A long awaited win for the AGR cres
Acura
Audi
Porsche
Corvette
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Acura
ACURA SWEEPS THE ALMS PODIUM, LEADS EVERY LAP OVERALL IN HISTORIC PERFORMANCE ON BELLE ISLE STREETS SATURDAY
Montagny, Rossiter Take AGR XM Acura To Manufacturer's Second Overall ALMS Win
DETROIT-- The Acura American Le Mans Series sports car program recorded many firsts Saturday in the Detroit Sports Car Challenge, the ninth round of the 11-race ALMS series, on the streets of Belle Isle.
In its 21st race in the highly-competitive, technically-advanced prototype division, Acura collected its first 1-2-3 overall finish, with the No. 26 XM Satellite Radio Andretti Green Acura ARX-01b car of Frenchman Franck Montagny and Englishman James Rossiter leading the way. The tandem of David Brabham and Scott Sharp drove the No. 9 Patron Highcroft Acura ARX-01b machine to second when Montagny bettered Brabham by 3.98 seconds at the checkered flag in the two-hour, 45-minute endurance contest.
In addition, the top-three finish was another first for Acura when the team of Simon Pagenaud and former Indy 500 champion Gil de Ferran took their No. 66 Panasonic ELS Surround Acura ARX-01b to the third position.
The final chip in the Acura jackpot was that the entire 104-lap race was led by an Acura sports car. Sharp led 49 laps, Pagenaud eight circuits and Montagny paced the final 47 laps.
The 1-2-3 finish moved Acura to a four-point lead in the LMP2 Manufacturers' Championship, and the second place for Brabham and Sharp closed the Patron pair to within four points in the drivers' title chase.
Brabham and Pagenaud had posted front-row clockings in Friday's qualifying and Sharp started the race in the Patron Acura from the pole. The Florida veteran never looked back at the drop of the green flag by bolting to a five-second lead on Lap 22. Pagenaud saved his mount and took the point on Lap 50 before pitting seven laps later. During a caution period, the strategy of the XM Acura team proved to be the key to the race.
Montagny made his final stop for fuel onlyand was ahead of the field when the green flag flew on the 62nd lap. The Le Mans veteran held off the challenges of Timo Bernhard in the No. 7 Penske Porsche and Brabham to secure the second victory for Andretti Green in ALMS competition. The XM team captured the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring, the first-ever race for Acura in the ALMS.
An earlier incident involving Luis Diaz in the No. 15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b damaged his and Adrian Fernandez' chances for a top finish Saturday.
FRANCK MONTAGNY (#26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b): "The XM team had a great strategy today. They know the rule on changing the driver and I jumped in right at about 45 minutes [into the race]. James did a good job with car and I was able to race pretty well with the leaders. I had to get into position to pit for fuel only when the other leaders changed drivers, tires and fuel. It was tough to try and stay on the groove. It was easy to get pickup [rubber] on my tires. So I was able to use traffic to make a strong run at the end. We have been close to a win previously and we finally got it today. I feel good for the XM Acura team."
JAMES ROSSITER (#26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b): "I got a good start and moved into third early. Then on the restart, I made a bold move inside of Simon [Pagenaud], but the car slid wide with the marbles. It took me four or five laps to get the rubber off the tires and I lost about five seconds. After that, the XM car was very good. Franck did a tremendous job taking the car home for the win. The last two races were tough for all of our XM crew. We thought we had the win at Road America and we were close at Mosport. So this win is a great feeling for everyone at Andretti Green Racing."
DAVID BRABHAM (#9 Patron Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b): "When I jumped in the car, we lost a couple of spots due to different strategies today. But the car was very good. I was able to move from fifth to second and get close to Franck. But it was very tough to move around some of the traffic without getting the marbles on your tires. So, I made a couple of strong attempts to push the car at the end, but it wasn't there. It was more important to calm down and get the points today. We are in a championship fight and points are a key. A great 1-2-3 finish for Acura today. Just fantastic."
SCOTT SHARP (#9 Patron Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b): "The Patron Highcroft team gave me a great car today. We were fast from the start. Then traffic hurt me a little bit. Simon was able to get by due to my tires being worn out. We ran a lot of laps with the Michelins. They were very strong. We ran more laps than normal before we stopped. I was trying to be clean and give David a strong car. This was an important event for points for the title run. And we moved within four points of the lead. Plus, Acura took the LMP2 Manufacturers lead today. It is great for all of the Acura teams."
SIMON PAGENAUD (#66 Panasonic ELS Surround Acura ARX-01b): "The de Ferran team gave me a great car today. Earlier in the race, I was sliding around a bit and I needed to get the tires warm. But after that, our Panasonic ELS Acura was very fast. I think we showed that this young team is getting better each race."
GIL de FERRAN (#66 Panasonic ELS Surround Acura ARX-01b): "It is great day for Acura to finish 1-2-3 in the class and 1-2 overall. We had a great car today. Simon was outstanding. The race came down to strategy. We were leading the race and really couldn't pit under the green-flag conditions. Some of the other teams played it differently and it paid off for them. We tried that type of strategy last week and we missed it by a second from a victory. Overall, I'm pleased with the performance of the team and the car. We are looking forward to the Petit Le Mans in another month."
ADRIAN FERNANDEZ (#15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b): "We don't know what happened. We think something broke on the car. We are not 100 percent certain but it is very disappointing."
LUIS DIAZ (#15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b): "It was a very bad day for me. At the exit of Turn Three I felt the car snapping on me and brushed the wall. I barely brushed the wall. I didn't do anything differently. I didn't lose the car or anything like that. I feel bad about this result and we will keep working very hard."
Audi
Luhr/Werner win ALMS Championship title
Teammates excluded after Detroit race
Early decision in the LM P1 class
Ingolstadt/Detroit -- Despite not finishing the city street race in Detroit, the two German Audi "factory" drivers Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner have already clinched the Drivers' title in the LM P1 class of the American Le Mans Series.
The title chase was decided as their teammates Marcel Fassler and Emanuele Pirro, who had originally won the LM P1 class on the "Belle Isle Street Circuit", were excluded after the race. At Technical Scrutineering, the #1 Audi R10 TDI was found to be 2.5 kilograms under the requested 925-kilogram weight limit. Following contact with another car during the morning warm-up session, a spare nose had been fitted which was prepared for both cars, not specifically set-up for the #1 car.
This is the third LM P1 title in the American Le Mans Series for Marco Werner (42) following his Championship wins in 2003 and 2004. It is the fourth win for Lucas Luhr (29) following his successes in 2002, 2003 and 2006 -- however it is his first in the LM P1 category. Luhr has also become the first driver ever in the history of the U.S. sportscar series to clinch the title in three different categories: GT2, LM P2 and now LM P1.
"Of course we would have prefered to have won the title under different circumstances," said Luhr and Werner. "But with seven consecutive victories already this season we certainly feel we have earned the title."
Before the last two races at Road Atlanta (4 October) and Laguna Seca (18 October) the two Germans hold a 66-point lead over Emanuele Pirro and are 68 points clear of Clint and Jon Field who were awarded the LM P1 class victory in Detroit. Only 55 points remain available in the final two races.
Porsche
In what has turned out to be the hardest-fought two class championship points battles in the history of the American Le Mans Series, Porsche cars and drivers edged closer to the GT2 championship with the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs finishing first and second in class, while an Acura win in LMP2 gives them a four point lead in the manufacturers championship while Porsche drivers maintain a slight lead in drivers points after today’s Detroit Sports Car Challenge Presented by Bosch.
In the LMP2 class for prototypes, points leaders and defending champions Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) positioned themselves well for a class victory with good pit strategy and fast lap times when a controversial, late race penalty for avoidable contact cost the #7 Penske Porsche RS Spyder car not only a victory, but a spot on the podium.
“We were running second with a good chance to pass the leading Acura when a GT2 car moved into the path of Timo’s car as he was trying to position himself for a pass,” said Tim Cindric, president of Penske Racing.
“Unfortunately, the final results of the race were decided by the officials, not on the track. The fans, the other competitors, and manufacturers would have preferred to see the finishing order decided by the racers, not the officials,” said Cindric.
With 55 points left to be earned at the last two races, Bernhard/Dumas, who ended up fourth in LMP2, lead the Brabham/Sharp Acura drivers by four points, 159-155. With the top three position in the class in today’s race, Acura now leads Porsche 170 – 166. In team points, the Penske Racing Porsche RS Spyder team leads the Patron Highcroft Acura team 166-155.
The Patrick Long/Ryan Briscoe #6 Penske Porsche RS Spyder finished fifth in LMP2, while the Dyson Racing Porsche RS Spyder of Chris Dyson/Guy Smith was sixth and the Dyson team Porsche of Marino Franchitti/Butch Leitzinger eighth.
For the thousands of Porsche owners, including a sold-out special Porsche parking area (the Porscheplatz), the results for the Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs in the GT2 class provided a much happier outcome.
The class points leaders Wolf Henzler and Joerg Bergmeister (both from Germany) scored their fourth win of the season in their #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Henzler, who started the race from the pole, led the first part of the race before turning the car over to Bergmeister, and only felt competition from the Flying Lizard teammates as the the Sonoma, California-based team finished the race first, second and fourth in class.
The Johannes van Overbeek/Patrick Pilet #46 Flying Lizard Porsche was second in class, and the #44 Lonnie Pechnik/Martin Ragginger Flying Lizard Porsche was fourth. For Ragginger, the UPS Porsche Junior driver from Austria, it was his first American Le Mans Series race.
“It was a very tight race at the beginning, with two of our cars and the two leading Ferraris nose-to-tail around the track. But then our main rival, the Tafel Farnbacher/Mueller Ferrari, broke a starter motor in the pits, and the Melo/Salo Ferrari had trouble with a door that wouldn’t latch, and all of a sudden, the three Lizard Porsches were in the lead. Also, with an early fuel stop strategy, we were able to maintain our lead late in the race because we didn’t need a full tank of fuel on the second stop,” said Henzler.
With the Tafel car finishing ninth, Henzler/Bergmeister now lead the Ferrari drivers in the GT2 class by 27 points, 155 – 128. Porsche leads Ferrari in the manufacturers chase 176 – 160, while the Flying Lizard Motorsports team leads Tafel Racing 172 - 137.
When asked what his favorite part of the Detroit street circuit was, Henzler replied that he liked the start-finish line the best, especially when the checkered flag flew.
Corvette
DETROIT, Aug. 30, 2008 – As General Motors revs up for its centennial celebration on September 16, Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta raced to victory in the team's milestone 100th race, the Detroit Sports Car Challenge. Held on the riverfront Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix temporary circuit within sight of GM's world headquarters at the Renaissance Center, the ninth round of the American Le Mans Series saw Gavin and Beretta win their second race of the season in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. The duo completed 100 laps and finished one minute and 7.3 seconds ahead of the No. 3 Compuware Corvette of Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen. The No. 008 Aston Martin DBR9 finished third, seven laps behind the Corvettes.
The race also marked a turning point for Gavin and Beretta, who have now scored a record combined total of 69 American Le Mans Series victories but hadn't won since the St. Petersburg street race in April. Beretta extended his record as the series' most prolific winner with his 39th career victory, and Gavin joined the exclusive club of racers with 30 or more ALMS wins.
"It's been a rough season for us, but if you're going to win anywhere, Detroit is the one you want to win," said Gavin. "Everybody on the team was very focused on this event, and it was a hard, close race for many laps. I have to thank all of the guys on the No. 4 Corvette C6.R – they've worked brilliantly over the last few events. I haven't been so kind to this car, I've had some incidents and accidents, but they've fixed it fantastically. (Crew chief) Mike West and (engineer) Steve Cole have worked magic, setting up the car and getting it good for the races. We've been fast in every event, and finally it's all fallen into place for the No. 4 Corvette."
Gavin qualified four spots on the starting grid behind Magnussen in the pole-winning sister car, and had to contend with a trio of GT2 cars at the start. He cleared the traffic after 10 laps, and set off to catch Magnussen. Both cars pitted under caution at the 40-minute mark for tires, fuel, and driver changes. They entered the pits nose-to-tail, with the No. 4 car emerging in front with Beretta at the wheel and O'Connell in hot pursuit.
"I need to thank my crew because they work hard on the pit stops, and they work hard at the shop even when we are having bad luck," said Beretta. "We have been quick all year, but even when we didn't achieve what we wanted to do, they never gave up. That is the spirit of Corvette Racing."
The two Corvettes again pitted simultaneously at 1:43 for their final stops, with Gavin taking over from Beretta and Magnussen replacing O'Connell for the final stint to the checkered flag. Magnussen mounted a late-race charge on Gavin, but was stymied by a full-course caution to remove debris from the track with 18 minutes remaining. This time it was the No. 3 Corvette that encountered misfortune – the race leader was between the two Corvettes, and Gavin gained nearly a full lap on the wave-by. Ironically, Magnussen and O'Connell had sealed their victory in last year's inaugural Detroit ALMS race when they gained a lap on their teammates during a safety car period.
"We were looking good up until the first stop when the other car beat us out of the pits," said Magnussen. "I think in traffic and over a long run we had a really good car. At the end when I was trying to attack, we got caught out with the safety car between us and lost a lap. That's just how it is. The No. 4 Corvette has been so unlucky all year, it's about time some luck went their way."
Gavin agreed: "The race did hinge on the first pit stop," the Briton explained. "It was a short fuel fill and the other car did have a small problem. Olivier withstood the pressure from Johnny, and Jan was pushing me hard but I managed to resist that. Our car was much improved from qualifying. We were aiming to run this differential and this setup just to see if we could improve our performance on street circuits. Today it all went according to plan."
Today's event also marked Corvette Racing's 72nd victory in international road racing competition.
"It was an awesome event, and once again it came down to pit stops," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "The fans saw flawless execution, with the No. 4 Corvette just a little quicker than the No. 3 Corvette on that first stop. It's a great day for Oliver, Olivier, and the No. 4 crew – they haven't had many breaks go their way this year, and eventually it had to change. You can't hold great people down, and in the true spirit of Corvette Racing, they never gave up."