Photo source: de Ferran Motorsports

Veteran driver Gil de Ferran will retire from professional racing at the end of the 2009 ALMS season, and in tribute to his career, he will serve as "Grand Marshal" of Laguna Seca at the last race of the season there on October 10.

De Ferran has his own ALMS team (de Ferran Motorsports), and he and co-driver Simon Pagenaud drive the number 66 XM Radio Acura ARX-02a in the LMP1 class. For this last race only, the car will wear the all-white livery of Jim Hall's Chaparral cars. De Ferran credits Hall as a mentor, and both he and two of the Chaparral cars will be present at the race, along with the yellow Pennzoil that de Ferran drove in his first IndyCar victory (1995 at Laguna). De Ferran won IndyCar crowns with Penske Honda in 2000 and 2001, and the Indianapolis 500 in 2003.

Of course, there will be all sorts of festivities the weekend of the Monterey Sports Car Championships, and de Ferran will have the honor of giving the "start your engines" command.

de Ferran Motorsports