ALMS: Petit Le Mans

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Peugeot Confirms Two Cars For Petit Le Mans

Peugeot confirmed today that it will attempt to add the trophy from Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 to its collection with entries into the cornerstone event for the American Le Mans Series. The reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans champion will send two of its diesel-powered Peugeot 908 closed-top prototypes to compete on North America’s grandest sports car racing stage, just as it did to open the season at the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.

The Peugeot 908 HDi has been a crowd favorite in its previous three appearances in the American Le Mans Series.

The race is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 26 at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta layout. Pedro Lamy, Nic Minassian, Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin will make up the driving lineup for Peugeot.

“It would be hard for us to imagine a stronger end to 2009 than with Peugeot sending not one but two clean diesel-powered prototypes for an event that truly has become a spectacle on the landscape of global motorsport,” said Series President and CEO Scott Atherton. “With the Le Mans trophy already in hand, the potential of adding yet another significant honor to close out the year would wrap up a season for the ages…especially if the rumor mill is indeed accurate and other world-class teams and manufacturers who are no strangers to Road Atlanta, Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 and Peugeot confirm their entries in the near future.

“Peugeot’s Petit Le Mans debut last year was nothing short of sterling, and fans at Road Atlanta are no doubt already firming up travel plans for what will be another epic event for sports car racing fans across North America.”

Last year’s Petit Le Mans marked the Peugeot factory team’s initial appearance at Road Atlanta. Stephane Sarrazin, Nic Minassian and Christian Klien came up 4.512 seconds shy in knocking off perennial race-winner Audi in an epic battle. It was the same again at Sebring this year when Peugeot lost out by 22.279 seconds.

Peugeot would no doubt like to finish 1-2 at Road Atlanta, just as it did at Le Mans in June.

The French marque found revenge on home ground at Le Mans, taking the top two spots on the overall podium and handing Audi only its second loss in the world’s greatest race since 2000. Patrón Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham - currently the LMP1 championship co-leader with Scott Sharp and the Patrón Highcroft Acura ARX-02a - drove with Peugeot regulars Alexander Wurz and Marc Gene to victory.

Tickets for the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 are available by calling (800) 849-RACE or online at roadatlanta.com.

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Acura Sports Car Challenge from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The race is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 8 and will air at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 9 on NBC. American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche and Live Timing & Scoring will be available at Racehub on americanlemans.com.

Americanlemans

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The Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM will race in the Petit Le Mans (USA) at the end of September to prepare for next year's Le Mans 24 Hours.

Oreca to Race at Petit Le Mans

After a good result in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, the Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM is determined to do everything in its power to prepare for the 2010 event in the best possible conditions. Thus, the team has decided to race in the Petit Le Mans, one of the blue riband events of the American Le Mans Series.

ORECA won the ALMS-GT title in the United States in 1999, and is preparing to go back to the Road Atlanta circuit. This trip to Georgia fulfils several requirements as Hugues de Chaunac explains: "First of all, two of our partners, the Easydentic Group and Huntsman Advanced Materials, are very motivated by a challenge in the USA. Technically speaking, it's also a great help for us to use a race lasting ten hours to make progress. For budgetary reasons we had to make a choice; we're going to the Petit Le Mans. Unfortunately, we won't be at the Nurburgring, but we'll be back at Silverstone for the final round of the Le Mans Series"

Two weeks after the Silverstone 1000kms, the Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM will race in the Petit Le Mans on 26th September. "In the context of the third year of the Le Mans Challenge, we must progress and this event will enable us to move up a step," underlines the ORECA Group President. `It's longer, 1000 miles or ten hours on one of the most demanding circuits in America, and we'll be taking on Acura. It'll be a good yardstick, as it's a manufacturer which is running to the same regulations as us. As its name implies, the Petit Le Mans will provide top-class preparation for the next Le Mans 24 Hours."

The Team ORECA was based at Road Atlanta when it was racing in America, and it has already competed on this track with Vipers, but it will be a first for the ORECA 01 prototype. "The whole team will find itself in a different environment with new restrictions. Everybody's going to learn learn more and learn more quickly. It'll be a rewarding trip," concludes de Chaunac.

The Petit Le Mans is the second-last round in the American Le Mans Series and will take place on 26th September. The details concerning this entry will be communicated later on.

Feedmesportscars

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Drayson Racing to launch LMP1 programme at Petit Le Mans

Paul, Lord Drayson and Elspeth, Lady Drayson proudly announce Drayson Racing’s move to the pinnacle of motorsports; the LMP1 division. Drayson Racing will debut its British built Judd V10-powered Lola B09/60 racing car - commonly known as the “Lola Coupe” - in the 12th Annual Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, 22-26 September, 2009. The move signifies Drayson Racing’s serious motorsport intentions and focus on using the sport as a catalyst to advance environmental technologies.

Already boasting a strong overall operation allows Drayson Racing to continue with the same driver line-up and team management currently associated with the British-based team. Drivers Paul Drayson and two-time British GT Champion Jonny Cocker will be joined by two-time Le Mans Series GT2 Champion Rob Bell at the 1000 mile/10 hour, ALMS classic in September. Dale White continues his role as team manager with oversight of the effort. The full GT2 team structure moves into LMP1 as Drayson’s originally published “world tour” continues as announced in January.

The move to the most technologically advanced sports car racing in the world today comes as the team gains momentum and wishes to take the next step in the sport. The top prototype category will open the organisation to a far wider set of choices in developing new technologies under the international rules for LMP1 race cars. Long supporters of the environmental movement in motorsports - and with Paul and Jonny having won the first-ever national victory in the UK for a bio-ethanol fuelled car -Drayson Racing will use the P1 platform to develop and advance new technologies for improved efficiency and performance. The working partnerships with both Lola Cars and Engine Developments Ltd - the parent company of Judd - will provide additional avenues for the evolution and testing of these technologies.

The progression into the LMP1 class, often referred to simply as P1, will necessitate a number change for Drayson Racing. Long-associated with the 007 moniker in the United States and the 87 in Europe, the team will campaign the No. 88 in the remaining events this season. The car will be known as the No. 88 Drayson Racing Lola with Judd Power.

The Drayson entry signifies the first P1 class combination of Lola Coupe and Judd V10 to campaign in the American Le Mans Series. The chassis uses Lola’s decades of experience as Britain’s most successful racing chassis builder to provide an established, and quick, platform on which to compete. Judd’s GV5, 72-degree V10 is a proven performer and will run on second generation E10 racing fuel. The programme will continue its strong technical partner ties with Michelin Tyres and Motul Oil.

An initial shakedown run of the Lola-Judd will be held in the United Kingdom in the coming weeks. This test will act as a systems’ check prior to the car being shipped to the United States. Once stateside, the full Drayson Racing crew will develop the car further for its first showing at Road Atlanta. In addition to the Petit Le Mans premiere, the Drayson Racing prototype will take part in the American Le Mans Series finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on 10 October and the Asian Le Mans Series events at Okayama, Japan, 31 October and 1 November.

Drayson Racing will continue to run the No. 87 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in the two remaining European Le Mans Series events (23 August at Nürburgring and 13 September at Silverstone). The 1000km of Silverstone will bring to conclusion two years developing the Vantage for GT2 competition. To-date, the team enjoys a career-best finish of seventh accomplished at the 1000km of Spa Francorchamps earlier this season.

Today’s announcement came as part of the popular internet and iTunes radio programme “Midweek Motorsports” with host John Hindhaugh. Archives of the show can be found at www.radiolemans.com and iTunes.

Elspeth Drayson, Owner: “The opportunity to develop and showcase green technologies in motorsport is at the heart of Drayson Racing’s core mission. The LMP1 regulations allow the widest possible opportunities for us to do this.”

Paul Drayson, Driver/Owner: “LMP1 is the premier class of world sports car racing. These 600-700 horsepower racing cars are the ultimate in speed and technology. They can accelerate from 0-100 mph in three seconds and reach top speeds in excess of 200 mph. I’m really looking forward to the race next month. It is going to be a challenge- but an exhilarating one.”

Dale White, Team Manager: “The first time I spoke with Paul and Elspeth to discuss opportunities with Drayson Racing, the move to P1 was on the agenda. In recent months those conversations have accelerated from ‘the future’ to the ‘how soon can we do this?’ We did an exhaustive feasibility study to determine what class met our objectives and what platform would give us the most options to meet those goals. We came to the conclusion that not only did the Lola Coupe and the Judd V10 get us to that point but they did so in such a way that we could greatly reduce the timeline to get on track. I can’t describe the energy inside the team right now. We know we have a major task before us but everyone is pulling together and sees the common goal. What has been done in such a short period of time is impressive to see. We are indebted to all of the crew, Lola, Judd, Michelin, all of our partners and the ACO for making this happen so quickly.”

Robin Brundle, Managing Director, Lola Cars: “Lola are delighted to be working closely with the Drayson Racing family. The timelines to the first race are challenging but this situation is often when Lola performs at its best. The whole team at Lola has accepted the challenge and is working flat out to deliver another top LMP Coupe, which will be the 24th sold since the inception of the present LMP rules in 2005. The focus on Green Technologies in Motorsport continues to be of great interest to Lola and we look forward to supporting Drayson Racing in their quest to use energy more efficiently and to continue in ensuring that Lola are the LMP market leaders.”

Stan Hall, General Manager, Engine Developments Ltd: “Engine Developments is delighted to be working with Drayson Racing. We have been impressed by the professionalism and ambition of the team in its previous racing activities and we will endeavour to meet their high expectations in this new venture into prototype racing. Our GV V10 engine has for a number of years been a benchmark in LMP1 and the combination of this with Lola’s excellent B09/06 chassis will give the opportunity for success at the highest level.”

Scott Atherton, President and CEO, American Le Mans Series: “Paul Drayson has brought a total package to the American Le Mans Series paddock that is unparalleled since the inception of the Series. In addition to his passion and dedication for racing, he brings a background in science, technology and community and government activism that provides a unique global understanding of the issues facing today’s automotive, transportation and motorsports industries. We are delighted he will return to the ALMS with the new Lola Judd prototype for Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda6 - one of the world’s great endurance races - as well as our season finale, the Monterey Sports Car Championships.”

Planetlemans

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Audi to join Peugeot in Petit Le Mans

Audi will join Le Mans rival Peugeot in contesting Petit Le Mans next month, fielding two of its R15 TDis.

The German manufacturer will take on Peugeot for the first time since being beaten in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June, with Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello, and Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner sharing the two cars.

Audi's motorsport boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich says the marque is using the event to begin its programme for Le Mans in 2010.

"The race at Road Atlanta marks the first part of our preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010," Ullrich said.

"We want to use it as an opportunity for our engineers to learn even more about the new Audi R15 TDI in direct competition with strong rivals. A lot of things can be simulated on test rigs and in track tests. But nothing can replace the experience gathered in actual racing events."

As well as Audi and Peugeot, the ALMS's leading Acura teams and Le Mans Series regular ORECA are also entered for the 1000-mile race at Road Atlanta on September 26.

Ullrich believes Petit Le Mans will give Audi an opportunity to show the true potential of the R15.

"We're convinced that we weren't able to fully exploit the potential of the R15 TDI at Le Mans," he said. "At Road Atlanta we'll have the opportunity to test on the Sunday before the race, so we should be in a better position than we were at Le Mans.

"Despite the strong competition by Acura, Peugeot, Mazda, ORECA and the other prototype teams, we figure on having good chances of fighting for victory, as we did over the past few years."

Audi currently stands unbeaten in the Petit Le Mans, with the R8 winning the event six times and the R10 the last three.

Autosport

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Dixon back at de Ferran for Petit

IndyCar champion Scott Dixon will rejoin the De Ferran Motorsports team for this month's Petit Le Mans.

The 29-year-old New Zealander, who had joined the team for last year's event and this year's race at Sebring, will team up with regular drivers Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud in the 10-hour race at the Road Atlanta.

"We are delighted that Scott will be joining us for Petit Le Mans this year," said team owner de Ferran. "This will be Scott's third outing with our team.

"Not only has he fitted very well with our organization but Scott was also outstanding in all previous times he drove for us

"To have someone of his caliber driving with us is very good news indeed."

Dixon, who gave the team pole position for the Sebring 12 hours earlier this year, was thankful to his Ganassi team for allowing him to race with de Ferran.

"I'm really pleased that Chip has given me another opportunity to join Gil and his team. I've always enjoyed the chances I've gotten in the past to join him and Simon in the ALMS and, specifically, at Petit Le Mans.

"I know that de Ferran Motorsports always assembles a strong team and I'm looking forward to doing my part to hopefully put us in a position to be in contention at the end."

Autosport

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Dumas added to ORECA Petit line-up

Romain Dumas is to return to the American Le Mans Series for the Petit Le Mans with ORECA.

The Frenchman won the 2007 and 2008 ALMS LMP2 titles with Timo Bernhard at Penske Porsche, but followed his team to Grand Am this year. He will now make a one-off return to join Nicolas Lapierre and Olivier Panis as ORECA makes its ALMS debut at Petit.

"Romain has the qualities we're looking for," said team boss Hugues de Chaunac. "He's quick, a fighter, qualities that are common to all our drivers.

"This event is going to be a real eye-opener for the whole team, and it's an advantage to be able to count on someone who already knows the place and who's used to racing in America."

Dumas, who has been given permission to join ORECA by his normal employer Porsche, is excited about his return to the ALMS' premier event.

"I've been talking to Hugues de Chaunac for several seasons," said Dumas. "When he told me that there was an opportunity to drive in the ALMS again at the wheel of a very competitive prototype, I didn't hesitate for a second. All the ingredients were there, all the more so as I love the Petit Le Mans.

"ORECA's given itself what it takes to fulfill its ambitions and their presence in the USA is proof of this. The team's already one of the frontrunners in Europe and now it's going to tackle the Americans."

Dumas will join ORECA's pre-race test next weekend, although he will miss the first day as it clashes with the Miller Motorsports Park Grand Am round.

Autosport

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Acura 'can challenge diesels' at Petit

Gil de Ferran believes his LMP1 Acura team can take the fight to the Audi and Peugeot diesels when the European teams return to the American Le Mans Series for next weekend's Petit Le Mans.

Scott Dixon put de Ferran's Acura on pole for the Sebring 12 Hours - the only time all three cars have previously met - but Audi and Peugeot quickly took charge of the race, with the former winning and both LMP1 Acuras hitting trouble.

But de Ferran says Acura has taken great strides since then and will have a better shot at staying with the diesel teams at Road Atlanta.

"I'm very excited that we have a deeper field to compete against," he said. "While the current rules do still favour the diesels, we will do our best to give them a run for their money.

"We managed to qualify on pole at Sebring and stay on the lead lap until encountering some new car issues that eventually led to our retirement. Since then we have evolved the Acura. It's still such a new concept but now we understand how to get more performance out of it."

His team-mate Simon Pagenaud agreed, and also reckons the Acura will prove better sorted to the Road Atlanta track.

"We are definitely stronger than we were at Sebring," said the Frenchman. "We are better prepared and have more understanding of how to tackle a long race with this car.

"Their diesel cars have been developed mainly for Le Mans, so they will be quick on the straights but our Acura handles really well and will be strong on the twistier sections of the track. It's going to be a fascinating battle and interesting to see who comes out on top."

The De Ferran duo go into the Petit Le Mans 17 points behind their ALMS title rivals David Brabham and Scott Sharp of Highcroft Racing. The two Acura teams have been the only competitive LMP1 entries for the majority of the season and have won every race since Sebring between them.

Autosport

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Petit Le Mans is Le Mans preparation for Audi

The countdown for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours is underway. In preparation for the sports car highlight of the year, Audi Sport Team Joest will contest the U.S. endurance classic “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta on September 26 with two Audi R15 TDI cars.

The inaugural “Petit Le Mans” race was held in 1998 and has been bringing Le Mans flair to the United States ever since. The 1,000-mile race near the U.S. metropolis Atlanta helped launch the American Le Mans Series in which Audi was the dominant brand from 2000 to 2008. The exploits of the Audi R8 and the Audi R10 TDI over the past nine years have helped Audi achieve a better development of its business in the difficult U.S. market than other premium brands. With 8,057 vehicles sold, Audi most recently recorded the second-best August result in Audi of America’s history.

By competing in the popular “Petit Le Mans” race, Audi Sport supports the market launch of TDI technology in North America: Since April 2009, the Audi Q7 TDI 3.0 has been available in the United States; in December, the Audi A3 TDI 2.0 will arrive at U.S. dealerships.

The Audi R15 TDI demonstrates the high performance capabilities of a TDI power-plant. The Audi engineers extract over 600 hp from the 5.5-liter V10 TDI engine that celebrated an important victory on its racing debut in March: Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish at the wheel of the brand new LMP1 vehicle immediately won the 12-hour race at Sebring (Florida).

On the other hand, the R15 TDI’s Le Mans debut that ended in a third-place finish did not go according to Audi’s plans. The aim is for Audi Sport Team Joest to gather more racing experience with the technologically innovative racing sports car at Road Atlanta which will then be fed into the further development of the R15 TDI for 2010.

The vehicles being fielded in the U.S. race are unchanged except for adaptions suiting the special characteristics of the track at Road Atlanta. During tests at Vallelunga (Italy) in early September various set-up versions for Road Atlanta were compared.

Although the race mainly serves as a test run for Le Mans 2010, Audi would like to continue its string of exploits in the U.S. endurance classic: The brand with the four rings has contested the “Petit Le Mans” race nine times so far and each time an Audi crossed the finish line as the winner. Six races were won by the Audi R8, and three by the Audi R10 TDI.

The last three victories for Audi were clinched by the driver team Dindo Capello (Italy)/Allan McNish (Scotland) who will again be competing together and targeting a fourth consecutive triumph, a feat no driver has achieved to date. The “sister car” designated as car number 1 will be driven by the reigning ALMS Champions Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner (both Germany), who took third place last year at Road Atlanta.

Practice at Road Atlanta will start on Wednesday. Qualifying will be held on Friday afternoon. The race will start on Saturday at 11:15 am local time and will cover a distance of 1,000 miles or a maximum of ten hours into the night.

Quotes before the “Petit Le Mans” race:

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “The fielding of our cars at Road Atlanta marks the first part of our preparation for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours. It shall help our engineers to learn more about the new Audi R15 TDI in direct competition with strong rivals. You can simulate a lot of things during rig and track tests but nothing can replace the accurate data gained in actual racing events. At the same time, we’re pleased about the opportunity to start from the ‘Petit Le Mans’ grid again. Audi has had huge success there in the past few years. Particularly the two most recent, extremely thrilling races will be remembered by the fans. We’d like to continue our series of good results there. We’ve got a great car in the Audi R15 TDI and a highly motivated team.”

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “We’re happy to be able to contest a race again three months after Le Mans. We want to show that the R15 TDI is better than it looked at Le Mans. I think that the track at Road Atlanta should suit the car pretty well. Still, it won’t be an easy race for us. With twelve LMP1 cars on the grid, it’ll be a real battle that will probably be heavily shaped by tactics as well. Last year, there were ten caution periods. Getting everything just right will be crucial – and of course a little racing luck is necessary as well. For us as a team it’s important to quickly find the right rhythm again after the break; the drivers and mechanics have not contested any races since Le Mans. That means that everyone is looking forward to ‘Petit Le Mans’ with even greater anticipation – both the team and the drivers.”

Lucas Luhr (Audi R15 TDI #1): “Of course I’m incredibly happy about the fact that we’re contesting another race this year – originally, that wasn’t planned. And, what’s more, we’re going to ‘Petit Le Mans,’ which is one of the best races in America on a fantastic circuit. I’m really looking forward to it even though the first laps at Road Atlanta with the R15 TDI will probably feel a little unusual: Since Le Mans I haven’t really driven the R15 TDI any more, except for the aerodynamics tests – but that was just straight-line driving. But this shouldn’t be a problem for me – and neither should the fact that I didn’t get into a car again right after my accident at Le Mans. I’ll try not to think about that but will fully concentrate on the things to come.”

Marco Werner (Audi R15 TDI #1): “Finally, we’re racing again! We’re happy to be in action again. It’s been a long time not having really sat in a race car since Le Mans. That means you start burning and are hot to race. We’re tremendously looking forward to ‘Petit Le Mans,’ even though we realize that, particularly for Lucas (Luhr) and me, it’ll be an extremely tough race. We haven’t contested a race for a long time and, unlike our team-mates, were not even able to test since Le Mans. The drivers who regularly compete in the ALMS are more attuned to the rhythm. For us, it’ll be a little like starting all over again.”

Dindo Capello (Audi R15 TDI #2): “It’s hard to make a prediction. For us, the race is primarily a test run in preparation for next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. But for me, personally, the goal after five victories in just six ‘Petit Le Mans’ events is clear: I want to continue the results from recent years. We’re sure that we’ll be competitive. That’s why we’re confident that we’ll be able to clinch a good result for Audi.”

Allan McNish (Audi R15 TDI #2): “I’m very happy about being able to contest a race again. I think everyone on the team feels that way. ‘Petit Le Mans’ has been a fantastic event for over ten years – and for Dindo (Capello) and me it’s also been a very successful one. I’m expecting strong competition by Acura, more than at Sebring, because they’ve contested a relatively large number of races since then and understand their car better. And of course the battle with Peugeot continues. After the podium result at Le Mans we’re shooting for more at Atlanta.”

Facts and figures:

The two Audi R15 TDI cars are fielded by Audi Sport Team Joest, but the car of the reigning ALMS Champions Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner will run under the banner of “Audi Sport North America” … Team Joest will contest the “Petit Le Mans” race for the first time since 2003. A part of the squad was deployed to Road Atlanta in 2006 for the debut of the Audi R10 TDI to support Audi Sport North America … On Sunday before the race there will be a testing opportunity at Road Atlanta which Audi Sport Team Joest will use with a car for Dindo Capello, Allan McNish and Marco Werner… Lucas Luhr will be the guest star at AUDI AG’s booth at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt on the weekend before “Petit Le Mans” and will travel to Atlanta afterwards … Mike Rockenfeller was nominated as reserve driver for the race at Road Atlanta. The young German will go to Atlanta directly after the DTM race at Barcelona … Audi has not been beaten in the “Petit Le Mans” race although the fight was close in each of the previous years: In 2007, Dindo Capello and Allan McNish won with a lead of just 0.923 seconds, last year their lead amounted to 4.512 seconds – after races that lasted almost ten hours … With a total of five overall victories so far, Dindo Capello is the most successful “Petit Le Mans” driver.

All “Petit Le Mans” winners
1998 Eric van de Poele/Wayne Taylor/Emmanuel Collard (Ferrari)
1999 David Brabham/Éric Bernard/Andy Wallace (Panoz)
2000 Michele Alboreto/Dindo Capello/Allan McNish (Audi R eight)
2001 Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro (Audi R eight)
2002 Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen (Audi R eight)
2003 Johnny Herbert/JJ Lehto (Audi R eight)
2004 JJ Lehto/Marco Werner (Audi R eight)
2005 Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro (Audi R eight)
2006 Dindo Capello/Allan McNish (Audi R10 TDI)
2007 Dindo Capello/Allan McNish (Audi R10 TDI)
2008 Dindo Capello/Allan McNish (Audi R10 TDI)

Planetlemans

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Team CytoSport Muscle Milk squad pumped up for Petit Le Mans

With two podium finishes already in the books in as many starts, the Team CytoSport Muscle Milk squad is looking toward Road Atlanta and the famed Petit Le Mans next week to continue its streak of LMP2 class podiums.

Counting on the renowned reliability of the Porsche RS Spyder, the Muscle Milk crew is energized and looking forward to its first Petit Le Mans in the LMP2 class. The team led by drivers Greg Pickett and Klaus Graf are also enthused to be joined by veteran Porsche driver and former Petit Le Mans LMP2 Class winner Sascha Maassen for the 1000-mile / 10-hour event.

In addition to setting its sights on a third podium finish this season, Team CytoSport will be vying for a second podium finish at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course.

Back in 2007, while competing in the LMP1 class, the Benicia, California-based team captured what was its fourth podium of the season with a third place finish at Petit Le Mans, one of the crown jewels of endurance racing.

The Team CytoSport Muscle Milk drivers will take to the challenging turns and elevation changes of Road Atlanta starting on Wednesday, September 23 for a 1 hour and 30 minute testing session. Practice takes place Thursday, with qualifying on Friday.

Billed as one of the most important sports car races in the world, the 2009 Petit Le Mans goes green Saturday, September 26 at 11:15 am ET and will be broadcast live in its entirety on SPEED starting at 11:00 am ET.

Greg Pickett, Owner / Driver #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder:
“The Porsche RS Spyder is known for its reliability and endurance and that gives us a lot of confidence heading to Road Atlanta. We’re also very pleased to have Sascha (Maassen) with us. He’s the driver that has the most miles aboard the RS Spyder and his experience will definitely be a benefit to us aboard the Muscle Milk car.
We’re expecting some good battles. With Fernandez Racing having clinched the Championship, and congratulations to them for that, they will be going all out and not worrying about points. The Dyson’s have also been really quick so it should be, once again, a very competitive race.
I’ve always enjoyed racing at Road Atlanta, not only did we finish on the podium here in 2007, but I also won the first Trans-Am race of the season there at the beginning of the year. So I have fond memories of that track.
For all those reasons, I’m really looking forward to Petit Le Mans. It should be an exciting weekend. We’re also hosting many CytoSport guests at Road Atlanta and we hope to give them good things to cheer about.”

Klaus Graf, Driver #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder:
“I’m really looking forward to participating in the 2009 Petit Le Mans with our Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder. During my time with Panoz, we lived just up the road from Road Atlanta, so it’s a little like coming home for me each time I go to that track. It’s my favorite track in the United States, probably because I know it so well and the fact that Road Atlanta is really fast and flowing, which is what I like the most in a race track.
We already have two podium finishes this year and I think we have a good chance of repeating that and maybe even making it on the top step this time. Our package is extremely reliable and the team did a fantastic job in our first two races. Plus, the fact that Porsche has also given us the opportunity to have Sascha Maassen join us for the weekend also shows their commitment to our program.
It’s a real pleasure for me to have Sascha on board. We’ve been buddies for more than 15 years and have worked together many times, but never actually raced together in the same car. With Greg, Sascha and myself, I think we have a great driver lineup to make it all the way.”

Sascha Maassen, Driver #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder:
“I first met the Team CytoSport Muscle Milk crew at a test session earlier in the year at Sears Point and I truly enjoyed working with them. We made progress pretty quickly. I’ve been following their races this year and I’m impressed by the results. I’m thrilled to be joining them this weekend and I hope I can help Team CytoSport continue with the success.
The Petit Le Mans race is competitive and difficult and with all the teams from Europe coming over, it’s always very busy on the track. I’ve done this race often and I’m always excited to come back and race at Road Atlanta, which is one of my favorite tracks. I’m looking forward to be racing in the US again.
Plus returning behind the wheel of the Porsche RS Spyder, is something I always enjoy doing. The Spyder has proven to be competitive at Road Atlanta and I expect us to be close to the Acuras.”

Planetlemans

[Plex]

Audi tops Petit Le Mans test day

Audi struck the first blow on the official test day for the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, with Allan McNish and Dindo Capello's #2 R15 TDI setting the pace by 0.169 seconds over Stephane Sarrazin and Franck Montagny's #08 Peugeot 908.

All three of the major LMP1 manufacturers had a car in the top three - Gil de Ferran, Simon Pagenaud and Scott Dixon taking third in the De Ferran Acura, 0.8s off the pace.

The session took place in dry and sunny conditions after the heavy rain that had affected the private tests in the preceding days.

McNish, who set the benchmark 1m08.308s lap, was pleased to be back at a competitive event as Audi's limited racing programme has meant he spent most of the year testing.

"It was nice to be in a session with other cars," he said. "The R15 TDI was pretty good. It's still not ideal with the circuit being so green after all the rain this past weekend. But we're somewhere in the ballpark.

"The configuration of the car is very much the same as Le Mans, and that wasn't much different from Sebring. But there is continual room for improvement."

Nicolas Minassian and Pedro Lamy put the second Peugeot fourth, with the #1 Audi of Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner fifth having lost running following a trip off the road by Luhr. Highcroft Acura completed the top six.

The Butch Leitzinger, Ben Devlin and Marino Franchitti Dyson Lola-Mazda was the fastest LMP2 car, although class champion Fernandez Racing did not participate in the session.

The two Rahal Letterman BMWs topped the competitive GT2 field, ahead of the #45 Flying Lizard Porsche, the #3 Corvette and the Risi Ferrari.

Pos Drivers Cl Car Time
1. Capello/McNish P1 Audi 1m08.308s
2. Sarrazin/Montagny P1 Peugeot 1m08.477s
3. de Ferran/Pagenaud/Dixon P1 Acura 1m09.137s
4. Minassian/Lamy P1 Peugeot 1m09.234s
5. Luhr/Werner P1 Audi 1m09.821s
6. Brabham/Sharp/D.Franchitti P1 Acura 1m10.127s
7. Panis/Lapierre/Dumas P1 ORECA 1m10.309s
8. Field/Field P1 Lola 1m10.620s
9. Leitzinger/Franchitti/Devlin P2 Lola-Mazda 1m11.624s
10. Drayson/Cocker/Bell P1 Creation 1m12.216s
11. Pickett/Graf/Maassen P2 Porsche 1m12.549s
12. Dyson/Smith P2 Lola-Mazda 1m12.685s
13. Burgess/McMurry/Willman P1 Lola 1m14.013s
14. Van der Steur/Pecorari/Pecorari P2 Radical 1m16.220s
15. Hand/Auberlen/Priaulx GT2 BMW 1m21.574s
16. Muller/Milner/Muller GT2 BMW 1m21.798s
17. Bergmeister/Long/Lieb GT2 Porsche 1m21.838s
18. Magnussen/O'Connell/Garcia GT2 Corvette 1m22.056s
19. Melo/Kaffer/Salo GT2 Ferrari 1m22.275s
20. Law/van Overbeek/Neiman GT2 Porsche 1m22.302s
21. Sutherland/Drissi/Bell GT2 Riley Corvette 1m22.774s
22. Farnbacher/James GT2 Panoz 1m23.128s
23. Beretta/Gavin/Fassler GT2 Corvette 1m23.146s
24. Noda/Balbiani/von Moltke P1 Radical 1m23.530s
25. Sellers/Cicero GT2 Porsche 1m24.060s
26. Feinberg/Hall GT2 Dodge 1m24.143s
27. Murry/Robertson/Robertson GT2 Doran Ford 1m26.207s

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Peugeot dominates first practice

Peugeot took a one-two in Thursday morning practice as the 2009 Petit Le Mans weekend got underway at Road Atlanta.

Stephane Sarrazin's early 1m08.138s run in the car he shares with Franck Montagny proved unbeatable, and for much of the hour that time put the French duo well over a second clear of the field.

The sister #07 car of Pedro Lamy and Nicolas Minassian eventually recovered to second - having caused a long red flag halt when it stopped on track on only its fourth lap and had to be recovered to the pits.

Scott Dixon won a very close battle with the two Audis to put the De Ferran Acura in third place, a second behind Sarrazin's time but within a tenth of Lamy and Minassian.

Audi changed the #1 car's chassis overnight as a precaution following Lucas Luhr's off-course excursion in yesterday's test. The German was fourth this morning ahead of team-mate Dindo Capello.

ORECA's Romain Dumas shrugged off an early spin to take sixth ahead of the LMP1 championship leading Highcroft Acura.

Guy Smith topped LMP2 for Dyson ahead of the Fernandez Acura. The second Dyson Lola-Mazda sat out the session following an engine issue yesterday.

BMW remained in control of GT2, with Dirk Muller topping the class by half a second - the same margin that covered the next seven cars.

The session passed with relatively little incident, but did come to an end a few seconds early so that the Eco Radical could be towed back after stopping on the circuit.

Pos Drivers Cl Car Time
1. Sarrazin/Montagny P1 Peugeot 1m08.138s
2. Minassian/Lamy P1 Peugeot 1m09.042s
3. De Ferran/Pagenaud/Dixon P1 Acura 1m09.235s
4. Luhr/Werner P1 Audi 1m09.290s
5. Capello/McNish P1 Audi 1m09.351s
6. Panis/Lapierre/Dumas P1 ORECA 1m10.319s
7. Brabham/Sharp/Franchitti P1 Acura 1m10.380s
8. Field/Field P1 Lola 1m10.403s
9. Dyson/Smith P2 Lola-Mazda 1m11.609s
10. Fernandez/Diaz P2 Acura 1m11.974s
11. Pickett/Graf/Maassen P2 Porsche 1m12.669s
12. Drayson/Cocker/Bell P1 Lola 1m12.799s
13. Burgess/McMurry/Willman P1 Lola 1m13.542s
14. Muller/Milner/Muller GT2 BMW 1m20.975s
15. Bergmeister/Long/Lieb GT2 Porsche 1m21.498s
16. Melo/Kaffer/Salo GT2 Ferrari 1m21.595s
17. Hand/Auberlen/Priaulx GT2 BMW 1m21.610s
18. Magnussen/O'Connell/Garcia GT2 Corvette 1m21.645s
19. Farnbacher/James GT2 Panoz 1m21.713s
20. Sutherland/Drissi/Bell GT2 Riley Corvette 1m21.864s
21. Henzler/Werner GT2 Porsche 1m21.933s
22. Murry/Robertson/Robertson GT2 Doran Ford 1m22.422s
23. Beretta/Gavin/Fassler GT2 Corvette 1m22.698s
24. Sellers/Cicero GT2 Porsche 1m22.834s
25. Feinberg/Hall GT2 Dodge 1m22.844s
26. Law/van Overbeek/Neiman GT2 Porsche 1m23.049s
27. Noda/Balbiani/von Moltke P1 Radical 1m25.541s

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Peugeot leads as crash halts practice

Peugeot remained on top in a truncated second practice session for the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

The session was halted early after Scott Sharp had a ferocious accident in the championship-leading Highcroft Acura.

The American escaped unhurt despite his car tumbling through a violent series of flips and slamming into the wall having clipped Dirk Werner's Farnbacher Loles Porsche, which was about to leave the pit exit but was still on the correct side of the blend line.

The crash also caused damage to the debris fencing, and with this requiring repairs, the officials chose to bring the session to an early end.

Prior to the crash, Franck Montagny had kept the #08 Peugeot in first place ahead of team-mate Pedro Lamy.

The Audis were again third and fourth - Allan McNish 0.8s down on Montagny but 0.6s in front of Marco Werner.

Nicolas Lapierre was fifth for ORECA, with Sharp taking sixth prior to his crash. The De Ferran Acura did not have chance to set a time before the stoppage.

Klaus Graf took the Cytosport Porsche to the head of the LMP2 pack, with the Fernandez Acura second and the #16 Dyson Lola-Mazda third. The sister Dyson car is still awaiting a new engine following a testing failure, but the team hopes it will run in night practice later on today.

The Rahal Letterman BMWs were again one-two in GT2, followed by the Flying Lizard Porsche, while the early end to the session meant underdogs Doran Ford and PTG Panoz stayed in the top five ahead of the Corvettes and Risi Ferrari.

Pos Drivers Cl Car Time
1. Sarrazin/Montagny P1 Peugeot 1m08.217s
2. Minassian/Lamy P1 Peugeot 1m08.553s
3. Capello/McNish P1 Audi 1m09.103s
4. Luhr/Werner P1 Audi 1m09.744s
5. Panis/Lapierre/Dumas P1 ORECA 1m10.746s
6. Brabham/Sharp/Franchitti P1 Acura 1m10.778s
7. Field/Field P1 Lola 1m11.601s
8. Pickett/Graf/Maassen P2 Porsche 1m11.957s
9. Fernandez/Diaz P2 Acura 1m12.532s
10. Drayson/Cocker/Bell P1 Lola 1m13.236s
11. Dyson/Smith P2 Lola-Mazda 1m13.406s
12. Burgess/McMurry/Willman P1 Lola 1m16.212s
13. Hand/Auberlen/Priaulx GT2 BMW 1m21.401s
14. Muller/Milner/Muller GT2 BMW 1m21.676s
15. Bergmeister/Long/Lieb GT2 Porsche 1m21.888s
16. Murry/Robertson/Robertson GT2 Doran Ford 1m21.890s
17. Farnbacher/James GT2 Panoz 1m22.286s
18. Magnussen/O'Connell/Garcia GT2 Corvette 1m22.300s
19. Beretta/Gavin/Fassler GT2 Corvette 1m22.622s
20. Melo/Kaffer/Salo GT2 Ferrari 1m22.695s
21. Sellers/Cicero GT2 Porsche 1m23.121s
22. Feinberg/Hall GT2 Dodge 1m23.267s
23. Sutherland/Drissi/Bell GT2 Riley Corvette 1m24.193s
24. Noda/Balbiani/von Moltke P1 Radical 1m24.356s
25. Law/van Overbeek/Neiman GT2 Porsche 1m25.875s
26. Henzler/Werner GT2 Porsche 1m26.321s

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Sharp escapes massive crash unhurt

Scott Sharp is perfectly okay following his enormous accident in second free practice for the Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta, according to his Highcroft Acura team-mate David Brabham.

The Acura ARX 02a clipped Dirk Werner's Farnbacher Loles Porsche before flipping violently and making contact with the wall at Turn 2.

"He's fine," said Brabham. "He doesn't understand quite what happened. He says he didn't even see the Porsche. It's a huge blow for us, but clearly the thing we are most concerned about is Scott's welfare.

"We go through that corner in sixth gear, so obviously if you touch someone through there it is going to be a big one."

Brabham added that the accident should be a warning to everyone to give each other room when running in traffic: "Obviously when you see what happened on the television pictures, there is a lesson there for everyone on this grid."

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Peugeot still in control at Petit

Peugeot once again dominated proceedings in the third free practice session for Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

Stephane Sarrazin set a 1m07.912s lap - the fastest of the weekend so far – in the 90-minute night session ahead of the sister #07 machine driven by Nic Minassian, 0.784s further back.

Rinaldo Capello was the quickest of the Audi runners, bumping the #02 R15 TDI up to third in the final minutes of a session that was stopped twice late-on to clear up debris.

Marco Werner was fourth fastest in the #01 Audi having damaged the front end, prior to the first of the two stoppages.

Simon Paganaud ensured that the de Ferran Acura was the fastest of the petrol runners, mixing it with the Audis and ending the session less than 0.3s slower than Werner's machine.

Olivier Panis was sixth for Oreca ahead of the Field Lola and the fastest LMP2 runner Klaus Graf in the CytoSport Porsche RS Spyder.

Dominik Farnbacher set the pace in GT2 with the Panoz ahead of the Farnbacher Loles Porsche that was inolved in Scott Sharp's massive accident in P2.

The Highcroft Patron team, unsurprisingly did not run during the session as it waits for a new tub to be sent over from Acura's development headquarters in California.

Times to follow.

Autosport

[Plex]

Sarrazin pips McNish in final session

Stephane Sarrazin kept Peugeot in front in the final free practice session ahead of Petit Le Mans qualifying, but Allan McNish produced Audi's best performance of the weekend so far in second.

After Peugeot had been first and second in all three of yesterday's session, McNish raised hopes of a strong Audi challenge by grabbing the top spot in the middle of the hour and setting the fastest time all week in the process.

Sarrazin eventually got the #08 Peugeot down to a 1m07.678s to beat McNish by 0.162s, with the second Peugeot only a further 0.014s back.

The De Ferran Acura beat the #1 Audi to fourth place, and was the only LMP1 Acura on track as Highcroft got on with the task of building up a new car after Scott Sharp's ferocious crash yesterday afternoon.

The #20 Dyson Lola-Mazda finally racked up some miles following its earlier engine problems, and set the fastest LMP2 time ahead of the Fernandez Acura and the Cytosport Porsche.

Rahal Letterman's BMWs were one-two again in GT2, despite Joey Hand spinning into the gravel late on. That caused the second red flag of the morning, the first having come out when Dominic Cicero beached the Falken Porsche.

Pos Drivers Cl Car Time
1. Sarrazin/Montagny P1 Peugeot 1m07.678s
2. Capello/McNish P1 Audi 1m07.840s
3. Minassian/Lamy P1 Peugeot 1m07.854s
4. de Ferran/Pagenaud/Dixon P1 Acura 1m08.626s
5. Luhr/Werner P1 Audi 1m08.864s
6. Panis/Lapierre/Dumas P1 ORECA 1m09.847s
7. Field/Field P1 Lola 1m10.139s
8. Drayson/Cocker/Bell P1 Lola 1m10.876s
9. Leitzinger/Franchitti/Devlin P2 Lola-Mazda 1m11.287s
10. Fernandez/Diaz P2 Acura 1m11.429s
11. Pickett/Graf/Maassen P2 Porsche 1m11.456s
12. Van der Steur/Pecorari/Pecorari P2 Radical 1m15.911s
13. Muller/Milner/Muller GT2 BMW 1m20.393s
14. Hand/Auberlen/Priaulx GT2 BMW 1m20.463s
15. Melo/Kaffer/Salo GT2 Ferrari 1m20.583s
16. Henzler/Werner GT2 Porsche 1m20.670s
17. Magnussen/O'Connell/Garcia GT2 Corvette 1m20.877s
18. Sutherland/Drissi/Bell GT2 Riley Corvette 1m20.943s
19. Murry/Robertson/Robertson GT2 Doran Ford 1m21.155s
20. Bergmeister/Long/Lieb GT2 Porsche 1m21.272s
21. Farnbacher/James GT2 Panoz 1m21.319s
22. Beretta/Gavin/Fassler GT2 Corvette 1m21.370s
23. Law/van Overbeek/Neiman GT2 Porsche 1m21.449s
24. Sellers/Cicero GT2 Porsche 1m22.588s
25. Feinberg/Hall GT2 Dodge 1m22.846s
26. Burgess/McMurry/Willman P1 Lola 1m36.816s

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