2012 WEC, ALMS&ELMS News

[Tobes]

Testing at Road Atlanta yesterday...

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature...youtu.be&gl=GB

Everytime the car gets on track...

[Rob]

Wow that looked nasty. But great to see he ok and could have a go at the Porsche. The Porsche looked at get out of shape on the kerbs and just collected the DeltaWing.

[Tobes]

Wow that looked nasty. But great to see he ok and could have a go at the Porsche. The Porsche looked at get out of shape on the kerbs and just collected the DeltaWing.

Yeah, I thought the same, looks like the Porsche spun up on the kerb and had already lost it, The DeltaWing was just in the wrong place at the wrong time again...

That said, it's looking faster and faster, needs to complete a race distance to see what it's really capable of...

[Rob]

Rebellion Racing, ESM Top Final Petit Le Mans Practice
DeltaWing completes repairs ahead of Qualifying
BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 19, 2012) - The checkered flag on the final American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón practice session dropped exactly 24 hours before the start of the 15th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. Rebellion Racing, visitors from the European Le Mans Series, were the quickest of the field, while Extreme Speed Motorsports led the GT contingent.

At the close of the one-hour session, Neel Jani entered a 1:10.565 (129.583 seconds) in his final lap around the 2.54-mile circuit, topping Muscle Milk Pickett Racing's No. 6 HPD ARX-03a by 0.402 seconds. Jani shares the No. 12 Lola B12/60-Toyota with Andrea Belicchi and Nicolas Prost. Rebellion is one of seven European teams racing at Petit Le Mans. It finds itself in the middle of a battle for the ALMS P1 championship between Muscle Milk and Dyson Racing with its No. 16 Mazda-powered Lola B12/60.

Extreme Speed Motorsport's Toni Vilander scored the quickest GT lap of the session. Driving the No. 01 Ferrari F458 Italia, Vilander entered a 1:18.766 (116.091 mph). He will drive with Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek. ESM was 0.622 seconds clear of Corvette Racing and its No. 3 Corvette C6 ZR1 driven by Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor. The top five in GT represented four different car makes, as BMW Team RLL's No. 56 BMW E92 M3, Flying Lizard Motorsports' No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and the No. 4 sister Corvette followed in the order.

In P2, Level 5 continues to be the class of the field, as Scott Tucker shares the No. 055 with IndyCar star Dario Franchitti and his younger brother Marino. It was the younger Franchitti who set the fastest P2 time of this session ? a 1:13.182 (124.949 mph). Oak Racing's No. 35 Morgan-Nissan was second in the order, as Olivier Pla turned a lap of 1:13.193 (124.930 mph). Pla shares the car with Jacques Nicolet and Bertrand Baguette. Level 5's rival for the P2 title, Conquest Endurance, ended the session fourth-quickest in class. Martin Plowman, David Heinemeier Hansson and Eric Lux share the team's No. 37 Morgan-Nissan.

After suffering extensive damage in a testing crash, the DeltaWing returned to the track briefly for night practice on Thursday and ran 11 laps in Friday's practice session. Though running unclassified, Gunnar Jeannette's fast lap of 1:13.385 (123.844 mph) was good enough to place the No. 0 fifth amongst the P2 field.

Dempsey Racing's No. 25 ORECA FLM09 led the PC times. Ryan Lewis posted a 1:14.836 (122.187 mph), 0.362 seconds ahead of RSR Racing's Kyle Marcelli and the No. 8 ORECA FLM09. Lewis teams with Duncan Ende and Henri Richard, while Marcelli's wingmen include Matt Downs and Chapman Ducote.

Newly crowned GTC champion Alex Job Racing haven't backed off a bit - Leh Keen set the quickest lap of the class, a 1:24.155 (108.657 mph) in the No. 22 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup he shares with Cooper MacNeil and Dion von Moltke. Keen was 0.644 seconds clear of the No. 30 NGT Porsche driven by Henrique Cisneros, Mario Farnbacher and Jakub Giermaziak, and 0.691 seconds ahead of TRG's No. 66 Porsche with Emilio Di Guida, Spencer Pumpelly and Nelson Canache.

IMSA Performance Matmut led AF Corse in GTE-Am. Nicolas Armindo turned a 1:21.798 (111.788 mph) in the No. 67 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR he shares with Anthony Pons and Raymond Narac. AF Corse's Marco Cioci entered a 1:22.157 (111.299 mph) in the No. 60 Ferrari F458 Italia he shares with Piergiuseppe Perazzini and Matt Griffin.

Qualifying for the Petit Le Mans begins at 2 p.m. ET. ESPN3's qualifying show begins at 1:50 pm ET. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch on ALMS.com.

The 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 20 from Road Atlanta. ABC's broadcast begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 21. Full, live coverage starts at 11:15 a.m. ET on ESPN3 with qualifying coverage beginning at 1:50 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 19.

[Rob]

STARWORKS' INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATIONS

Starworks Motorsports has had an incredible 2012 season, winning the LMP2 class in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans on their way to becoming the first ever holders of the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 teams. Outside the FIA World Endurance Championship the American team has also had victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and clinched the inaugural North American Endurance Championship. Their success has been truly international.

The Peter Baron-owned organization laid claim to the coveted FIA Endurance Trophy in last weekend’s 6 Hours of Fuji following a second-place finish for the No. 44 Honda Performance Development ARX-03b driven by Enzo Potolicchio, Ryan Dalziel and Stephane Sarrazin, with more a little help from Tom Kimber-Smith at Le Mans and in Bahrain. The success is the first in an FIA World Championship for an American entry in nearly half a century, dating back to Ford’s Manufacturers’ Championship in the 1966 World Sportscar Championship.

While being a known quantity in North America through numerous years in GRAND-AM, Starworks expanded to the global stage for 2012, taking on the best of the world in the extremely competitive LMP2 category. Having established a satellite operation in Wales, led by WEC team manager Brian Colangelo, the multi-national squad enjoyed immediate success with the class victory and third-place overall finish at Sebring in March.

Three months later, Starworks claimed the crown jewel of endurance racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also at its first attempt. A win at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo in September and two additional podium finishes, as well as four consecutive pole positions led to the team wrapping up the title in style last weekend in Japan.

Peter Baron , Starworks Motorsport Team Owner: "This is an incredible achievement for Starworks Motorsport. It all began when Enzo came to the shop last October. There has to be so much to thank Enzo for along the way, for having the trust and faith in us to put this entire program together. It hasn't been easy but all of the hard work from the whole crew has paid off. We're really happy to bring home a championship for Honda Performance Development, Venezuela and Starworks."

Enzo Potolicchio, No. 44 Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX-03b: "It's been an unbelievable year. We've always had high hopes because we're competitors, but nothing like this. This is over the top. All of the teams here are very competitive. For Ryan and I, it was our first time at most of the tracks. It was a big step for me going into that but we knew we could do it. I'm just so proud of the guys. We're a small team but we have very, very good people. They've worked an unbelievable amount of hours to do this. I have to thank everyone, including my sponsors in Venezuela, for making this dream happen."

Ryan Dalziel, No. 44 Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX-03b: “It will probably take a little while to sink in. We have been so strong. It was a program that I felt kept getting stronger and stronger. When you look at the results we have had, it is incredible that a first-year team with no experience in motorsport outside of North America and with engineers who had never been outside America, could come here and do this. It all comes down to having the right people in place. It is incredible to put your name next to a world championship. I don’t care whether it is a team championship or a driver championship, in racing it is a team and we all deserved to win this.”

Stephane Sarrazin, Driver. No. 44 Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX-03b: "This has been a dream season for Starworks. After having spent five years in a manufacturer's car with Peugeot, I arrived here in this small team, not knowing much about them. We won Sebring and I realized after this race that it was possible to win all of the races and the championship. I'm very happy to be part of the Starworks team. Thanks to Peter for giving me this opportunity. My teammates Enzo, Ryan and Tom were fast and the team did a great job all year with no problems. It's been a very good season for everybody."

Steve Eriksen ,Vice President, Honda Performance Development: “For Honda Performance Development, this is our first World Championship. We've really been excited about this since the start of the season and it just got better and better as it went on, with wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans and now the World Championship. We're so very thankful for the hard work of these Starworks Motorsport folks to make that happen. It's a real testament to their hard work, the hard work of our technical partners at Wirth Research and the hard work of our associates back at HPD in California. It's an amazing result and one that we'll always remember.”

(Starworks press release)

[Rob]

BRASELTON, GA – October 15, 2012 – The Tequila Patrón Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) team has a new look for the upcoming Petit Le Mans plus a renewed hunger for not only on-track success, but to help a special cause – World Food Day – on October 16.

The Patrón Spirits Company, primary sponsor of the Tequila Patrón ESM Ferrari 458 Italias, is changing their familiar black and green livery to the blue and silver colors of the Ultimat Vodka brand for the October 20th season finale of the 2012 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón at Road Atlanta, to create awareness and generate donations for Action Against Hunger.

Action Against Hunger is a global organization committed to saving the lives of malnourished children across the world and provides communities access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger. The organization has lifesaving programs in more than 40 countries around the global and assists more than seven million people each year. In addition, Action Against Hunger has more than 30 years of expertise in emergency contexts of conflict, natural disasters, and food crises.

Ultimat Vodka and Action Against Hunger are long-time partners in the fight against global hunger. During the race week, Ultimat is featuring the organization on the No. 01 and No. 02 Ultimat Vodka Extreme Speed Motorsports race cars.

“Here at Action Against Hunger, we’re thrilled to continue our strong partnership with Ultimat in the fight against global hunger, said Matt Aubry, Director of External Relations, Action Against Hunger. “The brand’s sponsorship of the American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans Race, including the honor of featuring us on their race cars, is a great way to shine a light on our shared commitment.”

Corresponding with the start of the holiday giving season and World Food Day on October 16, ESM, The Patrón Spirits Company and Ultimat Vodka launch the 2012 campaign “Race to Erace” hunger throughout the world. As part of the special livery at Petit Le Mans, fans can contribute to Action Against Hunger at www.actionagainsthunger.org/ultimat. The online fundraising campaign supporting Action Against Hunger, will run through the end of the year. A donation of just $45 can save a life by providing one malnourished child with treatment.

“This week marks World Food Day, a day that’s all about celebrating success in building a healthier world, educating people on the challenges that remain, and advocating for continued growth in solid investments to fight world hunger,” continued Aubry. “With partners like Ultimat behind us, we’re confident in the power of our work to create positive change in the lives of millions suffering from malnutrition around the world.”

The final race of the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race from Road Atlanta is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 20. ABC’s broadcast begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 21. Full, live coverage starts at 11:15 a.m. ET on ESPN3.

Scott Sharp

“The Ultimat Vodka/Action Against Hunger Ferraris will definitely draw some attention during the ALMS season finale this week. In addition to talking about another great brand from Patrón, Ultimat Vodka, we’re looking to create awareness about Action Against Hunger.

“The Patrón Spirits Company is known for their premium tequilas, but they also produce the ultra-premium vodka created from a combination of wheat, rye and potato – the only vodka that combines all three. Since Ultimat and Action Against Hunger have a long relationship, it was only fitting that we add Action Against Hunger to the livery as well.

“We’re running the Ultimat Vodka and Action Against Hunger livery to assist in the global movement to end hunger. We wanted to acknowledge and support the crucial work that Action Against Hunger does, and encourage people to learn more and support this very important cause.”

Ed Brown

“We changed the livery on our Ferrari’s specifically for this race, to draw attention to Action Against Hunger, and the vital importance, especially this time of year, to support their lifesaving mission.

“Ultimat Vodka and Action Against Hunger have been partners for many years. We hope our new look for Petit educates our fans about the great work Action Against Hunger does throughout the world. There are more than 3.5 million childhood deaths each year because of malnutrition and Action Against Hunger works to provide safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger in an affordable way.

“The timing of the Ultimat livery and Action Against Hunger messaging ties well into World Food Day this week. We ask our fans and supporters to make a gift in appreciation of the healthy food you enjoy each day, and in recognition of all the hard work that remains to help those who struggle with hunger around the world.”

[Rob]

BRASELTON, GA – October 19, 2012 – The Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferraris dominated Friday’s qualifying session at Petit Le Mans – qualifying 1-2 and locking in the front row for tomorrow’s season finale at Road Atlanta.

Setting new records for the team and race circuit, Guy Cosmo, co-driver of the No. 02 Ultimat Vodka Ferrari 458 Italia, earned his first career pole position, the second consecutive pole for ESM, and set a new qualifying track record for Road Atlanta for the season finale of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón.

In the brief 15-minute session, the chrome and blue Ultimat Vodka-livered Ferraris were fixtures atop the charts. At the conclusion of the session, Cosmo and Toni Vilander, co-driver of the No. 01 Ultimat Vodka Ferrari 458 Italia, were listed as the front row starters for the 15th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda on Saturday.

The 1-2 qualifying effort is the first time team history that the Ferraris will start side-by-side from the start of the highly competitive GT class.

Cosmo earned his first career ALMS pole on Friday afternoon by lapping the No. 02 Ferrari around then 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit in 1:18.677 (116.222 mph). Cosmo will pilot the No. 02 with season-long teammate Ed Brown, and Atlanta native Anthony Lazzaro.

Vilander qualified the No. 01 car less than a tenth of a second behind Cosmo with a best lap of 1:18.729 (116.145 mph). Vilander, a factory Ferrari driver, joins season-long regulars Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek.

During the Petit Le Mans race week, ESM, The Patrón Spirits Company and Ultimat Vodka launched the 2012 campaign “Race to Erace” hunger throughout the world. As part of the special livery at Petit Le Mans, fans can contribute to Action Against Hunger at www.actionagainsthunger.org/ultimat. The online fundraising campaign supporting Action Against Hunger, will run through the end of the year. A donation of just $45 can save a life by providing one malnourished child with treatment.

The final race of the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race from Road Atlanta is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 20. Full, live coverage starts at 11:15 a.m. ET on ESPN3.ABC’s broadcast begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 21.

Guy Cosmo

“It was great session but we knew it was going to take a little while to build temperature in our Michelins. Lap after lap I was trying to work them in and I knew that I wasn’t going to turn my quick time until later in my run. I was just trying to get everything right, warmed up properly and executed just the right way to put in that lap towards the end.

“The car was definitely the best it has been all weekend. It was a solid improvement and we’re in great shape for the race tomorrow.

“This is my first pole in ALMS and I’m loving it. Qualifying is one of those things that as a driver you love – you go all out – light fuel, new tires, you’ve got the best of everything at that point. It is really satisfying to finally pull one off, but also, equally as satisfying to have our sister car next to us on the front row. It was really a great team effort. I’m looking forward to the race tomorrow.

“This is a great way for ESM to kick-off Petit Le Mans. The team has put in an enormous amount of work since its inception three years ago. We have the special livery this weekend to promote Ultimat Vodka and Action Against Hunger. Just in case the livery wasn’t quite bright enough, we wanted to ensure that everybody saw them, so we put both cars on the front row.”


Toni Vilander

“I’m very happy. It is good to be here with ESM. I’ve been enjoying the whole week. This is amazing – qualifying 1-2. I can’t wait for the race to start.

“I think we are in good shape for the race. The Ferrari feels really good.

“I’m really happy with the performance of the team. It has been good all year but I maybe we even made a step forward this week.”


Scott Sharp

“I’m super thrilled. This is a continuation of all the hard work from the entire team. It might be a little hard for someone on the outside to see that, but this team has worked tirelessly to get us to where we are now, especially from the engineering staff. They’ve been continuously trying to improve our cars.

“We’ve had a pretty good week. There were a couple of practice sessions where we didn’t know where we sat. It all sort of came together last night and this morning. Guy and his engineer Jim Malicki did a great job and made changes between the last session and qualifying and obviously hit it spot on.

“Toni did a great job. He got everything out of the car that we could get. The cars are qualified 1-2, and you can’t get much better than that. But, that’s not why we are here. We are here for tomorrow and 10 hours is way different than who is fastest over one lap.”

[Rob]

blast.....

ESM appeared to sweep the GT front row until the No. 02 Ferrari failed post-race inspection due to a ride height violation. Guy Cosmo had turned a lap of 1:18.677 (116.222 mph). The car will start the race from the back of the grid.

[Rob]

Jani Crashes Petit Party with Pole Position
Lola-Toyota quickest qualifier; ESM goes 1-2 in GT

With much of the focus this week on the P1 and P2 championships in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, Neel Jani stole the show Friday at Petit Le Mans. The Swiss driver took pole position for Rebellion Racing with a lap of 1:09.089 (132.351 mph) in his No. 12 Lola-Toyota coupe – the first honor in ALMS for the Swiss team.

Jani was 0.339 seconds clear of Lucas Luhr in Muscle Milk Racing’s No. 6 Honda Performance Development ARX-03a prototype. Luhr and Klaus Graf – driving with Romain Dumas – enter Saturday’s 1,000-mile/10-hour ALMS season finale leading the P1 driver’s championship. The Rebellion car isn’t eligible for ALMS points at Road Atlanta, so its sole goal is winning the race outright.

“We know qualifying is just a very small thing,” said Jani, driving with Nico Prost and Andrea Belicchi. “The race is a totally different game. We won't interfere with the other cars. We will just run our own race. We want to win. That was why we came over here.”

The Rebellion trio finished fifth in last year’s race. Saturday’s enduro stands to be just as competitive given the top three cars qualified within a second of each other. Guy Smith was third in Dyson Racing’s No. 16 Lola-Mazda coupe that he drives with Chris Dyson and Steven Kane following a lap of 1:10.176 (130.301 mph).

Smith and Dyson won last year’s ALMS P1 driver’s title, and Dyson Racing took the team championship. Muscle Milk appears to be in the proverbial driver’s seat, needing to complete just 70 percent of the race’s distance Saturday to dethrone Dyson.

Meanwhile, Jani is planning to enjoy the weekend before getting on a plane to fly to China on Sunday for the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

“We very much enjoy racing here,” he said. “We like the American tracks. When you look at the atmosphere, look around the track and see all the spectators and the camping going on… it's a big party which makes us enjoy racing around even that much more.”

The other big story of the weekend is the Nissan DeltaWing. After crashing in Wednesday’s test session and shakedown in practice Thursday night, the revolutionary prototype posted the 10th fastest time in qualifying with Gunnar Jeannette’s time of 1:12.850 (125.518 mph). He drives with Lucas Ordonez.

The car is running unclassified so it will start from the rear of the grid. The DeltaWing features half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodynamic drag but all of the performance of a typical Le Mans prototype.

One race after it scored its first ALMS pole position, Extreme Speed Motorsports earned another Friday. Toni Vilander set a time of 1:18.729 116.145 mph) in the No. 01 Ferrari F458 Italia he drives with Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek.

ESM appeared to sweep the GT front row until the No. 02 Ferrari failed post-race inspection due to a ride height violation. Guy Cosmo had turned a lap of 1:18.677 (116.222 mph). The car will start the race from the back of the grid.

BMW Team RLL’s Jörg Müller was second on the GT grid in the No. 55 BMW E92 M3 at 1:18.972 (115.788 mph). Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin – who wrapped up the GT driver’s championship with Tommy Milner in the last race at VIR – was third Friday at 1:19.065 (115.652 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette C6 ZR1.

“I’m very happy. It is good to be here with ESM,” Vilander said. “I’ve been enjoying the whole week and can’t wait for the race to start. I think we are in good shape. The Ferrari feels really good. I’m really happy with the performance of the team. It has been good all year but we even made a step forward this week.”

Olivier Pla continued Europe’s prototype party with the P2 pole position in Oak Racing’s No. 35 Morgan-Nissan. His time of 1:12.046 (126.919 mph) was only 0.002 seconds clear of Martin Plowman and Conquest Endurance’s Morgan-Nissan.

Pla also was the P2 fastest qualifier at the season’s opening race at Sebring in March.

“The car felt great,” said the Frenchman, who drives with Bertrand Baguette and Jacques Nicolet. “The competition is very close. During the session the lap times were getting quicker and quicker. I set a good time at the end event though I hit a fair bit of traffic at the middle of the session. The team gave me a good car today; it should be great for the race tomorrow.”

As in P1, the fight for the P2 championship is down to two teams: Conquest and Level 5 Motorsports. The Level 5 squad is in a similar position to Muscle Milk. If the No. 95 HPD ARX-03b of Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz finish 70 percent of the P2-winning distance then Tucker and Bouchut win the driver’s title for the second straight year.

The No. 055 Level 5 HPD can factor in as well. Marino Franchitti qualified the car third in P2 at 1:12.236 (126.585 mph). He will drive with older brother Dario and Tucker as well. So as in the bigger prototype class, the pole-sitting car’s lone objective is to win the race and not impact the ALMS title fight.

“I love racing in America, it is my third time here,” Pla said. “It is very different than what we do in Europe. Tomorrow the competition will be very tough, it will be good for sure.”

Kyle Marcelli won the Prototype Challenge pole position despite a brief scare in Merchant Services’ No. 8 ORECA FLM09. The young Canadian posted a class-record lap of 1:14.099 (123.402 mph) and outpaced CORE autosport’s Colin Braun in the No. 05 ORECA by 0.046 seconds.

After Marcelli’s quickest lap, the Merchant Services car lost power between on the following lap. It ground to a halt near Turn 6 and brought out a red flag to stop the session with Braun on a flying lap.

“It was interesting,” said a relieved Marcelli, who will drive with Chapman Ducote and Matt Downs. “We were all going faster and faster each lap. I went into turn 5 and my team manager made it clear to put it in a clear spot. Then I noticed our engine breaker had popped, so I popped it back in and it fired right up and brought it back in.”

Marcelli gained a little bit of revenge over Braun after the CORE pilot won pole position in the last round at VIR by just 0.001 seconds.

“It's always a close and fun race in the PC category,” Marcelli said. “This year is the toughest season so far. Each team has very experienced drivers. I'm confident you'll see a close race tomorrow.”

Ryan Lewis qualified Dempsey Racing’s No. 25 ORECA third in class at 1:14.268 (123.122 mph).

With the GT Challenge team championship already in-hand, Alex Job Racing took the class’ pole position. Leh Keen posted a record-setting time of 1:24.060 (108.779 mph) in AJR’s No. 22 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup that he drives with Cooper MacNeil and Dion von Moltke. Keen was 0.191 seconds ahead of Green Hornet Racing’s Damien Faulkner.

MacNeil clinched the GTC driver’s title in the last round at VIR, and Keen is second heading into Saturday’s race.

“For the last couple of races we've been working on the race setup for the race,” Keen said. “So we always focused on getting the championship. This weekend we went all out - make the car fast and go for the win.”

The AJR crew did just that. The top five cars were within 0.998 seconds with TRG’s Spencer Pumpelly third with a 1:24.566 (108.129 mph) in his No. 66 Porsche.

“For sure, the endurance races are hectic,” Keen said. “I went out first for night practice, and it was pretty messy. The race is always more calm in the dark than practice is. Running with the prototypes here at night is always fun, but that’s part of being a GT racer. It's going to be a good time.”

Nicolas Armindo won the GTE AM pole position for IMSA Performance Matmut in the No. 67 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. His lap of 1:20.733 (113.262 mph) outpaced AF Corse’s No. 60 Ferrari F458 Italia of Piergiuseppe Perazzini by 1.897 seconds.

“Of course we are very pleased for our team to be at Petit Le Mans,” Armindo said. “This is my first time at the track and it is very hard to learn and not so easy. We do not have many spare parts so we cannot crash our car. So far no scratches!”

[458 Italia]

Have Audi not travelled to America?

[Rob]

No, i thought they wouldnt. Would of been nice though to see them race here. They going to do Sebring in March, be last time they race there

[Rob]

That was Lucas Luhrs fault, totally, big hit on that wall. Dont think he can get that back.

[Rob]

Sorry. That was just racing incident, there was a gap there but just closed really quick.

[Rob]

Scott Sharp ‏@ESMRacing
Heading back to green flag racing. JvO is P4, Ed Brown is P3. That should make for a nice photo.

[458 Italia]

Listening to the commentary you wouldn't actually think there were any Ferrari's racing.

[Rob]

Same with the coverage, tv keep going Vipers, BMWs and Vettes.

[458 Italia]

Same with the coverage, tv keep going Vipers, BMWs and Vettes.

What you watching on?

I've got Motors TV on.

[Rob]

Got Motors on, but had switch as Mrs. Rob and lil Keira want watch "normal" tv

so watching here,....
http://www.alms.com/camera/television-broadcast

[458 Italia]

Got Motors on, but had switch as Mrs. Rob and lil Keira want watch "normal" tv

so watching here,....
http://www.alms.com/camera/television-broadcast

What are they on with!? It is normal tv

[Rob]

I know lol, Keira getting near bed time, so Simpsons and Peppa pig to chill out.

[Rob]

Murphy Prototypes ‏@MurphyPrototype
#ELMS 2013 announced: Silverstone April 12-13, Imola May 17-18, Austria July 19-20, Hungary Sept 13-14, Paul Ricard Sept 27-28

[Rob]

l'endurance magazine ‏@lendurancelive
Left rear tyre blown on the gold JDX GTC Porsche

[Rob]

Flying Lizard ‏@FlyingLizard_MS
No. 4 Corvette, who was #PLM GT leader, now behind the wall. No. 3 Corvette now leads. No. 45 P4, No. 44 P11


#4 Vette has had trouble with the front left wheel at couple pit stops now.

[Rob]

Great race and win for ESM Racing last night, brillaint way to finish the year and put those Vettes in their place...

‘ULTIMAT’ WIN FOR ESM AT PETIT LE MANS; ESM SCORES SECOND WIN OF 2012 SEASON
By esmpr


BRASELTON, GA – October 20, 2012 – Extreme Speed Motorsports (ESM) conquered the GT field during Saturday’s American Le Mans Series (ALMS) presented by Tequila Patrón season finale during the 10 hour/1,000-mile Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta by leading the majority of the GT class laps en route to victory by nearly 30 seconds.

The No. 01 Ultimat Vodka/Action Against Hunger Ferrari 458 Italia co-driven by Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Toni Vilander started from the GT pole and was the dominant race car to beat during the endurance event. In his closing stint, Vilander had a 42 second lead with eight laps remaining in the race, but as the race came to a close, fuel strategy became an issue.

Vilander responded to the challenge and claimed his decisive win with only two liters of fuel remaining in the Ferrari’s tank.

The overall finishing position for the No. 01 Ferrari was 12th overall, out of 42 total entrants.

Today’s win marks the second win for the No. 01 this season, with the other in July for Sharp and van Overbeek at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

This season, the No. 01 team has earned five third place finishes (Long Beach, Lime Rock, Road America, Baltimore, VIR) and two wins (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Road Atlanta). Based on this strong showing, Sharp and van Overbeek are ranked second in the very challenging ALMS GT driver’s championship.

The accolades continued at Road Atlanta with the No. 01 receiving the Michelin Green X Challenge Award for being the cleanest, fastest and most efficient race car in the GT class. ESM received the award during at Long Beach in April and at Virginia International Raceway in September.

On the other side of the ESM paddock, Ed Brown, Guy Cosmo and Anthony Lazzaro co-drivers of the No. 02 Ultimat Vodka/Action Against Hunger Ferrari 458 Italia. Cosmo initially qualified the No. 02 machine on the pole, but was forced to the back of the field at the start of the race after ALMS officials deemed to the No. 02 too low in ride height (by millimeters), thus failing post qualifying technical inspection. The low ride height was a result of a broken splitter that occurred during Friday’s qualifying session.

Cosmo wheeled the Ferrari and charged through and was running fourth before handing the Ferrari over to Brown. Unfortunately, time was lost in a driver change due to a problem with seatbelt adjustment, as well as an on-track penalty for Cosmo for “avoidable contact” with another competitor. Due to the time lost, the No. 2 finished the race in ninth place in the GT class.

A two hour recap of the 15th Annual Petit Le Mans, the final race of the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón season, will air this Sunday, October 21, at 1 p.m., on ABC.

Scott Sharp

“This is a win you dream about all year. Winning a big race like Petit is huge.

“Over the last three years, we’ve been close on a few of these and had a few slip away. We felt we had other races we thought we were going to win and had things happen to us. It is just great for it to all come together.

“I don’t think there is a scratch on the car. The pit stops were incredible. Leigh [Pettipas, No. 01 team engineer] was just on the strategy and that’s what won us the race at the end.

“Toni and Johannes both did a great job. That’s what it takes to win a 10 hour race – an entire team effort.”

Ed Brown

“Both of our Ferraris were probably the fastest cars all week. The team has really matured this year.

“Everybody said to me at the podium tonight that I can’t change the scheme because the Ultimat Vodka livery was a good luck charm, but I can promise you the black and green will be back for Sebring.

“This team has worked so hard. It will probably set in tomorrow and we’ll really feel what it is about. My hat is off to the team, they did an unbelievable job.

“It was a frustrating race for the No. 02. I think we had good pace all day. This was the best race for me and things just seem to happen.

“Tonight’s win really makes us look forward to the new season and what that will bring. I’ve said it all year, to beat the factory teams is one of the hardest things to do. For the No. 01 car to not only win the race, but to wrap up second in points in the championship against five or six factory cars, that’s one of those things that don’t generally get done.”

Johannes van Overbeek

“I’m so happy for Scott, Ed, Tequila Patrón, Ultimat Vodka and everyone at ESM that made this win possible. We couldn’t have done it without Toni’s help. He did a great job all week.

“This was my second Petit Le Mans win and this one is just all the sweeter because we had such a build up all year and every race we just got better. It is great to end the season with a victory after all the hard work and podiums.

“I’m happy we’re here on the podium tonight to celebrate as a team.”

Guy Cosmo

“We had a great car and we knew we had a really fast car. Both of the ESM Ultimat Ferraris were the cars to beat this weekend. I did the best that I could, got up towards the front and handed it off to Ed.

“Then Ed drove like he’s never driven before – an amazing race. He had the stint of his life when he first got in today. He drove really well. We’re proud of him. He made a lot of progress this season and this weekend. His performance this weekend was a testament to his dedication and motivation to perform for this event.

“Then Anthony Lazzaro was an iron man and brought it home for us.

“If it weren’t for a few minor mishaps we would have had a podium car just like our sister Ferrari, who rightfully decimated the competition and won this race. Congratulations to Scott, Johannes and Toni on their well-deserved victory tonight.”

Toni Vilander

“I enjoyed working with the ESM team this week. I went to the shop last Friday, traveled to Atlanta on Sunday and everything was great. It couldn’t have gone any better. Everything was arranged so it was easy for me.

“I found a very professional team. The team was very hungry to win and I think we shared the same passion. Hard work and the fact we never gave up and believing we can win and we did it – we won the race. We had strong and hard rivals, but we showed that when we do things the right way, we can compete with the best in the world.

“The Ferrari ran good. If you know some history, two years ago I ran out of fuel going through turn 10a. On my last stint today, the main issue was to save fuel. I tried to use my best knowledge on it and we were out of the fuel window and then suddenly we were in. Once the engineer said we were good with fuel that was the best thing you can hear from the radio. Then I heard the countdown, eight laps to go, seven, six, and then the white flag.

“The last lap was quite a bit of emotion. I’m happy for myself, happy for the team, happy for Ferrari and everything that happened for this race. It was a very positive week and result.”

Anthony Lazzaro

“I made a mistake in the beginning on the seatbelts and that cost us a lot of time in the pits. We had a couple of little mishaps on track and got behind but after that everything was pretty good. The car drove really well at night and we were pretty competitive. I’m very happy to see the No. 01 team on top of the podium tonight.”

[Rob]

Patrón Spirits Renews ALMS Presenting Sponsorship
Series Also Announces Television Partners for 2013

BRASELTON, Ga. – The renewal of Tequila Patrón’s presenting sponsorship and the announcement of the 2013 television schedule for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón highlighted today’s annual “State of the Series” address by ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton.

Atherton’s presentation to ALMS stakeholders, marketing partners and media at Road Atlanta preceded Saturday’s 15th running of the 10-hour/1,000-mile Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda – the Series’ season finale.

Tequila Patrón, the ALMS’ presenting sponsor since 2010, will retain its status through the 2013 season before the Series merges with the GRAND-AM Rolex Series as a unified racing body in 2014. Tequila Patrón originally joined ALMS as an official marketing partner in 2009.

“The continuation of Patrón Spirits’ presenting sponsorship of our Series is great news. I want to personally thank Chief Marketing Officer Matt Carroll and President and CEO Ed Brown, for Patrón’s commitment to our Series. This confirms a fifth year of our partnership and ideally positions everyone involved for a long-term future together with the unified series,” Atherton said.

“We are really pleased to extend our partnership as the presenting sponsor of the American Le Mans Series for the 2013 season. Our company’s relationship with the Series is one of outstanding mutual benefit, and it is only fitting that we officially solidify our continuing commitment to being a hand-in-glove partner with such a world-class sports car racing organization,” Carroll said.

The 2013 ALMS also will feature a mix of races on ABC, ESPN2 and SPEED. Eight of its 10 events will air across the ABC and ESPN2 broadcast/cable television platforms. SPEED is set to deliver live coverage of the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, with the same to be confirmed regarding the cable network’s coverage of the Series’ season finale, Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda.

For all eight of the ALMS races that will air on ABC or ESPN2, qualifying sessions and race coverage will also stream live on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app throughout the U.S., and internationally via ALMS.com.

“The Series’ partnership with ABC and ESPN2 has been a very strong one, and we are delighted to again be able to deliver these superb racing experiences for our fans across ABC and ESPN2’s powerful television and digital media platforms,” Atherton said. “As well, with two-hour television windows not adequately able to provide our fans with the comprehensive coverage they want and expect from our two longest endurance races at Sebring and Road Atlanta, we are pleased to be able to deliver those races on SPEED and ensure stellar exposure opportunities with a superb network devoted exclusively to motorsports.”


Also in his State of the Series presentation, Atherton addressed the ALMS’ continued commitment to providing superb fan engagement experiences; posting growth in its business development enterprises, including increased manufacturer involvement and racing class enhancements; and extending progress in the Series’ global-leading Green Racing initiatives. He also provided a detailed update about leadership and administrative advancements regarding the ALMS/GRAND-AM merger.

The conclusion of the 2012 ALMS season, Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 20 from Road Atlanta. Full, live coverage starts at 11:15 a.m. ET on ESPN3. X-Box LIVE subscribers also have access to the ESPN3 coverage. ABC's broadcast begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 21.

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 Petit Le Mans 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 and its Petit Le Mans race on Twitter (#ALMS, #PLM), Facebook and YouTube.

The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is based on the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. It features multiple classes of purpose-built prototypes and production-based GT cars that race on the same track at the same time. The ALMS holds events annually throughout North America on premier urban street circuits and top permanent natural terrain road courses. The American Le Mans Series has a leadership role in motorsports for the furthering of alternative fuel technology and use. The ALMS was the first motorsports body in the world to embrace an entire suite of alternative energy sources – E10 and E85 cellulosic ethanols, isobutanol, clean diesel and hybrid technologies. For additional information, please visit alms.com.


2013 ALMS TV Schedule (all times Eastern)

March 16 – Sat. Sebring International Raceway Time TBD, Live SPEED
April 20 - Sat. Long Beach Grand Prix Circuit - * 1 p.m., April 21 ABC
May 18 - Sat. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 10 p.m., May 19 ESPN2
July 6 - Sat. Lime Rock Park 3 p.m., Live ESPN2
July 21 - Sun. Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 1 p.m., Live ESPN2
Aug. 11 - Sun. Road America - # 3 p.m., Live ABC
Aug. 31 - Sat. Grand Prix of Baltimore Circuit - * Noon, Sept. 1 ABC
Sept. 21 - Sat. Circuit of The Americas - & 1 p.m., Sept. 22 ESPN2
Oct. 5 - Sat. VIRginia International Raceway 2:30 p.m., Oct. 6 ESPN2
Oct. 19 - Sat. Road Atlanta Time TBD, Live SPEED ^
* - Shared weekend with IZOD IndyCar Series
# - Shared weekend with GRAND-AM
& - Shared weekend with FIA WEC
^ - To be confirmed

[Tobes]

http://www.deltawingracing.com/news/...-top-five.html

[Rob]

Good finish and race. Shame wasnt classified, fantastic win for ESM. I got last 2 hours to watch, i fell asleep aswell Tobes

[Rob]

STRAKKA SEEKING A GIANT-KILLLING PERFORMANCE IN SHANGHAI

20/10/2012 - 15h08

The FIA Endurance Trophy for Private LMP1 Teams may have already been awarded to Rebellion Racing, but this fact won’t deter the British Strakka Racing team in its quest to finish its debut season in the FIA World Endurance Championship with a victory.

The No.21 HPD ARX-03a with the distinctive British flag on its fin will be hoping to clinch a class victory in the forthcoming 6 Hours of Shanghai, emulating its success in the Middle East a month ago where it not only achieved this goal but also finished third overall in the final classification. The team has an impressive record in the 2012 season of finishing on the podium in all seven of the FIA WEC races to date.

The all-British line up of Nick Leventis, Jonny Kane and Danny Watts have had a busy time since the 6 Hours of Fuji and have been scattered around the globe. Irish driver Jonny Kane, a former British F3 Champion, returned to the UK to see his young family, Nick Leventis went to a Strakka Performance training camp in Phuket, Thailand, while Danny Watts travelled to Hong Kong and Macau for media commitments in preparation for November’s Macau Grand Prix event.

Danny Watts, No.21 Strakka Racing HPD ARX 03a: “After my single seater career came to an end, I did a huge amount of racing in China. I’ve got a lot of friends over there; in fact, one of my best friends lives in Hong Kong and he always organises my trip to Macau each year. I’ve raced in Shanghai before; I did the Aston Martin Asian Series race there when it was a support race to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2008, and I finished second. I enjoyed the circuit a lot because it has a good mix of everything. It’s got a seriously long straight and plenty of slow speed corners, some of which are hairpins and others that seem to go on forever. Aerodynamic set-up is going to be very important, and that’s going to be the technical challenge we face in getting the best out of our car. We may even have to have a different set-up in qualifying to what we have in the race, which will make the work we do in the free practice sessions all the more important.”

Dan Walmsley, Strakka Racing’s Team Manager: “Shanghai is a fitting end to our first World Endurance Championship year as it epitomises the calendar – it’s got a bit of everything! Another huge straight means we need good speed, but the mix of tightening radius corners and high-speed turns means we need an efficient set-up. That’s the challenge our engineering team faces and I’m sure we’ll make the right call. We are also trying some developments for 2013 in this final weekend as we continue to push the performance window of the car. I’m delighted with the team’s effort this year and although we didn’t win the championship it was never likely with the points system favouring two car teams over single entrants like Strakka, and so we’ve done the best we could and are very proud. Next year the points system changes to bring equality to all privateer entrants and so we expect to challenge for the title next year.”

(Strakka Racing press release)

[Rob]

LARBRE LOOKING TO WRAP UP LMGTE AM IN SHANGHAI

20/10/2012 - 14h35

The recent 6 Hours of Fuji rejuvenated Larbre Compétition’s LMGTE Am championship position, following difficult races in Brazil and Bahrain for the French Corvette team which fields two Corvette C6.R ZR-1s. Pole position and the class win boosted their points score to give them a solid advantage over their nearest rivals, the German Team Felbermayr-Proton squad, as they approach the final round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Shanghai in the People’s Republic of China on Sunday, 28th October.

The highly successful GT team, which is based alongside the Circuit du Val de Vienne in mid-West France, will be looking to capitalise on its victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in Japan and get its hands on the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Teams, something that has been tantalisingly close for the last two races.

Christian Ried’s Team Felbermayr-Proton Porsche, running the No.88 Porsche 911 RSR, will be determined to prove that their four class victories this season, including the 12 Hours of Sebring, makes them a deserving winner, although the mathematical odds are stacked against them. As many know, however, in racing anything can happen.

Jack Leconte, Team Manager: “I am extremely pleased with our display as a team this weekend. After the issues of Brazil and Bahrain it was important that we came out fighting and demonstrated our undisputed performance, which is what happened. 20 points is a significant advantage heading into the final round but we will not become complacent. Staging races every two weeks all over the world is perfectly suited to a team as experienced as Larbre Competition. Drivers also remain in the groove, which allows them to perform at a higher level. We will be targeting pole position and victory again in Shanghai on the final stop of this year’s world tour.”

Pedro Lamy, No.50 Corvette C6.R: “I was delighted to make my racing return in Japan and especially as it was Fuji. It’s a circuit I really enjoy due to the one or two quite fast corners as well as the long main straight. I was also happy to be reunited with my team-mates Julien and Patrick, as well as Jack Leconte and his technical staff. Julien made a sensible but fast start and I was able to maintain that approach throughout my stint without any issues. It feels very satisfying to win on my return and I am confident of another strong performance at the next round as we attempt to wrap up the WEC title for Larbre Competition.”

(Larbre team release)

[Rob]

Muscle Milk, Level 5 and Rebellion Reign at Road Atlanta
Lola-Toyota wins Petit Le Mans on drama-filled day
BRASELTON, Ga. (Oct. 20, 2012) – Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, Level 5 Motorsports and Rebellion Racing were the big winners Saturday at Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. Rebellion’s Neel Jani, Andrea Belicchi and Nicolas Prost won the 1,000-mile race for the first time with a three-lap victory in their Lola-Toyota on a day filled with drama at Road Atlanta.

P1: The winners and the champions
Muscle Milk Pickett Racing captured the big prize with the P1 drivers’ and team championship in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf finished third in class but completed enough laps to sew up both titles.

An early accident and hour-long repair knocked the No. 6 Honda Performance Development ARX-03a out of the hunt for the race victory in the opening hour. Luhr made contact with Peter LeSaffre’s Green Hornet Racing No. 34 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR on the uphill run to Turn 2. Luhr attempted to pass underneath the Porsche, which turned down onto the prototype.

“I think we had a very good car to fight Rebellion,” Luhr said. “The way the (Muscle Milk crew) acted in the pits and the way they stuck together, they focused on getting the car back out. You can be, as a driver, proud to be part of something strong.”

The incident damaged the suspension on the HPD prototype and forced the car back to the paddock for 65 minutes worth of repairs. Muscle Milk lost 41 laps to the Rebellion car during the stop and had to pit again for additional adjustments. But the car never appeared in danger of falling below the threshold of 70 percent of the race distance required to score points.

“The tire wear was quite severe after my first stint, so we thought it would be better to adjust it to not take any risks,” Graf said. “When the team said we won the championship we were relieved, but the conditions were getting more and more difficult. We won a lot of races this year, and we definitely deserved this championship. I don’t think it has sunk in yet. It might take some time.”

Luhr was leading at the time of the crash, having passed Jani 20 minutes earlier. The Rebellion Lola never fell out of the lead again and won its first overall race of the season. Dyson Racing’s No. 16 Lola-Mazda of Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Steven Kane was second in class.

“We knew we needed to stay on the track,” Belicchi said of Rebellion’s win. “There was so much traffic here. The team on the radio was giving me so much support. I was focused to put the car in a good spot for the end of the race.”

GT: Finishing on fumes
Extreme Speed Motorsports won the GT category from pole position, but its 1,000-mile journey to the top step of the podium was by no means an easy one. Scott Sharp came under fire early in the race from the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 driven by Oliver Gavin, but teammate Johannes van Overbeek was able put the No. 01 Ferrari F458 Italia back out front.

“It was good to be able to lead a bit,” Sharp said. “Toward the end of my run, Gavin got underneath me, I was just trying to hang on; (the car) was getting looser and looser. We put some stickers on for Johannes, and he was flying right away.”

Van Overbeek, Sharp and Toni Vilander each faced additional challenges from the No. 4 and No. 3 Corvettes as well as from BMW Team RLL’s No. 55 BMW E92 M3. When the No. 4 Corvette C6 ZR1 retreated to the paddock to address a suspension issue at the six-hour mark and the No. 55 was issued a pit lane penalty with 30 minutes remaining, Vilander had some breathing room for the closing laps. This provided only partial relief as the team took a gamble on fuel strategy and stayed on course while Antonio Garcia pitted the No. 3 Corvette. ESM’s gamble paid off, and Vilander crossed the finish line with a 30-second margin of victory over Garcia’s Corvette.

“2010 was on my mind when we ran out of fuel in (Turn) 10a,” Vilander said. “My engineer, Lee, was on the radio most of my last stint. I did everything I could to save fuel. We were so relieved when I went by 10a and knew I had enough fuel. There was a lot of emotion. I've been traveling a lot this year, being away from the family. These are the moments we do it, and we do this racing stuff.”

The win came on the same weekend the ESM team was sporting a flashy new chrome livery featuring Ultimat Vodka.

“Both cars were probably the fastest cars all week,” Patrón Spirits President and CEO, and ESM teammate Ed Brown said. “The team has really matured this year. They said I couldn’t change the scheme, because it's a good luck scheme. This team has really worked so hard to win this race. I think it will soak in tomorrow. My hat’s off to the team; they did an unbelievable job.”

Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor shared a runner-up finish for Corvette Racing, which clinched the team and manufacturer’s title at VIRginia International Raceway in September, as well as the driver’s championship for Gavin and Tommy Milner. The runner-up finish at Petit Le Mans added one more trophy to Corvette’s 2012 showcase: the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge GT Championship. Though ESM won the MGXC race, the No. 3 Corvette won the war by racing the cleanest, fastest and most efficient season of all.

Jorg Müller, Bill Auberlen and Jonathan Summerton completed the GT podium for BMW Team RLL, following their late-race penalty.

P2: Winners and still champions…
Level 5 Motorsports’ Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut repeated as P2 driver champions with a class victory alongside Luis Diaz in their No. 95 HPD ARX-03b. The trio took the lead for good when Conquest Racing’s Martin Plowman went off track and then was penalized for speeding in pit lane with 20 minutes left.

Just as it has been all season, Saturday’s P2 race was another duel between Level 5’s two prototypes and the Conquest Morgan-Nissan. Like Muscle Milk, Level 5 needed to finish 70 percent of the class winner’s race distance. Tucker, Bouchut and Diaz made that a moot point with an 8.196-second victory.

“We have a really good car,” Bouchut said. “It does so well in traffic. This race is so special. It is a mix of being risky and patient. We saw a lot that it was easy to make contact and lose track position. But, we had a perfect race.”

For a while the advantage lay with the No. 055 Level 5 entry of Tucker, Dario Franchitti and Marino Franchitti. Two costly penalties did the car in during the race’s second half, and it finished second in P2. The No. 46 ORECA-Nissan of Thiriet by TDS Racing placed third with Mathias Beche, Pierre Thiriet and Christophe Tinseau driving.

“We've been through this before with our first Prototype Challenge championship (in 2010) that came down to the last race,” said Tucker, who won his third straight ALMS class title. “We knew it would be tight. Conquest are great competitors. We knew 70 percent would be no easy task.”

PC: Closing like champs
CORE autosport capped off its banner season with its eighth Prototype Challenge victory of the season. The trio of Alex Popow, Ryan Dalziel and Mark Wilkins drove its No. 06 ORECA FLM09 to the win by two laps over RSR Racing. Popow won for the fifth time in his rookie season and clinched the class driving title last month at VIR.

“For sure, it was a great race,” Popow said. “Ryan and Mark did an awesome job. We had a lot of bad luck with the yellows, but we made it all back. It was a great race. For me it has been an amazing season – one I will never forget. I feel like I made a great evolution as a driver and hope I can keep learning and go to a higher level every time from here.”

The winning CORE entry took its first lead at the two-hour, 37-minute mark with Dalziel at the wheel. The No. 06 led for almost five straight hours before Jon Bennett in the No. 05 CORE car moved into first when the No. 06 pitted. Popow handed over to Dalziel, who moved back to the front for good 20 minutes later.

“There are always lots of close calls with all the different classes,” Wilkins said. “The guys at CORE prepped a great car for us. It was easy to drive. Cooler heads prevailed in traffic, and that was the key to winning in this car.”

Bruno Junqueira, Tomy Drissi and Ricardo Vera drove the second-place RSR entry. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports finished third in class with drivers Rudy Junco, Ken Dobson and Elton Julian.

Nissan DeltaWing: Prototype among prototypes
The unclassified Nissan DeltaWing finished sixth overall after starting the race from the back of the grid. The unique prototype driven by Gunnar Jeannette and Lucas Ordonez completed 388 laps.

The DeltaWing – featuring half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodynamic drag but all the performance of a typical Le Mans prototype – went from 42nd to 10th overall in the race’s first 37 minutes. It ran as highly as third overall in its first North American race and first since debuting in June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

GT Challenge: Wild finish
Alex Job Racing, NGT Motorsports, TRG and JDX Racing spent nearly all 1,000 miles Saturday locked in a dead heat. NGT rose to the top by running an error-free race.

Consistently running in the top-three with drivers Henrique Cisneros, Mario Farnbacher and Jakub Giermaziak, NGT kept the nose of its No. 30 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup pointed forward while both AJR and TRG made costly, off-course excursions. Giermaziak was chasing AJR’s Leh Keen in the closing minutes of the race when Keen launched his No. 22 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup over the curbing at Turn 10. That enabled Giermaziak to sneak past and into the lead, which he held to the checkered flag.

“It was a really tough race,” Giermaziak said. “We really pulled out a big gap twice; then we got the yellows. It was my first race in the States, so there were a bit different rules. We were the slowest class going around with so much traffic and other classes. I was able to put the pressure on Leh Keen; he made a mistake and we were able to get around him. I am hoping to get more races over here in the States.”

Spencer Pumpelly, Emilio Di Guida and Nelson Canache finished second in TRG’s No. 66 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The team fought back for the runner-up finish after Pumpelly lodged himself in the Turn 10 gravel at the race’s halfway mark. The team’s second entry – the No. 68 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup driven by Emmanuel Collard, Manuel Gutierrez, Jr. and Mike Hedlund – finished third.

Though a Petit Le Mans win escaped it, Alex Job Racing had already clinched the GTC team championship at VIR in September and the driver’s championship for Cooper MacNeil.

The GTE-Am category, part of the European Le Mans Series, was won by IMSA Performance Matmut and its No. 67 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR driven by Anthony Pons, Raymond Narac and Nicolas Armindo.

All 2012 ALMS champions will be recognized at the Night of Champions banquet, Oct. 21, at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga.

The 15th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda airs on ABC, Sunday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. ET. The Series' website offers full replays of all races and qualifying sessions.

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

Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda
Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.
Saturday's results
1. (1) Neel Jani, Jens, CH; Nicolas Prost, Fechy, CH; Andrea Belicchi, Medolia, IT; Lola B12/60 Toyota (1, P1), 394.
2. (11) Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS; Christophe Bouchut, France; Luis Diaz, Mexico; HPD ARX-03b Honda (2, P2), 391.
3. (6) David Heinemeier Hansson, Chicago, IL; Martin Plowman, Indianapolis, IN; Eric Lux, Jacksonville, FL; Morgan/Nissan (3, P2), 391.
4. (7) Marino Franchitti, Scotland; Dario Franchitti, Scotland; Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS; HPD ARX-03b (4, P2), 390.
5. (12) Christophe Tinseau; Mathias Beche, CH; Pierre Thiriet, FR; Oreca Nissan (5, P2), 390.
6. (10) Gunnar Jeannette, Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Lucas Ordonez, , ; Delta Wing Proj 56 Nissan (6, UNC), 388.
7. (17) Alex Popow, Lecheria, VE; Ryan Dalziel, Scotland; Mark Wilkins, Canada; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (7, PC), 385.
8. (5) Jacques Nicolet, Paris, FR; Bertrand Baguette, BEL; Olivier Pla, France; Morgan Nissan (8, P2), 383.
9. (18) Bruno Junqueira; Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, CA; Ricardo Vera, Ponce, PR; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (9, PC), 383.
10. (19) Rudy Junco, Monterrey, Mex; Ken Dobson, Carmel Valley, CA; Elton Julian, Los Angeles, CA; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (10, PC), 382.
11. (15) Colin Braun, Ovalo, TX; Ricardo Gonzalez, Mexico; Jonathan Bennett, Fort Mill, SC; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (11, PC), 381.
12. (14) Matt Downs, North Mankato, MN; Chapman Ducote, Miami, FL; Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, ON; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (12, PC), 376.
13. (20) Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL; Toni Vilander, FInland; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Ferrari F458 Italia (1, GT), 375.
14. (23) Antonio Garcia, Barcelona, ES; Jordan Taylor, Apopka, FL; Jan Magnussen, Roskilde, DK; Corvette C6-ZR1 (2, GT), 375.
15. (21) Jorg Muller, Germany; Jonathan Summerton, Kissimmee, FL; Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA; BMW E92 M3 (3, GT), 374.
16. (26) Dirk Mueller, Tagerwilen, CH; Jonathan Summerton, Kissimmee, FL; Uwe Alzen, Betzdorf, DE; BMW E92 M3 (4, GT), 373.
17. (25) Jorg Bergmeister; Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Patrick Pilet, France; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (5, GT), 373.
18. (31) Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH; Wolf Henzler; Martin Ragginger, Austria; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (6, GT), 372.
19. (16) Ryan Lewis, UK; Henri Richard, Los Altos Hills, CA; Duncan Ende, Los Angeles; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (7, PC), 372.
20. (27) Marco Holzer, Austria; Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Nick Tandy, Bedford, UK; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (8, GT), 369.
21. (28) Dominik Farnbacher, Ansbach, DE; Ryan Hunter-Reay, Boca Raton, FL; Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, ON; SRT Viper GTSR (9, GT), 369.
22. (42) Guy Cosmo, Long Island, NY; Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV; Anthony Lazzaro, Acworth, GA; Ferrari F458 Italia (10, GT), 368.
23. (29) Bryce Miller, Hoboken, NJ; Sascha Maassen, Aachen, DE; Richard Lietz, Ybbsitz, AT; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (11, GT), 367.
24. (30) Raymond Narac, Rouen, FR; Nicolas Armindo, Colmar, FR; Anthony Pons, Beauvais, FR; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (12, GTE-AM), 363.
25. (32) Townsend Bell, Santa Monica, CA; Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT; Johnny Mowlem, England; Lotus Evora/Cosworth (13, GT), 360.
26. (37) Henrique Cisneros, Miami, FL; Mario Farnbacher, Ansbach, DE; Jakub Giermaziak, Gostyn, PL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, GTC), 356.
27. (36) Spencer Pumpelly, Atlanta, GA; Nelson Canache, Atlanta, GA; Emilio Di Guida, Venezuela; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, GTC), 351.
28. (41) Mike Hedlund, Woodside, CA; Emmanuel Collard, France; Manuel Gutierrez Jr., Tampico, MX; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, GTC), 351.
29. (38) Chris Cumming, Vancouver, BC; Michael Valiante, Vancouver, BC; Sean Johnston, Mt. Shasta, GA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (4, GTC), 351.
30. (34) Leh Keen, Dublin, GA; Dion von Moltke, Coral Gables, FL; Cooper MacNeil, Hinsdale, IL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (5, GTC), 349.
31. (22) Oliver Gavin; Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA; Richard Westbrook, London, UK; Corvette C6-ZR1 (14, GT), 348.
32. (3) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, Beverley, UK; Steven Kane, Newtownards, IE; Lola B12/60 Mazda (15, P1), 338.
33. (9) Tom Kimber-Smith, England; Alex Brundle, UK; Alex Buncombe, UK; Zytek Z11SN Nissan (16, P2), 338.
34. (2) Lucas Luhr, Germany; Romain Dumas, France; Klaus Graf, Germany; HPD ARX-03a Honda (17, P1), 334.
35. (8) Jody Firth, Wakefield, UK; Brendon Hartley, Palmserston North, NL; Warren Hughes, England; Oreca Nissan (18, P2), 330.
36. (4) Tony Burgess, Canada; Chris McMurry, Phoenix, AZ; Mark Patterson, Bronxville, NY; Lola B11/66 Mazda (19, P1), 322.
37. (39) Angel Andres Benitez Jr., Valencia, VE; Mark Bullitt, Miami, FL; Jeff Segal, Miami, FL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (6, GTC), 318.
38. (40) Andrew Davis, Lilburn, GA; David Calvert-Jones, Melbourne, AU; Michael Avenatti, Lagunna Beach, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (7, GTC), 267.
39. (33) Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Verona, IT; Marco Cioci, Roma, IT; Matt Griffin, Piacenaz, IT; Ferrari F458 Italia (8, GTE-AM), 232.
40. (24) Marc Goossens, Geel, BE; Tommy Kendall, New Smyrna Beach, FL; Jonathan Bomarito, Monterey, CA; SRT Viper GTSR (20, GT), 224.
41. (13) Dane Cameron, Sonoma, CA; Joe Foster, Lawrenceville, GA; Patrick Dempsey, Malibu, CA; Lola B12/87 Judd (21, P2), 220.
42. (35) Peter LeSaffre, Rye, NH; Damien Faulkner, Mouille, IE; Brian Wong, Newport Beach, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (9, GTC), 40.