Max Lefevre Joins Condor Motorsports

Following a strong test at Buttonwillow Raceway last week, French driver Max Lefevre has joined Condor Motorsports for the 2009 Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda.

The French driver logged approximately 650 miles during his three-day test at Buttonwillow. The team took the opportunity to expose the Lefevre to numerous changes to the car with the idea of familiarizing him with different car setups and, more importantly, to evaluate his feedback. He was able to relate the behavior of the car with precise detail and worked well with the team’s engineers.

“It was pleasure to work with Max," said Team Owner Carlos Bobeda. “I was not only impressed by his driving ability but also his professional approach. He never put a wheel wrong in all the laps he turned. Max has achieved good results in the European lower formulas so there was no doubt in my mind that he would do well in the test. However, his performance in the more powerful Atlantic car was far superior to the expectations I placed on him.

“He adapted very quickly to the race track and the Atlantic car and was turning competitive times from the onset. The whole team is excited to have Max in our driver lineup for 2009. He is definitely someone to watch in 2009."

“It was great fun to experience the power and downforce of the Atlantic car," Lefevre added. “The team chose Buttonwillow Raceway for my first tests. It was a good place to start since it presents many challenges while remaining safe. I also appreciated very much the team’s approach with a new driver.

All the members of Condor Motorsports succeeded in making me feel at home and this helped me build confidence and adapt to the car within the first day. Working on car setups at Condor’s level of professionalism was a real treat. The know how, and the way I was looked after during the whole three days of the test confirmed that Carlos Bobeda was the perfect person for me to make my first steps in American racing. I am very excited with the opportunity to compete in this high-level series and look forward to the start of the Atlantic season."

The team is planning to run two to three cars in 2009, with interested drivers currently being considered for the remaining available seats.