ALMS 2011 thread

[Desertdawg]

I have a sprint cell connection in my work truck, 2 weeks ago I checked espn3 and sprint was on the allowed list... went to check out the qualifying and guess whats missing from the appoved list today..... It's a freaking conspiracy dammit!!!

[MOTV8]

Can you at least get the ALMS live scoring/timing?

[Desertdawg]

Yeah, I can see the live timing.... at least until someone figures out I'm watching it and boots me!

[MOTV8]

Yeah, I can see the live timing.... at least until someone figures out I'm watching it and boots me!

You can at least take a lap with Tommy around Mid-Ohio...or just look at pix I vader!

Sandbagging Joey Hand in teh bimmer somehow turned a 1:21.06 to head up teh second practice so far, vettes sit third and sixth in times. So far.

[Desertdawg]

Do you think they will let Jerkg Borgmuster jump the start again? He just went faster than Oli. And teh udder bimmer just moved ahead of Milner

[MOTV8]

Time to send some syphilitic Ohio hookers over to Team RLL's hotel... 1 P 56 GT Joey Hand BMW M3 GT 9 1:48.391 1:20.539 --- --- 1 --- 6 Joey Hand 2 55 GT Dirk Werner BMW M3 GT 9 1:21.500 1:20.655 -0.116 -0.116 2 -0.116 7 Dirk Werner 3 P 62 GT Jaime Melo Ferrari F458 Italia 8 1:36.697 1:20.745 -0.206 -0.090 3 -0.206 5 Jaime Melo 4 P 45 GT Joerg Bergmeister Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 6 1:34.019 1:20.917 -0.378 -0.172 4 -0.378 5 Joerg Bergmeister 5 P 4 GT Oliver Gavin Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR 8 1:38.228 1:20.944 -0.405 -0.027 5 -0.405 6 Oliver Gavin 6 P 02 GT Guy Cosmo Ferrari F458 Italia 9 1:31.447 1:21.068 -0.529 -0.124 6 -0.529 5 Guy Cosmo 7 P 01 GT Johannes van Overb Ferrari F458 Italia 7 1:40.753 1:21.256 -0.717 -0.188 7 -0.717 5 Johannes van Overb 8 P 3 GT Tommy Milner Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR 7 1:32.811 1:21.280 -0.741 -0.024 8 -0.741 6 Tommy Milner 9 P 17 GT Bryan Sellers Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 7 1:21.921 1:21.921 -1.382 -0.641 9 -1.382 7 Bryan Sellers 10 P 04 GT Anthony Lazzaro Doran Ford GT 9 1:22.327 1:22.128 -1.589 -0.207 10 -1.589 8 Anthony Lazzaro 11 99 GT Bruno Junqueira Jaguar XKR 9 1:22.611 1:22.569 -2.030 -0.441 11 -2.030 8 Bruno Junqueira 12 P 98 GT PJ Jones Jaguar XKR 6 1:22.971 1:22.971 -2.432 -0.402 12 -2.432 6 PJ Jones 13 48 GT Sascha Maassen Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 10 1:23.524 1:23.084 -2.545 -0.113 13 -2.545 8 Sascha Maassen 14 40 GT Melanie Snow Doran Ford GT/Elan 9 1:24.185 1:23.854 -3.315 -0.770 14 -3.315 8 Melanie Snow 15 44 GT Seth Neiman Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 9 1:25.020 1:24.712 -4.173 -0.858 15 -4.173 8 Seth Neiman

[Shifty]

Gee.....teh Bimmers would sandbag? Teh hell you say....

[MOTV8]

I have a feeling at least one of those a-hole bimmers will be taking an off track excursion this weekend. Rubbin's racin' son...

And next in the CR video series is up. Episode 7

Episode seven of the second season of Corvette Racing's Track To Street series once again focuses on the team behind the car, but this time takes us into the pit stop experience with some very cool first-person video.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to swap wheels and tires, clean a windshield, or refuel an endurance racer in just a few seconds, wonder no more.

[MOTV8]

ALMS: Corvette Racing Mid-Ohio Qualifying Report

Corvettes Qualify Fifth and Eighth for Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge

Corvettes Cope with Heat and Humidity in the Heartland

LEXINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 5, 2011 – On a steamy summer afternoon, Corvette Racing drivers Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner qualified their Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars fifth and eighth respectively for Saturday's Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, the fifth round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series. Gavin will start the No. 4 Corvette C6.R fifth on the GT grid after lapping the 2.25-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1:20.944 (100.425 mph). Milner was eighth quickest in the No. 3 Corvette with a 1:21.280 time (100.010 mph). Joey Hand won the GT pole in the No 56 BMW M3 GT with the fastest lap in the 15-minute session at 1:20.539 (100.930 mph).

The temperature was edging toward 90 degrees and the track was a toasty 130 degrees when GT qualifying began on the classic 13-turn circuit. Gavin was on top in GT after his fourth flying lap and set his quickest time on his sixth circuit, but the competition eclipsed his fast time in the closing minutes. Milner also posted his best time on his sixth lap.

"We won from sixth on the grid at Mosport, and I don't see why we can't do the same here," Gavin said. "Our race pace looks competitive, and I'm quietly confident about that.

"We went into the qualifying session thinking that the car would do one thing and then it started doing another," Gavin explained. "I felt we were close to our competition up to that point, but as sometimes happens in qualifying, all of the sandbags came out and our rivals ran faster laps. Our pace on long runs with older tires looks quite good, so we'll continue to work on the car and see if we can get a bit more speed. And who know? It could rain!"

Milner steadily improved his lap times throughout his qualifying run. "I turned down the traction control to try to squeak out a tenth or two, and I put it all on the line," he said. "No question that we have a good race car, and at the end of the day that's what matters most. We already know that we have a good setup, so we can try some more adjustments in tomorrow morning's warmup.

"Looking at our race pace, we're much closer than it looks in qualifying, which is encouraging," Milner noted. "Some of these guys can run one quick lap, but they can't do that consistently. We can't throw a super-fast lap on the scoreboard, but we're much closer to our qualifying pace on long runs. I'm optimistic for the race because I feel we have a better race car than a qualifying car."

By: GM Racing/Corvette Racing

Teh fun starts in a couple of hours....

[Shifty]

[MOTV8]

:facepalm:

[Shifty]

Jeebus that was ugly...I guess CR is fortunate to get what they did...

[MOTV8]

Jeebus that was ugly...I guess CR is fortunate to get what they did...

Perfect synopsis.

I was REALLY stoked with Mags' stint before teh riot at teh end. WTG Oli! How 'bout teh IMSA? Way to drop teh red...after it's too late.

[MOTV8]

*** DAWG SPOILER ALERTAGE *** RESULTS POSTED BELOW ***

*** EYES ONLY FOR ESPN3.COM STREAMERS ***

*** GILA BEND RESIDENTS TURN BACK ***

ALMS: Falken Wins Wet Mid-Ohio Thriller

Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers use wet track to their benefit to score Team Falken Tire's first American Le Mans Series GT victory...

Team Falken Tire scored an unlikely GT class victory in Saturday's Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, benefiting from a heavy late-race downpour that resulted in the two-hour and 45-minute race ending under the red flag.

The No. 17 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Wolf Henzler restarted in sixth on the final restart with 22 minutes to go and made the drive of the race through the highly competitive field in the matter of a single lap.

The German Porsche factory driver fended off spinning cars in the extremely slick conditions, passing a dozen cars through traffic, including the class-leading Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche of Patrick Long on the front straight.

Moments later, Long spun off-course at the Keyhole, which brought out the final caution and led to only the third-ever red flag in series' history with 10 minutes to go.

With sections of the 2.25-mile circuit flooded, IMSA was unable to restart the race, giving Henzler and Sellers a surprise GT class victory and first for the Derrick Walker-led Falken squad.

"When the race went back to green, going down the back stretch, I saw nothing," Henzler said. "There was so much water and I couldn't even see the cars ahead. I just guessed where they were. When they changed lines, I managed to see a little bit... I knew the 45 [car] was the leader... and then I passed him."

Sellers, who earned his first career victory, knew their Falken-shod Porsche could have played a factor if the forecast rains arrived, given the strength of the Japanese brand's wet-weather tire. It was enough to give Porsche its first GT victory of the year in Le Mans competition worldwide.

"The rain tire was fantastic, no question about it. But I think it was definitely worth noting my co-driver drove an unbelievable couple of laps," Sellers said. "It was probably the most impressive couple of laps I've ever seen. I think Falken deserves a lot of credit, but Wolf deserves a lot as well. I'm happy to be part of the program and to get my first win with Wolf."

The No. 4 Corvette Racing C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen survived for a runner-up finish in class despite a late-race spin by Gavin in the adverse conditions. Teammate Tommy Milner was in a podium-scoring position as well but looped his Corvette twice and had to settle for sixth.

Championship leaders Joey Hand and Dirk Muller came home third in their No. 56 BMW M3 GT after a trouble-filled race, which included a mid-race collision with the sister No. 55 BMW Team RLL machine of Dirk Werner and a late-race scuffle with the Jaime Melo-driven No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari.

The Ferrari, which initially gambled on slicks during the downpour, dropped out with suspension damage as a result from contact with the BMW.

Muscle Milk AMR celebrated its third LMP1 victory of the season, with Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr taking their Lola-Aston Martin to a comfortable win over the No. 16 Dyson Racing Lola B09/86 Mazda of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith in second.

How 'bout those fulken tires?

This one's better:

Muscular Graf, Tip-Toeing Henzler Win In ALMS

Steam Corners, Ohio – Rain played havoc in the final hour of the American Le Mans Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. When the race was stopped by a red flag with a little more than 15 minutes remaining, the Lola Aston Martin of Muscle Milk Racing, which was quickest in the dry with Lucas Luhr on board and in the wet with Klaus Graf at the wheel, had clinched the over-all victory.

With problems in traffic in the dry and following a spin in the wet, the Dyson Racing Lola Mazda of pole winner Guy Smith and Chris Dyson finished a distant second.

The big story was in the GT category, where Wolf Henzler drove from the back of the field and sixth place to first in one lap aboard the Team Falken Tire Porsche GT3 911 RSR. Veteran Porsche factory driver Henzler and Bryan Sellers brought the Japanese tire maker’s team its first victory in the ALMS courtesy of the heavy rain falling at the final re-start with 23 minutes remaining in the two hour, 45-minute event.

Derrick Walker, the former CART team owner who took charge of the Falken squad over the winter, also enjoyed his first ALMS victory, engineered by longtime Indy car and sports car veteran John Ward.

During the decisive lap in the rain, two Corvettes, two Ferraris and one Porsche eventually were scuppered by the re-start. At the green, Tom Milner charged his Corvette inside of the leading Flying Lizard Porsche of Pat Long in Turn 1, but had to back off. Then Milner was the first to spin, looping at the exit of Turn 4. Next, leader Long, Corvette driver Oliver Gavin and Ferrari pilot Johannes van Overbeek all slid off at Turn 9, where Henzler tip-toed through as the other drivers tried to regain the asphalt from their off-track excursions. On his sponsor’s rain tires, Henzler had earlier passed the BMW of Bill Auberlen.

Long made one last desperate move to catch Henzler approaching the Keyhole on the second lap after green, but slid sideways into the gravel. The constant off-course excursions around the circuit forced a full-course caution, followed by the red flag due to the accumulation of water on the circuit.

On the same fateful re-start, the Ferrari of Jaime Melo had contact with Joey Hand’s BMW — both drivers at the back due to a late decision to switch to rain tires. The contact broke the Risi Ferrari’s suspension, but Hand was able to continue. On a day when the BMW’s knocked each other off the track as Dirk Mueller tried to dive inside Auberlen following a pit stop, the RLL team was lucky come home third and fourth behind the Falken Porsche and Gavin’s Corvette.

Kyle Marcelli and Tomi Drissi emerged as winners from a hectic LMPC race for Oreca FLM 09’s. Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Ende were the winners in the GTC class for Porsche 911 Cup cars.

[MOTV8]

More blurbage for your Sunday reading pleasure... 2011 ALMS: Olly Claims Podium And Points In Mid Ohio Lottery Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin finished second in the GT class in today’s Mid Ohio Sports Car Challenge, closing the gap in the Drivers’ Championship and earning valuable points in the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ title chases. Olly and team mate Jan Magnussen had led the fiercely competitive class for much of the 2 hour 45 minute race, but torrential rain in the last 30 minutes changed the outcome for many at the head of the leader board and Olly was pleased to be able to bring home the No. 4 Corvette in one piece. “The race was all going to plan,” says Olly. “Jan had made a brilliant start and got from fifth up into second place by the first corner and then he managed to get past the BMW going into Turn 4 – a phenomenal job. Then it was a case of just running through the laps and, when it was my turn, I managed to get past Pat Long in the Flying Lizard Porsche and built up a nice little lead. “When the caution period happened I was thinking about how it would close up the field but the most bizarre thing happened – in a day of bizarre happenings. The safety car broke its transmission or something and we had to follow the leader (the Dyson Lola) round instead. It was going very slowly and I got loads of pick up on the tyres so I was a sitting duck to the Porsche as Pat had got that going very well. I managed to hold him off and had pulled out a bit of a lead and then it started to rain.” The Briton grinned widely as he recounted the closing stages of the race. “Well, it was just crazy then. At one point I thought we could make it on slicks but then I realised the team had made the right call on rain tyres even though we’d dropped to third. At the re-start after another caution period it was absolutely mad. There were rivers running down the track from Turns one to two and I was following Pat [Long] who was sideways for half of the straight. I could see his car crabbing up the road and my car started to do the same which gave me a few hairy moments. He started going off but I straightened up and thought I’d got the lead but Wolf Henzler just flew past me and left me standing. They’d obviously got their rain set up figured out and hats off to Falken for their victory. “I’m disappointed we haven’t got first but we got second and finished ahead of the BMWs again which closed up the gap in the Championship. Jan and I are a good partnership and are getting the results at the moment, scoring the points and finishing on the podium so let’s hope we can keep this run going.” - and "YEAH" we won teh Green X: 2011 ALMS: E85 Fuels Michelin Green X Challenge Winners The Muscle Milk Aston Martin took a big step toward a guaranteed entry at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans with its fourth consecutive MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge Prototype category victory of the season here at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. Prototype and GT teams can win the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge awards by having the lowest total of the Clean, Fast, and Efficient scores at each American Le Mans Series event. According to officials of the Green Racing steering group, the key to victory for the overall running car in the two-hour , 45 minute race was Muscle Milk Aston Martin’s lowest-in-class Clean score attributable to its use of E85 racing fuel and its energy efficiency due to its greater weight and race winning speed. The Benicia, Calif. based car was driven by Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf. The Green Racing group is comprised of members of the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA, SAE International, and the sanctioning International Motor Sports Association. Finishing second in GT on the dry, then very wet track, the Corvette Racing car #4 scored its second consecutive GT category victory. Its lowest-in-class Clean score was the result of both its energy efficiency and choice of cellulosic E85 fuel according to the Green Racing group. The Michigan based car was driven by Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen. "We were well positioned for a victory, and certainly we’re satisfied with second when weather is such a factor. Most importantly, we’ve captured the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge again, demonstrating durability, reliability, performance, and green thinking at Chevrolet and Corvette," said Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager. "Manufacturers use the ALMS and the MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge to accelerate the development of new technologies and test new energy sources in competition," said Silvia Mammone, motorsports manager , Michelin North America. "Weather played a major role in today’s race, and race cars, like consumer cars, must perform in a wide range of conditions. The fact that the two MICHELIN GREEN X Challenge winners finished first and second in their respective classes once again reinforces that Clean, Fast, and Efficient cars can still deliver excellent performance." The invitations to entry for the 2012 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans await the 2011 MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge ALMS season champions. Dawg, and anyone else for that matter, can catch the TV replay tonite on ESPN 2 at 7 pm, right after NHRA drag racing.

[MOTV8]

And teh CR pr hack machine finally got off teh pot and typed something up:

ALMS: Corvette Racing Mid-Ohio Race Report

Corvette Racing Finishes Second and Sixth in Mid-Ohio Monsoon

Gavin and Magnussen Come Through the Chaos for Podium Finish and Championship Points

LEXINGTON, Ohio, Aug. 6, 2011 – The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge ended under a red flag when a downpour inundated the circuit with 11 minutes remaining in the two-hour, 45-minute race. Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin scored Corvette's third straight runner-up finish at Mid-Ohio after leading the GT category for the first two hours in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Tommy Milner and Olivier Beretta finished sixth after a spin in the treacherous conditions temporarily stranded the No. 3 Compuware Corvette before the race was stopped. Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers claimed the victory in the No. 17 Porsche 911 GT3 after advancing from sixth to first on the rain-soaked track in the final minutes.

"In the last two races, we've had a good race car and not such a good qualifying car – but I'll take a good race car any time," said team manager Gary Pratt. "In conditions like this, we're happy with second."

Magnussen made a fast start, moving from fifth on the grid to second in the first lap. He passed the class-leading BMW on the next lap and then held the lead through the remainder of his stint.

"I was on the outside for the first turn and had a good line," Magnussen said. "Everyone in front of me pulled in to protect their line, so I went to the outside and came out in second. I could see the BMW's tires weren't completely up to temperature and our Michelins were. In one of the practice sessions, I came out with a BMW and outbraked him at the end of the straight, so I knew he was going to be vulnerable there. Sure enough, he braked early and I made the pass."

Gavin took over the No. 4 Corvette shortly before the one-hour mark and held the point until he pitted for rain tires at 2:03. He was within striking distance of the leading No. 45 Porsche of Patrick Long when the deluge began.

"Those last four or five laps were absolutely insane," Gavin said. "I was driving down the straight with the steering wheel at full opposite lock, with the car just gliding and aquaplaning. Somehow my car straightened up and Pat Long's car went off into a gravel trap. When Wolf Henzler drove by me, I had no answer for him; he certainly had a good rain setup. I was relieved when they brought out the red flag because it was really tough.

"Before the rain came, it was great to be in the lead," the Englishman added. "The guys got me out in front after an excellent pit stop. I was slowly pulling away from Patrick, then a caution came out and we were driving around picking up loads of rubbish on the tires. Patrick was pressuring me, but eventually I got the tires clean and started to pull out a lead. Then the weather arrived, and everything changed."

Gavin and Magnussen's runner-up finish on the heels of a win in Mosport, combined with a fourth-place finish today for points leaders Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller, narrowed the GT championship race. Gavin and Magnussen are now 17 points behind the BMW duo in unofficial points, and Chevrolet cut BMW's lead in the manufacturer standings to 19 points.

Beretta, celebrating his milestone 100th ALMS race, started the No. 3 Corvette C6.R eighth on the GT grid, and pitted from P7 at 56 minutes into the race. Milner steadily worked his way to the front, running third with one hour remaining and second with 30 minutes to go. As the rain intensified, Milner had contact with another GT car and spun in Turn 8, rejoining the race in sixth.

"We had a phenomenal race car in the dry," said Milner. "In the wet, it's the same for everybody – really crazy. Unfortunately Mid-Ohio is one of those tracks that has zero grip in the rain. When you have monsoon conditions like this, it's a roll of the dice and we got snake eyes.

"When it started sprinkling, I thought about Le Mans, but once it started to pour, I said this is hurricane season," Milner reported. "Sixth is not where I wanted to finish after being on pace for second place, but it was really good to see that the team's hard work in practice and in the warm-up improved the car in the dry."

Corvette Racing won the Michelin Green X Challenge as the fastest, cleanest, and most efficient entry in the GT class for the second consecutive race.

"I think it was clear today we had the dominant cars," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "We were well positioned for a victory, and certainly we're satisfied with second when weather is such a factor. Most importantly, we've captured the Michelin Green X Challenge again, demonstrating durability, reliability, performance, and green thinking at Chevrolet and Corvette."

ESPN2 will televise the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge on Sunday, August 7, at 10 p.m. ET. Corvette Racing’s next event is the four-hour Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on Saturday, August 20, starting at 3:00 p.m. CT. Live video coverage will be available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ABC will televise the Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase on Sunday, August 21, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

[MOTV8]

FYI Hijackage: Congrats to Johnny O and Andy Pilgrim, ex-CR shoes, for taking Caddy back to teh winner's circle!

Cadillac Racing Tastes Victory For The First Time All Season

Drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim of Cadillac Racing have had their fair share of disappointment and mishaps during the team’s first racing season since 2007, not having won since Pilgrim seized victory at Leguna Seca in the same year. But over the weekend that changed, as O’Connell managed to take home the checkered flag in a last-lap dash to the finish in the second of two races during the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It was a redeeming win for O’Connell, who finished eighth in the previous race because of a spin-out. Pilgrim took forth in the first race, and sixth in the second.

In the manufacturer’s points standings, Porsche still holds a comfortable lead with 56 points, while Cadillac is second with 30. The next two rounds for the SCCA Pirelli World Challenge is Aug. 26-28 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

[Shifty]

Nice...

[Desertdawg]

I watched midohio on Sunday, made my heart flutter with happiness when the 2 bimmers decided to try and take each other out... Then the Borgmuster playing drift king into the sandbox, it was a thing of beauty. Maybe next year they should require floaties for everyone

[MOTV8]

I watched midohio on Sunday, made my heart flutter with happiness when the 2 bimmers decided to try and take each other out...

Twas a thing o' beauty...to be forever documented in this post:

Thank me later. The skank I set Joey Hand up with did her job well and dosed Joey with a nasty case of Trichomoniasis:

[Shifty]

Hmmmmmm.....do you think said skanks is available again?

[MOTV8]

Hmmmmmm.....do you think said skanks is available again?

Since teh next race is a 4 hour jobber in WI, I've changed my sabotage strategy.....tainted cheese!

[Shifty]

Hmmmmmm.....do you think said skanks is available again?

Since teh next race is a 4 hour jobber in WI, I've changed my sabotage strategy.....tainted goverment cheese!

Fixed!

[MOTV8]

Went thru the pix from the melee....my favorite:

[MOTV8]

Showcasing Corvette's Racing Heritage

Corvette Racing at Road America

Two events occurred in 1955 that forever changed sports car racing in America: Chevrolet introduced the small-block V-8 in Corvette, and Road America held its first race. Since then, America's iconic sports car and "America's National Park of Speed" have been inextricably linked. August 20-21's Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase, the sixth round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series, and its companion event, the Corvette World Tribute, will highlight the longstanding love affair between Corvette enthusiasts and the scenic 4-mile, 14-turn track.

Chevrolet's roots run deep at Road America. It was the venue chosen by GM Vice President of Design Bill Mitchell to campaign the original Sting Ray race car and to unveil the stunning Mako Shark concept car in the early '60s. Road America witnessed victories by Wisconsin-based racers Augie Pabst and Jim Jeffords, and saw Zora Arkus-Duntov's mighty Grand Sport Corvettes thunder through its rolling hills. The roster of celebrated Chevy racers at Road America includes Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Hap Sharp, Tony DeLorenzo, Jerry Thompson, John Greenwood, John Heinricy, and many more. In recent times, Corvette Racing has scored six ALMS victories at Road America in the GT1 class with Corvette standouts Andy Pilgrim, Ron Fellows, and Johnny O'Connell at the wheel. The Corvette World Tribute will showcase many of the men and machines that made motorsports history at Road America.

Corvette Racing returns to Road America in the midst of a ferocious battle for the GT class championships. After a victory in Mosport and a runner-up finish in the rain-shortened Mid-Ohio round, Corvette drivers Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen are second in the GT driver standings, 17 points behind the leaders. Teammates Olivier Beretta and Tommy Milner are fifth, and Chevrolet is second in the manufacturer standings, 19 points behind BMW. With 25 points on the line for a victory in Saturday's four-hour race, the championship races are wide open.

There's no better setting for a crucial round in the championship chase. "Road America is the circuit in the U.S. that's most like Le Mans," Gavin said. "It's fast and challenging, with sweeping corners followed by heavy braking. Every driver loves the elevation changes and the nature of the track. You've got to have finesse to be quick, but also guts to get through the Carousel and the Kink – corners we take right on the limit. We've tested previously at Road America in preparation for Le Mans, and I'm confident that the team will have two strong Corvettes for the ALMS race."

Milner agreed: "You hold your breath when you get a quick lap at Road America," said the American ace. "You approach Turn 1, Turn 5, and Canada Corner at huge speeds and then brake heavily. That makes for good racing because braking zones allow passing."

Jan Magnussen scored Corvette Racing's last GT1 win at Road America in 2008 with co-driver Johnny O'Connell, and he is keen to return to the winner's circle there. "Road America is a huge challenge because it is so fast and there is a lot of time to be gained in the Kink and the Carousel," said the Dane. "If you're willing to take a risk, you can gain a lot – or lose a lot. That makes it really exciting."

While the team's focus during Saturday's ALMS race will be on results, the Corvette World Tribute, organized by the Registry of Corvette Race Cars, will provide time to reflect on Corvette's rich racing heritage. Chevrolet will celebrate its homecoming to Road America on Sunday morning with a ceremony at the Corvette Bridge, the track's signature landmark that first appeared in 1963 – the year when the split-window Sting Ray Corvette made its debut. The Corvette World Tribute will feature a display of historic corvette race cars, panel discussions, a racers reunion, a concours, autocross competition, touring sessions, and races for vintage and contemporary Corvettes. Information on the Corvette World Tribute is available at this link.

"It' going to be wonderful to see Corvettes that were racing before I was born," said Beretta, who started his milestone 100th ALMS race at Mid-Ohio. "I want to see how people built cars with the materials and technology they had at the time. It's very cool that those cars are still running today and can be seen on the track. Sunday will be a great time to enjoy the cars.

"We are celebrating Chevrolet's 100th anniversary in 2011, and the Corvette World Tribute is testimony to Chevy's history," Beretta noted. "No other manufacturer has been so successful, and has won so many races and championships, in so many different series around the world."

The four-hour Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, August 20. Live video coverage will be available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ABC will televise the Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase on Sunday, August 21, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

I've made teh arrangements for teh cheese in teh Team RLL hospitality tent to be tainted.