Desertdawg Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 Sitting in Rocky Point, ESPN3 will only load espni.go.com because it's a Mexican connection. All it loads is soccer.... Got the DVR running at home though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Poor Jan.... T'was a helluva race though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted October 21, 2012 Author Share Posted October 21, 2012 Spoiler Alert...results posted below 2012 Petit Le Mans: ALMS Race Results - Muscle Milk, Level 5 And Rebellion Reign At Road Atlanta Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, Level 5 Motorsports and Rebellion Racing were the big winners Saturday at Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. Rebellion’s Neel Jani, Andrea Belicchi and Nicolas Prost won the 1,000-mile race for the first time with a three-lap victory in their Lola-Toyota on a day filled with drama at Road Atlanta. P1: The winners and the champions Muscle Milk Pickett Racing captured the big prize with the P1 drivers’ and team championship in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf finished third in class but completed enough laps to sew up both titles. An early accident and hour-long repair knocked the No. 6 Honda Performance Development ARX-03a out of the hunt for the race victory in the opening hour. Luhr made contact with Peter LeSaffre’s Green Hornet Racing No. 34 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR on the uphill run to Turn 2. Luhr attempted to pass underneath the Porsche, which turned down onto the prototype. “I think we had a very good car to fight Rebellion,” Luhr said. “The way the (Muscle Milk crew) acted in the pits and the way they stuck together, they focused on getting the car back out. You can be, as a driver, proud to be part of something strong.” The incident damaged the suspension on the HPD prototype and forced the car back to the paddock for 65 minutes worth of repairs. Muscle Milk lost 41 laps to the Rebellion car during the stop and had to pit again for additional adjustments. But the car never appeared in danger of falling below the threshold of 70 percent of the race distance required to score points. “The tire wear was quite severe after my first stint, so we thought it would be better to adjust it to not take any risks,” Graf said. “When the team said we won the championship we were relieved, but the conditions were getting more and more difficult. We won a lot of races this year, and we definitely deserved this championship. I don’t think it has sunk in yet. It might take some time.” Luhr was leading at the time of the crash, having passed Jani 20 minutes earlier. The Rebellion Lola never fell out of the lead again and won its first overall race of the season. Dyson Racing’s No. 16 Lola-Mazda of Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Steven Kane was second in class. “We knew we needed to stay on the track,” Belicchi said of Rebellion’s win. “There was so much traffic here. The team on the radio was giving me so much support. I was focused to put the car in a good spot for the end of the race.” GT: Finishing on Fumes Extreme Speed Motorsports won the GT category from pole position, but its 1,000-mile journey to the top step of the podium was by no means an easy one. Scott Sharp came under fire early in the race from the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 driven by Oliver Gavin, but teammate Johannes van Overbeek was able put the No. 01 Ferrari F458 Italia back out front. “It was good to be able to lead a bit,” Sharp said. “Toward the end of my run, Gavin got underneath me, I was just trying to hang on; (the car) was getting looser and looser. We put some stickers on for Johannes, and he was flying right away.” Van Overbeek, Sharp and Toni Vilander each faced additional challenges from the No. 4 and No. 3 Corvettes as well as from BMW Team RLL’s No. 55 BMW E92 M3. When the No. 4 Corvette C6 ZR1 retreated to the paddock to address a suspension issue at the six-hour mark and the No. 55 was issued a pit lane penalty with 30 minutes remaining, Vilander had some breathing room for the closing laps. This provided only partial relief as the team took a gamble on fuel strategy and stayed on course while Antonio Garcia pitted the No. 3 Corvette. ESM’s gamble paid off, and Vilander crossed the finish line with a 30-second margin of victory over Garcia’s Corvette. “2010 was on my mind when we ran out of fuel in (Turn) 10a,” Vilander said. “My engineer, Lee, was on the radio most of my last stint. I did everything I could to save fuel. We were so relieved when I went by 10a and knew I had enough fuel. There was a lot of emotion. I've been traveling a lot this year, being away from the family. These are the moments we do it, and we do this racing stuff.” The win came on the same weekend the ESM team was sporting a flashy new chrome livery featuring Ultimat Vodka. “Both cars were probably the fastest cars all week,” Patrón Spirits President and CEO, and ESM teammate Ed Brown said. “The team has really matured this year. They said I couldn’t change the scheme, because it's a good luck scheme. This team has really worked so hard to win this race. I think it will soak in tomorrow. My hat’s off to the team; they did an unbelievable job.” Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor shared a runner-up finish for Corvette Racing, which clinched the team and manufacturer’s title at VIRginia International Raceway in September, as well as the driver’s championship for Gavin and Tommy Milner. The runner-up finish at Petit Le Mans added one more trophy to Corvette’s 2012 showcase: the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge GT Championship. Though ESM won the MGXC race, the No. 3 Corvette won the war by racing the cleanest, fastest and most efficient season of all. Jorg Müller, Bill Auberlen and Jonathan Summerton completed the GT podium for BMW Team RLL, following their late-race penalty. P2: Winners and still champions… Level 5 Motorsports’ Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut repeated as P2 driver champions with a class victory alongside Luis Diaz in their No. 95 HPD ARX-03b. The trio took the lead for good when Conquest Racing’s Martin Plowman went off track and then was penalized for speeding in pit lane with 20 minutes left. Just as it has been all season, Saturday’s P2 race was another duel between Level 5’s two prototypes and the Conquest Morgan-Nissan. Like Muscle Milk, Level 5 needed to finish 70 percent of the class winner’s race distance. Tucker, Bouchut and Diaz made that a moot point with an 8.196-second victory. “We have a really good car,” Bouchut said. “It does so well in traffic. This race is so special. It is a mix of being risky and patient. We saw a lot that it was easy to make contact and lose track position. But, we had a perfect race.” For a while the advantage lay with the No. 055 Level 5 entry of Tucker, Dario Franchitti and Marino Franchitti. Two costly penalties did the car in during the race’s second half, and it finished second in P2. The No. 46 ORECA-Nissan of Thiriet by TDS Racing placed third with Mathias Beche, Pierre Thiriet and Christophe Tinseau driving. “We've been through this before with our first Prototype Challenge championship (in 2010) that came down to the last race,” said Tucker, who won his third straight ALMS class title. “We knew it would be tight. Conquest are great competitors. We knew 70 percent would be no easy task.” PC: Closing Like Champs CORE autosport capped off its banner season with its eighth Prototype Challenge victory of the season. The trio of Alex Popow, Ryan Dalziel and Mark Wilkins drove its No. 06 ORECA FLM09 to the win by two laps over RSR Racing. Popow won for the fifth time in his rookie season and clinched the class driving title last month at VIR. “For sure, it was a great race,” Popow said. “Ryan and Mark did an awesome job. We had a lot of bad luck with the yellows, but we made it all back. It was a great race. For me it has been an amazing season – one I will never forget. I feel like I made a great evolution as a driver and hope I can keep learning and go to a higher level every time from here.” The winning CORE entry took its first lead at the two-hour, 37-minute mark with Dalziel at the wheel. The No. 06 led for almost five straight hours before Jon Bennett in the No. 05 CORE car moved into first when the No. 06 pitted. Popow handed over to Dalziel, who moved back to the front for good 20 minutes later. “There are always lots of close calls with all the different classes,” Wilkins said. “The guys at CORE prepped a great car for us. It was easy to drive. Cooler heads prevailed in traffic, and that was the key to winning in this car.” Bruno Junqueira, Tomy Drissi and Ricardo Vera drove the second-place RSR entry. PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports finished third in class with drivers Rudy Junco, Ken Dobson and Elton Julian. Nissan DeltaWing: Prototype among prototypes The unclassified Nissan DeltaWing finished sixth overall after starting the race from the back of the grid. The unique prototype driven by Gunnar Jeannette and Lucas Ordonez completed 388 laps. The DeltaWing – featuring half the weight, half the horsepower and half the aerodynamic drag but all the performance of a typical Le Mans prototype – went from 42nd to 10th overall in the race’s first 37 minutes. It ran as highly as third overall in its first North American race and first since debuting in June at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. GT Challenge: Wild Finish Alex Job Racing, NGT Motorsports, TRG and JDX Racing spent nearly all 1,000 miles Saturday locked in a dead heat. NGT rose to the top by running an error-free race. Consistently running in the top-three with drivers Henrique Cisneros, Mario Farnbacher and Jakub Giermaziak, NGT kept the nose of its No. 30 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup pointed forward while both AJR and TRG made costly, off-course excursions. Giermaziak was chasing AJR’s Leh Keen in the closing minutes of the race when Keen launched his No. 22 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup over the curbing at Turn 10. That enabled Giermaziak to sneak past and into the lead, which he held to the checkered flag. “It was a really tough race,” Giermaziak said. “We really pulled out a big gap twice; then we got the yellows. It was my first race in the States, so there were a bit different rules. We were the slowest class going around with so much traffic and other classes. I was able to put the pressure on Leh Keen; he made a mistake and we were able to get around him. I am hoping to get more races over here in the States.” Spencer Pumpelly, Emilio Di Guida and Nelson Canache finished second in TRG’s No. 66 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The team fought back for the runner-up finish after Pumpelly lodged himself in the Turn 10 gravel at the race’s halfway mark. The team’s second entry – the No. 68 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup driven by Emmanuel Collard, Manuel Gutierrez, Jr. and Mike Hedlund – finished third. Though a Petit Le Mans win escaped it, Alex Job Racing had already clinched the GTC team championship at VIR in September and the driver’s championship for Cooper MacNeil. The GTE-Am category, part of the European Le Mans Series, was won by IMSA Performance Matmut and its No. 67 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR driven by Anthony Pons, Raymond Narac and Nicolas Armindo. All 2012 ALMS champions will be recognized at the Night of Champions banquet, Oct. 21, at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga. Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga. Saturday's results 1. (1) Neel Jani, Jens, CH; Nicolas Prost, Fechy, CH; Andrea Belicchi, Medolia, IT; Lola B12/60 Toyota (1, P1), 394. 2. (11) Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS; Christophe Bouchut, France; Luis Diaz, Mexico; HPD ARX-03b Honda (2, P2), 391. 3. (7) Marino Franchitti, Scotland; Dario Franchitti, Scotland; Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS; HPD ARX-03b (4, P2), 390. 4. (12) Christophe Tinseau; Mathias Beche, CH; Pierre Thiriet, FR; Oreca Nissan (5, P2), 390. 5. (10) Gunnar Jeannette, Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Lucas Ordonez, , ; Delta Wing Proj 56 Nissan (6, UNC), 388. 6. (17) Alex Popow, Lecheria, VE; Ryan Dalziel, Scotland; Mark Wilkins, Canada; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (7, PC), 385. 7. (5) Jacques Nicolet, Paris, FR; Bertrand Baguette, BEL; Olivier Pla, France; Morgan Nissan (8, P2), 383. 8. (18) Bruno Junqueira; Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, CA; Ricardo Vera, Ponce, PR; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (9, PC), 383. 9. (19) Rudy Junco, Monterrey, Mex; Ken Dobson, Carmel Valley, CA; Elton Julian, Los Angeles, CA; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (10, PC), 382. 10. (15) Colin Braun, Ovalo, TX; Ricardo Gonzalez, Mexico; Jonathan Bennett, Fort Mill, SC; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (11, PC), 381. 11. (14) Matt Downs, North Mankato, MN; Chapman Ducote, Miami, FL; Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, ON; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (12, PC), 376. 12. (20) Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL; Toni Vilander, FInland; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Ferrari F458 Italia (1, GT), 375. 13. (23) Antonio Garcia, Barcelona, ES; Jordan Taylor, Apopka, FL; Jan Magnussen, Roskilde, DK; Corvette C6-ZR1 (2, GT), 375. 14. (21) Jorg Muller, Germany; Jonathan Summerton, Kissimmee, FL; Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA; BMW E92 M3 (3, GT), 374. 15. (26) Dirk Mueller, Tagerwilen, CH; Jonathan Summerton, Kissimmee, FL; Uwe Alzen, Betzdorf, DE; BMW E92 M3 (4, GT), 373. 16. (25) Jorg Bergmeister; Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Patrick Pilet, France; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (5, GT), 373. 17. (31) Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH; Wolf Henzler; Martin Ragginger, Austria; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (6, GT), 372. 18. (16) Ryan Lewis, UK; Henri Richard, Los Altos Hills, CA; Duncan Ende, Los Angeles; Oreca FLM09 Chevrolet (7, PC), 372. 19. (27) Marco Holzer, Austria; Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Nick Tandy, Bedford, UK; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (8, GT), 369. 20. (28) Dominik Farnbacher, Ansbach, DE; Ryan Hunter-Reay, Boca Raton, FL; Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, ON; SRT Viper GTSR (9, GT), 369. 21. (42) Guy Cosmo, Long Island, NY; Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV; Anthony Lazzaro, Acworth, GA; Ferrari F458 Italia (10, GT), 368. 22. (29) Bryce Miller, Hoboken, NJ; Sascha Maassen, Aachen, DE; Richard Lietz, Ybbsitz, AT; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (11, GT), 367. 23. (30) Raymond Narac, Rouen, FR; Nicolas Armindo, Colmar, FR; Anthony Pons, Beauvais, FR; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (12, GTE-AM), 363. 24. (32) Townsend Bell, Santa Monica, CA; Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT; Johnny Mowlem, England; Lotus Evora/Cosworth (13, GT), 360. 25. (37) Henrique Cisneros, Miami, FL; Mario Farnbacher, Ansbach, DE; Jakub Giermaziak, Gostyn, PL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, GTC), 356. 26. (36) Spencer Pumpelly, Atlanta, GA; Nelson Canache, Atlanta, GA; Emilio Di Guida, Venezuela; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, GTC), 351. 27. (41) Mike Hedlund, Woodside, CA; Emmanuel Collard, France; Manuel Gutierrez Jr., Tampico, MX; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, GTC), 351. 28. (38) Chris Cumming, Vancouver, BC; Michael Valiante, Vancouver, BC; Sean Johnston, Mt. Shasta, GA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (4, GTC), 351. 29. (34) Leh Keen, Dublin, GA; Dion von Moltke, Coral Gables, FL; Cooper MacNeil, Hinsdale, IL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (5, GTC), 349. 30. (22) Oliver Gavin; Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA; Richard Westbrook, London, UK; Corvette C6-ZR1 (14, GT), 348. 31. (3) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, Beverley, UK; Steven Kane, Newtownards, IE; Lola B12/60 Mazda (15, P1), 338. 32. (9) Tom Kimber-Smith, England; Alex Brundle, UK; Alex Buncombe, UK; Zytek Z11SN Nissan (16, P2), 338. 33. (2) Lucas Luhr, Germany; Romain Dumas, France; Klaus Graf, Germany; HPD ARX-03a Honda (17, P1), 334. 34. (8) Jody Firth, Wakefield, UK; Brendon Hartley, Palmserston North, NL; Warren Hughes, England; Oreca Nissan (18, P2), 330. 35. (4) Tony Burgess, Canada; Chris McMurry, Phoenix, AZ; Mark Patterson, Bronxville, NY; Lola B11/66 Mazda (19, P1), 322. 36. (39) Angel Andres Benitez Jr., Valencia, VE; Mark Bullitt, Miami, FL; Jeff Segal, Miami, FL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (6, GTC), 318. 37. (40) Andrew Davis, Lilburn, GA; David Calvert-Jones, Melbourne, AU; Michael Avenatti, Lagunna Beach, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (7, GTC), 267. 38. (33) Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Verona, IT; Marco Cioci, Roma, IT; Matt Griffin, Piacenaz, IT; Ferrari F458 Italia (8, GTE-AM), 232. 39. (24) Marc Goossens, Geel, BE; Tommy Kendall, New Smyrna Beach, FL; Jonathan Bomarito, Monterey, CA; SRT Viper GTSR (20, GT), 224. 40. (13) Dane Cameron, Sonoma, CA; Joe Foster, Lawrenceville, GA; Patrick Dempsey, Malibu, CA; Lola B12/87 Judd (21, P2), 220. 41. (35) Peter LeSaffre, Rye, NH; Damien Faulkner, Mouille, IE; Brian Wong, Newport Beach, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (9, GTC), 40. 42. (6) David Heinemeier Hansson, Chicago, IL; Martin Plowman, Indianapolis, IN; Eric Lux, Jacksonville, FL; Morgan/Nissan (3, P2), Excluded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 5, count 'em 5 P2 finishes for teh #3 car...jeebus, talk about always being a bridesmaid.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Yep, they were snake bit this year. But it's all over 'cept for teh (Pat Long) crying, teh awards banquet, and teh rampant driver-change speculation. Corvette Racing kicked many asses, took home all teh marbles, and have given every indication they are only getting better at this GT2 shiznit. Bravo to Team CR! Corvette Racing Runner-Up In Petit Le Mans At Road Atlanta The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R piloted by Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Jordan Taylor finished second in Saturday’s season-ending Petit Le Mans race at the Road Atlanta circuit. The championship-winning No. 4 C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, and Richard Westbrook wasn’t as fortunate, having experienced a steering problem that caused the car to lose 26 laps to the leaders and finishing 12th. Following a disqualification of the pole-winning No. 02 Ferrari for an infraction during the post-qualifying technical inspection, the season-ender commenced with the Corvettes in third and fourth on the grid. Right off the bat, Gavin jumped into second behind the No. 01 Ferrari driven by Scott Sharp. Meanwhile, Garcia dropped to sixth throughout the first lap but then gained on the leader, moving up to fifth on lap six, fourth on lap eight, and third on lap twelve. The Corvette duo was then running second and third, with Gavin in second and Garcia in third behind the Ferrari, until Gavin made a move in turn 7 to take the lead at the 40-minute mark. The teams swapped drivers just before the first full-course caution at the one-hour mark, with Magnussen replacing Garcia and taking the lead in the No. 3 ‘Vette; meanwhile, Milner replaced Gavin. 90 minutes into the race, Johannes van Overbeek in the No. 01 Ferrari passed the No. 3 Corvette to take the GT Class lead. Both Corvettes pitted under the second full-course caution and in doing so, dropped to sixth and seventh behind cars that chose not to pit. 2:30 into the event, the cars that didn’t pit chose to do so, and Magnussen ended up second, Milner third. The subsequent bout of pit stops came at 2:45. Richard Westbrook replaced Tommy Milner in the No. 4 C6.R and Jordan Taylor replaced Jan Magnussen in the No. 3. The duo ran second and third through their shifts. Then at 3:42, Taylor handed the reigns to Garcia while Westbrook swapped with Gavin at 4:34. The course’s third full-course caution saw both Corvettes enter the pits, with Gavin replacing Westbrook and Garcia staying in the No. 3 C6.R. After five hours (halfway) into race, Gavin took the lead and extended his position to 17 seconds, only being joined by Scott Sharp in the No. 01 Ferrari and Garcia on the lead lap after five hours of racing. The race’s fourth full-course caution took place 5:27 into the event and both Corvette race cars reached the pits before they were closed off, while Scott Sharp’s No. 01 Ferrari had to wait for the pit lanes to open. Milner came out in the lead in the No. 4 C6.R, with Magnussen following closely in the No 3 C6.R. At 5:56, Milner radioed to the crew that he was experiencing issues with the steering and came into the pits. The crew inspected the front end and sent Milner back out for a trial lap. Unfortunately, the problem persisted and Milner was forced to take the No. 4 Corvette to the transporter, after which the crew replaced the steering rack and returned Milner to the race a mere 45 minutes later and 26 laps down to the leader. Meanwhile, Magnussen was leading the GT class in the No. 3 C6.R. He lost the lead to the No. 01 Ferrari on a pit stop at 6:34. Following several bouts of caution, three cars were on the lead lap in the GT Class: No. 01 Ferrari, No. 3 Corvette, and No. 55 BMW. At 7:39, Magnussen switched out with Garcia, who was quick to pass the No. 01 and No. 02 Ferraris on his first lap out. The Spaniard ran second behind the No. 55 BMW driven by Jerg Mueller following the series of pit stops while holding off van Overbeek’s Ferrari. Garcia came to lead the class when the BMW entered the pits, a position he held until his finishing pit stop at 8:41, which dropped him to third. Luckily, the BMW was given a stop-and-go penalty for unacceptable refueling procedures (which we didn’t even notice while watching the event), putting Garcia in second behind the No. 01 Ferrari driven by Toni Vilander. Garcia cut the Ferrari’s 60-second lead in half during the final laps. Garcia’s performance practically forced Vilander to run the last hour and 11 minutes without a pit stop — a bet that proved to be victorious for the Ferrari team. Garcia drove the No. 3 Corvette to the finish in second, a spot occupied by the No. 3 C6.R five times in 10 ALMS races during the 2012 season. The winning Ferrari completed 375 laps of the 2.54-mile Road Atlanta course 30.676 seconds ahead of the No. 3 Corvette. Two years ago, Corvette Racing won Petit Le Mans when the fuel cell of the competing Ferrari ran dry on the final lap. Perhaps this quote by Jan Magnussen sums the race, and the 2012 ALMS season, best for the car and its drivers: “It’s hard not to be a little disappointed, but that’s how it is. Tonight’s result was an indication of how our season has gone – so close and yet so far. We had a fantastic car, we just missed out at the end.” The top ten Petit Le Mans GT Results include: Position. Car Number – Drivers – Car – Laps 01 Sharp/van Overbeek/Vilander – Ferrari 458 Italia – 375 3 Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor – Corvette C6.R – 375 55 J. Mueller/Auberlen/Summerton – BMW E92 M3 – 374 56 D. Mueller/Alzen/Summerton – BMW E92 M3 – 373 45 Bergmeister/Long/Pilet – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – 373 17 Henzler/Sellers/Ragginger – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – 372 44 Neiman/Holzer/Tandy – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – 369 91 Wittmer/Farnbacher/Hunter-Reay – SRT Viper GTSR – 369 02 Brown/Cosmo/Lazzaro – Ferrari F458 Italia – 368 48 Miller/Maassen/Leitz – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – 367 No opinions on that fake-chrome job on teh Ferrari? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Ya, teh Fewawwi's were definitely looking a little gaudy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 They crammed 1000 miles of racing into 2 hours of tv with commercials, I feel so cheated, I sure hoped that vilander would run out of gas but 30 seconds behind was still cool. I think they should have been penalized 31 seconds that chrome wrap.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I think they should have been penalized 31 seconds that chrome wrap.... Or for causing a global Windex shortage.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Caught up on my reading finally, here's teh wrap up blurbage. Chevrolet Team Reigns in 2012 American Le Mans Series GT The Year in Review: Corvette Racing's Championship Season As Chevrolet celebrated the 60th year of Corvette production, Chevrolet's Corvette Racing team reigned in the production-based GT class in the 2012 American Le Mans Series. In 10 ALMS races, the twin Compuware Corvette C6.Rs posted four victories, six runner-up finishes, 12 podium appearances, two poles, and five fastest race laps. That performance propelled Corvette Racing to a sweep of the GT class championships. Corvette Racing won the team title and Chevrolet captured the manufacturer championship. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner won the GT drivers championship in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R, while Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia finished third in the driver standings in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R. Magnussen and Garcia won the Michelin Green X Challenge four times, securing the Green X GT manufacturer championship for Chevrolet. Corvette Racing also won the ALMS From the Fans award in popular voting. The 2012 season saw Corvette Racing return to the championship-winning form that previously produced eight consecutive team and manufacturer titles and seven straight driver championships in the GT1 class. After a mid-season move to the fiercely competitive GT (formerly GT2) category in 2009, the team scored single ALMS victories in each of the following seasons. The introduction of new wide-body Corvette C6.R race cars and a realignment of the driver roster produced a dramatic turnaround in 2012. "There may have been some in the sports car racing community who had questions about the capability and resolve of Corvette Racing after our initial struggles in GT," said Doug Fehan, Corvette Racing program manager. "I think 2012 answered those questions conclusively as Corvette Racing once again demonstrated its passion, its dedication, and its execution, thereby reaffirming Corvette's standing as a championship-winning, world-class sports car." Many of the updates in the 2012 Corvette C6.R race cars were the result of changes in the GT class rules. The new Corvettes were two inches wider than the preceding version, with corresponding revisions in the bodywork and suspension to accommodate the increased track width. The rear wing was raised and the Corvettes' 5.5-liter engines were outfitted with larger intake air restrictors in accordance with the GT regulations. "The rule change that allowed wider bodywork and increased track width was a significant gain for us," said Corvette Racing team manager Gary Pratt. "That was really what the car needed. Michelin developed tires specifically for the C6.R that worked well with the changes to the chassis. We spent considerable time in the wind tunnel and doing CFD simulations that improved the aerodynamics. The first time the drivers tested the new package, they were very happy." Corvette Racing's revised driver lineup delivered a winning combination of youth and experience this season. Jan Magnussen and Tommy Milner traded seats, with Magnussen returning to the No. 3 Corvette C6.R alongside Antonio Garcia, who became a full-season driver after three years as third driver in endurance events. Corvette Racing's "youth movement" accelerated with the addition of 21-year-old Jordan Taylor as third driver in the No. 3 Corvette for Sebring, Le Mans, and Road Atlanta. Milner joined Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 Corvette C6.R, with Richard Westbrook continuing his role as third driver in the three long-distance races. The Anglo-American alliance of Gavin and Milner produced immediate results. After a third-place finish in the ALMS GT class at the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the pair scored back-to-back wins in Long Beach and Laguna Seca. A third at Lime Rock after the Le Mans break was followed in short order by another win at Mid-Ohio, a fourth at Road America, and a runner-up finish in Baltimore. The pair clinched the GT championship with a decisive victory at Virginia International Raceway in Gavin's 100th career ALMS start. Even when things went wrong – a gearbox problem at Mosport, a broken steering rack at Road Atlanta – the No. 4 Corvette fought back and was running at the finish. "This year has been the toughest and hardest championship in all of my years with Corvette Racing," Gavin said. "The level of competition, whether it's coming from Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, or our own teammates, has been phenomenal. We rose to the challenge, and a lot of that comes down to the fantastic crew working on the car. Tommy has been a great teammate and performed brilliantly, and that's one of the reasons we won this championship." "This year has been special," Milner said. "In 2011 we won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but we struggled a bit in ALMS. Then I got my first ALMS win at Long Beach, and that felt really good. This year we had the whole package, and it came down to being consistent and not making mistakes. It's been great to be a part of the competition in the GT class, and I'm looking forward to more." It was boom-or-bust for the No. 3 Corvette in 2012. Magnussen, Garcia, and Taylor racked up the first of five runner-up finishes at the Sebring season-opener. Second-place finishes at Laguna Seca, Lime Rock, and Mosport kept Magnussen and Garcia in contention for second place in the driver standings going into the final round at Road Atlanta. First-lap incidents in Long Beach, Baltimore, and VIR, combined with late-race contact at Mid-Ohio and Road America, cost the Danish/Spanish pairing valuable points. The Petit Le Mans season finale was another heartbreaker, as the ESM Ferrari pulled off a risky fuel strategy to win the race over the fast-closing Corvette, leaving Magnussen and Garcia second at the checkered flag and third in the championship. "All in all, it's been a fantastic year, and we were very competitive at every race," Magnussen said. "We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, most of the time. We were in with a shot at winning every race, but it was just one of those years. Corvette Racing has done a fantastic job on both cars, and I can't wait for next year." "I learned a lot this year, and I appreciate all that the team did for me," said Garcia after his first full season with Corvette Racing. "I'm proud that I have become part of Corvette Racing and the team knows they can rely on me. We will continue to learn and come back stronger next year." The Michelin Green X Challenge is a "race within a race" at every ALMS event that recognizes clean, fast and efficient performance to accelerate the development of new technologies and energy sources. Corvette Racing won the inaugural Michelin Green X Challenge at Road Atlanta in 2008. This year the No. 3 Corvette C6.R scored a quartet of Green X Challenge victories at Laguna Seca, Lime Rock, Mosport, and Road America to capture the Green X Challenge GT team championship and secure the Green X GT manufacturer championship for Chevrolet. Engine manager Dave Henninger and the GM Powertrain team developed the 5.5-liter Chevy small-block V-8 engines that proved to be powerful, reliable, and efficient through a long season without a single engine-related issue. Technical partners Mobil 1 and Michelin provided proprietary technology that minimized friction and rolling resistance, thereby improving overall performance in the Green X Challenge. "In the sports car world, we are trying to deliver power, efficiency, and durability," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "The Michelin Green X Challenge award addresses that area of efficiency. That's important not only at the race track, but also with the production car today and tomorrow." ALMS fans showed their appreciation for the team's performance on and off the track by casting their votes for Corvette Racing as having made the biggest contribution to sports car racing during the past year. Corvette Racing won the From the Fans award, the sixth time that the award has been given to the Chevrolet team or its members. Corvette Racing drivers also enjoyed success in other venues in 2012. Westbrook scored three wins in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series driving a Corvette Daytona Prototype, two of them with Garcia as co-driver. Taylor tallied a win in the Grand-Am Rolex GT driving a Camaro, and Magnussen won the Danish Touring Car championship in a Camaro. Corvette Racing's next event is the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway on Saturday, March 16, 2013. Corvette Racing 2012 ALMS Season Summary GT Manufacturer Champion: Chevrolet GT Team Champion: Corvette GT Driver Champions: Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner Michelin Green X Challenge GT Manufacturer Champion: Chevrolet Michelin Green X Challenge GT Team Champion: No. 3 Corvette C6.R, Jan Magnussen/ Antonio Garcia No 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, Gavin/Milner/Westbrook 4 wins: Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio, VIR 1 second: Baltimore 2 thirds: Sebring, Lime Rock 1 pole: Baltimore (Gavin) 3 fastest laps: Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Baltimore (Gavin) No. 3 Corvette C6.R, Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor 5 seconds: Sebring, Laguna Seca, Lime Rock, Mosport, Road Atlanta 1 pole: Mosport (Magnussen) 2 fastest laps: Road America (Magnussen), VIR (Garcia) Take No Prisoners! So ends another epic post-whoring thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 That's it buddy, pull over... Back for 2013 (always assuming teh Mayan's were wrong, eh?)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 It was a fun read, I laughed, I cried. All in all it got a 2 thumbs ( :thumbs ) up from me! Maybe teh Bimmers should go back to fetching teh groceries and leave teh racing to teh two seaters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I have a feeling teh Viper's are going to be a lot closer in 2013.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOTV8 Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 I have a feeling teh Viper's are going to be a lot closer in 2013.... Closer to what...?? Teh rear of teh C7.R??? You guys keep postho'n up in this b and it'll never get 'un-pinned'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I have a feeling teh Viper's are going to be a lot closer in 2013.... Closer to what...?? Teh rear of teh C7.R??? Well hopefully, they are right on teh BadBoys' ass, just three or four laps down... You guys keep postho'n up in this b and it'll never get 'un-pinned'! Honestly, it could be closed, and we could start a pre-season 2013 thread... BTW: I think that Corvette Racing might be trying to distance itself from teh Jake mascot, because that thang is teh ugly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 If you get it closed, I can still post in it! Why do they have to change teh jake, Corvette Flags come in all shapes and sizes but they all show pride! And teh vipR may do better but I don't see them making it to teh top of the podium next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Bt that theory though, they should be C5 flags, as Jake made his first appearance at LeSarth in 2004.... Teh ALMS/ACO did grant SRT a hell of a performance adjustment at Road Atlanta, bigger restrictors, weight loss and higher wing....they were a lot more competitive there. If they get to shave another 30-40 kilos, they might just hang with CR in theory.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 C5 Jake is cool, I'd hit it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 C5 Jake is cool, I'd hit it! That's C6r Jake... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 D oh! Here this one says C5R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 That's home-made though... There never really was an official C5 Jake, though there have been many that have made their own version....teh flagpoles for teh flag "eyes" are crossed like an x from teh best examples I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 There never really was an official C5 Jake, I know what teh C5 Jake looks like, was screwing withya because of what you just said... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 That's teh one! BTW: You don't need to screw with me, I got a long line of peeps just waiting for theur turn to do just that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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