Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From The Race Site:
Grand Prix of Atlanta: Audi Leads Practice
4/15/2005 - by Beth Wyse
Practice for round two of the American Le Mans Series season, the sportsbook.com Grand Prix of Atlanta, got underway on Friday. The sparse field of 24 cars had an hour and a half of practice on Road Atlanta's 2.54-mile course, and it was the No. 1 ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 that turned the quickest time.
The P1 entry list is comprised of just two teams: ADT Champion Racing and Dyson Racing Team. Each is fielding their usual two entries. While P2 boasts a broader selection of teams, that class is also sparse with four entries. Most notable is the new No. 8 sportsbook.com Courage Mazda, which is debuting this weekend.
In the GT1 class, the two C6-Rs from Corvette Racing are joined by a Corvette C5-R, a Maserati MC12, a Saleen S7R and a Dodge Viper, the most different cars in one class this weekend. GT2 has a slew of Porsches, but the two Panoz Esperantes GTLMs are promising to provide some competition at their home track. That class is the largest with ten entries.
The P1 and P2 classes had half an hour of track time to themselves before being joined by the GT1 and GT2 classes for a shared one-hour session. At its completion, the GT cars had half an hour more.
JJ Lehto turned the fastest lap of the day in the No. 1 Audi on only his second lap, turning a 1:11.786. Although the team is dominant in the series, Lehto and Marco Werner took no chances, turning more laps than anyone else with 50.
Dyson Racing Team was nearly as quick as the No. 1 Audi. The No. 16 Lola EX257/AER of James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger was timed at a 1:12.053. The team had hard luck at Sebring, but early in the race they had been lapping close behind the Audis. With the shorter race format, the team could be a contender for the win.
Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace were over half a second slower than their teammates in the No. 20 Dyson Lola EX257/AER, but their 1:12.745 was enough for the third-quickest time of the day overall and in P1.
The second Champion Audi, the No. 2 R8 of Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela, was fourth with a 1:12.929.
Telesis Intersport Racing, who made a strong showing at Sebring before mechanical woes, led the P2 class with the No. 37 Lola B05/40/AER of father/son team Jon and Clint Field. Jon Field's 1:13.874 was quick enough for fifth overall.
The No. 10 Miracle Motorsports, Inc. Courage C-65/AER shared by Jeff Bucknum, Chris McMurry and John Macaluso was over two seconds slower than Intersport's entry, but the car's 1:15.939 placed them second among the P2 entries and sixth overall.
Third-quickest in the P2 class was the No. 8 Courage Mazda from B-K Motorsports. The car of Jamie Bach and Guy Cosmo was clocked at a 1:18.596.
The leader in GT1 was no surprise, either, with Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta leading the way in the No. 4 Corvette C6-R. Beretta set a 1:17.591 to rank seventh overall. The second entry from Corvette Racing, the No. 3 of Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell, was nearly as quick with a 1:17.657.
The No. 63 ACEMCO Motorsports Saleen S7R of Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem trailed in third with a 1:19.049.
In the GT2 class, it was not the usual Porsche at the top of the time sheet but the No. 50 Panoz Esperante GTLM of Bill Auberlen and Robin Liddell. Auberlen turned a 1:22.403 on lap six.
Close behind Auberlen's quick time was the 1:22.677 set by the No. 23 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, shared by Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing was also quick, putting the No. 31 Porsche GT3 RSR of Michael Petersen, Patrick Long and Jorg Bergmeister in third with a 1:22.891.
Saturday's schedule includes two hours of practice and qualifying. The GT cars will qualify from 2:50-3:10 pm EDT, followed by the P cars from 3:15-3:35.
The sportsbook.com Grand Prix of Atlanta will start at noon on Sunday, April 17 and will be a two-hour and 45-minute timed event.
Grand Prix of Atlanta: Audi Leads Practice
4/15/2005 - by Beth Wyse
Practice for round two of the American Le Mans Series season, the sportsbook.com Grand Prix of Atlanta, got underway on Friday. The sparse field of 24 cars had an hour and a half of practice on Road Atlanta's 2.54-mile course, and it was the No. 1 ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 that turned the quickest time.
The P1 entry list is comprised of just two teams: ADT Champion Racing and Dyson Racing Team. Each is fielding their usual two entries. While P2 boasts a broader selection of teams, that class is also sparse with four entries. Most notable is the new No. 8 sportsbook.com Courage Mazda, which is debuting this weekend.
In the GT1 class, the two C6-Rs from Corvette Racing are joined by a Corvette C5-R, a Maserati MC12, a Saleen S7R and a Dodge Viper, the most different cars in one class this weekend. GT2 has a slew of Porsches, but the two Panoz Esperantes GTLMs are promising to provide some competition at their home track. That class is the largest with ten entries.
The P1 and P2 classes had half an hour of track time to themselves before being joined by the GT1 and GT2 classes for a shared one-hour session. At its completion, the GT cars had half an hour more.
JJ Lehto turned the fastest lap of the day in the No. 1 Audi on only his second lap, turning a 1:11.786. Although the team is dominant in the series, Lehto and Marco Werner took no chances, turning more laps than anyone else with 50.
Dyson Racing Team was nearly as quick as the No. 1 Audi. The No. 16 Lola EX257/AER of James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger was timed at a 1:12.053. The team had hard luck at Sebring, but early in the race they had been lapping close behind the Audis. With the shorter race format, the team could be a contender for the win.
Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace were over half a second slower than their teammates in the No. 20 Dyson Lola EX257/AER, but their 1:12.745 was enough for the third-quickest time of the day overall and in P1.
The second Champion Audi, the No. 2 R8 of Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela, was fourth with a 1:12.929.
Telesis Intersport Racing, who made a strong showing at Sebring before mechanical woes, led the P2 class with the No. 37 Lola B05/40/AER of father/son team Jon and Clint Field. Jon Field's 1:13.874 was quick enough for fifth overall.
The No. 10 Miracle Motorsports, Inc. Courage C-65/AER shared by Jeff Bucknum, Chris McMurry and John Macaluso was over two seconds slower than Intersport's entry, but the car's 1:15.939 placed them second among the P2 entries and sixth overall.
Third-quickest in the P2 class was the No. 8 Courage Mazda from B-K Motorsports. The car of Jamie Bach and Guy Cosmo was clocked at a 1:18.596.
The leader in GT1 was no surprise, either, with Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta leading the way in the No. 4 Corvette C6-R. Beretta set a 1:17.591 to rank seventh overall. The second entry from Corvette Racing, the No. 3 of Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell, was nearly as quick with a 1:17.657.
The No. 63 ACEMCO Motorsports Saleen S7R of Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem trailed in third with a 1:19.049.
In the GT2 class, it was not the usual Porsche at the top of the time sheet but the No. 50 Panoz Esperante GTLM of Bill Auberlen and Robin Liddell. Auberlen turned a 1:22.403 on lap six.
Close behind Auberlen's quick time was the 1:22.677 set by the No. 23 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, shared by Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas. Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing was also quick, putting the No. 31 Porsche GT3 RSR of Michael Petersen, Patrick Long and Jorg Bergmeister in third with a 1:22.891.
Saturday's schedule includes two hours of practice and qualifying. The GT cars will qualify from 2:50-3:10 pm EDT, followed by the P cars from 3:15-3:35.
The sportsbook.com Grand Prix of Atlanta will start at noon on Sunday, April 17 and will be a two-hour and 45-minute timed event.
