Shifty Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 17 days till the ALMS race at laguna seca!!! ill take pics.. i bought a gopro1080 dp hd camera ill post videos when i get back... 2 parade laps on the friday prior......now i just have to drive 10 hrs!!! I was supposed to go this year, but life happened.... Have a great time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 Software, Simulations, and Experience Prepare Corvette Racing for Race Corvette Racing at Baltimore Grand Prix: The Science of Street Racing Before the first practice session at the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix begins, Corvette Racing's twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars will already have made dozens of laps on the downtown street circuit – thanks to sophisticated computer simulations. (Let's call them video games, jeesh! ) The first race on the 2.1-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit is a journey into the unknown for American Le Mans Series teams. With limited practice time before Saturday's two-hour race, every second on the track is precious. In order to maximize the Corvettes' performance, the engineering team has analyzed the layout and developed chassis setups on a virtual track. "Beginning with drawings provided by the organizers, we developed a projected racing line based on the geometry of the track," said Corvette Racing engineering director Doug Louth. "Then the engineering team ran simulated laps to optimize gear ratios and chassis setups. We've prepared maps for the drivers that show projected shift points, maximum and minimum speeds, and potential passing zones." This proprietary simulation program is used in a variety of GM motorsports programs, from ALMS and Grand-Am road racing to NASCAR. It's also used by engineers in the production Corvette group and other technology partners. "The big variable on street circuits is the pavement," Louth noted. "While we have data about elevation changes and the crown in the road, we won't know how smooth or rough the asphalt is until we're on site. There could be bumps that require adjustments in the racing line, or the organizers might make last-minute changes in the barriers and cones that define the track perimeter. We have to be prepared for these possibilities. "Corvette Racing's years of experience on street circuits is definitely an asset," he added. "We've raced on smooth tracks and on rough ones, so we have the background to handle whatever we find in Baltimore. We have a list of high-priority items to work through in the limited track time that's available. All of the ALMS teams are in a similar situation, so hopefully we can do a better job than our competitors. It's exciting to go to a new venue in a major metropolitan area, and this event is another step forward for the American Le Mans Series." Corvette Racing's drivers know how to win on street courses. Olivier Beretta (No. 3 Corvette C6.R) and Oliver Gavin (No.4 Corvette C6.R) are the most successful ALMS drivers on temporary circuits with seven wins each. In the Series' last visit to the mid-Atlantic area at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., in 2002, Jan Magnussen (No. 4 Corvette C6.R) scored an overall win in a Panoz LMP1 prototype. But all eyes in Baltimore will be on the youngest driver on the Corvette Racing squad, Tommy Milner. Milner was born in the District of Columbia and grew up in nearby Virginia. Last Sunday, he opened the Baltimore GP festivities by throwing the first pitch at a Baltimore Orioles/New York Yankees baseball game at Camden Yards, which is located inside the street circuit. "The last time the Series raced in the mid-Atlantic area, the event got great reviews," Milner said. "I'm optimistic that the Baltimore Grand Prix will be a success. Many of my friends have never seen me race except on television, and they're excited about going to this race. I'll have lots of support in the grandstands. "This race is going to be a real test," he noted. "With most circuits, a driver can learn the layout on a simulator or a video game, but we don't have that option for the Baltimore race. Street tracks are always tough because there is not a lot of grip initially, and the surface changes quite a bit from the first practice to the race. "A good baseline setup makes it easier to get acclimated to a new track, and I'm confident that the Corvette Racing crew will give us one," Milner explained. "I'm comfortable with the Corvette C6.R on a street circuit after coming from the back of the pack in Long Beach. I consider Baltimore to be my home race, and I want to do as good a job as possible. Every driver is on equal footing, and it's all brand new. I feel confident that we'll be on pace right away." Corvette Racing’s next event is the two-hour Baltimore Grand Prix on Saturday, September 3, starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. Live video coverage will be available on ESPN3.com in the US and americanlemans.com for international users. ABC will televise the Baltimore Grand Prix on Sunday, September 4, at 4 p.m. ET. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 You were able to get teh laxatives into teh Bimmer's energy drinks, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 You were able to get teh laxatives into teh Bimmer's energy drinks, right? A case of these were delivered, labeled as "Powerade" of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Nice.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 Speed's version ALMS: Baltimore Preview American Le Mans Series heads into unknown in highly anticipated debut on streets around Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Camden Yards... With championships in all four classes still on the line, the American Le Mans Series heads into the unknown with this weekend’s inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. In fact, the two-hour sprint around the city’s Inner Harbor could end up being the most challenging of the year for both man and machine. In what’s being billed as one of the most anticipated new events in series’ history, teams will have little time to adapt to the 2.1-mile, 12-turn street circuit, with less than three hours of track activity in the run up to Saturday’s race. Inspecting aerial photos, taking a virtual look with Google Street View and even physically walking the track could only do so much until drivers take to the course in anger in Friday's opening practice. For LMP1 competitors, it will be tough to top last month’s nail-biting duel for the win at Road America, which became the closest overall finish in ALMS history. Klaus Graf edged out Guy Smith by just 0.112 seconds at the line to claim Muscle Milk AMR’s fourth victory of the season. But it’s Smith and co-driver Chris Dyson that continues to lead the title race, 18 points ahead of Graf, who is joined in the Lola-Aston Martin this weekend by fast Frenchman Romain Dumas. The V12-powered beast took the win over Dyson’s Lola B09/86 Mazda at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April, the series only other street race of the year. Dyson, though, have brought two Lola-Mazdas to the fight this time, with the Oryx-backed machine of Humaid al Masaood and the ever-impressive Steven Kane potentially able to put up a challenge, depending on how cautions and strategy plays out. While the premier prototype ranks, despite its depleted field, have produced down-to-the-wire finishes, the diverse and populous GT division has lived up to the hype of being the most competitive during the summer stretch of races. Four teams - BMW Team RLL, Corvette Racing, Team Falken Tire and Risi Competizione - have visited victory lane in the last four races, which has helped open up the title race from the all-dominant BMWs. WHO won Le Mans? Despite winning the first three races of the season, Joey Hand and Dirk Muller’s lead in the championship chase is only a moderate 22 points over the Corvette Racing pairing of Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen. While BMW teammates Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner run third, Risi Competizone’s Jaime Melo and Toni Vilander have closed to within four points of the BMW duo following their win at Road America. The Bimmers could very well be the cars to beat again this weekend, but a 15 kg weight break for the Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs could help defending drivers’ champions Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick Long chase their first victory of the season in the lead Flying Lizard Motorsports entry. LMPC saw its fifth different set of winners this season last time out at Road America, but with both Butch Leitzinger and Rudy Junco Jr. not entered this weekend, championship leaders CORE autosport head in as favorites yet again. The team’s No. 06 Oreca FLM09 of Ricardo Gonzalez and Gunnar Jeannette, who has won the last two ALMS street races, hold a seven-point lead over Genoa Racing’s Eric Lux, who teams with Elton Julian again in the No. 63 machine. Another potent driving combination reunited this weekend are Mid-Ohio winners Kyle Marcelli and Tomy Drissi, who will share the wheel of the No. 37 Intersport Racing entry. In GTC, six Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will duke it out for top honors in a category that has also seen close finishes as of late. Road America winner Tim Pappas enjoys a seven-point lead over the TRG pairing of Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Enge, but Pappas’ Black Swan Racing and the Kevin Bucker-led TRG squad are separated by a single point in the teams’ standings. Other contenders to watch out for include the sister TRG machine of Dion von Moltke and Baltimore resident Marc Bunting, as well as the Alex Job Racing entry of Bill Sweedler and Leh Keen, which hasn’t gotten a break all season after promising runs. Despite featuring a season-low field of 30 cars, there’s likely to be plenty of action in the series’ second and final street race of the season. Action kicks off on Friday with practice and qualifying, with the Baltimore Grand Prix taking the green flag Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. I think prototype racing has jumped the shark in teh ALMS. Discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Ya, teh LMP is probably just about done.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 Fustercluckage... Further delays to Baltimore IndyCar and American Le Mans Series program By Mark Glendenning Friday, September 2nd 2011, 16:20 GMT Baltimore track organisers have issued a second revised schedule for today's opening day of IndyCar and American Le Mans Series running, with IndyCar's track time now cut from two practice sessions to one following delays completing work on the circuit. IndyCar will now take to the track for one 90 minute session starting at 4pm local time, which will be followed by qualifying for the ALMS race between 5:50pm and 7pm. The ALMS will have a single practice session starting at 1:20pm. The first session of the day - practice for USF2000 - was meant to have commenced a few minutes ago, however a crane is still positioned on the main straight while work continues to complete installation of the fencing. Just one practice session biatches, bring your A game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 2nd and 5th, with two stinkin' Bimmers splitting teh boys....Wolf Henzler grabs teh pole! He's really come on strong lately... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 Falken punch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I thought teh stinking 'Lizards would start higher, but I guess not.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 I did too with teh weight tehy got to take off. Must be teh dysentery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I did too with teh weight tehy got to take off. Must be teh dysentery! Thanks, and teh ass-end motor.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Still second and fifth, but now Patricia clawed her way up to third....and suprise, suprise....stinking Bimmers again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 ALMS: Dyson Quickest In Delayed First Baltimore Practice Guy Smith tops time charts in opening one-hour session... Dyson Racing led the way in the opening practice session of the day at Baltimore. Guy Smith topped the time charts, turning a best lap time of 1:31.202 in his No. 16 Lola B09/86 Mazda during the one-hour session, which was delayed over five hours due to track construction. Smith edged out the No. 37 Intersport Racing Oreca FLM09 of Kyle Marcelli by 0.599 seconds, who wound up second overall and quickest of the LMPC contenders. Dyson's championship rival, Muscle Milk AMR, suffered electrical issues on the out lap, as Klaus Graf ground to a halt on course. It brought out the first of two red flags. The Lola-Aston Martin didn't return to action during the session. Wolf Henzler topped the GT class time charts in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche, thanks to the German's 1:34.333 lap time. The No. 4 Corvette Racing C6.R of Jan Magnussen was second, ahead of the Joey Hand-driven No. 56 BMW Team RLL BMW M3 GT. In GTC, Jeroen Bleekemolen posted the quickest time in the No. 54 Black Swan Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. The second red flag came out when Duncan Ende suffered an accident at the wheel of the No. 66 TRG Porsche. Ende spun his GTC contender and made considerable contact with the wall. It brought the session to an early end with only two minutes left on the board. Competitors got a late start Friday, as construction of the 2.1-mile, 12-turn street circuit wasn't completed until the early afternoon after a scheduled 8 a.m. start. It thus put the entire day's schedule over five hours behind, with sessions having been compressed. ALMS teams will have 45 minutes of further track activity today, with a final 15-minute practice session on tap for 6:05-6:20 p.m. ET, and GT/GTC and LMP/LMPC qualifying following shortly after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I thinks qualifying ended just a bit ago...: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 I thinks qualifying ended just a bit ago...: Yes, but I only check my inbox for the blurbs every so often, so there's a lag. Ta dah...the qualifying blurb: Guy Smith earns Dyson Racing the first ALMS Baltimore pole By Sam Tremayne Friday, September 2nd 2011, 23:29 GMT Guy Smith earned Dyson Racing pole position for ALMS' inaugural race at Baltimore, edging out the sister Lola-Mazda of Steven Kane by just over 0.1s. Smith had held top spot from his opening lap, but as grip levels improved Kane looked like he may have stolen pole, moving 0.015s clear with just one minute remaining. Smith was on his own flyer however and almost immediately reclaimed top spot, dipping into the 1m27s bracket to settle the issue. Life was made easier for Dyson Racing as the Muscle Milk Lola-Aston Martin of Klaus Graf and Romain Dumas was unable to take part in the session due to an electrical loom problem suffered in practice. There was a similarly dramatic finish in the LMPC class as the No.06 Oreca of Gunnar Jeanette traded times with the No.37 of Kyle Marcelli. Jeanette ultimately claimed the LMPC pole, but was made to sweat as Marcelli had one last flyer as the chequered flag fell - eventually finishing just 0.4s shy. Elton Julian may also have featured in the pole battle, but collided with the tyre barriers with eight minutes to go. The resulting damage caused a short red flag period, and dropped Julian down to third overall. Dirk Werner meanwhile secured pole position for the No.55 BMW M3 GT in what was an acrimonious GT qualifying. Patrick Long in the No.45 Porsche 911 clashed in the final minutes with Jaime Melo in the No.62 Risi Ferrari after complaining of being held up on a flying lap. Long, who also had a dispute with Jan Magnussen in the No.4 Chevrolet Corvette, tapped Melo through the opening set of corners, delaminating the Ferrari's rear tyre and causing Melo to abandon his car on circuit. Long was black-flagged but looks set to keep third, with Magnussen just missing out on a first pole of 2011 for Chevrolet in second. Melo finished sixth fastest, behind the second No.56 BMW of Joey Hand and the No.3 Corvette of Tommy Milner. In GTC, an inspired piece of quick thinking helped Jeroen Bleekemolen take pole for the No.54 Black Swan Porsche. Bleekemolen had lost a wheel as he pulled into a run-off zone early on in the session, but he got out the car, picked up the wheel and put it in the passenger side, before belting himself back in and returning to the pits. With all tyres marked, the team were able to reattach the wheel and get Bleekemolen back on track. He duly secured pole by more than 0.3s. Pos Cl Drivers Team/Car Time 01. P1 Dyson/Smith Dyson Lola-Mazda 1m27.750s 02. P1 Al Masaood/Kane Dyson Lola-Mazda 1m27.896s 03. PC Jeannette/Gonzalez CORE FLM 1m29.407s 04. PC Nicolosi/Boon/Marcelli Performance Tech FLM 1m29.473s 05. PC Lux/Zugel/Julian Genoa FLM 1m30.407s 06. GT Auberlen/Werner BMW 1m31.362s 07. GT Gavin/Magnussen Corvette 1m31.950s 08. GT Bergmeister/Long Flying Lizard Porsche 1m31.992s 09. GT Muller/Hand BMW 1m32.010s 10. GT Beretta/Milner Corvette 1m32.224s 11. P1 Burgess/McMurry/Lewis Autocon Lola-AER 1m32.587s 12. GT Melo/Vilander Risi Ferrari 1m32.699s 13. GT Henzler/Sellers Falken Porsche 1m32.772s 14. PC Bennett/Montecalvo CORE FLM 1m32.983s 15. PC Dobson/Lewis PR1 Mathiasen FLM 1m33.051s 16. GT Law/Neiman Flying Lizard Porsche 1m33.964s 17. GT Sharp/van Overbeek Extreme Speed Ferrari 1m34.151s 18. GT Junqueira/Wilden RSR Jaguar 1m34.360s 19. GT Miller/Maassen Miller Porsche 1m34.609s 20. GT Jones/Moran RSR Jaguar 1m35.911s 21. PC Nicolosi/Boon Performance Tech 1m36.046s 22. GTC Pappas/Bleekemolen Black Swan Porsche 1m36.794s 23. GTC Keen/Sweedler Alex Job Porsche 1m37.160s 24. PC Marcelli/Ducote/Ducote Intersport FLM 1m37.569s 25. GTC Davis/LeSaffre Black Swan Porsche 1m37.917s 26. GT Brown/Cosmo Extreme Speed Ferrari 1m38.674s 27. GTC von Moltke/di Guida TRG Porsche 1m41.131s 28. GTC Potter/Stanton Magnus Racing Porsche 1m41.462s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 So Patricia did get bumped, and teh Tommy is in 4th, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 BALTIMORE DEALS BLOW ...TO RISI COMPETIZIONE IN QUALIFYING The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, to be held on the 2-mile, 12-turn streets of the City of Baltimore, opened its doors to the public today but the Risi Competizione team has not yet been able to fully appreciate its charms. Despite a creditable qualifying performance which would have placed him in sixth place on the GT grid, Jaime Melo suffered contact from the No. 45 Flying Lizard Porsche towards the end of the 15-minute session – on what would have been his fastest lap. This incident not only damaged the right rear tire and bodywork on his Ferrari 458 Italia, but also ultimately led to him being penalized. The No. 62 had its qualifying times disallowed and will therefore start the two-hour race from the back of the 30-car grid tomorrow, alongside the Porsche which was also penalized – both for “unjustifiable risk”. Oh SNAP! Track time was at a premium all day as the organizers struggled to complete all the necessary safety work and preparations in time to accommodate the proposed timetable. The Risi Ferrari and its fellow American Le Mans Series competitors had first view of the track some five hours later than originally scheduled, and the two hours of practice before qualifying was compressed to 75 minutes. Finland’s Toni Vilander gave his first impressions of the new-for-2011 ALMS venue: “It’s not going to be easy to race here and you’re going to need luck to do well. There are a lot of blind corners where you might come across an accident, and you can’t see what’s happening. It’s sort of like Long Beach but two or three times more difficult! “The track is wide but the apexes to corners are narrow; you need to have one line all the way to the left to make the apex before then going to the outside again. If you dive inside you could even end up not making the corner. “The chicane is a bit strange in the middle of the straight – you could easily cut straight through in the race (but be penalized). Cars tend to go side by side here even though there’s only really room for single file traffic. The concrete stuff is really, really bumpy and I already feel sorry for the single seaters [open wheel cars]– it’s maybe something we can live with, but it will be so bad for them. The car is bottoming out over the rail/trolley tracks and sort of jumping which is ‘interesting’! “Overall, for the first time here, I think everyone is really alert to everything that’s not so good but I want to say that we should appreciate the efforts made here by the race organisation and the City of Baltimore. Maybe for the future it would be good to have drivers’ opinions on the design of these new race tracks..that might make for an even better show.” --AND-- CORVETTES QUALIFY SECOND AND FOURTH FOR INAUGURAL BALTIMORE GRAND PRIX Corvettes Quick on Downtown Street Circuit After Abbreviated Practice Sessions A late start and a scant 75 minutes of practice meant that the learning curve for the American Le Mans Series Baltimore Grand Prix was a steep one. Jan Magnussen and Tommy Milner proved to be fast learners when they qualified Corvette Racing's twin Compuware C6.Rs second and fourth respectively for Saturday's two-hour street race through downtown Baltimore. Magnussen was quickest in the abbreviated final practice session, and then turned his fastest lap at 1:31.950 (79.869 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R on his fifth qualifying lap on the 2.04-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit. Milner turned a time of 1:32.224 (79.632 mph) on his fourth lap, the fifth quickest in GT. The No. 45 Porsche of Patrick Long, which was third on the provisional qualifying list, was subsequently excluded for "unjustifiable risk," moving the No. 3 Corvette up to fourth on the GT grid. The No. 55 BMW M3 GT of Dirk Werner was the fastest qualifier in the category at 1:31.362 (80.384 mph). "We didn't have a lot of time to make changes or to find a good rhythm, so I'm very pleased with the work that the Corvette Racing engineers did," Magnussen said. "All in all, I'm happy with the car. Now we have to work with the extra bit of data we have, and I think there is more speed to come. The walls get closer and closer the harder you push – that's all part of it. "There are some massive bumps out there, and the cars are taking a beating worse than Sebring," Magnussen added. "It's still good fun to drive this circuit, and you're really feel that you're racing in the heart of the city with the tall buildings all around. It's cool, and I enjoy it." Milner agreed: "I'm really happy with the car here, no complaints. With so little track time, I'm sure we can make the car a little better here and there, but it's good just to get some laps in and get comfortable with the track. "I had a qualifying lap that would have been quicker, but I got into Turn 10 a little wide in the dirty part of the track and had a big, big moment. I was basically drifting through the turn! "The track's fun to drive and it will race well, too," Milner predicted. "There are two good passing spots. It's going to be tough to pass in GT because everyone is so close, but everything is slow enough that you can rub some fenders and make things happen. I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow." The two-hour Baltimore Grand Prix will start at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 3. Live video coverage will be available on ESPN3.com in the U.S. and americanlemans.com for international users. ABC will televise the Baltimore Grand Prix on Sunday, September 4, at 4 p.m. ET. Couldn't write it any better than that, unless you had teh Bimmers crashing into each and burning down to bare chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Did you watch any of teh qualifying replay? That "track" is just nasty...I foresee lots of contact... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 Very bumpy as well, could be a Ferrari-killer.... Next installment in teh video series posted: Episode 8: Baltimore Prep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Did you hear teh interview with Johnny O? He was aked how many times teh Corvette could take those chicanes like that (after a Tommy Milner launch), and he replied: "8,475,000 times" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 HARRIS: BALTIMORE STREET FIGHT Racing on a street circuit is tough enough... Every racetrack poses challenges, but the first day on an untried city street circuit is probably the toughest test any sports car driver will face. Temporary tracks like the 2.1-mile circuit being erected along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor pose all kinds of problems including bumpy, crested streets, permanent obstacles like light rail tracks, unnatural corners and lots and lots of concrete barriers hovering within inches of the speeding cars. That’s what the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón competitors will face on this weekend when they race in the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, the seventh round of this year’s championship and the 19th street race in ALMS history. There have been eight previous ALMS street races, beginning with the Race of a Thousand Years in Adelaide, Australia in 2000. The mid-Atlantic offers familiar surroundings to the sports car series, which raced at RFK Stadium in Washington DC during the 2002 season. Obviously, some drivers are better on the street courses than others. Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta are two of the best. They each have a series-leading seven victories on the temporary tracks, with Gavin posting six fastest race laps and Beretta earning five pole positions. “The key, of course, is having a good team and a good car and making the right calls,” said Gavin, who will drive in Saturday’s two-hour race with Jan Magnussen. “But some of it comes down to style and preference and having confidence in being able to stop the car before you get to the corner. “Corvette is always good at that. Olivier and I have a lot of confidence that we can attack the corners and the car will do what it is supposed to do.” Beretta said the biggest differences between racing on the streets and on a permanent circuit are always being between the walls. – “they always feel very close” – and having a very festive atmosphere, partially because the fans are often so close to the circuit. “The main key is to try to stay away from trouble,” added Beretta, driving with Tommy Milner. “But I was born in Monaco (near) a street circuit, so street races are always special to me as they remind me of home.” Another top street racer is Sascha Maassen, who drives a Porsche for Paul Miller Racing alongside co-driver Bryce Miller. Maassen is right behind Beretta and Gavin with six street wins. “Preparation, patience and performance are three major elements for all success,” Maassen noted. “But on street circuits, preparation is more difficult and patience is more important as the track gets quicker the longer you driver. And performance might be different than on permanent racetracks. “I think I am a very patient driver that was lucky to be involved in organizations that were well prepared and did have the performance. So it is never the driver along that wins the races, but it can be the driver alone to lose it.” You also need patience and a little extra courage when facing a track you’ve never seen before and one that has never before had a race. “'In all my years of racing, I’ve never experienced that before,” Gavin said. “Always in the past I’ve been able to go to the track and see some video of previous races or drive around it in a rental car. But it does provide quite a level playing field.” Maassen agreed, adding, “Everything is of course a little more difficult if you come to a track that you have never seen before. “So the gearing is estimated and the tire choice based on experience on other street circuits,” he added. “We talked about these things weeks ago. Now it is the driver’s job to get familiar with the circuit.” Maassen said his first impression will come from walking the track. “I usually do not do this any more at permanent tracks but at street circuits things change quite often, and at a new track like Baltimore, it is very important to see all the details. I remember well when I came back from walking the Houston track (in 2006) that I immediately went to the engineer to have him change the setup. “On a race weekend like this there is not a lot of time and the better you prepare yourself, the better your chances are to do well.” For Beretta, in the end, it all comes down to enjoying the challenge of competing on the new track. “As I have said, it will be nice to be able to explore a new playground,” he said. Mike Harris is the retired Auto Racing Writer for The Associated Press and remains a frequent contributor to a variety of racing outlets. He will file periodic reports on the American Le Mans Series. -and- FRONT ROW START FOR GAVIN AND MAGNUSSEN IN BALTIMORE A late start and a scant 75 minutes of practice meant that the learning curve for the American Le Mans Series Baltimore Grand Prix was a steep one. Jan Magnussen and Tommy Milner proved to be fast learners when they qualified Corvette Racing's twin Compuware C6.Rs second and fourth respectively for Saturday's two-hour street race through downtown Baltimore. Magnussen was quickest in the abbreviated final practice session, and then turned his fastest lap at 1:31.950 in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R on his fifth qualifying lap on the 2.04-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit. The No. 55 BMW M3 GT of Dirk Werner was the fastest qualifier in the category at 1:31.36. "We didn't have a lot of time to make changes or to find a good rhythm, so I'm very pleased with the work that the Corvette Racing engineers did," Magnussen said. "All in all, I'm happy with the car. Now we have to work with the extra bit of data we have, and I think there is more speed to come. The walls get closer and closer the harder you push - that's all part of it. "There are some massive bumps out there, and the cars are taking a beating worse than Sebring," Magnussen added. "It's still good fun to drive this circuit, and you're really feel that you're racing in the heart of the city with the tall buildings all around. It's cool, and I enjoy it." Oliver explains a little more about the new-for-2011 ALMS venue: "The front straight, all the way down to Turn 4, is really, really bumpy here. You've got all these blocks of concrete either side of you and you're bouncing along from one to another! If you go into Turn 1 and you're braking, I don't think the car's ever got all four wheels on the track at the same time; it's moving around a lot. "You come off that corner and it's a long, long left hander and it's super bumpy. Our car's either on the rev limiter or it has traction control engaged all the way through the corner and down to Turn 3. You brake there and again the car's in the air, bouncing, and you come off that and it's the same again. "Once you come through Turn 4 though they've re-paved all the track and it's not too bad - sort of a standard street course. I'd say this is the bumpiest street course we've raced on since Houston in 2007. "It's not easy at the chicane on the straight, it would be nicer if the kerbs weren't so close together and if it wasn't so aggressive, but I suppose they've got to do that to slow everyone down. It's not the nicest solution but it's a solution. "Apart from that it's a fun track and I think once it rubbers in it will be okay. There's so much where you're bouncing from one thing to another, from one bump to the next looking for grip. If you strike a couple of the inside kerbs wrong, especially through Turn 7 near the pits, you can really get the car to bottom out and it really winds you." Get yo popcorn ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 Speaking of eye candy...for the streaming-challenged. http://photos.americanlemans.com/0345/BA1_8011.jpg http://photos.americanlemans.com/0345/BA1_8016.jpg http://photos.americanlemans.com/0345/BA1_8426.jpg http://photos.americanlemans.com/0345/BA1_8742.jpg http://photos.americanlemans.com/0345/BA1_8841.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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