2 ([[2012 American Le Mans Series season|2012]], [[2013 American Le Mans Series season|2013]]) | team titles = 2 ([[2012 American Le Mans Series season|2012]], [[2013 American Le Mans Series season|2013]]) | folded = 2014 }}

'''Muscle Milk Pickett Racing''' (formerly known as '''[[Muscle Milk]] Motorsports''' and '''Muscle Milk Team Cytosport''') was a motorsports group from Indianapolis, Indiana. The team was founded in 2007 by [[CytoSport]] co-founder and former [[IMSA GT Championship]] driver Greg Pickett. Since 2007, Pickett's team has competed in the [[United SportsCar Championship]], the [[American Le Mans Series]], the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] and the [[IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge]]. The team officially closed in 2014.

In 2007, the Pickett bought an ex-[[Dyson Racing]] [[Lola B06/10]] and teamed with former [[NASCAR]] and [[Trans-Am]] driver [[Klaus Graf (racing driver)|Klaus Graf]]. The team was scheduled debut in the third round of the ALMS season at the [[Grand Prix of Long Beach]] but the car did not start the race. The team went on to claim third place finishes in class at Mid Ohio, Road America and [[2007 Petit Le Mans|Petit Le Mans]] with [[Memo Gidley]]. By season's end they finished fourth in the [[2007 American Le Mans Series season|LMP1 championship]].

The 2009 season saw the team return to the [[American Le Mans Series]] with an LMP2 [[Porsche RS Spyder]], also formerly run by [[Dyson Racing]].<ref>[http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-cytosport-returns-to-alms-with-porsche-rs-spyder/ Cytosport Returns With Porsche RS Spyder] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310021853/http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-cytosport-returns-to-alms-with-porsche-rs-spyder |date=2010-03-10 }} Speed TV Website 2009-06-20 Retrieved 2010-03-17</ref> Pickett and Graf debuted the car in the 6th round of the season at [[2009 Sports Car Challenge of Mid-Ohio|Mid Ohio]] where they finished 4th overall and 2nd in class.<ref>[http://www.alms.com/results/race/2009/2009_07RoadAmericaResults.pdf?year%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=2009&race=574/ ALMS Race Results] ALMS - Acura Sports Car Challenge - Results] 2009</ref> At [[2009 Petit Le Mans|Petit Le Mans]] they were joined by Porsche factory driver [[Sascha Maassen]]. After 184 laps the race was red flagged due to heavy rain with the team finishing 22nd overall and third in class.<ref>[http://www.alms.com/results/race/2009/2009_07RoadAmericaResults.pdf?year%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=2009&race=577/ ALMS - Petit Le Mans - Results] 2009</ref> The team claimed 4 pole positions in the last four races and Klaus Graf finished fifth in the LMP2 Drivers' Championship. Having not driven in the rain shortened Petit Le Mans, Greg Pickett finished eighth in the Drivers' Championship.

2010 was the team's first full season<ref>[http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81527 CytoSport to do full ALMS season] Autosport Website 2010-02-10 Retrieved 2010-03-17</ref> and both LMP1 and LMP2 classes combined to make one class for all ALMS races. Pickett and Graf were once again joined by Maassen at Sebring and Petit Le Mans where the LMP1 and LMP2 classes split again to accommodate the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.<ref>[http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81592 Maassen to rejoin CytoSport] Autosport Website 2010-02-19 Retrieved 2010-03-17</ref> The team took LMP2 victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, finishing fourth overall, followed by two overall victories at [[2010 Northeast Grand Prix|Lime Rock]] and [[2010 Grand Prix of Mosport|Mosport]]. Muscle Milk Team Cytosport finished second in the LMP class just 20 points behind [[Patrón]] [[Highcroft Racing]] and Graf finished second in the Drivers' Championship.

The [[2011 American Le Mans Series season|2011 season]] saw the two LMP classes split again to LMP1 and LMP2. Cost capping regulations enforced by the [[Automobile Club de l'Ouest|ACO]] made the RS Spyder too expensive to run in the LMP2 class. The team took this opportunity and bought a [[Lola-Aston Martin B09/60|Lola-Aston Martin B08/62]] and returned to the LMP1 class. [[Lucas Luhr]] joined the team for the full season with Pickett only entering in the longer races of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. Unfortunately, there was not much competition during the start of the season with [[Dyson Racing Team]] being the only other full-time LMP1 entry, who later entered a second car. This was followed by Autocon Motorsports who returned with their updated [[Lola B06/10]]. Despite winning four events over the course of the season, '''Muscle Milk [[Aston Martin Racing]]''''s retirement at the season opening [[12 Hours of Sebring]] with a mechanical failure left the team with a points deficit. At season's end they would finish second in the Teams' and Drivers' Championship with the Dyson team taking the title.

2012 saw '''Muscle Milk Pickett Racing''' campaign Honda's latest LMP1 car, the [[HPD ARX-03a]], for the full season.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cavin|first=Curt|title=Muscle Memory|journal=[[Autoweek]]|date=April 30, 2012|volume=62|issue=9|page=68}}</ref> [[Klaus Graf (racing driver)|Klaus Graf]] and [[Lucas Luhr]] continued as primary drivers. The team also expanded to the [[Le Mans Prototype Challenge|LMPC]] ranks with an Oreca FLM09 piloted by Michael Guasch and Memo Gidley. The team ran the LMPC car for three races before withdrawing after the Laguna Seca round after reconsideration from the team. The #6 HPD car, after some bad luck with a fueling hose at Sebring, went on to win the next five races in a row and another win at [[Virginia International Raceway]]. At the season's final race, Petit Le Mans, Lucas Luhr was hit by a GTC class Porsche. Despite repairs needed during the race, the team was able to complete 70% of the race in order to win points. The team won both the LMP1 Drivers' and Teams' Championships with just 5 points over their main rivals, [[Dyson Racing]].

For 2013, the team continued competition with their [[HPD ARX-03a]] for the first three rounds before moving to the updated -03c for the remainder of the season. For the first three races, the team faced serious competition from the Swiss [[Rebellion Racing]] team. After losing out at the season opening [[2013 12 Hours of Sebring|12 Hours of Sebring]] the team claimed the next two races at Long Beach and Laguna Seca. With [[Rebellion Racing]] withdrawing their full season entry to focus on 2014 plans, the Muscle Milk team won the next six races over the [[Dyson Racing]] squad and claimed the Teams' and Drivers' Championships. [[Rebellion Racing]] returned for [[Petit Le Mans]], the final race of the American Le Mans Series before it would merge with the [[Rolex Sports Car Series]] to form the new [[United SportsCar Championship]]. A rain filled race saw the team lead overall until an overheating issue took the team's HPD out of the race.

==United SportsCar Championship==

While team owner and principle, Greg Pickett, was originally working with [[Nissan]] to field a factory [[Nissan GTR]] [[Group GT3|GT3]] program in the newly formed [[Tudor (watch)|Tudor]] [[United SportsCar Championship]] GT Daytona class, plans never come to fruition, forcing the team to continue with a privateer program for 2014. The team received shipment of a new [[Nissan]] powered [[Oreca 03]] days before the Roar Before the 24 winter test.<ref>Dagys, John (December 19, 2013) [http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/muscle-milk-goes-with-oreca-nissan-for-2014/Muscle Milk Goes With Oreca-Nissan for 2014]</ref> Driver's [[Klaus Graf (racing driver)|Klaus Graf]] and [[Lucas Luhr]] were joined by [[Alex Brundle]] for the season opening [[24 Hours of Daytona]]<ref>Dagys, John (January 2, 2014) [http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/alex-brundle-joins-muscle-milk-for-rolex-24/#comment-13475/Alex Brundle Joins Muscle Milk for Rolex 24]</ref> and [[Jann Mardenborough]] for the [[12 Hours of Sebring]].<ref>Dagys, John (February 21, 2014) [http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/mardenborough-completes-muscle-milk-lineup-for-sebring/ Mardenborough Completes Muscle Milk’s Lineup for Sebring]</ref> The [[International Motor Sports Association|IMSA]]'s balance of performance left the LMP2 teams with a substantial gap in top speed to the much higher powered [[Daytona Prototype]]s and although the LMP2 cars were much more competitive at Sebring, the team was plagued by a power steering issue that gave them a 5th-place finish at Daytona and a retirement at Sebring. The team originally decided to sit out the following two rounds of the championship to develop their [[Oreca 03|Oreca]] chassis,<ref>Dagys, John (March 25, 2014) [http://sportscar365.com/imsa/tusc/muscle-milk-to-skip-long-beach-monterey/ Muscle Milk to Skip Long Beach, Monterey]</ref> but soon decided to withdraw from the championship in question of the series' officiating and the team's competitive future against the [[Daytona Prototype]]s.<ref>Pruett, Marshall (April 16, 2014) [http://www.racer.com/imsa/item/102817-imsa-muscle-milk-pickett-racing-exits-tudor-championship/ Muscle Milk Pickett Racing exits TUDOR Championship]</ref> On May 16, 2014 it was announced that '''Muscle Milk Pickett Racing''' had closed its doors and would not return to competition.<ref name=aw1>Pruett, Marshall (May 16, 2014) [http://racer.com/imsa/item/103616-imsa-muscle-milk-pickett-racing-closes-its-doors/ Muscle Milk Pickett Racing closes its doors]</ref>

==24 Hours of Le Mans==

2008 was a quiet year for the team. They did not compete in the American Le Mans Series because the team wanted to focus on the competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team competed alongside Czech team [[Charouz Racing System]]. Pickett and Graf competed alongside sportscar racing veteran and [[1988 24 Hours of Le Mans]] winner, [[Jan Lammers]] in the team's Lola B07/17. The team qualified the #12 LMP1 car 12th on the grid. The trio completed 146 laps before the 5.5 Liter [[Judd (engine)|Judd]] V10 failed and they had to retire.

With a move to LMP2 for the newly formed [[Tudor (watch)|Tudor]] [[United SportsCar Championship]] prototype class, '''Muscle Milk Pickett Racing''' was invited to compete at the [[2014 24 Hours of Le Mans]].<ref>Dagys, John (December 20, 2013) [http://sportscar365.com/wec/lemans/aco-confirms-auto-invites-for-lm24/ ACO Confirms Auto Invites for LM24] 2014</ref> However, using the 2014 season as a development year for the team's new [[Nissan]] powered [[Oreca 03]], team owner Greg Pickett decided to turn down the offer.<ref>Dagys, John (January 12, 2014) [http://sportscar365.com/wec/lemans/muscle-milk-withdraws-le-mans-entry/ Muscle Milk Forgoes Le Mans Plans] 2014</ref> The team had cited a possible return in 2015. However, the team officially closed operations soon after.<ref name=aw1/>

==Drivers==

{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Klaus Graf (racing driver)|Klaus Graf]] (2007–14) ALMS, TUSC {{flagicon|DEU}} [[Lucas Luhr]] (2011–14) ALMS, TUSC {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Jann Mardenborough]] (2014) Sebring {{flagicon|UK}} [[Alex Brundle]] (2014) Daytona {{flagicon|USA}} Greg Pickett (2007–2011) ALMS {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Simon Pagenaud]] (2012) Sebring {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Romain Dumas]] (2012, 2013) Petit Le Mans, (2012) Sebring {{flagicon|DEU}} Mark Bullitt (2011) IMSA GT3 {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Memo Gidley]] (2007, 2010, 2012) ALMS {{flagicon|DEU}} [[Sascha Maassen]] (2009–10) ALMS {{flagicon|NED}} [[Jan Lammers]] (2008) Le Mans

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links== {{Commons category|Muscle Milk Team CytoSport}} *[http://www.pickettracingteam.com/ Official Website] *[http://www.musclemilk.com/ Muscle Milk Official website] *[https://www.cytosport.com/ CytoSport Official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Muscle Milk Motorsports}} [[Category:American Le Mans Series teams]] [[Category:American auto racing teams]] [[Category:Auto racing teams established in 2007]] [[Category:Auto racing teams disestablished in 2014]] [[Category:WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams]] [[Category:Grand American Road Racing Association teams]]