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Audi
Audi drivers hunting records in the USA
o Seventh round of the American Le Mans Series at Road America
o Allan McNish and Audi R10 TDI hold track record
o LM P1 sportscars always quicker -- also due to the tyres
Ingolstadt -- The Audi R10 TDI is the most successful car in the 2008 American Le Mans Series with three overall victories. The Audi drivers are particularly looking forward to the next race on 9 August: Road America in Wisconsin is not only regarded as one of the world's most picturesque and challenging circuits. The track is also the fastest on the American Le Mans Series calendar.
Just like its predecessor, the R8, the Audi R10 TDI was specifically developed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans: The average speed around the high-speed circuit approaches 250 kph. Road America comes closest in this respect to Le Mans: Last year, Allan McNish took pole position at an average speed of 217.829 kph in the Audi R10 TDI. It is still the fastest lap for a Le Mans sportscar in the history of the American Le Mans Series.
The Audi drivers hunt this record at Road America. The probability is extremely high that it will be beaten -- assuming the weather plays its part. Last year, the Audi Sport North America team actually still competed with the first generation diesel sportscar. The two cars to be fielded this time are of the latest technical configuration and are thus significantly quicker.
The tyres also play a large role in the LP P1 performance gain and faster lap times. "Our tyre partner Michelin is doing a fantastic job," explains Audi factory driver Marco Werner, who has already celebrated three overall victories in the 2008 American Le Mans Series together with Lucas Luhr. "The tyres have very good grip this years and are very consistent". In the last race at Mid Ohio, Luhr/Werner only had to change tyres once -- this was impossible last year.
Almost 50,000 test kilometres went into the latest generation Michelin tyres. One-and-a-half hour's work goes into a single handmade tyre, which weighs approximately twelve kilograms and comprises of 150 different components. Its optimum operating temperature is about 80 degrees Celsius and the tyre itself is of great importance in the overall package of a race car. Compared to last year, the technical experts from Michelin calculated that the tyre alone was accountable for reducing lap-time by one second at the season opener at Sebring. To achieve this you need to increase engine power by about 40 hp or weigh 50 kilograms less.
Four different slick versions are available for the Audi Sport North America team: "soft", "medium", "hard" and "hot" -- the last one is a version for higher temperatures. Two different rain tyres and intermediates for damp conditions complete the Michelin range.
The French company was Audi's exclusive tyre partner for the R8 project. Michelin was also integrated from the very beginning of the Audi R10 TDI development and broke new ground just like Audi Sport. "We made a lot of pioneering work together," stresses Head of Audi Sport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "The enormous torque produced by the TDI engine and the relatively high weight of a twelve-cylinder make great demands of the tyres."
Every track on the American Le Mans Series calendar is simulated weeks before the event by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt. Michelin give recommendations for air pressure and camber values based on this data.
Thanks to the computer simulations, Audi Sport knows before an event almost to the tenth-of-a-second what lap times are possible. "Often", grins Lucas Luhr, "we drive just a little bit quicker than the computer calculated."
Whether this will be the case this time will be revealed on Friday (8 August) at 3:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. in Germany) when prototype qualifying is on the agenda. The race starts on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. in Germany) and runs into the night. Swiss driver Marcel Fassler, who contests his first race with the Audi R10 TDI at Road America, is new in the Audi Team.
Facts & figures
The Audi driver line-up at Road America
No.1 Marcel Fassler / Emanuele Pirro
No.2 Lucas Luhr / Marco Werner
Emanuele Pirro about Road America: "Road America is one of the few tracks where you see the results on the stop watch if you risk something -- this is very satisfying for a driver. The layout is also unique. Unfortunately, the spectators only get to see a small amount of this fantastic track."
Interesting facts
Marco Werner contests his 50th ALMS race at Road America ... Road America has staged six American Le Mans Series races to date, an Audi won on five occasions ...The Audi R8 remained unbeaten in its four races at Road America ... Audi celebrated a one-two with the R10 TDI in 2006, last year Dindo Capello/Allan McNish and Emanuele Pirro/Marco Werner were second and third respectively ... Allan McNish took pole position in 2006 and 2007 at Road America with the R10 TDI ... McNish holds the track record with a time of 1m 47.665s ... Marcel Fassler contests his first race in the USA at Road America and his first race with the Audi R10 TDI ... Emanuele Pirro participates in the "Tour de Road America" on Friday evening, a charity cycle race for the Lance Armstrong Foundation ... the Audi R10 TDI competes in the 1000-kilomtre race at the Nurburgring only one week after the race at Road America.
Acura
ACURA'S VETERAN LINEUP BRINGS ROAD AMERICA EXPERIENCE FOR FAST AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES ROAD RACING ACTION
Four Strong Acura Teams Primed For Wild Action In Generac 500
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. -- The Acura sports car lineup brings plenty of Road America experience to the famed four-mile road circuit on Aug. 8-9 for the Generac 500 road racing classic, the seventh stop on the 11-race American Le Mans Series campaign.
Four superb driver combinations will drive the highly-technical Acura ARX-01b prototype sports cars in the four-hour endurance contest set for 4 p.m. (CDT) on Saturday, Aug. 9.
Leading the Acura contingent will be two-time 2008 ALMS winners David Brabham, a former Road America winner in the GT-1 class in 2003, and his teammate Scott Sharp, a two-time Road America titlist in Trans-Am in 1991 and 1993, in the potent No. 9 LMP2 Patron Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b prototype machine. Brabham, a defending two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class champion, has made two sensational late-race passes on the Penske Porsches to win the LMP2 class at Long Beach and the overall win at Lime Rock Park.
Now, with two wins and a pole already in six races, Brabham and Sharp seek another triumph at the demanding Road America course. The Lime Rock triumph was Acura's first overall ALMS win.
But the Patron Highcroft duo won't be the only Acura squad challenging at Elkhart Lake.
Former Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran comes back to the popular Wisconsin racing facility for the first time since the 2001 CART event. The two-time CART champion retired from the cockpit in 2003 after winning his final race at Texas. After serving as the sporting director for Honda Formula One for three years, de Ferran decided to form his own racing operation and teamed with Acura. De Ferran, a seven-time Road America starter, also decided to return to driving as well as serving as team owner. Gil's new team made its ALMS debut in May at Utah.
De Ferran, who spent time n Wisconsin as a foreign exchange student at age 15, teamed with young French star Simon Pagenaud to place third in No. 66 Panasonic ELS Surround team's first race. De Ferran also won the overall pole at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago.
The famed Road America course will host a stellar field in the Generac 500 that includes Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Mazda, Corvette and the Acura teams of Patron Highcroft Racing, de Ferran Motorsports, Lowe's Fernandez Racing and Andretti Green Racing.
The No. 15 Lowe's Acura contingent of Mexican driving stars Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz, who drove wheel-to-wheel with the winning Porsche throughout the 12 Hours of Sebring, have switched from the Lola chassis to the new Acura ARX-01b car in 2008 and shown impressive speed in 2008. Fernandez is a 12-time starter at Road America (finishing 2nd in CART in 2000) and Diaz won the Formula Atlantic race in 2002 at Elkhart Lake.
The Andretti Green Racing brings 24 Hours of Le Mans star Franck Montagny as the new primary driver of the No. 26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b at Mid-Ohio. Montagny, who placed second at Long Beach last April in the final Champ Car race, teams with young open-wheel James Rossiter, a former Honda F-1 test driver.
ACURA QUOTES:
DAVID BRABHAM (#9 Patron Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-0ba): "The Lime Rock was a big one. It was close to the team headquarters (in Danbury, CT) and Acura's first overall win. It has been good year so far for me with wins at Long Beach, Le Mans and Lime Rock. Long Beach was very special. To win there for Patron in their title race and in the backyard of Acura was big for our team. Winning in four ALMS classes is great for me but it doesn't mean as much as the effort that the team put forth. The Long Beach and Lime Rock wins was a very exciting for me and the rest of the team. Road America is a great track and I hope we can stand on the winner's podium there, too."
SCOTT SHARP (#9 Patron Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b): "To get the first overall win this year for Acura and Patron, it's a big accomplishment. This event will be the third different type of car I will have raced at Road America. I won the Trans-Am in 1991 and 1993 there. This Acura prototype is one of the best cars I have ever driven. It is sensational."
LUIS DIAZ: (#15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b): "We are getting more comfortable with the new Acura chassis. This new Acura ARX-01b car has more downforce and handles better. We have been very competitive at the first few races this year but we have had some bad luck so far. We got third at Mid-Ohio and I hope we are a streak now. I won at Road America in 2002 in Formula Atlantic. I love that track."
ADRIAN FERNANDEZ (#15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b): "We are working on getting the Acura package and total Acura family stronger. We are learning a lot from every race, and I think we are making a lot of gains right now with our Acura engine and chassis. I have raced a lot at Road America and it is a great track. I was close to winning there in the open-wheel cars. But never did it. Now I want to get the Lowe's Acura in victory lane this year."
FRANCK MONTAGNY (#26 XM Satellite Radio AGR Acura ARX-01b): "We have not had much luck with the Andretti Green XM Acura yet. But this car is very fast and I think we can win at Road America. I am looking forward to racing at that track."
JAMES ROSSITER (#26 XM Satellite Radio AGR Acura ARX-01b): "I'm really looking forward to driving the XM Acura. AGR has a great history as a great team, so hopefully we can do some great things."
GIL de FERRAN (#66 Panasonic ELS Sound de Ferran Motosports Acura ARX-01b): "I'm having a great time driving a race car again. But in addition, I am enjoying the out of the cockpit activities as a team owner. It's been a very fun project. We are learning about sports car racing right now. It is different from open-wheel racing. But driving the prototypes is a lot like driving an open-wheel car. The car handles very similar to an Indy Car. This Acura is very close to a Formula One car with very high technology. It's fun to drive. We are ready for Elkhart Lake. Road America is one of my favorite circuits around the world. It is very much like tracks in Europe. It is a great driver's course. I am looking forward to getting back to that famous track."
SIMON PAGENAUD (#66 Panasonic ELS Sound de Ferran Motosports Acura ARX-01b): "I am thrilled to be a part of de Ferran Motorsports and to drive with a legend like Gil. It was exciting to compete with this team and compete in the American Le Mans Series. This series has some of the most sophisticated racing cars in the world. And there are some great drivers too. It is always fun to race at Road America."
Porsche
Stuttgart. After the successful class-winning premiere of RS Spyder racing the new direct fuel injection engine at Mid-Ohio, the next great challenge is here: At the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series the Weissach-developed and built sports prototypes race on the legendary Road America track. Porsche is eager to further increase its championship lead on one of America’s oldest and most beautiful race circuits.
The traditional 6.510 kilometre track in Elkhart Lake (Wisconsin) with its 14 corners, some of which are extremely fast, presents pilots with a difficult task. Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France), the reigning champions and clear points’ leaders, were clearly up to the challenge last year: In the #7 RS Spyder they not only beat their toughest LMP2 opponents from Acura but also secured a convincing overall victory against the Audi R10 which feature about 200 hp more and a better power to weight ratio.
“It’s a fascinating track on which the slightest mistake costs a lot of time,” says Timo Bernhard. “Everything has to be perfect, including the strategy. And as I said, we can’t afford to make a single mistake – not in the pits, not on the track. That’s the only way to secure class victory.” His team mate Romain Dumas compares Road America with the Grand Prix circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. “It’s very fast, very hilly and very demanding. A real challenge.” Due to the four-hour race duration, extra championship points are up for grabs.
The second RS Spyder fielded by Penske Racing and powered by the new direct fuel injection engine is the #6 car manned by Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA). Two further RS Spyder vehicles, fitted with the successful 3.4-litre V8 motor in front of the rear axle, is entered by the US privateer team, Dyson Racing: Chris Dyson (USA) and Guy Smith (Great Britain) drive the #16 car, with Butch Leitzinger (USA) and Marino Franchitti (Great Britain) sharing the #20 RS Spyder.
After the successful start into the second half of the season in Mid-Ohio, Porsche forges ahead as the clear leaders of the LMP2 class. With four wins from six rounds to date, Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas head the drivers’ championship. Porsche leads the manufacturers’ classification (chassis and engine) and Penske Racing tops the team classification.
In the GT2 class for slightly modified standard sports cars, Porsche also leads the points with Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Wolf Henzler (Germany). With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by Flying Lizard Motorsports, with whom they have already won the races in Sebring, Salt Lake City and Lime Rock so far this year, the German pair wants to consolidate their top position against strong competition from Ferrari. Also taking up the race with excellent chances for a win are team mates Johannes van Overbeek (USA) and Patrick Pilet (France) as well as Dirk Werner (Germany) and Richard Westbrook (Great Britain) in their 911 GT3 RSR run by Farnbacher Loles Racing.
The race in Elkhart Lake starts on Saturday, 9 August 2008, at 16.00 hrs local time (23.00 hrs CEST) and runs over four hours.
Facts and Figures
This is the American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999. The regulations are based on the rules of the Le Mans 24 hour race. This season twelve rounds will be contested in the USA and Canada. The traditional highlights of the year are the Sebring 12 hour race and the 1,000 mile “Petit Le Mans” race in Road Atlanta. Most races run over 2.45 hours. The ALMS is the American counterpart to the European-based Le Mans Series (LMS).
The starting field consists of two different sports vehicle categories: Sports prototypes and standard sports cars. They are divided into four classes:
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 750 hp and a minimum weight of 925 kilograms (in the LMS: 750 hp/900 kilograms).
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 500 hp (normally-aspirated engines) and an 800 kilogram minimum weight (in the LMS: 500 hp/825 kg). The Porsche RS Spyder competes in this class.
GT1 class: Heavily modified standard sports cars with up to 650 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (in the LMS: 650 hp/1,125 – 1,325 kilograms).
GT2 class: Slightly modified standard sports cars with between 450 hp to 470 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (in the LMS: 450 to 470 hp/1,125 – 1,325 kilograms). The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR competes in this class.
All race cars start together but are classified separately according to the class. This system ensures diverse and gripping racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only allocated for placings in each class. Championship titles are awarded in the LMP1 and LMP2 classes for drivers, chassis and engine manufacturers, teams and tyre suppliers. In the GT1 and GT2 classes titles are awarded for drivers, car manufacturer and teams. With the RS Spyder in 2006 and 2007, Porsche won the championship title for drivers (Sascha Maassen/Lucas Luhr and Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas respectively) as well as for manufacturer chassis, manufacturer engine and team (Penske Racing).
Mazda
B-K Motorsports Pumped Up for Home Race at Road America
Saukville, Wis. -- Hot off an encouraging run at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago, B-K Motorsports comes home to Road America for the Generac 500 Presented by Time Warner Cable, the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series season. The nearby Saukville, Wis.-based team will once again field its No. 8 BP Lola B07/46 Mazda for drivers Ben Devlin and Gerardo Bonilla, hoping to put their own mark on the LMP2 competition.
The 4.048-mile Road America circuit, located in Elkhart Lake, Wis., is one of America's classic road racing venues. Drivers often consider the fast and flowing 14-turn course the Nurburgring Nordschleife or Spa-Francorchamps of America. And out of all the races on the Series schedule, most look forward to Road America the most.
Saturday's four-hour race into the darkness will be particularly special for B-K Motorsports given its recent gain on the competition. At Mid-Ohio, the Mazda MZR-R-powered prototype ran race pace-matching lap times and looked to be on the way for a top finish. However, the car suffered a fluke fuel vent hose problem, costing Devlin and Bonilla precious laps in the pit lane. After a rather unlucky weekend at Mid-Ohio, Bonilla and the team are hoping to show the true potential of the Dunlop-shod car at Road America.
"I think everyone at B-K Motorsports is pretty anxious to get to Road America," Bonilla said. "Our pace at Mid-Ohio was very encouraging, only to be denied by a part that never breaks. Road America is another track that suits the BP Lola Mazda MZR-R well. Ben and I will be ready to give our best, as will the rest of the crew. As a driver, you learn something new every time you race. Although I've raced at Road America in other race cars, it will be great to learn what its like in the LMP2 with multiple classes on track."
Mazda will be well represented this weekend, as the brand will be supporting six of the seven series competing on track. In addition to B-K Motorsports' American Le Mans Series campaign, Mazda is also involved with the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National championship Presented by Mazda, Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear, Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship. No fewer than 150 drivers from around the world will be in Mazda-supported efforts this weekend, a testament to the strong level of support the brand provides to racers on all levels.
"Everyone at Mazda is looking forward to the Road America event," says John Doonan, Manager, Motorsports Team Development for Mazda. "Not only do we have nearly every racing series Mazda has in our Mazdaspeed Motorsports Ladder system competing, but we are at a facility where the BP Mazda has a chance to shine. We gained some good momentum at Mid-Ohio and hope we can continue the upward path up the results sheet in LMP2."
Corvette
Corvette Racing Gets the Kinks Out at Road America
Corvette Drivers Relish Return to High-Speed Wisconsin Road Course
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Aug. 4, 2008 -- The polls have closed and the votes have been tabulated. By a three-to-one margin, Corvette Racing's drivers have acclaimed the Kink to be the greatest corner on the classic Road America circuit. The drivers will test their mettle on this challenging road course in Saturday's four-hour Generac 500 at Road America, the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series.
Exit poll interviews showed strong backing for the Kink:
"I love the Kink," said Olivier Beretta.
"The Kink is the corner that gets every driver's heart going," said Jan Magnussen.
"If you can get the Kink right, you are really gaining a lot of lap time," said Oliver Gavin.
Ever the contrarian, Johnny O'Connell expressed a dissident view: "I didn't pick the Kink because it's one mean corner," said the Georgian. "I don't think any of the other guys on the team have wrecked there, but I have. I'll take Canada Corner instead."
What is it about this strip of asphalt in the rolling hills of Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine forest that inspires such passion? On paper, the Kink is simply the 11th of 14 turns on the 4.048-mile course, a 725-foot radius bend at 900 feet of elevation. But behind the wheel of a 600-horsepower Corvette C6.R, it is something quite different.
"It's a corner where you feel your car sliding, you feel the speed, and you feel like you are alive," said Beretta, a three-time GT1 winner at Road America. "You have to have a very good car, and when the car is good, it's quite challenging. You always think you can go quicker, but you discover that you cannot or you will have a big one."
Gavin echoed his teammate's sentiments: "It's very important to come out of that corner with a lot of speed because it leads onto a very fast, long straight to Canada Corner," said the Briton. "It's a great race track and one that I really enjoy driving around."
Like the Le Mans circuit in France, Road America demands speed and stability. It's a combination that Corvette Racing crew knows how to deliver. The Corvette race cars will generate 2.6 g's of lateral force as they negotiate the Kink at over 145 mph.
"The Kink is a unique turn in the American Le Mans Series, totally unlike any other corner," explained Ken Flory, chief engineer for the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R. "It's flat, it's blind, and it's very fast. You pick a turn-in point, turn the wheel, and hope for the best.
"At that speed, it's all about aerodynamic grip," said Flory, who has raced his SCCA championship-winning Pontiac Solstice at Road America. "We want high-speed downforce in the corner to give the car stability and to give the drivers confidence."
The Carousel that leads into the Kink also gets rave reviews from Corvette Racing. It's a constant 525-foot radius corner that turns more than 180 degrees.
"The Carousel is a fantastic corner," declared Gavin. "You approach it in third or fourth gear and carry lot of speed into the turn. About halfway through the Carousel, the road starts to fall away and it's a real challenge to balance the car. You need to have good, progressive steering to keep pointing the car into the corner. You don't want a darty or nervous car there because that will instantly catch you out."
Magnussen agreed: "The Carousel is a long corner and the car has to work well on the entry, work well in the middle when you're a little off the power, and work well when you're on the gas going out," the Dane explained. "The technique is the same as always: Try to do it a little better than everyone else!"
So why does O'Connell rate Canada Corner over the Kink as his No. 1 choice at Road America?
"The feeling is almost like being in a tunnel with the trees around you," O'Connell said. "In truth, Road America is one of the few circuits in this country where every corner is a challenge and every corner is beautiful."
Bike Ride to Fight Cancer
The four-hour Generac 500 may have to vie with the bicycle match race of the year for top billing at Road America. Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan has challenged driver Oliver Gavin to a one-lap sprint around the circuit to raise funds for the Tour de Road America Bike Ride to Fight Cancer. The race will take place on Friday, Aug. 8, at 7:15 p.m.
As of August 4, supporters have pledged $5,270 to the Corvette Challenge Bike Ride. In a strong vote for age and treachery, the 60-year-old Fehan has raised $3,490 to $1,780 for the 35-year-old Englishman.
Fans can show their support for Fehan or Gavin by pledging donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation online at www.pelotonride.org/corvettechallenge.html. Pledges also can be made in person at the Corvette Corral and by mail with a donation form available on the website.
Corvette Racing's next event is the Generac 500 at Road America presented by Time Warner Cable in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The four-hour race is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. CDT on Saturday, Aug. 9. SPEED will televise the race tape-delayed on Sunday, Aug. 10, at 2 p.m. EDT.