Tomy Drissi (left) and Kyle Marcelli finished second in LMPC at Long Beach, and look for their first class win this weekend at Lime Rock. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

One driver primed to secure his first ALMS class win is young Canadian Kyle Marcelli, who secured a runner-up finish with Tomy Drissi in LMP Challenge his last start at Long Beach.

Marcelli enters Lime Rock after a whirlwind couple weeks attempting to sort out whether he would make his debut in Europe’s Le Mans Series, and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. The car he was initially entered in was withdrawn due to niggling electrical issues.

A last-minute arrangement saw Marcelli and 2010 part-time co-driver Chapman Ducote aboard one of JMB Racing’s entered Oreca FLM09s in the Le Mans Series’ Formula Le Mans class, the European equivalent of LMPC with the same car.

In the race at Imola, Italy, the young Canadian with the Italian-sounding name took the class win driving with Ducote and Nico Marroc.

“The details were different but the quality of competition was excellent,” Marcelli said. “Going green from start to finish in a six-hour race was great work.”

Marcelli qualified second in class at Lime Rock last year, in the rain, and with Drissi, seeks the elusive first win on U.S. soil in the No. 89 Intersport car.

Drissi’s in the news this weekend as well, as fans will have the opportunity to win free theater tickets by participating in a photo contest of the team’s car this weekend. Taking photos of the No. 89 car with the Rise of the Planet of the Apes on the sidepods and uploading to Drissi’s Facebook page gives fans a chance to win after voting on the best photo.