- Admin
- #1
From TheRaceSite.com:
Mosport GTS Race Review - Corvette Wins Intense Battle
8/17/2003 - As the final lap started it looked as if there was no way that Johnny O'Connell (in the #3 Corvette) could hold off Peter Kox in the #88 ProDrive Ferrari. O'Connell drove a flawless last lap to hold on for a dramatic win.
"What a great finish," said O'Connell. "The race was won in the pits. The guys worked great to get me out in front. I pushed really hard at the beginning of my stint to get a gap. It worked out to about seven or eight seconds and I kept it almost until the end. The last couple of laps, I had no tires left. Another lap and Kox would have passed me."
"Track position wins the race, and the crew gave us that with the fast pit stop," commented O'Connel's co-driver Ron Fellows. "Winning at your home track seems to be tough, and this one is fantastic. My buddy (Johnny O'Connell) was doing his job (in the last stint). What a great crowd, thank you Mosport."
For Canadian Ron Fellows, it marked his third consecutive win at his home track.
"It was an enjoyable race, but it would have been much more enjoyable if we had won," added Kox. "The traffic in the pits is the same for everyone and there is nothing you can do about it. The #4 car had gone out and that gave the #3 car a clear pit. We had to push the car backwards to get out of our pit."
The official margin of victory was only 0.835 of a second.
Another lap behind was the #80 ProDrive Ferrari of David Brabham and Jan Magnussen. The duo could have been in contention had it not been for a penalty incured by Magnussen. The penalty was for passing under yellow.
Magnussen tells his side of the story: "They threw a double-yellow as I was passing people, actually in the middle of doing it, so didn't realize I'd done anything wrong. Until then I was very happy about how the race was developing, keeping the lead, fighting with our sister car, then something like this happens. I think it's grossly unfair. I didn't cause the yellow, and it cost me the race. Very disappointed."
Fourth in class was the Team Olive Garden Ferrari. After recovering from a practice wreck the team just made the grid in time for the start of the race.
The pole sitting #4 Corvette was out of the race early when Oliver Gavin hit the wall in turn four. Gavin had a racing incident while trying to work his way through traffic.
The next race for the American Le Mans Series is the Road America 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 22-24.
Mosport GTS Race Review - Corvette Wins Intense Battle
8/17/2003 - As the final lap started it looked as if there was no way that Johnny O'Connell (in the #3 Corvette) could hold off Peter Kox in the #88 ProDrive Ferrari. O'Connell drove a flawless last lap to hold on for a dramatic win.
"What a great finish," said O'Connell. "The race was won in the pits. The guys worked great to get me out in front. I pushed really hard at the beginning of my stint to get a gap. It worked out to about seven or eight seconds and I kept it almost until the end. The last couple of laps, I had no tires left. Another lap and Kox would have passed me."
"Track position wins the race, and the crew gave us that with the fast pit stop," commented O'Connel's co-driver Ron Fellows. "Winning at your home track seems to be tough, and this one is fantastic. My buddy (Johnny O'Connell) was doing his job (in the last stint). What a great crowd, thank you Mosport."
For Canadian Ron Fellows, it marked his third consecutive win at his home track.
"It was an enjoyable race, but it would have been much more enjoyable if we had won," added Kox. "The traffic in the pits is the same for everyone and there is nothing you can do about it. The #4 car had gone out and that gave the #3 car a clear pit. We had to push the car backwards to get out of our pit."
The official margin of victory was only 0.835 of a second.
Another lap behind was the #80 ProDrive Ferrari of David Brabham and Jan Magnussen. The duo could have been in contention had it not been for a penalty incured by Magnussen. The penalty was for passing under yellow.
Magnussen tells his side of the story: "They threw a double-yellow as I was passing people, actually in the middle of doing it, so didn't realize I'd done anything wrong. Until then I was very happy about how the race was developing, keeping the lead, fighting with our sister car, then something like this happens. I think it's grossly unfair. I didn't cause the yellow, and it cost me the race. Very disappointed."
Fourth in class was the Team Olive Garden Ferrari. After recovering from a practice wreck the team just made the grid in time for the start of the race.
The pole sitting #4 Corvette was out of the race early when Oliver Gavin hit the wall in turn four. Gavin had a racing incident while trying to work his way through traffic.
The next race for the American Le Mans Series is the Road America 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 22-24.
