Major league racing took a brief hiatus and returned in 2007 and 2008 with the American Le Mans Series and IndyCar Series.

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Following their decision to withdraw from Formula 1, BMW will now focus on the touring car series, Formula BMW and the American Le Mans series.

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Apart from his cinematic fame, Dempsey has earned attention for his driving performances in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in a Mazda GT car and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

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The engine will be based on the Porsche RS Spyder racing engine that demonstrated its impressive performance and efficiency through multiple Michelin Green X Challenge victories in the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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After racing the full 2007 Champ Car schedule, he was looking for work when the series merged with IndyCar in 2008 and ended up competing in the American Le Mans Series and was 14 seconds short of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011.

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At the American Le Mans Series' six-hour endurance race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September, the GT3 R Hybrid walked away from the field, posting the fastest laps in the GT class and stopping only three times for fuel, compared with other competitors' five or more stops.

WSJ: Porsche GT3 R Hybrid; 2012 Porsche 911 S: Porsche Blasts Hybrids Into a New Stratosphere | Rumble Seat by Dan Neil