2007 American LeMans Series

[The_Canuck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbl_Yjm7VBk

Thanks for the vid Wouter what an amazing GT2 ending. The fireworks just made it legend material

[Kitdy]

Well, I didn't get to watch it (I was watching the leafs game), but here are the results via the ALMS official website:

" Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello scored an impressive victory Saturday at the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg as Audi diesel power won again in the American Le Mans Series. The defending LMP1 champions beat teammates Marco Werner and Emanuele Pirro by 0.42 seconds to the finish line.

McNish recovered from an early-race penalty for passing pole-sitter Romain Dumas before the start line on the opening lap. After dropping back to 10th position, it only took 15 minutes to regain the lead. He handed off to Capello to finish the race's final half.

Sascha Maassen and Ryan Briscoe led a 1-2 finish for Penske Racing in LMP2. It marked a bit of a change in fortunes as the team thought the car might be overheating. But the issue turned out to be moot as Maassen crossed the line third overall and ahead of Timo Bernhard, Dumas' teammate. Third in class was Highcroft Racing's Acura ARX of David Brabham and Stefan Johansson.

Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta won in GT1 for Corvette Racing as the duo captured their second consecutive street race and staked an early claim to their third consecutive class championship. The duo won their second straight race of the season after opening with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

In GT2, Jaime Melo and Mika Salo continued their roll with Risi Competizione and Ferrari as they won their four consecutive race together dating back to Portland of last year. The duo took a one-lap victory over the Flying Lizard Porsche of Johannes van Overbeek and Jörg Bergmeister. Two weeks ago at Sebring, the two teams finished in the same position except separated by a mere 0.202 seconds."

Discuss.

[The_Canuck]

Well, I didn't get to watch it (I was watching the leafs game), but here are the results via the ALMS official website:

" Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello scored an impressive victory Saturday at the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg as Audi diesel power won again in the American Le Mans Series. The defending LMP1 champions beat teammates Marco Werner and Emanuele Pirro by 0.42 seconds to the finish line.

McNish recovered from an early-race penalty for passing pole-sitter Romain Dumas before the start line on the opening lap. After dropping back to 10th position, it only took 15 minutes to regain the lead. He handed off to Capello to finish the race's final half.

Sascha Maassen and Ryan Briscoe led a 1-2 finish for Penske Racing in LMP2. It marked a bit of a change in fortunes as the team thought the car might be overheating. But the issue turned out to be moot as Maassen crossed the line third overall and ahead of Timo Bernhard, Dumas' teammate. Third in class was Highcroft Racing's Acura ARX of David Brabham and Stefan Johansson.

Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta won in GT1 for Corvette Racing as the duo captured their second consecutive street race and staked an early claim to their third consecutive class championship. The duo won their second straight race of the season after opening with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

In GT2, Jaime Melo and Mika Salo continued their roll with Risi Competizione and Ferrari as they won their four consecutive race together dating back to Portland of last year. The duo took a one-lap victory over the Flying Lizard Porsche of Johannes van Overbeek and Jörg Bergmeister. Two weeks ago at Sebring, the two teams finished in the same position except separated by a mere 0.202 seconds."

Discuss.

You SOB I'm still watching the tape delayed race on speed

Great race

[Kitdy]

Hahahahahahahahahahahah. Ooops. Shouldn't have read the forum then.

I bet Audi win LMP1, Porsche LMP2, Chevrolet GT1, and Ferrari GT2... that is, if you count the company of the car the winner... which I do. GImme a shout if anything crazy happens - I would have watched but the TV is taken.

[The_Canuck]

Hahahahahahahahahahahah. Ooops. Shouldn't have read the forum then.

I bet Audi win LMP1, Porsche LMP2, Chevrolet GT1, and Ferrari GT2... that is, if you count the company of the car the winner... which I do. GImme a shout if anything crazy happens - I would have watched but the TV is taken.

It's over now, I hope the Flying Lizards come back in the rest of the season. Also I'd like to see Acura win LMP2

[Kitdy]

Porsche all the way baby. Any nice passes?

[The_Canuck]

Porsche all the way baby. Any nice passes?

The whole race? Well the Audi that got an 8 second penalty caught up to the leader and then gained 23 seconds in very little time...

[Kitdy]

What happend to the Penske Porsches? They started on pole didn't they?

I was cheering for them...

[henk4]

What happend to the Penske Porsches? They started on pole didn't they?

I was cheering for them...

the cheating LMP2 Porsches were 3rd and 4th..

[Kitdy]

the cheating LMP2 Porsches were 3rd and 4th..

Cheating? How so?

[henk4]

Cheating? How so?

because LMP2 is meant for non-factory teams. Porsche use Penske as a cover-up for running a factory team. They don't want to participate in LMP1 (the top class) because they think the regulations favour diesel engines. (and Mr. Wiedeking, CEO of Porsche, hates diesels )

[Kitdy]

because LMP2 is meant for non-factory teams. Porsche use Penske as a cover-up for running a factory team. They don't want to participate in LMP1 (the top class) because they think the regulations favour diesel engines. (and Mr. Wiedeking, CEO of Porsche, hates diesels )

Oh, I already knew that. I thought you meant that they actually CHEATED during the race.

All they are doing is breaking the spirit of competition. Is that so bad?

I curse Porsche for being too damn cheap to fight with the Audis and actually have some sweet racing in LMP1. As for Wendelin hating diesels, well, I kinda hate diesels (at least racing ones, as I think you know) so I can't blame him for that. I can balme him for being too much of a cheap / scared man to take the fight to the Audis in LMP1. There is no honour in beating lesser foes, but there is honour in fighting one's equal. Hell they are PORSCHE. They have a pretty damn good record in racing, they are selling Cayennes and 911's like crazy, trying to buy Volkswagen, and they will not race with the top dogs.

I personally don't see the money in racing, but I guess there is, or nobody would do it. Nonetheless, even if racing is not the most economically feasible enterprise, I like busisnesses that exist for more than just the bottom line and actually have spirit and goals; aims outside making the top boys and shareholders rich.

Part of Porsche's spirit is Le Mans. That the pulled out in he late 90's was dissapointing, but that they have not returned in full might is very dissapointing.

Now that's enough of my rant.

[henk4]

Wiedeking might be having some decisions to make soon. He is bidding for a majority in Volkswagen, (so in Audi). VW is big in diesel engines, and Audi launched its R10 campaign to promote diesel engines in the USA. Perhaps Wiedeking will be forced to introduce the Audi V12Tdi in the Cayenne.....

Anyway having seen the Peugeot 908 in action I think diesels in motorsport is real progress. It is so much kinder for your ears

[Kitdy]

Wiedeking might be having some decisions to make soon. He is bidding for a majority in Volkswagen, (so in Audi). VW is big in diesel engines, and Audi launched its R10 campaign to promote diesel engines in the USA. Perhaps Wiedeking will be forced to introduce the Audi V12Tdi in the Cayenne.....

Anyway having seen the Peugeot 908 in action I think diesels in motorsport is real progress. It is so much kinder for your ears

I have heard about the diesel Cayenne and that is just against what Porsche is all about in my eyes - but it will probably happen anyways. The Cayenne already is against what Porsche is all about too, so whatever I guess.

Yeah, I've seen the R10 as well in person and the noise is some kind of strange. A weird whistiling sound. Nowhere near as good a sound as the DBR9's V12 or the C6.R's V8. Maybe you are just getting too old!

I guess it is the idea of diesels that sets me off. Diesels are fundamentally not oriented to performance in the same way that a typical gasoline engine is, or:

a) I am stupid.
b) I am stuck to preconcevied ideas.
c) Technology is advancing to the point wehre diesels are nearly as good as / as good as / better than their gasoline counterparts.

[Zytek_Fan]

Enge suffered multiple injuries that will prolly force him to sit out the rest of the year.