ALMS 2011 thread

[MOTV8]

All in one thread this year...starting with a preview for this coming weekend at Sebring:

GT class could have close finish

The memory is still intensely vivid: Jamie Melo's Ferrari battling Joerg Bergmeister's Porsche coming out of Turn 17 and bumping and banging all the way to the finish line. Melo won that 2007 race by just 0.202 seconds, the closest finish in the history of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida.

We could see more of the same in this year's 59th edition of the 12-hour race as the GT class battle now has nine manufacturers — Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette, BMW, Lamborghini, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Panoz and Ford — vying for class victory.

Porsche, Ferrari and Corvette bring new cars to Sebring and the GT class victors likely will be driving one of those, or a BMW. Surprisingly, Porsche has not captured Sebring GT honors since 2005, but is the two-time defending ALMS GT manufacturer's champion.

Melo (Brazil) will defend his 2010 Sebring GT title in a new Ferrari F458 Italia and with a new teammate, Tony Vilander (Finland) along with Mika Salo (Finland).

Corvette Racing's factory team brings two new Corvette C6 ZR1 race cars, but is missing one of sports car racing's most popular drivers, Johnny O'Connell, who will be racing for Cadillac in the SCCA World Challenge Series (not part of the Sebring support races). O'Connell's record streak will end at 20 consecutive Sebring starts, and he remains atop the all-time Sebring victory chart with eight (one overall and seven class wins).

The two-car BMW Motorsport team, led by Bobby Rahal, brings back the BMW M3 GTs and has a strong driver lineup. Popular Bill Auberlin is the lead driver, and he knows the way to winner's circle at Sebring very well with three previous GT class wins in the 12 hours plus three victories in support races.

An exciting new GT entry is West Yokohama Racing, which will field a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 for Sebring rookies Nicky Pastoreii (The Netherlands) and Dominik Schwager (Germany).

Overview of the major GT teams:

Corvette Racing

Corvette Racing opens the ALMS season with two new cars, two new drivers, and new technology. The team has constructed a pair of new Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars to take on the world-class competition in the GT category.

The 2011 ALMS regulations allow the use of paddle shift transmissions in GT, and Corvette Racing has adopted this new technology. Similar to the paddle shifters that are available on production Corvettes, the race cars' paddle shift allows the drivers to change gears with both hands on the steering wheel. The team has integrated the new system with the electronic controls for the production-based 5.5-liter GM small-block V-8 engines that power the Corvette C6.Rs.

"The paddle shift is a big plus, particularly in the braking zones," says Oliver Gavin (England). "You can get hard on the brakes, then downshift really quickly. Going up through the gears, the shifts are smooth and solid. In terms of consistency and reliability, the system is a really good step forward."

The team has two new faces in its driver lineup. Tommy Milner, 25, of Lake Mary, Fla., is a second-generation racer who has competed in formula and sports car series with distinction. He will share the No. 3 Corvette C6.R with Olivier Beretta (Monaco) for the full season; Antonio Garcia (Spain) is the third driver for endurance events (Sebring, Le Mans, and Petit Le Mans). Richard Westbrook (England) will be teamed with Jan Magnussen (Denmark) and Oliver Gavin (England) in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R in the long-distance races.

"When you look at sports car racing over the last 10 years, the biggest name in GT racing has to be Corvette," Milner said. "With all of the team's victories in Sebring and Le Mans, Corvette Racing has a history of winning. To have the opportunity to be a part of the Corvette program at this point in my career is very exciting."

Risi Competizione

The biggest difference for Risi Competizione this year is running the Ferrari F458 Italia instead of the proven race-winner, the F430. In testing, the F458 has been faster than its predecessor thanks to improvements in handling, traction control and the gearbox.

Risi will field only one entry this year in an attempt to defend its Sebring GT title, which it also won 2007 and '09.

Melo has 17 career ALMS victories and won the GT2 championship with Mika Salo in 2007. Salo returns to the Risi camp for this year's Sebring run.

Porsche

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR takes off into the new motorsport season at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida with significant modifications for the 2011 season.

The latest version of the world's most successful GT race car was developed further over the off-season, with priority given to the newly designed aerodynamics at the front and rear, changes to the suspension kinematics and to the engine.

For 2011, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (Belleair, FL), both Porsche factory drivers, will return to the GT class in the American Le Mans Series, where the pair has won the championship the past two season, and Joerg and the No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has won three years in a row. The Lizards will also field a second, similar car for team owner Seth Neiman (San Francisco) and GT veteran Darren Law (Phoenix). Marc Lieb (Germany) and Marco Holzer (Germany) will be additional drivers for the team at Sebring.

Back for its second full season is the Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, now being prepared by Derrick Walker Racing, an experienced IndyCar race shop in Indianapolis. Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler (Germany), who won the GT title three years ago with Bergmeister, will again team with Bryan Sellers (Atlanta).

A new GT team this year is Paul Miller Racing, which is moving up from the GT Challenge class where it competed in 2010. Lead driver Bryce Miller (Summit, NJ), owner of wins in Rolex Grand-Am, ALMS GT, and IMSA GT3 Challenge, will be joined by Sascha Maassen and Rene Rast at Sebring.

The revised, 4.0-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine for the 911 GT3 RSR now delivers 455 hp (355 kW) at 7,800 revs, five horsepower more than its predecessor. The power increase results from an engine management system which adapts even better to different fuel grades, as well as a redesigned exhaust system and a modified air intake housing. Moreover, the drivability of the famously efficient engine has undergone further improvements. Maximum revs remain unchanged at 9,400 rpm.

Clearly visible are the modifications to the front. A new front lip provides higher downforce at the front axle. The front wheels are now wider with the rims growing from 11 to 12 inches giving additional grip and less understeer. The position of the rear wing and the shape of the wing mounting also underwent optimization and were adapted to the new rear fairing with additional air outlet louvers. The rear lid was also redesigned for optimized air ducting. Like the 911 GT3 Cup and the GT3 R, the RSR has now been equipped with the LED rear lights taken from the latest 911 road-legal cars.

Lamborghini

Nicky Pastorelli (The Netherlands) is well aware that developing West Racing's No. 008 Lamborghini LP560 will require a series of steps instead of leaps. But that's OK and expected, the Dutch driver said.

"Every week we make big steps," says Pastorelli, who will team with Dominik Schwager for the full American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón season. "At the Sebring Winter Test we made gains in suspension and tire wear. Everything is getting better the more we test. We are starting at zero with a car that has never run in GT-spec. It has never competed at the same level of our competitors. But we accept that as a challenge."

The West Racing effort is a partnership between the team and tire partner Yokohama.

Jaguar

Paul Gentilozzi 's Jaguar RSR team will field two improved Jaguar XKRs this year. P.J. Jones is the lead driver for the No. 098 entry and open-wheel stars Bruno Junqueira and Cristiano Da Matta kick off their GT racing careers co-driving the No. 099 Jaguar.

The duo of Junqueira and da Matta is unique; not only are they both from the same hometown in Brazil and have raced against each other throughout their entire careers. They have had a love-hate relationship; off track they are close friends (da Matta was the best man for Junqueira's wedding), on track they are fierce competitors.

Both of them come from the open-wheel scene and individually hold extensive racing resumes. Junqueira won the F3000 championship (2000), was a test driver for the Williams Formula One team (1999/2000), finished as the runner up in the Champ Car World Series championship three years in a row (2002 - 2004) and qualified six times in the Indy 500 earning the pole in 2002. Da Matta was the Brazilian Formula Ford champion (1993), the Brazilian Formula 3 champion (1994), Indy Lights champion (1998), the Champ Car World Series champion (2002), and went to make a name for himself in Formula One driving for Toyota.

"We believe that 2011 holds a lot of promise," says Gentilozzi, JaguarRSR Principal Partner and co-driver. "We have our 'rookie' season behind us, and look forward to a more competitive sophomore season with all of the changes and developments that we have made to the program. We have such great talent in our driver lineup; all of these guys will bring a unique perspective and influence to the team."

Extreme Speed Motorsports

Scott Sharp's team also has two new Ferrari F458 Italia race cars, and the driver lineup remains unchanged — Sharp with Johannes van Overbeek (Oakland, CA) in the No. 001, and Guy Cosmo (West Palm Beach) and sponsor Tequila Patron CEO Ed Brown (Tampa) in the No. 002 entry.

Sharp (Tequesta, FL) will anticipate a better result at Sebring this year. In 2010, his race ended with a spectacular car fire during the late stages of the race in full darkness.

BMW Motorsport

Bobby Rahal's team will do double duty at Sebring, where the two-car team expected to contest for the ALMS title will officially be representing BMW in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup at Sebring and Petit Le Mans.

Bill Auberlen (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Dirk Werner (Germany) will be the regulars in the No. 55 BMW M3 GT, and Dirk Mueller (Germany) and Joey Hand (Sacramento, Calif.) will co-drive the No. 56 BMW.

Top ILMC Entries

ALMS fans know Krohn Racing, and the Atlanta-based team has entered a Ferrari F430 for Tracy Krohn (Houston) and Nic Jonsson (Sweden, lives in Atlanta). They are officially entered as an ILMC team, along with Larbre Competition and Proton Competition.

Larbre has a new Corvette C6 ZR1 that will run on E-10 ethanol fuel (as opposed to the E-85 that Corvette Racing will be using.

Proton has the No. 63 Porsche 911 RSR that is expected to be competitive with Richard Lietz (Austria) as the lead drive.

The best ILMC entry could be the No. 51 AFCorse Ferrari F430 with lead driver Pierre Kaffer (The Netherlands).

One week to go....then its "Take No Prisoners" time!

[MOTV8]

The news alert inbox has blurbage...

Corvette’s Off-Season Development Goes Racing At Sebring

The first practice laps around the 5.9km Sebring International Raceway mark the end of a busy winter off-track for Corvette Racing spent building and developing a new car for the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT class.

“It’s been pedal-to-the-metal all winter long,” said team manager Gary Pratt. “The base chassis is identical to the design we’ve raced previously, but we’ve worked on all aspects of the cars, from aerodynamic refinements to driver safety and comfort.”

The work undertaken has been all about taking advantage of the changing regulations and putting into practice the lessons learnt from 2010. Program manager Doug Fehan explains; “the team learned a tremendous amount about the production-based LS5.5R engine package, the aero package, and the chassis setups – all of which were brand new to us. The winter was spent distilling that information, running it through various matrixes, and coming up with what we think are going to be very competitive race cars in 2011.”

Elsewhere many of the changes are centered around the driver. The work over the off-season has seen Corvette adopt the paddle shift gearbox now allowed under the regulations. Almost in turn, as Pratt explains, changes have rippled through the cockpit and electrics.

“The paddle shift system is new technology for us, and our engineers have worked very hard on the communication system that links the new engine management system and the shift system. We’ve also adopted a new power control system that automatically performs many of the functions that used to be done manually, such as turning on the reserve fuel pump and switching the batteries during pit stops.”

“We also installed new driver displays and new steering wheels with all of the controls on the wheel. The steering wheel system is more user friendly, and drivers of various sizes can reach the switches more easily.”

“The paddle shift is a big plus, particularly in the braking zones,” assesses driver Oliver Gavin. “You can get hard on the brakes, then downshift really quickly. Going up through the gears, the shifts are smooth and solid. In terms of consistency and reliability, the system is a really good step forward.”

Gavin will share the no.04 car with Jan Magnussen and Richard Westbrook at Sebring, Tommy Milner, Olivier Beretta and Antonio Garcia in the no.03 car.

Among the enormously competitive GTE class field the two Corvettes will face is another Corvette, French team Larbre Competition fielding the chassis which ran under the works banner as no.3 last season.

There are also five Porsches, a fleet of new Ferrari 458s, two BMW M3s and a pair of Ford GTs among the 19 car field.

“The competition is going to be intense,” said Fehan. “We’ll face powerful new Ferraris, redesigned BMWs that won last year’s manufacturer championship, and the defending driver champions in a Porsche. I can tell you this, nobody is going to go 9-0 this season!” (Har-de-har, ....why not Dougie? Way to give up before the first race. )

"Beyond the value of racing against Corvette's market competitors, every bit of the technology that we pick up on the race track goes into the next Corvette production model, and eventually the next generation Corvette," Fehan said. "We're not going to disappoint Corvette fans on the race track, and we're not going to disappoint Corvette customers in the showroom."

Check those graphics, Dougie.

Another preview...

American Le Mans Series Preview: Ready to fire for Sebring

By GARY WATKINS on 3/15/2011

Never has the American Le Mans Series begun its year with a bigger bang.

It's not just that 56 cars, the most since 1999, are set to start the season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring on March 19. It's also the field's quality that makes the 59th running of the endurance classic truly special. But there's a catch: Some of the quantity and quality will disappear after Sebring and won't return until the Petit Le Mans finale at Road Atlanta in October.

The reason: Sebring is not just round one of the ALMS season. It is also the first race of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the new global series that unites the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the world's other most prestigious races that employ Le Mans rules. Sebring's rightful presence on the ILMC schedule has not only guaranteed the participation of new Audi and Peugeot turbodiesels, but it also brings top-line European LMP1 prototype teams such as Rebellion Racing, which fields a Toyota-engined Lola coupe, and the ambitious Oak team and its pair of Judd-powered Pescarolo chassis.

Sebring's entry list boasts 11 LMP1 prototypes. Of those, eight are ILMC competitors, which leaves just three full-time ALMS cars-the Muscle Milk squad, which raced under the CytoSport banner last year, and Dyson Racing, which are all set for the full season. Reigning ALMS champion team Highcroft Racing, now armed with an LMP1 version of the HPD (formerly Acura) ARX-01e chassis, has so far only confirmed its participation at Sebring and Le Mans.

ALMS boss Scott Atherton suggested that an influx, then exodus of European cars before and after Sebring “isn't so very different to the surge we have experienced in previous years.” The difference, he added, “is that these cars now have [another racing series] brand attached to them.

“We have factored that into what we have been doing for 12 years now [since the ALMS began in 1999]. We know that Sebring and Petit Le Mans are going to be exceptional [in terms of certain cars] compared with the bulk of the series.”

The ALMS wanted six full-season LMP1 and six LMP2 entries after opting to follow Le Mans rules more or less to the letter and reinstating a two-class prototype structure. For the moment, it is short in both categories.

“There's no hiding that we have a small car count for the beginning of the season,” said Atherton, “but I am certain it will improve. It is something that we are very focused on, and we are in direct dialogue on a daily basis with car manufacturers, teams and suppliers.”

LMP1

Just two cars are confirmed for the full ALMS season in LMP2, both from the same team. Level 5 Motorsports, which won the LMP Challenge category for the one-make Oreca prototype last year, fields a pair of Lolas, one open- and one closed-top, with HPD turbo power and a roster of drivers that includes former Le Mans and Daytona 24 winner Christophe Bouchut.

Atherton pointed out that the LMP2 category has undergone major changes for the 2011 season, with adoption of a production-based engine formula and a cost cap on the price of chassis and engines.

“With new rules and regulations, there was always a risk that people weren't going to be ready for the start of the season,” he said. “There is not one but three teams right now that have P2 programs coming, and they can't get here soon enough.”

Audi Versus Peugeot: Where Do They Stand?

Prototype heavyweights Audi and Peugeot will resume their ongoing war at Sebring, where the German manufacturer says its French rival is favored to win.

Audi will run a revised version of last year's car in Florida, comically dubbed the R15 “Plus Plus,” as its new R18 TDI is not yet ready to race. Rules designed to equate the new and old breeds of LMP1 prototypes should leave it half a yard behind Peugeot's new 908 HDi on outright pace.

“Make that a whole yard,” said Audi driver and three-time ALMS champion Allan McNish. “The rules dictate that we can't be as fast, but that doesn't mean we'll just be going for points. Once the race starts, the gloves will come off. Traffic and yellows are going to come into it and could keep it close right to the end.”

Because Audi still has its old car out, Sebring will offer little insight into the relative performance of the second-generation 908 and the new R18. Audi, however, will be better informed than the rest of us: It tested at Sebring in January with both its new and old cars.

“We will get more of a view than everyone else,” said McNish, “but I don't believe we'll get a read on it until the first time Audi and Peugeot go head-to-head in a competitive context.”

In other words, that battle will begin during qualifying for the second round of the Inter-continental Le Mans Cup, at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in May.

GT Endurance

The contrast in fortunes between the prototype division and the GTE class is as stark in 2011 as in 2010. Significantly, it is the ALMS regulars who will fight at the front in Sebring. Only one of the visitors from Europe, the AF Corse Ferrari team, should be regarded as a genuine front-runner against the strong full-season teams in the season opener.

Full factory teams from Chevrolet and BMW again go up against works-backed machinery from Ferrari, Porsche and Jaguar. Ford, again represented by Robertson Racing, and Lamborghini, courtesy of the new West Racing team, add variety to the GTE field.

Atherton insisted there will be an “entertaining prototype category” beyond Sebring, but he knows where the real action will be.

“With all respect to our LMP competitors,” he admitted, “the show is going to be in GT, and for that we make no apologies.”

GT Competitors Ready to Rock

“Every element of the program, from top to bottom, came under review. There has been no silver bullet. We have made a series of tiny improvements.” --General Motors racing boss Mark Kent

“Our rivals are taking big strides, but we have a refined package. I'm more confident than this time last year.” --Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 driver Patrick Long

“The Ferrari 458 Italia should be quicker than the [old] F430, and the direct-injection engine makes it better on fuel economy.” --Risi Competizione team manager Dave Sims

“We have been working hard, because we've had to. Ferrari has the new 458, and we know Chevrolet hasn't been idle.” --BMW driver Dirk Müller

“By the end of last season at Zhuhai [in China], we were only a second off the qualifying pace, and we've moved forward since then.” --RSR Jaguar boss Paul Gentilozzi

If that Jaguar is competitive I'll eat my shorts.

Edit: added blurbage with some test session data from yesterday:

ALMS: Peugeot fastest in Sebring morning test

Published on 3/14/2011

Peugeot Sport on Monday picked up where it left off last year with the fastest time in the 12 Hours of Sebring's opening test session at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway. One of two new factory Peugeot 908s--driven by Franck Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy--turned a best lap of 1 minute, 47.678 seconds during the four-hour session in the lead-up to the opening round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

The 2011-spec 908s will make their racing debut this weekend, and Peugeot enters the ALMS season opener as the defending Sebring race winner. However, times were incredibly close in the first test session, with the top six cars within 0.629 second of each other. The first of Audi Sport Team Joest's Audi R15 “Plus Plus” prototypes was second quickest at 1:48.025. The car is driven by reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans champions Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller.

Next up was defending ALMS prototype champion Highcroft Racing and its new HPD ARX-01e of David Brabham, Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti. It was the only nondiesel-powered car among the top five runners.

The GT battle was just as close, with the four fastest cars within 0.519 second of each other. The first of BMW Motorsport's M3 GT of Bill Auberlen, Augusto Farfus and Dirk Werner set a lap of 2:01.911 for a 0.152-second gap over the first of Flying Lizard Motorsports' Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs. The lead Porsche is driven by Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long and Marc Lieb.

Next up was the first of Corvette Racing's two Corvette C6.Rs, a 2:01.909 for the car of Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia. It was just 0.172 second better than the second BMW entry.

Krohn Racing's Ferrari F430 GT was the quickest of the GTE “Amateur” entries. Nic Jonsson, driving with Tracy Krohn and Michele Rugolo, set a lap of 2:03.217. The Krohn entry was 1.021 seconds clear of Larbre Competition's Corvette C6.R of Julien Canal, Gabrielle Gardel and Patrick Bornhauser.

In LMP2, Signatech Nissan's Oreca-Nissan of Franck Mailleux and Lucas Ordóñez was quickest in class at 1:56.590. The car, which will make its first start this weekend, was 3.848 seconds ahead of Level 5 Motorsports' new Lola-Honda coupe. Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut and João Barbosa are splitting driving duties for Level 5.

Core Autosport's two Oreca FLM09s were quickest in LMP Challenge in the team's first weekend of ALMS competition. The first car of Ryan Dalziel, Jon Bennett and Frankie Montecalvo set the fastest time at 1:55.060, good enough for a 0.323-second cushion over the sister car of Gunnar Jeannette, Ricardo Gonzalez and Rudy Junco. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports' entry of Ken Dobson, Ryan Lewis and Henri Richard was third in class at 1:56.195.

In the GT Challenge class, TRG held the top two spots, led by the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry of Duncan Ende, Spencer Pumpelly and Alain Li. The second entry of Dion von Moltke was second, just 0.479 second back. Magus Racing's Porsche of Matthew Marsh, John Potter and Craig Stanton was third at 2:06.366.

[MOTV8]

Today's practice notes...

ALMS: Audi Paces Tuesday Testing At Sebring

While Audi's R15 plus plus topped the time charts, it was unable to eclipse the Peugeot's fast time from Monday...

Audi Sport Team Joest led the way in Tuesday’s testing in the run up to the 59th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The No. 1 Audi R15 plus plus of Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller topped the time charts with a 1:48.450 lap time, unofficially besting their diesel rival by over a second.

While the No. 8 Team Peugeot Total 908 of Stephane Sarrazin, Franck Montagny and Pedro Lamy clocked in the second-quickest time of the day, they were unable to match their 1:47.678 lap time that topped the charts on Monday. In fact, times across the board were slower today.

Peugeot’s sister No. 7 entry of Marc Gene, Alex Wurz and Anthony Davidson ended the day third overall, thanks to a 1:49.569 lap time set in the afternoon. They were trailed by the No. 2 Audi, with defending American Le Mans Series LMP champions Highcroft Racing again the quickest of the gasoline-powered contenders in fifth.

Signatech Nissan continued to pace LMP2, as its Oreca 03 Nissan of Franck Mailleux, Lucas Ordonez and Soheil Ayari topping the time charts with a 1:55.627 lap time. Both of the Level 5 Motorsports Lola-Hondas made significant improvements in the afternoon session, with the No. 055 entry of Luis Diaz turning a 1:58.043. The car returned after a Herculean effort by the David Stone-led team to repair the open-top machine after an accident on Monday.

Ferrari was quickest in the GT category, but perhaps not the Prancing Horse some would have expected to top the charts. The older-generation No. 51 AF Corse F430 GT of Giancarlo Fisichella, Gimmi Bruni and Pierre Kaffer turned a 2:01.873, edging out the No. 04 Corvette Racing C6.R by nearly two-tenths of a second.

Risi Competizione’s new Ferrari F458 Italia slotted in third, thanks to its 2:02.151 lap time, with the No. 56 BMW Motorsport M3 GT completing the top-four in the hotly contested ranks.

The GTE-Am category, for year-old cars with gentlemen drivers, was topped by the No. 50 Larbre Competition Corvette C6.R of Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal and Gabriele Gardel.

CORE Autosport continued to lead the way in the LMPC category, with its No. 005 Oreca FLM09 of Jon Bennett, Frankie Montecalvo and Ryan Dalziel turning a 1:55.852 lap time, while the No. 023 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car paced GTC.

No track activity is scheduled for ALMS/ILMC competitors tomorrow, but teams will return to the 3.7-mile airfield circuit on Thursday for the start of official practice.

Don't be fooled by that old horse Ferrari, those doods can drive, but I'm more worried about the new 458's.

[Desertdawg]

Atherton insisted there will be an “entertaining prototype category” beyond Sebring, but he knows where the real action will be.

“With all respect to our LMP competitors,” he admitted, “the show is going to be in GT, and for that we make no apologies.”

I think that statement says it all.. at least for this race!

The prancing pony's and portches aren't the problem, it's those LMP cars that seem to push their way through that I would worry about!

[MOTV8]

Fcuk those LMP's.

Some Sebring GT eye candy....well, except for the Jag and the new Panoz.

http://dlstatic.speedtv.com/imageserve/04hzaocgIZ30A/575x459.jpg

http://dlstatic.speedtv.com/imageserve/01MN75Rd2I3Zx/575x459.jpg

http://dlstatic.speedtv.com/imageserve/080rbcRdgT9hN/575x459.jpg

http://dlstatic.speedtv.com/imageserve/0fM922k0xDfvo/575x459.jpg

[MOTV8]

Hark! The return of the universally hated Aston!

That Lambo sure is a sexy beeatch!

[MOTV8]

[Desertdawg]

Teh Panoz ACK !!! The GT40 is looking mean. The vette, well it's just missing something ..... like ..... maybe a not so ugly paint job Hell even the ORANGE jag looks good. Oh well, hopefully ugly is fast! No Vipers ???

[Shifty]

It's gonna be fun.....imagine how Lime Rock is going to be with all those rides on such a narrow track....especially if it rains (and it usually does)

[John Syb]

LOVE THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!! Keep it coming through the year!!

[MOTV8]

LOVE THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep it coming through the year!!

Much grass. Es mi yob, mang. No Clown Shoes.

Eat it, Ford!

Another puke inducer...although it does have a Chevy LS motor!

LMP grid...

Teh Lola-Aston...

Das Audi...

Le Peugeot...

"I'm too sexy for this shirt..." - Dan Binks

[Shifty]

Man, that Panoz is butt-crack ugly...

[MOTV8]

Man, that Panoz is butt-crack ugly...

LMAO!

http://www.arizonacorvetteenthusiasts.net/arizonavette/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/evilgrinbat.gif "I'm Bahtman!" - Michael Keaton, aka Panoz Abruzzi

The crapper is better looking! :smilelol

Dawg would drive an orange one. Hell, I might too since they supposedly have a full-tilt LS9 in the street car. I'd just have to wear a bag over my face when gettin in or out of it.

[Ted Y]

You know, the Panoz is instantly recognizable. Similar to a Morgan. The C6 always reminds me of an angry robot from the front view. That Ferarri looks absolutely serpentine with the slanted headlights and round nostrils... Love it.

[P51tj]

And those things sell???

[MOTV8]

Apparently.

Today's early blurbage, cars back on the track today...times later.

ALMS: Corvette Racing is confident heading into Sebring race

By DAVID ARNOUTS on 3/16/2011

Last year was a tough one for American Le Mans Series stalwart Corvette Racing. In fact, 2010 was the team's worst campaign since it debuted in 1999. But with the introduction this season of paddle shifters, two new drivers and an additional year of development for the 5.5-liter engine now developed in-house, 2011 has potential to mark Corvette Racing's bounce-back.

Last year, despite six podium finishes, the team scored only one win, and that victory came in the Petit Le Mans season finale only after the leading Ferrari of Risi Competizione ran out of fuel in the final turn on the race's final lap.

Then there was the now-famous “perfect storm” at Sebring. Reliability issues and a collision in pit lane between the No. 3 and No. 4 Corvettes crushed hopes for another Sebring victory. In hindsight, the incident served as a warning for the entire season.

And who can forget the early Corvette retirement at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after being drop-kicked by Peugeot LMP1 driver Anthony Davidson? That was one of the worst moments of the year, and by the time the Petit Le Mans ALMS finale began in October, Corvette Racing faced the prospect of ending the year without a single win for the first time since '99.

With the 12 Hours of Sebring set for this Saturday, though, Corvette Racing gets a fresh start and a fresh look. Out is longtime driver Johnny O'Connell, who has moved to the Cadillac CTS-V program in the SCCA World Challenge. In are 25-year-old American hot shoe Tommy Milner and 35-year-old English ace Richard Westbrook.

Milner finished third last year in the ALMS GT drivers' championship, driving for GT manufacturer and team champion BMW Rahal Letterman racing.

“When you look at sports-car racing over the last 10 years, the biggest name in GT racing has to be Corvette,” Milner said before the start of this season. “With all of the team's victories in Le Mans and the success they've had here in America, Corvette Racing has a history of winning. To have the opportunity to be a part of the Corvette program at this point in my career is very exciting.”

Endurance-racing veteran Westbrook added, “I've raced against the Corvette enough times to know it's better to be driving one than racing against one. I'm absolutely delighted to be joining the Corvette Racing program for 2011. Everyone on the team is hungry for success, and expectations are high, so we have to deliver.”

Mark Kent, General Motors' racing boss, said, “The level of competition in the GT class is extremely high, and our goal is to make the team as competitive as possible. We are pleased to welcome Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook to Corvette Racing, and we believe that they will help us to reach our objective.”

Milner joins Olivier Beretta for the full season in the No. 3 C6.R, with Antonio García joining them for long-distance endurance events. Westbrook is the third driver for the endurance races, alongside Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 car.

In addition to the drivers, paddle-shift gearboxes are also new to Corvette Racing, thanks to rules that now allow the technology in the GT class.

“Paddle shifts are now legal in GT class, and clearly, if it's legal, you have to go there,” said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. “The reason I say that is, number one, it's a little quicker shift, and two, set up properly, it helps minimize wear and tear on the gearbox.”

Of course, the team hopes to do a better job this year tearing up its rivals, but despite its looking strong so far in preseason testing, no one is prepared to make predictions.

“You never really know what the competition is doing, but it's good to be near the top,” said Gary Pratt, boss of the Pratt & Miller Engineering company that campaigns the C6.Rs. “A successful test . . . gives everyone confidence, especially the drivers, and that's a good feeling going into race week.”

Gary feels good...

[Guest 06yumavette]

im thinking of going to the ALMS race in long beach april 16 anyone going? also anyone going to try go to ALMS laguna seca sept 17th?

[MOTV8]

You'll be the ACE-hole on the scene! Take pictures if ya go, the Corvette Corral is always bitchin'!

Part Two of this seasons vid series is out:

Engine Building

[MOTV8]

Corvette, Flying Lizard go back to E10

After contesting the entire 2010 season on Cellulosic E85 Ethanol, both Corvette Racing and Flying Lizard Motorsports have switched back to E10 fuel for this weekend’s season opener.

With E10-fueled GT cars receiving a 2 percent larger air restrictor, to counteract the slight advantage E85 can produce, many teams began weighing their options as to where the advantage may now be, including the Doug Fehan-led Corvette outfit.

“When that came out, it caused everybody, not just us, to immediately go on the dyno and run the power comparisons between E10 and E85,” Fehan said. “The 2 percent was a good number, at least in our case as there was no discernible power difference with our engine.”

While IMSA had been pushing for E10-fueled teams to have an additional 10kg of ballast, to make up for the weight of the 20 liters of additional fuel E85 cars carry, there will be no weight adjustments here this weekend in light of it being an ILMC event.

Fehan, who said the team’s simulation software predicts a 0.150 seconds per lap gain in E10 configuration, stressed that the decision was purely performance-based and that he hopes they’ll return to E85 later this year.

“This is not to diminish the importance of our Celluolosic E85 program because we were initiators with it and we’re huge supporters of it,” he said. “But our primary charge is obviously to compete and win races. And if the rules are such that they place you at a distinct disadvantage, you simply have to move off of that.”

Both Flying Lizard and Team Falken Tire have also reverted back to E10, based on Porsche’s decision to focus its efforts this weekend in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the alternative fuel is not permitted.

“As Porsche manages the engine side of things, it was largely their decision,” said Flying Lizard Motorsports team manager Eric Ingraham. “Obviously they weighed the options and made the decision that E10 was the best choice. We gave them our thoughts on it. Obviously the powertrain groups knows best as they do the dyno work.”

While BMW Motorsport as well as the Ferrari F458s from Risi Competizione and Extreme Speed Motorsports have elected to stay with E85 for now, all GT teams will have to contest with smaller fuel rig restrictors. Ingraham estimates it will take cars an additional 5 seconds to fill their tanks during pit stops.

Moar Powah!

[MOTV8]

Morning open practice blurb, afternoon session to follow...

ALMS: Audi, Ferrari lead Sebring opening practice

Published on 3/17/2011

Romain Dumas on Thursday laid down the gauntlet for Audi Sport in the opening practice session for the 59th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, the American Le Mans Series season opener. The flying Frenchman set a best lap of 1 minute, 49.253 seconds in one of Audi Sport Team Joest's Audi R15 “Plus Plus” LMP1 prototypes on Thursday morning in the lead-up to Saturday's race.

Dumas, driving with fellow Le Mans 24 Hour winners Timo Bernhard and Mike Rockenfeller, was 0.784 second quicker than Allan McNish in the second factory Audi. McNish, who will drive with Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello, had the quickest time until about the 45-minute mark of the hour-long session. The Audis are back at Sebring for the first time since winning the 2009 race in the R15's debut.

Team ORECA Matmut's Nicolas Lapierre set the third-fastest time of the session on his final lap, a 1:50.296 in the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP that he will drive with Loic Duval and Olivier Panis.

In the GT class, Toni Vilander set the fastest time on his final pass in Risi Competizione's new Ferrari F458 Italia. His lap of 2:02.251 in the car he will share with Jaime Melo and Mika Salo was just 0.109 second better than Bill Auberlen in the first of BMW Motorsport's BMW M3 GTs. The car of Auberlen, Augusto Farfus and Dirk Werner was quickest in three of the four test sessions earlier this week.

Auberlen was just 0.277 second ahead of Dirk Müller in the second BMW, who set a time of 2:02.637. He will drive with Joey Hand and Andy Priaulx as BMW starts what it hopes will be a repeat of last year's class manufacturer championship.

In LMP2, Lucas Ordonez kept Signatech Nissan on top, just as it was during the Monday and Tuesday test days. The Spaniard's lap of 1:57.991 in the Nissan-powered ORECA 03 outpaced both of Level 5 Motorsports' Lola-Hondas, among others. Luis Diaz was next-quickest in the team's open-cockpit prototype at 1:59.964; he will drive with team owner Scott Tucker and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Level 5's coupe of Tucker, Joao Barbosa and Christophe Bouchut--who set the car's fastest time at 2:01.236--was up next.

In the GT “Amateur” division, Proton Competition's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR was quickest, thanks to Richard Lietz's lap of 2:04.305 in the car he will share with Christian Ried and Gianluca Roda. Next up was Krohn Racing's Ferrari F430 GT of Nic Jonsson, Michele Rugolo and team owner Tracy Krohn, who posted a time of 2:06.752. Larbre Competition's Corvette C6.R sat third with Gabriele Gardel's lap of 2:10.709; he will drive with Julien Canal and Patrick Bornhauser.

Ryan Lewis's final lap of 1:56.679 for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports topped the LMP Challenge field. Lewis will drive the team's ORECA FLM09 with Henri Richard and Ken Dobson, and the Englishman was 1.305 seconds quicker than Ryan Dalziel in the first of Core Autosport's two entries that he will share with Jon Bennett and Frankie Montecalvo.

WRO Racing's car of Luca Moro, Johnny Mowlem and Olivier Lombard sat third in class after Mowlem's lap of 1:58.978.

In GT Challenge, Leh Keen went quickest in Alex Job Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry that he will share with Brian Wong and Bill Sweedler. The fact that Keen, who set a time of 2:07.155, went quickest shouldn't surprise: He set the class' 20 fastest race laps in a victory last year with the team.

Black Swan Racing's Sebastiaan Bleekemolen was a scant 0.024 second back of Keen in the car that he will drive with Damien Faulkner and team owner Tim Pappas. Black Swan won last year's class championship but did not race in the 12 Hours.

Sean Edwards was next up in the NGT Motorsport Porsche that he will drive with Carlos Kauffman and Henrique Cisneros with a lap of 2:07.245.

The day's next practice session is set for 3:05 p.m. Eastern.

[MOTV8]

ALMS: Sebring Thursday Notebook

Corvette Racing to ILMC?

The launch of the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup has brought a significant amount of attention to the American Le Mans Series and competitors that might be eyeing an expansion to the global stage. With Level 5 Motorsports and Krohn Racing both embarking on the seven-round international competition this year, could other teams and manufacturers make the move in the future?

While Chevrolet is represented in this year’s Manufacturers’ Cup, with a privately entered C6.R from Larbre Competition, Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan hasn’t ruled out a possible future attack in the global sportscar championship.

“The birth of the ILMC is a logical extension of what we’ve accomplished here in the last 10 or 12 years in the American Le Mans Series,” Fehan said. “With Americans competing in Le Mans, it only makes sense to take that to the next extension, which would be a global competition. And you look at those markets out there, it only makes sense for manufacturers to compete.”

With GM’s sales in China eclipsing the North American market for the first time last quarter, Fehan admitted there’s ongoing discussions regarding an entry to this year’s ILMC season-ending round, likely to be in Zhuhai on Nov. 12.

“Currently there are no plans to do that, but there are serious discussions going on about what this means,” he said. “Obviously we do sell a boatload of cars in China and there’s a whole marketing strategy for Chevrolet over there. It’s our most powerful global brand and I think it’s one of those things that’s going to evolve... I can tell you that the consideration is certainly there right now.”

China...

***AND***

ALMS: Audi Quickest Again In Practice 2 At Sebring

Tom Kristensen sets quick lap, but suffers clash with Ford GT mid-session...Corvette quickest in GT

Audi Sport Team Joest topped the time charts again in the second official practice for Saturday's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, but it didn't come without some drama. Moments after Tom Kristensen turned the quick time in his No. 2 Audi R15 plus plus, the diesel-powered machine collided with one of the Robertson Racing Ford GTs in Turn 17. The car sustained bodywork damage to the left-rear, ending the session for the eight-time Le Mans winner and co-drivers Dindo Capello and Allan McNish.

Kristensen's 1:50.424 lap time edged out the sister Audi of Romain Dumas by 0.114 seconds. Pedro Lamy improved to third in his No. 8 Team Peugeot Total 908, while the French Lion's sister entry of Anthony Davidson was fourth. Team ORECA Matmut's first-generation Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP made it a diesel sweep of the top-five in LMP1.

The No. 26 Signatech Nissan Oreca 03 Nissan continued to set the pace in LMP2, with the Franck Mailleux, Soheil Ayari and Lucas Ordonez-driven machine turning a 1:56.693 lap time, over one-second quicker than the pace-setting LMPC machine.

Corvette Racing led the way in the GT category, with the No. 03 Corvette C6.R of Tommy Milner, Olivier Beretta and Antonio Garcia slotting in with a 2:02.751 lap time, ahead of the No. 045 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and No. 062 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 GT in second and third, respectively.

The No. 005 CORE Autosport Oreca FLM09 of Frankie Montecalvo, Jon Bennett and Ryan Dalizel was quickest in LMPC, with its sister entry of Gunnar Jeannette ending up second. However, Jeannette brought out the first of two red flags in the 60-minute session when his entry ground to a halt on track. The other red flag was for an accident for the No. 54 Black Swan Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

Speaking of GTC, the No. 066 TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Alain Li, Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Ende ended the session the top of the time charts.

The three cars that suffered incidents this morning, the No. 06 Muscle Milk AMR Lola-Aston Martin as well as the Alex Job Racing and GMG Racing Porsche GT3 Cup cars, didn't set times this session.

A third and final practice for the day is on tap for 7:50 p.m.

Film at eleven.

[MOTV8]

ALMS: Peugeot Tops Thursday Night Practice

Team Peugeot Total's new 908 paces nighttime practice at Sebring...

While Audi set the pace in the heat of the day, their diesel rival ruled the night Thursday at Sebring International Raceway. Team Peugeot Total ended the 105-minute night practice session quickest, with the No. 7 Peugeot 908 of Anthony Davidson topping the time charts thanks to a 1:48.901 lap time. The former F1 driver edged out the No. 2 Audi Sport Team Joest R15 plus plus of Tom Kristensen by 0.469 seconds.

Peugeot's sister No. 8 entry of Stephane Sarrazin was third, followed by the No. 1 Audi and No. 10 Team ORECA Matmut Peugeot in fourth and fifth, respectively. It marked the second consecutive session where the diesel-powered LMP1s swept the top-five positions.

Level 5 Motorsports led the way in LMP2 for the first time this week, with the team's open-top Lola B11/40 Honda of Ryan Hunter-Reay, Luis Diaz and Scott Tucker turning a 1:56.276 lap time. The driving trio edged out the No. 26 Signatech Nissan Oreca 03 Nissan, which had paced the two previous sessions today. Level 5's Lola-Honda Coupe of Tucker, Joao Barbosa and Christophe Bouchut slotted in third.

In GT, Extreme Speed Motorsports topped the time charts for the first time with its new Ferrari F458 Italia. The No. 001 machine of Johannes van Overbeek, Scott Sharp and Dominik Farnbacher turned a best lap of 2:02.380, edging out the No. 04 Corvette Racing C6.R of Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook by 0.298 seconds. Risi Competizione's Prancing Horse of Jamie Melo, Toni Vilander and Mika Salo was third.

LMPC was paced by the No. 005 CORE Autosport Oreca FLM09 of Jon Bennett, Frankie Montecalvo and Ryan Daliziel, while the newly-repaired No. 023 Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Leh Keen, Bill Sweedler and Brian Wong led the way in GTC.

After suffering an engine fire in the opening practice, the Muscle Milk AMR Lola-Aston Martin returned to the track this evening, setting the sixth-quickest time in LMP1. The No. 032 GMG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car was the only car that failed to set a lap time tonight, as repairs continued following a morning incident.

Final practice is on tap for Friday at 10:40 a.m., followed by qualifying later in the afternoon.

I warned you 'bout dem 458s...but I'm thinking 12 hours of pounding the bumps at Sebring will reveal the typical Ferrari fragility.

That just happened, ...Ted.

[MOTV8]

Well, it's 11 somewhere...here's your film.

They just HAD to show the pit crash again.

[P51tj]

Yea maybe one of the Euro teams will have an almighty cockup up this year and let the Vette incident fade away.

[MOTV8]

Yea maybe one of the Euro teams will have an almighty cockup up this year and let the Vette incident fade away.

You know it. There's usually a fistfight, someone rundover, or a car on fire during the 12 hours.

Keep in mind, they ditched Speed. There won't be a LIVE tv broadcast, unless you got your fancy interweb on your fancy tv. There is, however, a 90-minute, tape-delayed summary of the Sebring race that airs on Sunday on ABC from 12:30 to 2 pm Eastern. It will be repeated on ESPN2. All nine ALMS races in 2011, plus qualifying sessions, will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com.

Checkin' in with Olly before QUALIFYING today!

2011 Sebring 12 Hours: Oliver Gavin ALMS Race Preview

The hours are counting down towards the opening round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series and, for Britain’s Oliver Gavin and the GM Corvette Racing team, the moment the green flag drops on Saturday morning can’t come soon enough.

Preparing for the race...

With another intensely competitive GT race in prospect, Olly is glad of the additional cockpit time he’s had this year with the Chevrolet Camaro in the Grand-Am series. The two rounds to date, in addition to the concentrated fitness campaign the former sports car champion is undergoing in preparation for a marathon run in April, will give him a race-ready edge over and above many of his rivals.

After his last race two weekends ago in Homestead, Florida, Olly headed north to Pratt & Miller’s base in Detroit to be fitted into a new seat in the Camaro. He explains why this was necessary. "Our cockpit surroundings at Homestead were very hot and difficult to operate in for any length of time so the P & M guys have fitted a new seat and air conditioning system in the car. It took a couple of days to get housed properly as it’s a bespoke item and various parts had to be custom made.

"While I was there I also spent lot of time with the Corvette crew getting prepared for the 12 Hours of Sebring. It’s one of the biggest races of the season for us so there was a lot to get prepared and planned for. Everyone’s really excited about the coming season, and we can’t wait to get going."

New car, new parts...

Oliver continued, "I’ve never seen Pratt & Miller so busy but the guys have managed to achieve a huge amount over the winter. We’ve got some development pieces here this week we’ve been testing over the winter including a new rear fascia and some other bits and pieces like the paddle shift gear change. That’s new for everyone in the GT class with the 2011 regulations. We are also running a new Bosch ECU system and it’s taken a while to get it all integrated and working properly and everyone understanding it.

"There’s a new dashboard in the car and a new steering wheel so it’s quite different inside the car for us. It’s great, and a big step away from what we’ve had for the last 8 or 9 years. It will be interesting and intriguing to see how every driver deals with it and works with it. It took me about half a day to stop taking my hand off the wheel and going for the gear stick as I was driving around. You’ve got to train your brain to stop doing it."

And new faces...

As well as a new car and new technical developments, Olly also has a new team mate in the No. 04 Compuware Corvette C6.R alongside him and Jan Magnussen. "Richard [Westbrook] has been great, and from the moment he turned up and starting running with us he fitted right in. He’s pretty relaxed to work with, is a good character and understands sportscars very well. He’s got a very good pedigree and been with other manufacturers before, so knows exactly how to be in and around them."

A huge field and a great race ahead...

"56 cars is the biggest field ever for me," acknowledges Olly. "It’s going to be exceptionally busy - judging by the test days so far as an example. There’s been lots of red flags and stoppages and inevitably there’s going to be problems with traffic. One of the big issues, I think, is going to be that every class seems to run a similar speed on the straight. Gone are the days when the Peugeot or Audi came whistling past you with some 25 or 30 mhp more on the straight than you. Now they are maybe 10 mph faster which is fine but the LMP2 and LMPC cars are virtually the same speed on the straights as us and the GTC cars are exactly the same. You have to get past them in the brake zones or into the corners so it adds another element of challenge to it.

"The race is going to be exceptionally competitive, just as last year’s GT races were. It looks like the BMW is very fast - they seem to have done a ton of testing and the Dunlop tyres are working well in the weather conditions we have here now. We feel we’re reasonably close but whether it’s close enough, or we’ve done enough, we just don’t know but we definitely only have one aim in mind and that’s victory. The Porsche looks good, as always, while the Ferrari is a new car so difficult to tell yet how it will measure up. I don’t think they’ll be far away from us time wise and we’ll see how fast everyone really is on Friday afternoon in qualifying."