ALMS: Mark Wilkins to compete in 12 Hours of Sebring

TORONTO, ON - It was announced today that twenty-six year old Mark Wilkins of Toronto, will join Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker in the Level 5 Motorsports No. 55 FLM09 in the LMPC class for the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. This will be Wilkins’ first start in the ALMS Series and first appearance in the famed event.

Wilkins, who regularly drives the AIM Autosport No 61 Ford Riley in another series was excited at the opportunity to drive in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

“Sebring is one of those tracks that is steeped in history and the 12-Hour is one of those races every racer would like to have on his resume and this is an opportunity not to be missed” commented Wilkins before heading south for testing.  "Level 5 runs a first-class operation and will put a good car on track for Christophe, Scott and myself. I have raced against both these drivers and there is an intensity that will work in our favor during the race. I am looking forward to getting into the Oreca FLM09 on Tuesday, working with the team and focusing on a good result next Saturday”

Mark is on his way to Florida to meet with the crew on Monday (15th), get acquainted with the car and work on a seat fitting. Level 5 Motorsports goes into action on Tuesday (16th) with practice sessions that continue through Thursday. Qualifying for the LMPC class is on Friday afternoon.

The 58th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida is scheduled to begin at 10:30 am ET on Saturday, March 20th. The race will be shown live on SPEED TV.

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Mark Wilkins fast facts: Twenty-six year old Wilkins is a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He started racing in karts and in 2001, joined Woodbridge, Ontario-based AIM Autosport to compete in Formula Ford. He would move on to run in Fran Am, Star Mazda and Formula Renault through 2004 earning podiums in each series.  In 2004 he earned his first podium (3rd) in the Rolex 24 at Daytona (SGS Class) repeating a year later taking third in GT. Wilkins and AIM Autosport joined the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No 16 full time in 2007. In 2008, co-driving with Brian Frisselle, Wilkins scored three podiums including back-to-back victories at Montreal and Watkins Glen. Wilkins also recorded two poles that season. A graduate of Georgian College in Automotive Marketing, Wilkins works in marketing with Engineered Automotive, a business specializing in Automotive Sales (inc. importation), Automotive Service, Automotive Tuning, Vehicle Storage and Track Events.

From Chris Jameson // Level Ten Communications