2012 WEC, ALMS&ELMS News

[Rob]

2012/04/21 16:24
The GTC accepts GT3s!
In order to meet the numerous requests of GT teams and drivers from all over Europe, the organisers of the European Le Mans Series in agreement with the ACO has decided to open up the new GTC category (made up of cars from single-make cups like the Porsche Cup or the Ferrari Challenge) and accept FIA GT3 homologated vehicles to reach the number of twenty-five cars for the next round at Donington on 13-14-15 July.

Their level of performance will be adjusted by the ACO through technical solutions that are currently being studied, whose aim is to maintain a level playing field in the categories already entered, in particular the LM GTE Ams (the GTCs are slower than the GTE Ams).



The cars in the GT3 category have shown the necessary reliability to take part in endurance events and to be competitive in the ELMS 6-Hour races.



The following models are eligible for GT3:

- Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3

- Audi R8 LMS

- BMW Z4 GT3

- Ferrari 458 Italia GT3

- Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+GT3

- McLaren MP4-12C GT3

- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

- Porsche GT3-R



All these makes and models will beef up the GTC category in the next three rounds of the 2012 European Le Mans Series Championship.



The acceptance of GT3 cars does not concern the FIA World Endurance Championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours, which are reserved for LM P1s, LM P2s, GTE Pros and GTE Ams.

http://www.europeanlemansseries.com/....php?news=2152

[Rob]

Pescarolo delays debut of LMP1 car until the Le Mans 24 Hours
Monday, April 23rd 2012, 16:01 GMT

Sportscar legend Henri Pescarolo has delayed the debut of his new LMP1 contender until the Le Mans 24 Hours.

His team had planned to race its new Pescarolo-Judd 03, which is based around the monocoque and suspension from last year's Aston Martin AMR-One, at the Spa 6 Hours on May 5.

As predicted by AUTOSPORT, it will now not be ready in time for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, which means Pescarolo Team will be forced to give the car its race debut in the 24 Hours in June.

The late start date for the project was blamed by Pescarolo for the postponement. He explained there would be no chance to test properly before the Spa event.

The team ran its 2011-specification Pescarolo 01 at the Sebring 12 Hours WEC opener in March. Teams were given dispensation to run last year's cars for one race only.

Pescarolo will still be on the grid at Spa with the Dome-Judd S102.5 coupe, which it will also race at Le Mans.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99118

do like to see Pescarolo do well, be great to see them win Le-Mans 24hr. Hope he could manage that 1 day.

[Rob]

The successor to the Pescarolo 01, that concluded its career with a superb third place in the WEC competitors at the Sebring 12 Hours (sixth overall), the new Pescarolo 03 was expected to race at the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (May 5), the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship​​. Pescarolo Team will be present in the Belgian Ardennes, but only with the Dome S102.5.

Although the team based Le Mans hase worked hard, the new prototype requires essential testing before it contests its first race. Jean-Christophe Boullion, Emmanuel Collard and Julien Jousse will look longingly at their teammates in the Dome S102.5, which will make its comeback in Europe.

Sebastien Bourdais and Nicolas Minassian, who tested the Japanese prototype in Spain, are very confident, just like their boss Henri Pescarolo: "The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps occupies a special place in my heart. Since 1973 I have held the record outright speed 262 km/h average. And it has often been successful for my drivers. I hope that 2012 will not disappoint, and will deliver valuable information for the 24 Hours, while we are waiting impatiently for the Pescarolo 03 to finally turn its wheels on a track. "

[Rob]

British team Strakka Racing chose St George's day to unveil the new patriotic livery of the HPD ARX-03a that includes the Union flag on the 'shark fin'.

The team based at Silverstone England has changed from a white and blue colour scheme that was seen at the 12 Hours of Sebring, to a very distinctive and patriotic silver and blue, with the flag integrated into the design on the fin. Drivers Nick Leventis, Danny Watts and Jonny Kane are currently at the MotorLand Aragón Circuit in Spain (see article), giving the new car its first run. Following this two-day Michelin tyre test, the LMP1 car will be transported directly to Belgium for Round 2 of the FIA WEC, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on the 5th of May.

Piers Phillips, Strakka Team Principal and Technical Director: “We wanted our race car to really stand out from the crowd, have a very distinctive and instantly recognisable colour scheme and highlight that we’re extremely proud to be a British team racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The car looked great at Sebring, but now after some innovative design work the HPD ARX-03a looks even better. We hope fans like it and come out to support us, especially at our next two races at Spa-Francorchamps and at the Le Mans 24 Hours.”

http://www.lemans.org/en/news/strakk...-hpd_6860.html

[Rob]

On Saturday 5th May, at 14:30, forty one competitors, prototypes and GTs, will be at the start of the 2nd round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The last race befor the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

LOCATION
This circuit nicknamed "Toboggan of the Ardennes" winds between the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot, in the province of Liege, Belgium (official site).

HISTORY
Created in 1921 and revised several times since then, the circuit hosts the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Belgium (46 times). It is also the scene of the 24 Hours of Spa and many other national and international events.

CIRCUIT
Alternating long straights and fast corners, the track is very technical. Its banked turns, its very slow hairpin (La Source), and the famous Eau Rouge, this circuit offers drivers and spectators a unique experience. Capricious Belgian climate sometimes springs surprises. It may be raining on one part of the circuit while the other remains dry. But whatever the weather, Spa-Francorchamps retains its reputation as one of the most beautiful circuits in the world.

THE RACE
This is one of the most prestigious events of the season. The grid of 41 cars includes the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro hybrid and the Dome S102.5 enterd by Pescarolo Team. For some competitors, the race offers an opportunity to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours (June 16 and 17) under race conditions. For all, it is an opportunity to score valuable points in the standings of the FIA World Endurance Championship (official site).

ENTRY LIST (download Entry List in pdf)
LM P1 (10 cars)
1 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST AUDI R18 E-TRON QUATTRO
2 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST AUDI R18 E-TRON QUATTRO
3 AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST AUDI R18 ULTRA
4 AUDI SPORT NORTH AMERICA AUDI R18 ULTRA
12 REBELLION RACING LOLA B12/60 COUPE - TOYOTA
13 REBELLION RACING LOLA B12/60 COUPE - TOYOTA
15 OAK RACING OAK PESCAROLO - JUDD
17 PESCAROLO TEAM DOME - JUDD
21 STRAKKA RACING HPD ARX 03a - HONDA
22 JRM HPD ARX 03a - HONDA
LM P2 (16 cars)
23 SIGNATECH NISSAN ORECA 03 - NISSAN
24 OAK RACING MORGAN - JUDD
25 ADR-DELTA ORECA 03 - NISSAN
26 SIGNATECH NISSAN ORECA 03 - NISSAN
28 GULF RACING MIDDLE EAST LOLA B12/80 COUPE - NISSAN
29 GULF RACING MIDDLE EAST LOLA B12/80 COUPE - NISSAN
31 LOTUS LOLA B12/80 COUPE - LOTUS
32 LOTUS LOLA B12/80 COUPE - LOTUS
33 LEVEL 5 MOTORSPORTS HPD ARX 03b - HONDA
35 OAK RACING MORGAN - JUDD
38 JOTA ZYTEK Z11SN - NISSAN
40 RACE PERFORMANCE ORECA 03 - JUDD
41 GREAVES MOTORSPORT ZYTEK Z11SN - NISSAN
43 EXTREME LIMITE ARIC NORMA MP 2000 - JUDD
44 STARWORKS MOTORSPORT HPD ARX 03b - HONDA
45 BOUTSEN GINION RACING ORECA 03 - NISSAN
49 PECOM RACING ORECA 03 - NISSAN
LM GTE Pro (5 cars)
51 AF CORSE FERRARI 458 ITALIA
59 LUXURY RACING FERRARI 458 ITALIA
71 AF CORSE FERRARI 458 ITALIA
77 TEAM FELBERMAYR-PROTON PORSCHE 911 RSR (997)
97 ASTON MARTIN RACING ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE V8
LM GTE Am (10 cars)
50 LARBRE COMPETITION CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1
55 JWA-AVILA PORSCHE 911 RSR (997)
57 KROHN RACING FERRARI 458 ITALIA
58 LUXURY RACING FERRARI 458 ITALIA
61 AF CORSE-WALTRIP FERRARI 458 ITALIA
67 IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT PORSCHE 911 RSR (997)
70 LARBRE COMPETITION CHEVROLET CORVETTE C6 ZR1
81 AF CORSE FERRARI 458 ITALIA
83 JMB RACING FERRARI 458 ITALIA
88 TEAM FELBERMAYR-PROTON PORSCHE 911 RSR (997)
TICKETS

The Pitwalk on Saturday is on offer with the purchase of a ticket bought via the promotion on the site spafiawec.com.

PROGRAMME (download programme in pdf)
Thursday 3rd May 10h50 - 11h30 : Radical Masters / Essais Libres 1 (40')
11h45 - 13h15 : FIA WEC / FREE PRACTICE 1 (90')
14h15 - 15h15 : Speed Series / Free Practice 1 (60')
15h30 - 16h10 : Radical Masters / Free Practice 2 (40')
16h25 - 17h55 : FIA WEC / FREE PRACTICE 2 (90')
Friday 4th May 09h00 - 09h45 : Speed Series / Qualification (45')
10h00 - 11h00 : FIA WEC / FREE PRACTICE 3 (60')
12h30 - 13h05 : Radical Masters / Qualification (15'+5+15')
13h25 - 14h55 : Speed Series / Race 1 (90')
15h10 - 15h30 : FIA WEC / QUALIFICATION LM GTE (20')
15h40 - 16h00 : FIA WEC / QUALIFICATION LM P (20')
16h20 - 17h10 : Radical Masters / Race 1 (50')
Saturday 5th May 09h00 - 09h50 : Radical Masters / Race 2 (50')
10h05 - 10h25 : FIA WEC / WARM UP (20')
10h45 - 11h45 : Speed Series / Race 2 (60')
12h15 - 12h45 : FIA WEC / AUTOGRAPH SESSION (30')
14h30 - 20h30 : FIA WEC / 6 HOURS OF SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (6h)
ACCOMODATION / TOURISM
Including hotels and campgrounds, the region offers many places to stay, and while you are there, why not try visit the Abbey of Stavelot, or the thermal waters of Spa?


http://www.lemans.org/en/news/guide-...amps_6878.html

[Rob]

The Gulf Racing Middle East team tested, day and night for two days at Magny-Cours with two Lola-Nissan prior to the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship​​. The team who are entered in the colours of the United Arab Emirates, have moved up from LMGTE Am to the LMP2 class for the 2012 season.

Both Lola B12/80 were delivered shortly before the 12 Hours of Sebring, and Gulf Middle East Racing had just time to complete a shake-down before flying to Florida. A track exit during the night session meant that the #28 car could not take part in qualifying, while the sister car #29 started from the back of the grid, having failed to achieve a timed lap during the qualifying session.

The two-day test at Magny-Cours was very welcome to both driver crews. Fabien Giroix, driver and team manager, Maxime Jousse, Julien's younger brother and veteran Stefan Johansson, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997 (with Tom Kristensen and the late Michele Alboreto), will share the wheel of the #28. The crew of the sister car also remains unchanged from Florida with Frédéric Fatien, Jean-Denis Delétraz, who was with the Giroix Racing Team at Le Mans in 1995 and 1996 with a McLaren, and Keiko Ihara, the only female driver.

http://www.lemans.org/en/news/testin...east_6884.html

[Rob]

Oliver Jarvis says Audi factory LMP1 debut at Spa will be vital preparation for Le Mans
By Glenn Freeman Friday, April 27th 2012, 10:36 GMT

Oliver Jarvis says he is treating his debut in Audi's factory sportscar squad at Spa next weekend as a learning experience ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The Briton is racing as part of the German's squad's works LMP1 line-up for the first time this year, starting with the Spa 6 Hours. And Jarvis, who competed in the DTM from 2008-11, is looking forward to racing the Audi R18 ultra with Marco Bonanomi.

"I've been looking forward to my first run as an Audi factory driver at Spa for a long time," he said. "We've got a new car and I'm forming a new driver team with Marco.

"There's a lot to learn for us at this race that we're using as a test for Le Mans. But that doesn't mean that Spa is not important as a single race.

"We obviously want to battle for a podium place but as a relatively new member of the sportscar family I know I've still got a lot to learn."

Jarvis and former Audi reserve driver Bonanomi will be joined by Mike Rockenfeller at Le Mans, but the German cannot race at Spa because it clashes with the DTM race at Lausitz. Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich believes that the newcomers will benefit from racing as a two-man team in Belgium.

"For Marco and Oliver, Spa has the positive effect that as a team of two they have the chance of driving more race kilometres than the teams of three drivers," Ullrich said. "So Spa is an important premiere for them."

Team Joest technical director Ralf Juttner added that Audi was disappointed by Toyota having to delay the debut of its TS030 racer after a heavy crash in testing.

"Everyone is looking forward to Spa," he said. "The preparations are underway but the event will be a huge challenge for us.

"Toyota, unfortunately, will be missing Spa, which is really a shame. We'll only be meeting with our competitor at Le Mans, but there are many other good cars in the field."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99170

[Rob]

Second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (5th May) will see the debut of both new Audi R18; the e-tron quattro and R18 ultra. A double first, and also a dual purpose: the best result in the Belgian Ardennes, and the best preparation for the 80th Le Mans 24 Hours (June 16th and 17th).

Two of each of these cars are expected in the Belgian Ardennes.

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "Like last year, Spa will be a ‘dress rehearsal’ for us for the Le Mans 24 Hours. We’d been planning to compete there with exactly the same teams as at Le Mans, in other words with all four vehicles and the squads assigned to them. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to completely follow our plan with respect to the drivers. Mike Rockenfeller is not available because he’ll be running in the DTM at the Lausitzring. And Timo Bernhard isn’t completely fit yet after his accident at Sebring. That’s why we’re giving reserve driver Marc Gené the chance to contest a race. He’ll be driving together with Romain Dumas and Loïc Duval in order to get used to the vehicle and to gel with the squad in case we should be using him at the Le Mans 24 Hours. We’re firmly assuming that Timo Bernhard will be in perfect shape to run again at Le Mans. For Marco Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis, Spa has the positive effect that as a team of two they have the chance of driving more race kilometers than the teams of three drivers. So, Spa is an important premiere for them - just like it is for our two car models, the R18 e-tron quattro and the R18 ultra."

Marcel Fässler (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "Spa is one of my favorite tracks, which gives me a positive feeling. Plus, running in the R18 e-tron quattro this year is very special anyway. It’ll no doubt be a great experience."

André Lotterer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "At Spa we’ll be driving the e-tron quattro for the first time. I’m very confident because I thought the car was really superb in the track tests. I can hardly wait to go to Spa. It’s a special track for me where I spent a lot of time even as a child and teenager."

Benoît Tréluyer (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #1): "This is a very important debut for the R18 e-tron Quattro because for the first time we’ll see where we stand with the hybrid compared to the competition. I really like my R18 e-tron quattro. Hybrid drive simply gives you an interesting sensation at the wheel."

Dindo Capello (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): "Now I’m experiencing another debut with Audi, and for the first time in a world championship. In the past, Audi was the first manufacturer to be victorious with a diesel, so the second WEC round is an important race. Audi wants to start a new chapter in motorsport history, and Spa is exactly the right track for it."

Tom Kristensen (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): "Looking back, the Audi’s premieres were always fantastic, from the R8 and R10 TDI through to the R15 TDI. Now it’s the R18 e-tron quattro’s turn. Allan, Dindo and I are travelling to the second race as the championship leaders after giving the Audi R18 TDI at Sebring a superb farewell."

Allan McNish (Audi R18 e-tron quattro #2): "My adrenaline level has already begun to rise. You really start to understand the advantages of a new car only in a racing situation with respective weather and in the battle with other competitors. The technology is brand new but we’ve got a good base. Spa perfectly suits my driving style, but I’m still waiting for my first victory there."

Romain Dumas (Audi R18 ultra #3): "At Spa, I’ll be running with a new team-mate. At Sebring, we saw that Timo (Bernhard) and I quickly started to work together really well with newcomer Loïc. I’m sure that’ll work out equally well with Marc . He has a lot of experience in sports prototype racing and is intimately familiar with Spa. It’s a shame that Timo isn’t able to run but under these circumstances Marc is no doubt the best possible replacement."

Loïc Duval (Audi R18 ultra #3): "I came to highly respect Marc as a driver in the past. He’s joined the squad as a solid team player. For the first WEC race in Europe, I’m wishing for the event to go as well as the premiere at Sebring did. Obviously, it would be great to see all three Audi driver teams on the podium. But it’s primarily an important race in preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours."

Marc Gené (Audi R18 ultra #3): "For me, this is an honor and I’m delighted to be competing for one of the most successful brands in history, Audi. And Spa is one of my favorite tracks. I immediately received a warm welcome. I’m hoping to be able to return as much as I’ve been receiving."

Marco Bonanomi (Audi R18 ultra #4): "Finally, I’m experiencing my racing debut in a sports prototype. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a year and a half. This is an important point in my career and I’m making this debut on one of my favorite tracks. I was on the grid on this track in Belgium in Formula 3000 and the World Series, and finished on the podium several times. So, I know the track well."

Oliver Jarvis (Audi R18 ultra #4): "I’ve been looking forward to my first run as an Audi factory driver in the R18 ultra at Spa for a long time. We’ve got a new car and I’m forming a new driver team with Marco. At Le Mans, we’ll be joined by Mike (Rockenfeller). It’s a good opportunity for the whole driver squad to grow together. We obviously want to battle for a podium place but as a relatively new member of the sports car family I know that I’ve still got a lot to learn."

(Source: Audi Motorsport press release)

Looking forward too see the e-trons race finally. Reliability being fair to them, Audi should walk this race again. Shame Toyota did have to pull out, but that the sensible think to do after ther crash. Have too wait till the Le-Mans 24hr test days too see the Toyota. Hope that AF Corse can continue their winning start. Roll on 5th May.

[Nova]

Only 2 458's for the GT class at Homestead Florida Grand AM race today.
Practice rained out, on Speed starting 1:00 est.

[Rob]

Only 2 458's for the GT class at Homestead Florida Grand AM race today.
Practice rained out, on Speed starting 1:00 est.

be watching that later

[Rob]

The Aston Martin Racing Vantage makes its European circuit debut at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship​​. Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke and Adrian Fernandez will drive the car that took them to third place in the FIA World Endurance Championship in LMGTE Pro in the Sebring 12 hours in March.

After the failure of the AMR One prototype programme last year, the British team will want to do well at Spa, just a few weeks ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where a second car is on the reserve list. The car remained in the United States after the Sebring 12 hours to compete in the second round of the American Le Mans Series on the streets of Long Beach, California.

John Gaw, Aston Martin Racing Team Principal: “We’ll arrive at Spa full of confidence that we can deliver another competitive performance. We made real progress with the Vantage GTE during its first two races at Sebring and Long Beach, so we’ll target another WEC podium come race weekend. The whole team is looking forward to racing in Europe again, particularly at a circuit with so much heritage. The Vantage GTE hasn’t yet raced on a track such as Spa, what with its long straights and high-speed corners, so I’m sure we’ll learn a lot about the car throughout the weekend which will be beneficial for the rest of the season.”

Darren Turner, driver : “We’ve had two good races now with the Vantage GTE, taking strong results in both of them. The car is coming along well now and we understand more about its performance and characteristics every time we go out. Racing at Spa is usually a highlight of a driver’s season and it’s no different for me so I hope we can continue our good work there. After the two American races this one will be more akin to Le Mans, with regards to strategy and the long lap time. It will be good for the guys to readjust from the ALMS to the WEC regulations before we head off to Le Mans.”

On Thursday 3rd May, the three Aston Martin factory drivers will be on track for the first free practice session of the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

Cécile Bonardel (Source: Team press release)

[Nova]

Ferrari WINS GT class!! In heavy rain.
The 2nd 458 finished well down, if you saw the race, it was a deluge.
Yay!!!!

edit: Here are the results!!!!
The AIM Autosport Ferrari 458 of Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato won the GT class. Second went to the No. 42 Mazda RX-8 shared by Dane Cameron and Wayne Nonnamaker. John Edwards and Robin Liddell ended up third in class in the Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R. The No. 67 Racer’s Group Porsche and the Turner Motorsport BMW M3 rounded out the top-five in GT.

A stunning victory for this team in only their 3rd race.

[Rob]

Toyota ready to return to testing action after Paul Ricard accident
By Pablo Elizalde Monday, April 30th 2012, 08:59 GMT

Toyota will return to the track with its TS030 HYBRID this week after a hiatus in its testing programme following a crash.

The Japanese squad was forced to delay its planned racing debut in the Six Hours of Spa this weekend because of an accident that damaged its chassis during testing at Paul Ricard.

The setback also meant the team had to cancel seven days of testing during April.

Toyota has worked hard to produce a second car that will be completed directly before transportation to the one-day functionality test at the Magny-Cours circuit on Friday.

"I would like to express my thanks to the staff members at Toyota Motorsport GmbH who have worked so hard to deliver our second monocoque ahead of schedule," said team president Yoshiaki Kinoshita.

"Now we have a very intense testing programme to prepare for Le Mans, beginning with an initial functionality test to shakedown our systems."

Toyota's new car will make its racing debut in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99267

[Rob]

Multiple winners in the Belgian Ardennes?
30/04/201223h43 - Auto News - 6 HOURS OF SPA−FRANCORCHAMPS WEC


Of all the teams at the start of the next 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, only three drivers will be eligible for a second overall victory in a race that has increased from 1000km to 6 Hours.

Appearing in the Le Mans Series schedule since its inception in 2004, this race in the Belgian Ardennes has had different winners each year. Audi R8 won its first edition in the UK with Audi Veloqx Johnny Herbert-Jamie Davies. The first has now oratorical talents on British television and the second with no endurance program since 2009, they will repeat their feat.

In 2005, the trio John Nielsen-Casper Elgaard-Hanayari Shimoda won in the swift but fragile Zytek. Emmanuel Collard and Jean-Christophe Boullion would follow suit next year with Pescarolo Sport. They thought they could defend their chances of victory on the second slide of the Ardennes, but wham, the team of Henri Pescarolo Pescarolo become Team, announced its plan for the second round of the World Championship.

In recent years Peugeot have dominated, winning five times in Belgium since 2007, and on each occasion with a different driver crew. If Toyota had been ready its new Hybrid TS030, Alexander Wurz, who won last year, could have scored a second victory in a row, a feat that (so far) only Pagenaud, who is absent this year, and Nicolas Minassian have managed to do.

Minassian, who comes from Marseilles and is based in England, could win a third time, and his team-mate Sebastien Bourdais for the second time. The French drivers of the Dome of Pescarolo Team, will have a tough time beating Marc Gene (winner in 2008 and 2011), who found refuge at Audi after the accident of Timo Bernhard during testing at Sebring.

Strangely, the count for Audi at Spa-Francorchamps is stuck on one, but he Ingolstadt based manufacturer has good chance on improving that score this year with four prototypes entered, two with hybrid engine. Marc Gene may have an advantage over his former team-mates Nicolas Minassian and Sebastien Bourdais, but in the Belgian Ardennes, there is always the threat of rain, which may upset the order. Stephane Sarrazin, a former winner, could then shine as he did at Sebring in March, where he took third place with Honda of Starworks Motorsport entered in the LMP2 category.


http://www.lemans.org/en/races/fia-w...0%A2_6885.html

[Rob]

We expected Michael Waltrip to be at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, but there will be another NASCAR driver in the Belgian Ardennes: Brian Vickers. The American will join Robert Kauffman, driver and team owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, and Rui Aguas in the Ferrari 458 Italia entered by AF Corse in LMGTE Am.

Brian Vickers will not be away from NASCAR for long. He will contest eight NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2012 with the #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine. The driver 29 year old native of North Carolina, is pleased to be at Spa-Francorchamps: “Running at Spa is pretty cool. It’s such a historic place, and the high speed Eau Rouge corner sure gets your attention. It will be a challenge in the race. Le Mans will be one of the highlights of my career. This is an opportunity I never thought I would have. I can’t wait to get there and soak up the atmosphere. I’ve raced a lot of places but Le Mans will be special.”

With two wins in the bank in the premier class of NASCAR, Brian Vickers will strive to meet the objectives set by Rob Kauffman: "We have more experience and data by racing at Sebring, the Rolex 24 in Daytona, Petit Le Mans and Le Mans itself. We want to run the full 24 hours and continue on our learning curve. We’re still fairly new and just want to keep developing our program. Amato (Ferrari) and the guys at AF Corse are fantastic to work with. ”

[Rob]

MB Racing will go directly to Le Mans without visiting Spa-Francorchamps
01/05/201217h06 - Auto News - 6 HOURS OF SPA−FRANCORCHAMPS WEC



Third in the 6 Hours of Castellet, the first round of the 2012 season of the European Le Mans Series, the JMB Racing team, who have an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, decided not to participate at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

The team from Monaco were counting on the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship ​​in Belgium for a final rehearsal for the 80th Le Mans 24 Hours, but they have to skip Spa because they can not field the entire crew that will be at the Le Mans. A test session will be organized before the Test Day June 3 to better prepare before going to La Sarthe.

http://www.lemans.org/en/news/jmb-ra...amps_6901.html

[Rob]

JRM '...to achieve the unachievable'
02/05/201210h54 - Auto News - 6 HOURS OF SPA−FRANCORCHAMPS WEC

After holding third place in their endurance racing debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring, JRM Racing has conducted three days of testing before going to the Belgian Ardennes for the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship​​.

At Sebring, a suspension problem cost fifteen laps and a podium finish, JRM Racing has demonstrated the potential of their Honda HPD ARX-03a. They go to Belgium with confidence, on a circuit familiar to the trio of drivers of the British team.

David Brabham: "After Sebring, the team have been able to catch their breath and take a good look at the data, so I am sure we will be in even better shape at Spa and I'm anticipating a strong performance. I love the circuit and have raced there in F3, F1, Touring Cars and Sportscars - and won the Spa 24-hours there in 1991."

Karun Chandhok: "I love Spa, but then again, who doesn't? I won there in GP2 and have always been pretty strong around the circuit. It normally rains at some point, but I have experience there in the wet, including last year in the F1 car. We had a good test last week and I'm learning more about the car, so I'm hoping for a good result this weekend."

Peter Dumbreck: "The fact that we almost pulled off a podium at Sebring gives me great confidence going into the Spa weekend. I have raced there many times before in a variety of different cars, but nothing quite as fast as the JRM HPD LMP1, so I intend to use my circuit knowledge to get up to speed quickly."

Nigel Stepney (Team Manager and Head of Engineering): "This time we are at a circuit that all of us know, having raced there in different formulas, so we go to Spa better prepared. However, the circuit seems to have its own weather system, when it can go from bright sunshine one-minute, to pouring with rain the next."

James Rumsey (Team Principal): "Our performance at Sebring proved that we have the pace to get to the podium. All three of our drivers have raced at Spa before and say it's one of their favourite tracks. So if we can bring all of these elements together, then we should be in line for a good result. Our target is the same as always - to achieve the unachievable!"

The start of the WEC 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps will be on Saturday 5th May at 14h30 (local time).

(from JRM Racing press release)

[Rob]

Porsche enters the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship with ​​optimism after a strong victory for Team Felbermayr-Proton in LM GTE Am at the 12 Hours of Sebring, coupled with second place for the team's second car in LM GTE Pro.

The German marque go to a circuit that was the scene of one of the fastest runs of the history of endurance racing, the 1971 1000 km of Spa 1971, was won by Pedro Rodriguez and Jackie Oliver in a Porsche 917 at 249 km/h average speed.

Hartmut Kristen, Porsche Head of Motorsport: “The new World Endurance Championship began very well in Sebring for our Felbermayr-Proton team. The Spa-Francorchamps race track is closely tied to historic Porsche endurance racing successes. It’s a very demanding challenge that our works drivers Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz have already mastered extremely well with class victories in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the past years.”

Marc Lieb: “Aside from the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the Spa circuit is my absolute favourite. The track is flowing and very challenging, not to mention the fantastic corners. It’s simply great fun to drive the 911 GT3 RSR there. We made a great start to the season in Sebring and now we want to continue in the same vein. I’m feeling very confident that we’ll manage it.”

Richard Lietz: “I really like the circuit and Marc is one of the Spa specialists, so for that reason alone I’m feeling very optimistic about this race. We know we can be fast with the new 911 GT3 RSR. Our second place in Sebring has put us in a good position for the rest of the season. The race in Spa runs over six hours, in Sebring we led for six hours – perhaps that’s a good omen.”

As at Sebring, Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz will drive the Felbermayr-Proton Porsche in LM GTE Pro (#77). Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti, winners in LM GTE Am in Florida, will be in the #88.

http://www.lemans.org/en/races/fia-w...vein_6922.html

[Rob]

PROBLEM FREE SHAKEDOWN FOR TOYOTA AT MAGNY-COURS

08/05/2012 - 12h06

A trouble free shakedown of the new chassis of the Toyota TS030 HYBRID was completed on the Magny-Cours circuit. Alexander Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre took turns at the wheel of the prototype that has had aerodynamic developments and improvements to the hybrid system, in preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours on the 16th and 17th June, where the Japanese car will make its racing debut.

The two drivers covered 81 problem-free laps, and that will boost the confidence of the team. Remember that Toyota is entered for the LMP Manufacturer's Title in the FIA World Endurance Championship, that counts the 6 best results at the end of the season.

Dave Davies (Source: Toyota Racing press release)

[Rob]

TOYOTA SEEKS REPLACEMENT FOR HIROAKI ISHIURA IN SECOND CAR

11/05/2012 - 10h56


Hiroaki Ishiura has given up his seat in the upcoming Le Mans 24 hours in the Totyota TS030 #8 for medical reasons. During the first tests of the TS030 Hybrid, Hiroaki experienced discomfort in his back due to the higher g-forces experienced in the hybrid prototype, and took the decision to withdraw from the team in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and concentrate on regaining full fitness ahead of the 2013 season.

Hiroaki Ishiura: “This was an extremely difficult decision to take because racing at Le Mans is my dream, but my physical condition has to be the priority. I did not feel I was in the right condition to race an LM P1 car at Le Mans this year but I will focus on recovering as I really want to drive for TOYOTA Racing next year. For now I will focus my energy entirely on Super GT and the Nürburgring 24 Hours, whilst supporting TOYOTA Racing from a distance.”

The Formula Nippon driver with the team Kygnus Sunoco and in Super GT 500 with Lexus, will have to wait another year to realize his dream and Toyota must now find a replacement with only one month before Test Day for the 24 Hours Le Mans to be held on June 3. He was identified as nominated driver for Toyota, so the manufacturer will make a written request which must be substantiated and accepted by the Sports Committee, according to rule 43 of the regulations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2012.

Dave Davies (Quote from Toyota Racing press release)

[Rob]

Anthony Davidson completes first test with Toyota's TS030 hybrid Le Mans racer
By Glenn Freeman Friday, May 11th 2012, 09:21 GMT

Anthony Davidson had his first test of Toyota's TS030 hybrid Le Mans racer at Aragon this week.

The former Peugeot driver joined team-mates Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi at the three day test, which concluded with an endurance simulation on Thursday.

"For my first time at the wheel of the TS030 HYBRID, I felt confident very quickly," said Davidson. "I really enjoyed my first experience with the Hybrid technology. The start procedure, with only the electric motor, is quite amazing.

"The car is good, with a lot of grip and it performs well in the slow corner: It's very agile. This is the first step with our new aero package and I think we have a strong potential."

The test gave Toyota a chance to further evaluate its latest specification aerodynamic package, while it also focused on tyre testing and practicing pitstops in race conditions.

Toyota Motorsport technical director Pascal Vasselon said: "Aragon is representative of Le Mans in terms of track layout, asphalt characteristics and weather conditions. Therefore, we have been able to evaluate several options on our new bodywork and develop it with the 24 Hours in mind.

"Adding to that, we continue our work on the assessment of Michelin's tyre range to ensure we can cover all kinds of temperature and track conditions."

Vasselon added that the test did not pass without problems, as Toyota makes up for track time lost when its first test car was damaged beyond repair last month.

"The endurance test has not been as smooth as expected," he said. "We had a couple of issues, but we fixed them to achieve a reasonable mileage.

"Step by step, we are close to having a car capable to do a 24-hour race. After such a long time without being on track, I am pleased to see that both team and car have made a real step forward."

Toyota added that it had been able to use this week's test to finalise the specifications of its THS-R hybrid powertrain ahead of Le Mans.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99489

[Nova]

Speed is reporting that legendary car mft, driver and team owner Carroll Shelby passed today.
He and Enzo used to have the greatest battles in GT. RIP CS.

[Rob]

Speed is reporting that legendary car mft, driver and team owner Carroll Shelby passed today.
He and Enzo used to have the greatest battles in GT. RIP CS.

sad news. RIP Carrol Shelby

[Rob]

Remembering Carroll Shelby
The ALMS paddock reflects on the passing of an American icon
The loss of Carroll Shelby has the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón reminiscing about its favorite Shelby memories, cars and races. The iconic sports car designer and winner of the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans had a profound impact on many within the ALMS community. His impact on sports cars and sports car racing in America is unquestionable.

Ed Brown, Extreme Speed Motorsports Driver
"It's sad that one of the most iconic guys in American muscle car manufacturing has passed away. I own a 1963 Cobra that he built, and he signed it for me. It's a diabolical street car, but one cool machine with Patrón all over it. He'll be missed."

Rob Dyson, Dyson Racing Team Owner
"I own a 289 Shelby Cobra that was built in 1965, and at one time my younger brother and I owned a Cobra Daytona Coupe. I got to know Shelby at a car show. He said, 'You have a 289 and a Coupe? You're probably the only person I know that owns both.' The 289 Cobra Roadster that I have is completely stock. He was so impressed that I sent him pictures, and he actually replied. I still have the letters.

"There is one thing about Carroll Shelby that I think is more interesting than anything ? his will to live, which is encompassed by the fact that he had not just one heart transplant, but two. He had several other major operations and survived them. This guy survived all of that. That shows a level of spirit and internal fortitude that is, to my knowledge, unprecedented.

"He had a remarkable reputation for being a winner. The Ford GT program was failing, and as soon as they turned it over to Carroll Shelby, they were winning. He was a racer. He wasn't a bureaucrat. He wasn't a corporate guy. He was unconventional. He had a racer mentality, which was, 'We get what we've got to get to get the job done.'''

Alex Job, Alex Job Racing Team Owner
"I never met Carroll but have enormous respect for him. I've always been a fan of the Cobras. That time, the '60s and beginning of the '70s, was the golden era for endurance racing. The Cobra program at that time was an incredible program that brought success and a lot of recognition to an American manufacturer. In the American sports car world, you can't get any more of an icon than him. He was a driver himself, a very successful driver, before he started building race cars. I'm very sad to hear he's passed.

"Carroll has had his health challenges through the years, with heart transplants and what not; but, boy, he always seemed to bounce back from it."

Seth Neiman, Flying Lizard Motorsports Team Owner and Driver
"The passing of Carroll Shelby marks the end of a spectacular era. There is no American male older than 20 who didn't dream of Shelby Cobras. It's a loss, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude."

Greg Pickett, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Team Owner
"It is amazing to think that Carroll Shelby had his business for 50 years. He's one of the great stories of motorsports. I met him, maybe 20 years ago. I've thought that I want to add some of his cars to my collection. They're on my radar. He was a huge part of America entering international sports car racing in a big way, which, being one of the main guys in the U.S. in that, is a tradition that I'll try to live up to. Those will be very big shoes, or rather, big boots to fill."

[Rob]

Monterey Pole Position for Graf, Muscle Milk
Turner delivers GT pole for Aston Martin Racing
A home race for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing will see the team start on pole position. Klaus Graf was the fastest qualifier for the American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón on Friday with a lap of 1:13.573 (109.508 mph) in his Honda Performance Development ARX-03a prototype.

He and Lucas Luhr will try to deliver Muscle Milk its first victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Graf out-qualified Dyson Racing’s Guy Smith by 1.785 seconds. It was a welcomed sight for the team based out of Benecia, Calif., less than three hours to the north of Monterey.

“We have not been on pole here as a team, but the HPD cars have always done well here,” Graf said. “We've improved the car in each session. That is the goal no matter if there are two cars or 10 cars in the class. We have also worked with Michelin in testing to bring our street soft tire from Long Beach (a Muscle Milk victory) and make it work here. It says a lot about how well they make tires.”

The Muscle Milk and Dyson squads enter the race tied for the P1 championship lead; Dyson won at Sebring and Muscle Milk last month in Long Beach. For the Mazda Raceway round, the teams are taking different approaches when it comes to the driving lineup.

While Graf and Luhr go at it alone, Smith is set to team with Chris Dyson and Johnny Mowlem in the Dyson Lola-Mazda coupe.

“Greg (Pickett, team owner) gave us the chance to drive with two drivers. It gives us maximum track time to dial in the car. Certainly it’s physically demanding, but we've done it before. The pace will be close and we're going to be pushing the whole time. You don't want to get out of the rhythm, but you can beat yourself here with all the cars in different classes.

Level 5 Motorsports’ Christophe Bouchut won his second straight Mazda Raceway P2 pole position, this time in an HPD ARX-03b. The Frenchman posted a lap of 1:15.846 (106.226 mph) to qualify third overall on the grid. This week he is teaming with Scott Tucker and Franck Montagny.

Level 5, winner in class here in 2011, swept the class’ front row thanks to Montagny’s lap of 1:15.935 in a second Level 5 HPD.

“We are very competitive and reliable, so we're going to push and see where we go,” Bouchut said. “We have made some improvements over the previous car (an HPD ARX-01g) with grip and some power. It is not a big gap, but it has certainly gotten better.”

Bouchut and Tucker are 2-for-2 this year in P2 having won at Sebring and Long Beach to open the season. The class has grown this year in quantity and quality including the likes of Conquest Endurance, Black Swan Racing, Dempsey Racing and Project Libra.

The Dempsey squad qualified third in class in its ALMS P2 debut. Jonny Cocker set a lap of 1:17.494 (103.967 mph) in the Lola-Judd he drives with Hollywood star and team co-owner Patrick Dempsey and team co-principal Joe Foster.

“More competition than last year makes this more special to get the pole position,” Bouchut said. “It was interesting to fight between us (Bouchut and Montagny). We each had to make no mistakes for pole. At the end I was just faster.”

A year after winning overall in a prototype, Aston Martin Racing took the GT pole following a stunning run by Darren Turner. The Briton set a lap of 1:22.229 (97.980 mph) in his Aston Martin Vantage to beat out Corvette Racing’s Tommy Milner by 0.432 seconds.

Turner last won an ALMS pole at Lime Rock Park in 2006 – also in an Aston Martin. The British marque was a GT-class winner at Mazda Raceway in 2006.

“We're dialing it in,” Turner said. “The Vantage is good on medium-speed corners, so there are four or five good corners for us here. The slow ones we're not so good at, but the rest we're strong. The car hooked up. I kept it off the sandy bits and kept it clean.”

BMW Team RLL’s Jörg Müller qualified third with a lap of 1:22.905 (97.181 mph). As is regularly the case, the gap in GT was extremely thin. The eight quickest cars were within 0.713 seconds; the interval from third to eighth was 0.037 seconds.

This is the second race on as many continents in as many weeks for the Aston Martin squad. The team led GT early in the FIA World Endurance Championship round at Spa last weekend only to bow out because of a gearbox issue. That made Friday’s performance that much more impressive.

“The guys put (the car) on the plane and had to change things out when we got here, but we also have the hardest working team on the pit lane,” Turner said. “We're on a steep learning curve with the car. We're just preparing for Le Mans and trying to get the car to be competitive.”

Bruno Junqueira won his second Prototype Challenge pole of the season at one of his favorite tracks. The Brazilian set a lap of 1:17.867 (103.469 mph) in RSR Racing’s ORECA FLM09 that he drives with Tomy Drissi and Roberto Gonzalez.

“Junky” has a deep level of appreciation for Mazda Raceway as evidenced by two runner-up finishes in his Champ Car career.

“The RSR team is doing a good job in our first year with the car,” Junqueira said. “We had some problems yesterday but they fixed it. Today in the last 30 minutes of the practice session, the car was really good. We didn't touch much of the car for qualifying. It was just well-prepared.”

Junqueira was 0.225 seconds clear of CORE autosport newcomer Tom Kimber-Smith, who is making his first start at Mazda Raceway; he partners with class championship leader Alex Popow. Memo Gidley was third for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing at 1:18.114 (103.142 mph).

Junqueira set the fastest race lap in the most recent ALMS round at Long Beach and gave the RSR team a much-needed lift early in its rookie PC season.

“We had the speed in the first six hours of Sebring and the fastest race lap of Long Beach. I hope by starting on the pole for this six-hour race will keep the morale up for the team,” Junqueira said. “I am enjoying this so much. Last year was my first year doing sports cars, but we didn’t have the fastest and most competitive car. Now having a car that is competitive is really fun. I didn't pay attention much to the PC cars last year and now we have eight cars that are 0.9 seconds from each other.”

Damien Faulkner took the GT Challenge pole for Green Hornet Racing – his first of the year and second of his ALMS career. The Irishman set a best lap of 1:27.495 (92.083 mph) in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup he shares this weekend with Peter LeSaffre and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen. A winner in the last round at Long Beach with LeSaffre, Faulkner was 0.175 seconds quicker than TRG’s Nick Tandy.

A pole run for Green Hornet seemed unlikely early as the Porsche experienced what Faulkner called a “fuel surge”.

“It was silly, and something just weird,” he said. “I had to abort on what would have been on the fastest lap of the run. I was upset about the problem. It put me in a different mode, and I'm glad my mom wasn't on the radio. I just had to knuckle down and do the job I’m here to do – go fast and get results.”

Jeroen Bleekemolen was only 0.003 seconds behind Tandy, putting the top three cars within 0.178 seconds.

“It was a very, very good lap. It worked out,” Faulkner said. “To get the pole for Green Hornet was fantastic. They are the hardest working team on the pit lane.”

The American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón is set for 1:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 12, from the 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. ESPN2 airs the race at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 13. Live coverage is available starting at 4:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3.

The Series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the Monterey round and all ALMS races live on ALMS.com.

Visit ALMS.com for current and future event information including tickets and area accommodations. Follow the Series on Twitter (@almsnotes, #MRLS), Facebook and the official YouTube channel.

American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.
Friday’s qualifying
1. Lucas Luhr, Germany (GER); Klaus Graf, Germany (GER); HPD ARX-03a Honda (P1), 1:13.573, 109.508
2. Guy Smith, Beverley, UK (ENG); Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY (USA); Johnny Mowlem, England (ENG); Lola B12/60 Mazda (P1), 1:15.358, 106.914
3. Scott Tucker (US); Christophe Bouchut, France (FRA); Franck Montagny, Brignoles France (FRA); HPD ARX-03b Honda (P2), 1:15.846, 106.226
4. Luis Diaz, Mexico (MEX); Scott Tucker (US); Franck Montagny, Brignoles France (FRA); HPD ARX-03b Honda (P2), 1:15.935, 106.101
5. Patrick Dempsey (USA); Joe Foster, Lawrenceville, GA (USA); Jonny Cocker, UK (UK); Lola B12/87-Judd BMW V8 (P2), 1:17.494, 103.967
6. Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, CA (USA); Bruno Junqueira (BRA); Roberto Gonzalez (MEX); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:17.867, 103.469
7. Alex Papow (VEN); Tom Kimber-Smith, England (ENG); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:18.092, 103.171
8. Michael Guasch, Palo Alto, CA (USA); Memo Gidley, San Rafael, CA (USA); Archie Hamilton, Hampshire, UK (UK); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:18.114, 103.142
9. Ken Dobson, Carmel Valley, CA (US); Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA (USA); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:18.396, 102.771
10. Jon Bennett (USA); Colin Braun, Ovalo, TX (USA); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:18.423, 102.735
11. Duncan Ende, Los Angeles (USA); Henri Richard (FRA); Ryan Lewis, UK (ENG); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:18.466, 102.679
12. Lucas Downs, North Mankoto, MN (USA); Kyle Marcelli (CAN); Dean Stirling, England (ENG); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:18.500, 102.634
13. Anthony Nicolosi, Brooklyn, NY (US); Ricardo Vera (PR); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:18.725, 102.341
14. Andrew Prendeville, Chatham, NJ (USA); Rusty Mitchell, Midland, TX (US); Duarte Felix de Costa, Cascias PT (PT); Radical SR10/Rousch Yates (P2), 1:21.539, 98.809
15. Chapman Ducote, Miami, FL (USA); Tony Burgess, Canada (CAN); Antonio Downs, Minneapolis, MN (USA); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 1:21.645, 98.681
16. Darren Turner (GBR); Adrian Fernandez (MEX); Stefan Mucke, Germany (GER); Aston Martin Vantage (GT), 1:22.229, 97.980
17. Tom Milner, Leesburg, VA (USA); Oliver Gavin (GBR); Corvette C6-ZR1 (GT), 1:22.661, 97.468
18. Jorg Muller, Germany (DUE); Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA (USA); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 1:22.905, 97.181
19. Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA (USA); Jorg Bergmeister (DEU); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:22.919, 97.165
20. Antonio Garcia (ESP); Jan Magnussen (DEN); Corvette C6-ZR1 (GT), 1:22.919, 97.165
21. Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA (USA); Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL (USA); Ferrari F458 Italia (GT), 1:22.923, 97.160
22. Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA (USA); Dirk Mueller (DEU); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 1:22.939, 97.141
23. Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV (USA); Guy Cosmo, Long Island, NY; Ferrari F458 Italia (GT), 1:22.942, 97.138
24. Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH (USA); Wolf Henzler (DEU); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:23.356, 96.655
25. Bryce Miller, Hoboken, NJ (USA); Sascha Maassen (DEU); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:23.448, 96.549
26. Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT (USA); Townsend Bell, Santa Monica, CA (USA); Lotus Evora/Cosworth (GT), 1:24.473, 95.377
27. Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA (USA); Marco Holzer (AUT); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:26.787, 92.834
28. Peter Lesaffre, Rye, NH (USA); Damien Faulkner (IRE); Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, Haarlem, NL (NL); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:27.495, 92.083
29. Tracy Krohn, Houston, TX (USA); Nick Tandy (GBR); Mike Hedlund, Woodside, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:27.670, 91.899
30. Emilio Di Guida (VE); Joeren Bleekemolen, Netherlands (NED); Brett Curtis, Valencia, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:27.673, 91.896
31. Chris Cumming, Vancouver, BC (CAN); Matthew Marsh, Welwyn, UK (UK); Martin Ragginger, Austria (AUT); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:28.155, 91.394
32. Michael Aventatti (USA); Bob Faieta, Tujunga, CA (USA); Cort Wagner, Pacific Palisades, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:28.618, 90.916
33. Cooper MacNeil (USA); Anthony Lazzaro, Acworth, GA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:28.641, 90.892
34. Alex Welch (USA); James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA (USA); Rene Villeneuve, Woodland Hills, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:29.298, 90.224
35. David Heinemeier Hansson (USA); Martin Plowman, Indianapolis, IN (USA); Antonio Pizzonia, Manaus BR (BR); Morgan/Nissan (P2), No Time, 0

[Rob]

race stream link...

http://www.alms.com/camera/television-broadcast

[Rob]

What a Day in Monterey: Corvette Wins as GT Steals Show
Graf, Luhr win overall for second straight ALMS race
Muscle Milk Pickett Racing cruised to its second straight victory in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón on Friday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. But another thrilling GT battle stole the show as Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner also took their second consecutive class win.

The last 90 minutes of the GT race undoubtedly was the highlight of the American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón. Seven cars in the class were within two seconds in the closing hour including the two Corvettes, BMW Team RLL’s two BMW M3s and Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs from Flying Lizard Motorsports and Team Falken Tire.

Gavin made what turned out to be the winning pass in his Corvette C6.R on Team Falken Tire’s Wolf Henzler with a little less than an hour left at the final turn. But the drama carried on for the next 60 minutes. Bill Auberlen in the No. 55 BMW M3 GT looked set to challenge Gavin for the race win before Jan Magnussen in the sister Corvette muscled his way past the BMW with less than 15 minutes to go.

“It was so tight in our class. You could never let off and think 'I'm alright now,’” Gavin said. “I had a few close calls in the pitlane, and then Wolf passed me for the lead. He was hard but fair, and he gave me just enough room to get by at the last turn. I managed to sneak by a lot of people today, and we managed to catch all the breaks. It was a great race for me today.”

Two rare less-than-stellar pit stops seemed to take the No. 4 Corvette out of contention past the halfway point. First there was a refueling issue that sent the car from first to seventh under caution, and then the team couldn’t get the left-rear tire changed on another stop. It was a sickening feeling, Milner admitted but hope always remained.

“It was frustrating, but the car really was one of the best race cars I've ever had,” Milner said. “I knew it would be tough to make it back to the front there. From first on back to sixth, the cars were so competitive. Passing is pretty difficult and I knew I had to bide my time, and be careful in many situations. I had a few close calls and a little contact, but beyond that we got up to third or fourth, gave it over to Oliver and he took it to the finish. “

Magnussen and Antonio Garcia wrapped up the Corvette 1-2 after Magnussen’s daring pass. Their No. 3 Corvette also won the GT portion of the Michelin Green X Challenge due to its superior efficiency and emissions control compared to the rest of the GT cars.

Auberlen and Jörg Müller placed third in the GT standings.

At the front of the field, Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr dominated in their Honda Performance Development ARX-03a prototype. The duo trailed for less than a quarter of the opening lap after a strong start at the green flag by Dyson Racing. Graf regained the advantage at the third turn – he claimed Chris Dyson jumped the start – and the Muscle Milk car lapped the field within the first two hours.

“We had to keep pushing to keep our rhythm,” Graf said. “We did competitive laps; that’s what we wanted to do. It is the safest way to drive. If you go away from the path it is dangerous. We have to stay predictable in traffic too, so we can't stray too much. You always have close calls, and there is no way to avoid that. Some guys don't see you and that is the way it is. You have to look ahead and pay close attention.”

The Muscle Milk HPD ran flawless over the course of the race – a trait that carried over the entire weekend. It was quickest in every practice session, Graf was the fastest qualifier, and Luhr set the fastest race lap.

Dyson’s trio of Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Johnny Mowlem placed third. The Muscle Milk duo moved into the P1 championship lead with the victory – a luxury the Pickett squad has never enjoyed in the ALMS.

“It was a good race for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing especially now that we have two wins in California in front of our home crowd,” Luhr said. “It was very important for the whole team and our motivation. It was very nice. There were so many friends and family of the Picketts here to support us. We can show them two back-to-back victories. I'm very happy Klaus did a very good job in the beginning, and we had a very good lead early. We had to keep our focus, stay out of trouble and bring it home. That's what we did.”

The Muscle Milk car also won the prototype portion of the Michelin Green X Challenge for the second consecutive race. The HPD swept all three categories – clean, fast and efficient.



Level 5 Motorsports is three-for-three on the season in P2 following a victory for Franck Montagny, Scott Tucker and Luis Diaz. Their HPD ARX-03b overcame a couple of penalties in pitlane and a wild day for each of the three cars that led the class.

The winning Level 5 P2 car finished second overall.

“The team is very prepared to fight for overall wins,” Diaz said. “The P1s are a bit quicker in the straights to be fighting with them. Our goal is to develop race by race. The aero of this car is great, you can roll such a great speed in the corners. I think also the mechanical side of the car is great. It’s just an awesome car.”

The P2-leading No. 055 crashed out just after it lost the lead – ironically with Montagny driving that car as well – and Conquest Racing suffered a late-race mechanical issue that took it out of contention. Its Morgan-Nissan driven by Martin Plowman, David Heinemeier Hansson and Antonio Pizzonia placed second in class.

“I was not so happy,” Montagny said of his incident with the JDX Racing GT Challenge Porsche. “Especially for a team like this, you don't feel good when things like that happen. But the team worked hard and put it back together and got it back on the track. They still finished P3 so they are happy. But I am a race car driver and I had to do my job.”

“On the radio I knew Franck was behind me, and then I realized he wasn't anymore,” Tucker said. “I didn't really know what had happened. It looked really bad but the team did a great job putting it back together. Then Luis drove the winning car splendidly and we ended up overall having a good day.”

Dempsey Racing’s trio of Hollywood star and team owner Patrick Dempsey, team co-principal Joe Foster and Jonny Cocker placed fourth in the team’s ALMS P2 debut with their Lola-Judd.

CORE autosport won for the third straight Prototype Challenge race as well, but this time Colin Braun and Jon Bennett were class victors in the No. 05 ORECA FLM09 of this time around. Braun passed RSR Racing’s Bruno Junqueira on the next-to-last lap as the two cars split a GT Challenge car on the last part of the lap.

“The last few laps were exciting. I was racing Bruno, and I had to push really hard,” Braun said. “I knew I had to set him up in traffic – that was going to be the only way I could get by. He went one way, and I went the other and it turned out right for me. We were two laps down at one point, but with race strategy and a great stint by Jon we were right there in position.”

The victory was the first in the ALMS for both Braun and team owner Bennett. The CORE squad has finished on the PC podium in each of the season’s three events.

“I’m fairly speechless to be honest. It’s been a long time getting here,” Bennett said. “I'm honored and proud to be part of CORE autosport. It's been spectacular in the short time we've been together. I was impressed with Colin; we did some karting together early in the year, and I knew it would be a great season. He put on the move of the race in the last few laps for the win. It was awesome.”

Junqueira, Tomy Drissi and Roberto Gonzalez ended second. The other CORE entry of Alex Popow and Tom Kimber-Smith placed third. The top three cars were within 1.725 seconds.

Jeroen Bleekemolen drove storming stints to help give TRG its first GT Challenge victory of the season. The 2010 class co-champion (as part of Black Swan Racing) beat GMG Racing’s James Sofronas by 12 seconds at the finish. Bleekemolen drove the TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with Bret Curtis and Emilio Di Guida.

“This is getting harder and harder to win,” admitted Bleekemolen, who drove for TRG after Black Swan didn’t enter its P2 Lola-Honda for the race. “You are getting a lot more cars out there with experience and a lot of great drivers. We didn't have a lot of mistakes from the drivers and the teams, so it was just a good win.”

The TRG entry worked its way up from seventh in class near the start of the race and into podium position near the three-hour mark. A steady and consistent climb was the goal, Curtis said.

“I think we just drove a really hard race, but conservative,” he said. “The thing about (team owner) Kevin Buckler and TRG is he wants you to push, but he also wants you to pace the car. The strategy was really good. Everyone was putting in solid laps, and the crew did a super-super job. It was the strategy from the get-go. Some teams might have been struggling but we kept on and took the win.”

Sofronas, Alex Welch and Rene Villineuve were five seconds ahead of Competition Motorsports’ trio of Bob Faieta, Michael Avenatti and Cort Wagner.

The focus of sports car racing now turns to the 24 Hours of Le Mans where select ALMS teams compete on June 16-17 at the famed 8.3-mile French circuit in the world’s greatest auto race.

The American Le Mans presented by Tequila Patrón returns to action at Lime Rock Park for the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix on Saturday, July 7. The two-hour, 45-minute race is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET from the 1.5-mile, 10-turn Lime Rock Park circuit. ESPN2 airs the race the same day at 4 p.m. ET. Live coverage is available starting at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN3.

The Series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the Lime Rock round and all ALMS races live on ALMS.com.



Visit ALMS.com for current and future event information including tickets and area accommodations. Follow the Series on Twitter, Facebook and the official YouTube channel.



American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.
Saturday’s results
1. (1) Klaus Graf, Germany; Lucas Luhr, Germany; HPD ARX-03a Honda (1, P1), 242.
2. (4) Luis Diaz, Mexico; Scott Tucker; Franck Montagny, Brignoles France; HPD ARX-03b Honda (2, P2), 239.
3. (10) Colin Braun, Ovalo, TX; Jon Bennett; Oreca FLM09 (3, PC), 236.
4. (6) Roberto Gonzalez; Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, CA; Bruno Junqueira; Oreca FLM09 (4, PC), 236.
5. (7) Tom Kimber-Smith, England; Alex Papow; Oreca FLM09 (5, PC), 236.
6. (8) Michael Guasch, Palo Alto, CA; Memo Gidley, San Rafael, CA; Archie Hamilton, Hampshire, UK; Oreca FLM09 (6, PC), 236.
7. (12) Lucas Downs, North Mankoto, MN; Kyle Marcelli; Dean Stirling, England; Oreca FLM09 (7, PC), 234.
8. (9) Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA; Ken Dobson, Carmel Valley, CA; Oreca FLM09 (8, PC), 232.
9. (17) Oliver Gavin; Tom Milner, Leesburg, VA; Corvette C6-ZR1 (1, GT), 232.
10. (20) Jan Magnussen; Antonio Garcia; Corvette C6-ZR1 (2, GT), 232.
11. (18) Jorg Muller, Germany; Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA; BMW E92 M3 (3, GT), 232.
12. (22) Dirk Mueller; Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; BMW E92 M3 (4, GT), 232.
13. (21) Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Ferrari F458 Italia (5, GT), 232.
14. (19) Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Jorg Bergmeister; Richard Lietz, Ybbsitz; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (6, GT), 232.
15. (24) Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH; Wolf Henzler; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (7, GT), 232.
16. (11) Ryan Lewis, UK; Duncan Ende, Los Angeles; Henri Richard; Oreca FLM09 (8, PC), 231.
17. (16) Stefan Mucke, Germany; Darren Turner; Adrian Fernandez; Aston Martin Vantage (9, GT), 230.
18. (27) Marco Holzer; Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (10, GT), 230.
19. (25) Sascha Maassen; Bryce Miller, Hoboken, NJ; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (11, GT), 229.
20. (35) David Heinemeier Hansson; Martin Plowman, Indianapolis, IN; Antonio Pizzonia, Manaus BR; Morgan/Nissan (12, P2), 227.
21. (13) Anthony Nicolosi, Brooklyn, NY; Ricardo Vera; Oreca FLM09 (13, PC), 225.
22. (23) Guy Cosmo, Long Island, NY; Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV; Ferrari F458 Italia (14, GT), 224.
23. (2) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Johnny Mowlem, England; Guy Smith, Beverley, UK; Lola B12/60 Mazda (15, P1), 222.
24. (30) Emilio Di Guida; Joeren Bleekemolen, Netherlands; Brett Curtis, Valencia, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, GTC), 219.
25. (34) James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA; Rene Villeneuve, Woodland Hills, CA; Alex Welch; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, GTC), 219.
26. (32) Michael Aventatti; Bob Faieta, Tujunga, CA; Cort Wagner, Pacific Palisades, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, GTC), 219.
27. (33) Anthony Lazzaro, Acworth, GA; Cooper MacNeil; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (4, GTC), 216.
28. (28) Damien Faulkner; Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, Haarlem, NL; Peter Lesaffre, Rye, NH; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (5, GTC), 211.
29. (3) Scott Tucker; Christophe Bouchut, France; Franck Montagny, Brignoles France; HPD ARX-03b Honda (6, P2), 207.
30. (5) Joe Foster, Lawrenceville, GA; Jonny Cocker, UK; Patrick Dempsey; Lola B12/87-Judd BMW V8 (7, P2), 202.
31. (14) Andrew Prendeville, Chatham, NJ; Rusty Mitchell, Midland, TX; Duarte Felix de Costa, Cascias PT; Radical SR10/Rousch Yates (8, P2), 185.
32. (29) Nick Tandy; Mike Hedlund, Woodside, CA; Tracy Krohn, Houston, TX; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (9, GTC), 178.
33. (31) Martin Ragginger, Austria; Chris Cumming, Vancouver, BC; Matthew Marsh, Welwyn, UK; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (10, GTC), 119.
34. (15) Tony Burgess, Canada; Antonio Downs, Minneapolis, MN; Chapman Ducote, Miami, FL; Oreca FLM09 (11, PC), 100.
35. (26) Townsend Bell, Santa Monica, CA; Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT; Lotus Evora/Cosworth (16, GT), 67.

[Rob]

as always, the GT battle was intense. Worth the late night to watch it.

[Nova]

Thx for the updates Rob, as always, great job and apptd!

[Nova]

Rolex New Jersey..2nd win in a row for the 458. Intense battle, #1 Ferrari 458 2# Camaro 3#Porsche.
Great battle, seconds apart. I think there are only 2 458's in the Rolex, so the field is huge and
the racing intense.
Great win for Ferrari!!!