2009 American LeMans Series.........

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mlittle
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2009 American LeMans Series.........

Post by mlittle » Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:23 am

2009 American LeMans Series Schedule

~~Rd. 1--57th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, Sebring International Raceway, 21 March 2009
~~Rd. 2--Acura Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Pete. Street Circuit, 4 April 2009
~~Rd. 3--Patron Tequila Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach, Ca., 18 April 2009
~~Rd. 4--Larry H. Miller Grand Prix of Utah, Miller Motorsports Park, 17 May 2009
~~Rd. 5--New England Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Ct., 18 July 2009
~~Rd. 6--Acura Sports Car Challenge, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, 8 August 2009
~~Rd. 7--Generac 500 @ Road America, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., 16 August 2009
~~Rd. 8--Grand Prix of Mosport, Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ontario, 30 August 2009
~~Rd. 9--Bosch Detroit Grand Prix, Belle Isle, Detroit, 5 September 2009
~~Rd. 10--12th Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga., 26 Sept. 2009
~~Rd. 11--Monterey Sports Car Championship, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Ca., 10 October 2009
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Audi not competing in ALMS in 2009.......

Post by mlittle » Sat Dec 06, 2008 3:27 pm

In one of the more stunning moves in North American motorsports' recent memory, Audi has pulled the plug on what is arguably one of the most successful works' programs in motorsports, announcing earlier this week that they will only compete at Sebring in the 12 Hours' race as a works team. Audi officials have also announced that they will not be competing in the European-based LeMans Series(LMS) in 2009, instead devoting their energies' to the 24 Hours of LeMans. Here are some quotes from this week's announcement and reaction from ALMS President Dr. Scott Atherton.

~~Dr, Wolfgang Ullrich, Director--Audi Motorsport,
The decision to withdraw from the American Le Mans Series was a very difficult one. Furthermore, with the Champion Racing team, we also had a partner that operates at the highest level. The extraordinary dedication and precision of Team Champion was the key to Audi's victories over the last few years in America. We achieved an unprecedented winning series together. Our brand dominated proceedings last season by taking seven wins in 11 races. TDI-Technology supported perfectly the launch of Audi-TDI Technology in the USA.
~~Dr. Scott Atherton, President/CEO--American LeMans Series,
I cannot say enough about how great a partner, competitor and participant Audi has been since it first competed in the Series in 1999. We understand that the economic climate is forcing many companies to make very difficult decisions. We will welcome Audi back to the American Le Mans Series stage at the appropriate time to compete against our world-class group of race teams and manufacturers. Audi, along with Dave Maraj and his Champion Racing organization, have established the benchmark for how a motorsports organization should be run. They raised the game for all our competitors with their innovation, work ethic, professionalism and accomplishments, which are major reasons why the American Le Mans Series enjoyed its most successful season ever this year.
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Post by mlittle » Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:21 pm

(Mod's note......'bout time I dusted off this thread and added some items of interest to it............. :shock: :shock: :shock: :lol: )


(from late January...........................)
BMW RAHAL LETTERMAN RACING TEAM M3 DEBUTS AT SEBRING WINTER TEST

A new era in North American motorsports begins on January 26th when the first BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team M3 drives onto Sebring International Raceway for opening day of the American Le Mans Series Winter Test. The official debut of BMW of North America's newest racing program comes less than one year after the announcement of BMW's return to ALMS competition was made at the Chicago Auto Show on February 11, 2008.

With final design changes made by BMW Motorsport following European and US testing, the new M3 race car was assembled by the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team crew over long days and late nights beginning in December. The M3 received its final homologation inspection on Wednesday, January 21. The test will mark the first time drivers Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Tommy Milner and Dirk Müller will drive the ALMS M3 and the very first time the three Americans will be behind the wheel of a fourth-generation race car.

Bobby Rahal, Owner, Rahal/Letterman Racing,
The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team has worked extremely hard to get the new BMW M3 ready for the ALMS Winter Test and we expect to get a lot accomplished over the three days of testing. We are excited not only to get the cars and drivers on track together, but also to give the BMW fans their much-anticipated first look at the M3 race car.
Martin Birkmann, Motorsports Manager, BMW-North America,
The race to the race track has ended and we are pleased to start the 2009 season. BMW is delighted to return to the track with the latest M3 bringing MPower back to ALMS competition. We are also pleased to introduce BMW EfficientDynamics to the North American motorsports community. Through BMW EfficientDynamics every part of every BMW is maximized for optimum performance and efficiency, whether maximizing mileage or MPower.
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Wheels Down Winter Test, Day 1

Post by mlittle » Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:24 pm

(from late Jan. 2009)
PAGENAUD QUICKEST ON OPENING TEST DAY


----------Simon Pagenaud capped the first day of the American Le Mans Series' annual Winter Test with the fastest time of the day for de Ferran Motorsports at Sebring International Raceway on Monday. The young Frenchman led all competitors with a 1:45.053 (126.723 mph) around the 3.7-mile, 17-turn circuit at Sebring.

de Ferran Motorsports was one of two Acura teams that publicly debuted their new ARX-02a prototypes in LMP1. The car, designed by Wirth Research, wowed onlookers with its radical design. The obvious features included a revamped front-end and unique rear wing.

The cars will make their race debuts in March at the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the opening race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series.

Pagenaud, who will team for the full season with owner Gil de Ferran, was 2.506 seconds faster than the Lowe's Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b of team owner Adrian Fernandez, Luis Diaz and Michel Jourdain Jr. Fernandez's time in the morning session, a 1:47.559 (123.839 mph)

Patrón Highcroft Racing's Acura, the second of the P1s, was third overall thanks to David Brabham's time of 1:47.599 (123.793 mph). He is driving with Scott Sharp and Dario Franchitti; the trio also will team at the 12 Hours.
Last edited by mlittle on Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Wheels Down Winter Test, Day 2

Post by mlittle » Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:26 pm

(from late Jan. 2009)
PAGENAUD STILL FASTEST AT SEBRING AFTER DAY 2 OF WHEELS DOWN TEST




----------It hasn't taken Simon Pagenaud long to come to grips with demanding Sebring International Raceway. The talented young Frenchman posted the fastest time for the second day of the American Le Mans Series' annual Winter Test at Sebring for Acura and de Ferran Motorsports.

Pagenaud set his quick time in the day's first session in de Ferran's Acura ARX-02a LMP1, a 1:44.814 (127.082 mph) lap. His time bettered Marco Werner's standing qualifying record around the famed 17-turn, 3.7-mile layout, set in 2007 in an Audi R10 TDI. It is a promising start for Pagenaud and co-drivers Scott Dixon and team owner Gil de Ferran with the trio eyeing a historic overall victory at this year's 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.

Acuras held the top three positions overall. Adrian Fernandez, driving the Lowe's Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b LMP2 prototype, was second at 1:46.540 (125.023 mph). His also set his time in the morning session. For the 12 Hours, he will drive with full-season teammate Luis Diaz and Michel Jourdain Jr. Fernandez bested his quickest time from Monday's session by more than a second.

Patrón Highcroft Racing's Scott Sharp was third in the team's LMP1 entry. His time of 1:46.824 (124.791 mph) was nearly a second quicker than the car's best time Monday. He will drive with David Brabham and Dario Franchitti in the 12 Hours.

Defending GT2 champion Jörg Bergmeister was quickest in class Tuesday in one of Flying Lizard Motorsports' Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. The German turned a time of 2:01.866 (109.300 mph) in the car that he will share with Patrick Long.

Bergmeister's time nipped Richard Lietz in the Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche by just 0.216 seconds. Lietz is driving this week with Dirk Werner and Wolf Henzler, last year's class champion with Bergmeister.

Panoz Team PTG was an encouraging third in class. Dominik Farnbacher, a four-time winner last season in GT2, turned in a time of 2:02.470 (108.761 mph) in the team's Panoz Esperante GTLM. He has split driving duties at the Test with Ian James.
Last edited by mlittle on Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Wheels Down Winter Test, Day 3

Post by mlittle » Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:28 pm

(from late Jan. 2009)
DIXON FASTEST ON FINAL DAY OF WINTER TEST




------------Scott Dixon turned in the fastest time on the final day of the American Le Mans Series' annual Winter Test on Wednesday. The reigning Indy 500 and IndyCar champion turned a lap of 1:45.671 (126.052 mph) in the morning session at Sebring International Raceway for de Ferran Motorsports.

The new Acura ARX-02a LMP1 entry that Dixon drove Wednesday morning was fastest in all but one of the eight sessions throughout the week. Teammate Simon Pagenaud has the week's quickest time, a 1:44.814 (127.082 mph) from Tuesday morning. His time bettered Marco Werner's standing qualifying record around the famed 17-turn, 3.7-mile layout, set in 2007 in an Audi R10 TDI. Pagenaud, Dixon and team owner Gil de Ferran will team for the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on March 21.

David Brabham was second in Patrón Highcroft Racing's Acura P1 with a fast lap of 1:46.157 (125.475 mph). He set his time in the day's first session as well and will drive in the 12 Hours with Dario Franchitti and Scott Sharp. This week was the first time Dixon and Franchitti drove the new Acura.

"It's much harder (than driving the previous Acura P2 car)," Franchitti said. "The weight and the size of the tires make it more physical. We still have a long way to go and some things to work on. But when the car is fully sorted out it will be unbelievable."

Adrian Fernandez was second in LMP2 on Wednesday in Lowe's Fernandez Racing's Acura ARX-01b. He set his lap of 1:49.008 (122.193 mph) during the second session in the car that he is sharing with Luis Diaz and Michel Jourdain Jr.

Fernandez was just 0.454 seconds better than Chris Dyson in Dyson Racing's Mazda-powered Lola B08/86. Dyson, Butch Leitzinger and Marino Franchitti each drove the car Wednesday.

Richard Lietz went fastest in GT2 for Farnbacher Loles Racing and its new 2009-spec Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. A Porsche factory driver, Lietz set a time of 2:02.960 (108.328 mph) in the car that he is driving with full-season partners Dirk Werner and Wolf Henzler.

Henzler was second quickest on the day with a lap of 2:02.839 (108.435 mph) in the middle session. Next up was Dominik Farnbacher in the much-improved Panoz Esperante GTLM from Panoz Team PTG. Farnbacher, a four-time winner in GT2 last season, turned in a lap of 2:03.980 (107.437 mph) in the car that he drove with Ian James.

The American Le Mans Series will open its 11th season with the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 21. SPEED will televise the race live from 10 a.m. to noon and 2-11 p.m. ET. Live Timing & Scoring and American Le Mans Radio will be available at americanlemans.com.
Last edited by mlittle on Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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New look for Mazda in 2009 ALMS season...........

Post by mlittle » Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:11 pm

Image

Image


----It took Dyson Racing and Mazda North America a few months to finalize, but it was well worth the wait. Mazda's decision to move their LMP2 program from B-K Motorsports to Dyson Racing came with a transfer of assets to the veteran sports car team, and also heralded a change in the appearance of the Lola B08/86-Mazda coupe.

Gone is the all-white body, replaced with a refreshing dash of blue, green and yellow. It will take more than a change in livery
for Mazda and Dyson to topple Acura's LMP2 program, but with a new-look car and a championship-caliber team, 2009 could be a classic season for the Japanese manufacturer.
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Post by mlittle » Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:27 am

Current ALMS Points..............

~~~LMP[LeMans Prototype]-1...............
t-1st}[1]Rinaldo Capello, 30 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Tom Kristensen, 30 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[3]Allan McNish, 30 pts(1 win)
t-4th}[4]Sebastien Bourdais, 26 pts
t-4th}[5]Stephane Sarrazin, 26 pts
t-4th}[6]Franck Montagny, 26 pts
t-7th}[7]Lucas Luhr, 23 pts
t-7th}[8]Marco Werner, 23 pts
t-7th}[9]Mike Rockenfeller, 23 pts
t-10th}[10]Pedro Lamy, 20 pts
t-10th}[11]Nicolas Minassian, 20 pts
t-10th}[12]Christian Klien, 20 pts

1st} Audi R10 TDI, 30 pts(1 win)
2nd} Peugeot 908 HDi, 26 pts
3rd} Acura ARX-02a, 18 pts

1st} Audi, 30 pts(1 win)
2nd} Peugeot, 26 pts
3rd} Acura, 18 pts


~~~LMP[LeMans Prototype]-2................
t-1st}[1]Adrian Fernandez, 30 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Luis Diaz, 30 pts(1 win)

1st} Acura ARX-01b, 30 pts(1 win)

1st} Acura, 30 pts(1 win)


~~~Grand Touring[GT]-1.................
t-1st}[1]Jan Magnussen, 30 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Johnny O'Connell, 30 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[3]Antonio Garcia, 30 pts(1 win)
t-4th}[4]Oliver Gavin, 26 pts
t-4th}[5]Olivier Beretta, 26 pts
t-4th}[6]Marcus Fassler, 26 pts

1st} Chevrolet, 30 pts(1 win)



~~~Grand Touring[GT]-2...................
t-1st}[1]Jaime Melo, 30 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Mika Salo, 30 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[3]Pierre Kaffer, 30 pts(1 win)
t-4th}[4]Luis Companc, 26 pts
t-4th}[5]Mathias Russo, 26 pts
t-4th}[6]Gianmaria Bruni, 26 pts
t-7th}[7]Dominic Farnbacher, 23 pts
t-7th}[8]Ian James, 23 pts
t-9th}[9]Patrick Long, 20 pts
t-9th}[10]Jorg Bergmeister, 20 pts
t-9th][11]Marc Lieb, 20 pts

1st} Ferrari, 30 pts(1 win)
2nd} Panoz, 26 pts
3rd} Porsche, 20 pts
4th} Ford, 14 pts
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Post by mlittle » Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:09 pm

St. Pete Practice Session Results.............
1. 66 P1 G.de Ferran, S.Pagenaud de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a 1:06.125
2. 9 P1 D.Brabham, S.Sharp Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a 1:06.743
3. 15 P2 A.Fernandez, L.Diaz Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b 1:07.545
4. 20 P2 B.Leitzinger, M.Franchitti Dyson Racing Mazda Lola B09 86 1:07.819
5. 16 P2 C.Dyson, G.Smith Dyson Racing Mazda Lola B09 86 1:07.857
6. 37 P1 J.Field, C.Field, C.Ducote Intersport Racing Lola B06/10 AER 1:11.850
7. 87 GT2 D.Werner, W.Henzler Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 1:14.270
8. 21 GT2 D.Farnbacher, I.James Panoz Team PTG Panoz Esperante 1:15.442
9. 45 GT2 J.Bergmeister, P.Long Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 1:15.512
10. 90 GT2 B.Auberlen, J.Hand BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team BMW E92 M3 1:15.792
11. 92 GT2 D.Mueller, T.Milner BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team BMW E92 M3 1:16.027
12. 44 GT2 S.Neiman, D.Law Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 1:16.048
13. 62 GT2 J.Melo, P.Kaffer Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT 1:16.200
14. 28 GT2 L.Gigliotti, E.Curran LG Motorsports Riley Corvette C6 1:16.280
15. 22 GT2 T.Sutherland, R.Phinney Panoz Team PTG Panoz Esperante 1:17.879
16. 40 GT2 A.Robertson, D.Murry Robertson Racing Doran Ford GT MK 7 1:17.969
17. 11 GT2 J.Feingerg, C.Hall Primetime Race Group Dodge Viper Comp Coupe 1:18.839
L-R: position, car #, ALMS class, drivers, team, car, fastest time
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Acura, Ferrari tops on streets of St. Pete...........

Post by mlittle » Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:12 pm

Image

(quoting from ALMS website)
~~~Four rear tires plus a brand new car equaled pole position for Simon Pagenaud on Friday. The young French star was the fastest qualifier Friday for de Ferran Motorsports at the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg with a lap of 1:03.776 (101.606 mph) in the team’s Acura ARX-02a. Pagenaud earned his first American Le Mans Series pole and the team’s second straight to open the season.

With teammate and owner Gil de Ferran looking on, Pagenaud went 0.946 seconds quicker than Patrón Highcroft Racing’s Scott Sharp, also driving an Acura LMP1 entry. It was a good day for Acura with Lowe’s Fernandez Racing’s Luis Diaz placing third overall and first in LMP2.

“The car has been behaving very well since this morning,” Pagenaud said. “I was expecting trouble, and having so much contact patch at the front made me think it would be moving around. But it was very good.”

One of the reasons is the unique design that features the same size tires on all four wheels of the Acura P1 car. That combined with a radical aerodynamic package increases the amount of downforce the ARX-02a generates, an optimal feature on the tight and twisty bits that are common with street circuits.

The car also qualified on the overall pole at the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida to open the season. Reigning IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champion Scott Dixon was the fastest qualifier there.

“It’s a very sophisticated and complicated car,” Pagenaud said. “We gain 7 percent more contact patch on the front so it helps us turn the front better. It is helping us get a P1 car as fast or faster in the corners as P2 cars. It was important for us to have a good car at Sebring for testing, and you expect that if it is good at Sebring then it will be good on street circuits. We have a little softer setup here. The car is good on long runs and I expect it to be very good for the race.”

Sharp will team with David Brabham in the Patrón Highcroft Acura. Intersport Racing’s Lola B06/10-AER of Jon Field, Clint Field and Chapman Ducote was third in P1 at 1:09.044 (93.853 mph).

Diaz followed teammate Adrian Fernandez’s class pole at Sebring, as well as their first victory, with his first career Series pole. His lap of 1:05.178 (99.420 mph) bested Dyson Racing’s Guy Smith by just 0.286 seconds.

Diaz and Fernandez are driving the same Acura ARX-01b they were in last season with Dyson entered two new Mazda-powered Lola B09/86 coupes. Smith and Chris Dyson are in one entry with Marino Franchitti, who qualified third in class, and Butch Leitzinger in the second car.

“It’s a good feeling,” Diaz said. “The whole team did a great job and the Michelins worked great. The Dyson guys are getting closer and we knew they would be strong. When we tested on the short track at Sebring we knew they would be close. We have to work on the car to make it consistent for long runs.”

After one of the worst seasons in terms of luck a team could have, the Lowe’s Fernandez team is showing strength early. Not only did the car win the P2 pole and race at Sebring, it also posted the fastest race lap in class and led for more than 11 hours.

“Everyone is going to be more aggressive (in the race),” Diaz said. “It will be a street fight between the Dysons and us. We have to keep the same mentality as Sebring - not making mistakes in traffic and keeping our nose clean. There is trouble everywhere. It is very tough and we have to be aware of everything out there.”

Jaime Melo gave Risi Competizione its first GT2 pole at St. Petersburg and Ferrari its second in three years. Risi’s Brazilian star turned in a lap of 1:12.892 (88.899 mph)to outpace barely Wolf Henzler, last year’s fastest class qualifier. Melo was a winner here two years ago with Mika Salo in Risi’s Ferrari F430 GT just a couple of weeks after winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The two ended that season with eight wins and the driver championship.

Fast forward to this year with Melo and Pierre Kaffer entering St. Petersburg after the team’s second Sebring class victory.

“I didn’t expect to do this kind of lap,” Melo said. “We had some understeer problems in the first practice. I got in the car halfway to the end of the second practice. We didn’t fix it completely but improved a lot. If you have a lot of understeer on a track like this it then you can lose a lot of time.”

Henzler, in the Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, had a best lap of 1:13.173 (88.557 mph) and will drive with Dirk Werner. The team was third in class here last season. Three different manufacturers were in the top three with Joey Hand third in BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team’s new BMW M3 at 1:13.267 (.
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Post by mlittle » Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:28 pm

St. Pete Starting Grid


1. 66 P1 1 G.de Ferran, S.Pagenaud de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a 1:03.776 101.606
2. 9 P1 2 D.Brabham, S.Sharp Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a 1:04.722 0.946 0.946 100.121
3. 15 P2 1 A.Fernandez, L.Diaz Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b 1:05.178 0.456 1.402 99.420
4. 16 P2 2 C.Dyson, G.Smith Dyson Racing Mazda Lola B09 86 1:05.464 0.286 1.688 98.986
5. 20 P2 3 B.Leitzinger, M.Franchitti Dyson Racing Mazda Lola B09 86 1:05.666 0.202 1.890 98.681
6. 37 P1 3 J.Field, C.Field, C.Ducote Intersport Racing Lola B06/10 AER 1:09.044 3.378 5.268 93.853
7. 62 GT2 1 J.Melo, P.Kaffer Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT 1:12.892 3.848 9.116 88.899
8. 87 GT2 2 D.Werner, W.Henzler Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 1:13.173 0.281 9.397 88.557
9. 90 GT2 3 B.Auberlen, J.Hand BMW Rahal Letterman Racing BMW E92 M3 1:13.267 0.094 9.491 88.444
10. 92 GT2 4 D.Mueller, T.Milner BMW Rahal Letterman Racing BMW E92 M3 1:13.458 0.191 9.682 88.214
11. 45 GT2 5 J.Bergmeister, P.Long Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 1:13.465 0.007 9.689 88.205
12. 21 GT2 6 D.Farnbacher, I.James Panoz Team PTG Panoz Esperante 1:14.109 0.644 10.333 87.439
13. 40 GT2 7 A.Robertson, D.Murry Robertson Racing Doran Ford GT MK 7 1:14.281 0.172 10.505 87.236
14. 28 GT2 8 L.Gigliotti, E.Curran LG Motorsports Riley Corvette C6 1:14.633 0.352 10.857 86.825
15. 11 GT2 9 J.Feingerg, C.Hall Primetime Race Group Dodge Viper Comp Coupe 1:15.938 1.305 12.162 85.333
16. 22 GT2 10 T.Sutherland, R.Phinney Panoz Team PTG Panoz Esperante 1:15.996 0.058 12.220 85.268
17. 44 GT2 11 S.Neiman, D.Law Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 1:18.592 2.596 14.816 82.451
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Acura, Porsche teams win in St. Pete

Post by mlittle » Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:32 pm

(quoting from multiple sources)
~~~~David Brabham and Scott Sharp scored an overall victory for Acura at the aptly named Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg on Saturday as the auto manufacturer swept both prototype classes in the second round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series.

Brabham and his Acura ARX-02a finished 32.150 seconds ahead of Adrian Fernandez as Acura took the top two overall positions. Fernandez was the LMP2 winner for the second straight race with Luis Diaz in Lowe’s Fernandez Racing’s Acura ARX-01b.

Saturday’s victory was the first for the new ARX-02a entry for LMP1.

“I can’t say enough about the whole job HPD (Honda Performance Development) and Wirth Research have done with this car,” Sharp said. “I stepped into the P2 car last year and it was pretty much sorted. Everything on this car is new, and we’ve come a long way in three or four months. We all feel that this car has tremendous promise and will only get stronger and faster and better.”

Sharp ran second to de Ferran Motorsports’ Acura and Gil de Ferran for much of his stint. After an early spin, Sharp took massive chunks per lap out of de Ferran’s lead in the closing minutes of the opening stint. He pitted under caution - the only one of the day that came out when Joel Feinberg crashed his Dodge Viper Competition Coupe at the 53-minute mark - and handed off to Brabham, who passed Fernandez eight minutes after the restart.

The Patr¢n Highcroft Acura went on without a hitch while the de Ferran Acura struggled with electrical and fuel pump issues that sidelined Simon Pagenaud with about 15 minutes remaining. With a comfortable margin over Fernandez, Brabham still had to cope with a dangerous first turn every lap, one that was especially greasy.

“Scott had a very strong car and did a very good job of pressuring de Ferran which I think caused him to pit early I think,” Brabham said. “If you pit early like that it puts you in danger if a yellow comes out, and that worked in our favor. I had to push but not push too hard; I went into Turn 1 sliding a few times. It may have looked easy but it really was not.”

Acura became the first auto manufacturer to win both prototype classes in the same race. Brabham and Sharp won their second overall event together, the first coming last July at Lime Rock Park. They have five class victories together with four in LMP2 together last year.

Fernandez and Diaz were a lap clear of Dyson Racing’s Guy Smith and Chris Dyson in the team’s first Mazda-powered Lola B09/86. The second entry of Butch Leitzinger and Marino Franchitti were third after a mid-race stop to replace a punctured right-front tire.

“The team has done a great job preparing this car,” said Diaz, who teamed with Fernandez to win in class at the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring two weeks ago. “We haven’t had any problems, even in practice. Everyone wants to win so badly. We worked very hard to be physically ready for this season. Michelin also gave us great tires even with the tough conditions out there.”

The Lowe’s Fernandez entry never trailed Saturday, a picture of efficiency. It was the same story as Sebring where the team didn’t miss a beat. Diaz qualified on the class pole Friday to follow Fernandez’s class pole run at Sebring. It is a stark contrast to last season where everything that could go wrong - more often than not - did.

“This is a race we should have won two years ago,” Fernandez said. “Luis was leading the race and was trying to lap another car, and then we were penalized. Last year we had a fantastic race at Sebring, at Laguna Seca, at Road America, at Lime Rock…it was amazing to see how badly things went last year. This proves that we are tough competitors. We can see the Mazdas getting stronger, and we know Dyson will catch up because they have so much experience.”

Intersport Racing’s Clint Field, Jon Field and Chapman Ducote were second in P1 driving their AER-powered Lola B06/10. They finished ahead of the pole-sitting de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a, which finished the race stranded on course with electrical problems.

Patrick Long and Jörg Bergmeister won in GT2 by two laps in their Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The pairing, class champions together in 2005, gave Porsche its first victory at St. Petersburg after wins by Ferrari in 2007 and 2008.

Long drove the opening stint and was one of the last drivers to pit, coming in to bring out the race’s lone caution period. He had gained a lap over the rest of the field and increased that advantage when he went around the safety car as it picked up overall leader Fernandez prior to the restart.

“We expected more yellows, and when that didn’t happen strategies got a little different,” Long said. “At one point when I was behind some slower cars I called in a question to our strategist (Thomas Blam) about diving down at one point to avoid being in traffic. He said to stay out, and Thomas’ call did pay off.”

Dirk Müller and Tommy Milner were second in GT2 class as Müller picked up two positions in the final 15 minutes driving one of BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team’s BMW M3s. He was more than 15 seconds ahead of Panoz Team PTG’s Dominik Farnbacher, who drove the Panoz Esperante GTLM with Ian James. The pairing finished third for the second straight race.

Although it wasn’t clearly evident after qualifying (Long was fourth fastest Friday in class), the team’s tire choice proved beneficial once the race rolled around. The track was considerably warmer and more slippery Saturday, ideal conditions for a softer compound from Michelin.

“We were pretty conservative on the tire choice in qualifying, and that paid off for us in the long runs during the race (the cars must start on at least three of its four qualifying tires),” Bergmeister said. “I think choosing other compounds gave some of our competitors trouble. As far as I know, we were on the same compound (the entire race) and we were hoping it would stay green because our car is very consistent on long runs.”

Fernandez and Diaz also were prototype winners in the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge, which goes to the fastest and most energy efficient entry who has the least environmental impact. Hand and Milner were GT winners in their BMW. Both manufacturers won their first MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge trophies.

The Tequila Patr¢n American Le Mans Series at Long Beach is the next round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series. The race is set for 4:15 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 18 from the famed Long Beach street circuit in southern California. The race will be televised from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 19 on ABC. Qualifying is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 17. American Le Mans Radio and Live Timing and Scoring will be available at americanlemans.com.

The race also will mark the next round for the MICHELIN® Green X® Challenge. For tickets, visit americanlemans.com or gplb.com.
Last edited by mlittle on Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by mlittle » Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:33 pm

Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Pete.
Race Results


1. 9 P1 1. D.Brabham, S.Sharp Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-02a 93
2. 15 P2 1. A.Fernandez, L.Diaz Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b 93 -32.150
3. 16 P2 2. C.Dyson, G.Smith Dyson Racing Mazda Lola B09 86 92 -1 laps
4. 20 P2 3. B.Leitzinger, M.Franchitti Dyson Racing Mazda Lola B09 86 91 -2 laps
5. 45 GT2 1. J.Bergmeister, P.Long Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 88 -5 laps
6. 37 P1 2. J.Field, C.Field, C.Ducote Intersport Racing Lola B06/10 AER 88 -5 laps
7. 92 GT2 2. D.Mueller, T.Milner BMW Rahal Letterman Racing BMW E92 M3 86 -7 laps
8. 21 GT2 3. D.Farnbacher, I.James Panoz Team PTG Panoz Esperante 86 -7 laps
9. 28 GT2 4. L.Gigliotti, E.Curran LG Motorsports Riley Corvette C6 85 -8 laps
10. 44 GT2 5. S.Neiman, D.Law Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 84 -9 laps
11. 40 GT2 6. A.Robertson, D.Murry Robertson Racing Doran Ford GT MK 7 83 -10 laps
12. 87 GT2 7. D.Werner, W.Henzler Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 74 -19 laps
13. 66 P1 3. G.de Ferran, S.Pagenaud de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a 66 -27 laps
14. 11 GT2 8. J.Feingerg, C.Hall Primetime Race Group Dodge Viper Comp Coupe 38 -55 laps
15. 22 GT2 9. T.Sutherland, R.Phinney Panoz Team PTG Panoz Esperante 38 -55 laps
16. 90 GT2 10. B.Auberlen, J.Hand BMW Rahal Letterman Racing BMW E92 M3 28 -65 laps
17. 62 GT2 11. J.Melo, P.Kaffer Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT 27 -66 laps
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ALMS Car Primer

Post by mlittle » Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:00 am

Whenever you see an American LeMans Series race, one question that's likely to pop up is, "what are all the classes out there?


Image
~~~LE MANS PROTOTYPE 1
LMP1 entries such as the Audi R15 TDI, Acura ARX-02, Peugeot 908 HDi and Zytek 07S. These ultra-engineered racing cars produce between 600-700 horsepower, have a minimum weight of 900 kilograms (approximately 1,985 pounds), can accelerate from 0-100 mph in three (3) seconds and reach top speeds in excess of 200 mph.

~~~LE MANS PROTOTYPE 2
LMP2 cars are the smaller brothers of their P1 counterparts. They are lighter and less powerful but also more nimble, having the capability to win overall races. P2 racers like the Porsche RS Spyder, Acura ARX-01b and Lola B09/80 produce between 500-550 horsepower and have a minimum weight of 825 kilograms (approximately 1,820 pounds).


Image
~~~ABOUT THE GTs

Cars in the Grand Touring (GT) classes are mirror images of production-based cars that are found in auto showrooms around the world. They are modified, of course, to enhance performance and take the punishment of the most demanding road tracks in the world.

GT1 cars, the pinnacle of GT racing, features two-wheel drive race cars such as the Aston Martin DBR9, Corvette C6.R, Maserati MC12 and Saleen S7R. Possessing super car characteristics, these elite automobiles produce between 600-650 horsepower and have a minimum weight of 1,150 kilograms (approximately 2,535 pounds).

Cars in the GT2 class are more moderately modified, two-wheel drive race cars and are some of the most recognized sports cars in the world –Aston Martin Vantage GT2, BMW M3, Corvette C6.R, Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, Ferrari F430 GT, Ford GT-R, Panoz Esperante GTLM and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. GT2 cars put out between 450-500 horsepower and have a minimum weight of 1,145 kilograms (2,480 pounds).
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Post by mlittle » Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:01 pm

Current American LeMans Series Standings................


~~~LMP-1 Standings...................
t-1st}[1]David Brabham, 38 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Scott Sharp, 38 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[3]Allan McNish, 30 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[4]Tom Kristensen, 30 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[5]Rinaldo Capello, 30 pts(1 win)
t-6th}[6]Stephane Sarrazin, 26 pts
t-6th}[7]Sebastien Bourdais, 26 pts
t-6th}[8]Franck Montagny, 26 pts
t-9th}[9]Lucas Luhr, 23 pts
t-9th}[10]Marco Werner, 23 pts
t-9th}[11]Mike Rockenfeller, 23 pts

1st} Acura ARX-02a, 38 pts(1 win)
2nd} Audi R15 TDI, 30 pts(1 win)
3rd} Peugeot 908 HDi, 26 pts

1st} Acura, 38 pts(1 win)
2nd} Audi, 30 pts(1 win)
3rd} Peugeot, 26 pts


~~~LMP-2 Standings.....................
t-1st}[1]Adrian Fernandez, 50 pts(2 wins)
t-1st}[2]Luis Diaz, 50 pts(2 wins)
t-3rd}[3]Chris Dyson, 16 pts
t-3rd}[4]Guy Smith, 16 pts
t-5th}[5]Butch Leitzinger, 13 pts
t-5th}[6]Marino Franchitti, 13 pts

1st} Acura ARX-01b, 50 pts(2 wins)
2nd} Lola, 16 pts

1st} Acura, 50 pts(2 wins)
2nd} Mazda, 16 pts


~~~GT-1 Standings.......................
(GT-1 Standings remain unchanged from Sebring)

~~~GT-2 Standings......................
t-1st}[1]Jorg Bergmeister, 40 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Patrick Long, 40 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[3]Dominic Franbacher, 36 pts
t-3rd}[4]Ian James, 36 pts
t-5th}[5]Jaime Melo, 30 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[6]Pierre Kaffer, 30 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[7]Mika Salo, 30 pts(1 win)
t-8th}[8]Luis Companc, 26 pts
t-8th}[9]Gianmaria Bruni, 26 pts
t-8th}[10]Mathias Bruno, 26 pts
t-8th}[11]Darren Law, 26 pts
t-8th}[12]Seth Neiman, 26 pts

1st} Porsche, 40 pts(1 win)
2nd} Panoz, 36 pts
3rd} Ferrari, 30 pts(1 win)
4th} Ford, 20 pts
5th} BMW, 16 pts
6th} Chevrolet, 10 pts
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