FROM LE MANS TO LIME ROCK

[MOTV8]

For all the planning, preparations and sometimes panic with getting cars and equipment ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, not much is said about the return trip back to the States for American Le Mans Series teams. This year the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park is four weeks after Le Mans, which is a contrast to the two-week turnaround needed to ship cargo to Europe for the Le Mans Test Day following the Utah Grand Prix.

Corvette Racing has become a bit of an expert, having crossed the Atlantic each year since 2000 and winning its class five times in that span. Gary Pratt, co-founder of Pratt & Miller which builds, supplies and supports the factory Corvettes for General Motors, takes us through the post-Le Mans process.

"The race cars were prepared for shipment immediately following the race, and were on their way home that night. The crew has to clean the cars, remove the gas, tape up all of the holes - making a long day longer; they're finished around 7 p.m.

"On Monday morning, all of the equipment, tools, spare parts, etc., are boxed in the crates they were shipped in - enough crates to fill a semi- trailer. The crates are loaded on a truck, the tent behind the garage taken down, and the whole load is ready to go by 2 p.m.

"The truck drivers drive to the coast and make the ferry crossing to England at night. After clearing customs, the crates are sent to U.S. via air freight on Tuesday. The race cars and equipment arrived at the Pratt & Miller shop on Thursday afternoon (June 19).

"The truck is currently on an ocean freighter somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, and is scheduled to arrive in early July."

That will put everything back in the US in plenty of time for the start of the second half of the Series at Lime Rock.

The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix is race is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 12 at Lime Rock Park. SPEED will televise the race from noon to 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 13.

So that would be a 9 a.m. Arizona time start for your TiVo/DVRs...

[Desertdawg]

I'll be sure to set up the DVR again, sure loved watching the 24 at le mans while skipping all the commercials...

[MOTV8]

Lime Rock: Corvette Racing qualifying report

Racing series ALMS

Date 2008-07-11

Gavin Pips Magnussen for GT1 Pole in Lime Rock Qualifying

Tire Pressure Adjustment Makes the Difference on New Track Surface

LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 11, 2008 – Oliver Gavin won the GT1 pole for Saturday's American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, edging his Corvette Racing teammate Jan Magnussen by .247 seconds on the reconfigured and repaved Lime Rock Park circuit. Magnussen had the quicker qualifying time in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R after the first five timed laps, but a tire pressure adjustment gave Gavin the edge he needed to capture the pole.

A fast lap at 52.792 seconds (102.288 mph) secured Gavin's first pole of the season and the 15th of his ALMS career. Magnussen responded with a 53.090-second lap (101.812 mph) that fell less than a quarter of a second short. The No. 009 Aston Martin DBR9 of Borcheller and Ducote suffered crash damage in the first practice session and did not run in the qualifying session.

"We've had some rough luck this year, so let's hope this is the turning point," said Gavin. "Since this track has such short laps, we ran a total of 10 laps in qualifying instead of the four or five we usually take. After the fourth or fifth hot lap, my car was really sliding around and it was very nervous. My crew chief, Steve Cole, asked on the radio, 'Does it feel like the tire pressure is too high?'"

"He made a smart call, brought me in, and the crew lowered the tire pressure," Gavin reported. "I had two more laps to set a time, and managed to get a clear lap. The Corvette C6.R was fantastic!"

Qualifying began as dark clouds gathered over the Connecticut circuit, and rain began to fall at the drop of the green flag.

"On the first lap out of the pits, I went into West Bend and thought to myself, this session isn't going to last too long," Gavin recalled. "I was waiting for the rain to arrive, but it never rained hard. The track surface stayed good and the Michelin tires stayed under us."

Magnussen also stopped for a tire pressure adjustment during his qualifying run.

"When I went back out again after the adjustment, it was difficult to know just how hard I needed to push," said the Dane. "A GT2 car went by me just as I was trying to make a gap to the other Corvette, so I couldn't do my second flying lap. Olly did a great lap; I think we might have matched him if everything was right, but that's how it is."

Magnussen was also concerned about the prospect of a wet qualifying session: "There were some big drops, and I thought, I wish somebody else was doing this!" he said. "But I couldn't feel any moisture on the track."

At 1.51 miles in length, the reconfigured layout is slightly shorter than last year's course, but it has two more turns. The two practice sessions today were interrupted frequently by red flags after accidents and off-course excursions as drivers struggled with the new configuration.

"With all of the stops for red flags, we weren't able to run long enough to test the changes we wanted to make for the race setup," Magnussen conceded. "It could take some luck to get it right in the race."

"I think it's going to be a caution-filled race, and that's a symptom of the new layout of the circuit," Gavin predicted. "The edges of the track are still so fresh that people are dragging dirt onto the track and going off. It's going to be a very challenging race."

-credit: gm racing

Tape delay telecast Sunday morning - Set the DVR/TiVo/VCR/Betamaxi?!

[Guest Kens06]

Thanks for the 'headsup' Dean!!

I love ALMS...........

Ken

[P51tj]

Yep thanks Dean!

[Bigfoot]

Man, I need to get a DVR

Good looking out Dean

[MOTV8]

You're welcome, and you might as well keep those DVR/TiVos warmed up, they're racing next weekend too...at Mid-Ohio.

****SPOILER ALERT - RESULTS BELOW****

If you recorded this, then you might enjoy the part when the GT1 Aston gets mashed along with the leading P1 Audi, I know I did...over and over and over....

Lime Rock: Corvette Racing race report

Racing series ALMS

Date 2008-07-12

Magnussen and O'Connell Win GT1 Battle in Lime Rock

No. 3 Corvette C6.R Notches Fourth ALMS Victory in 2008

LAKEVILLE, Conn., July 12, 2008 -- Jan Magnussen and Johnny O'Connell didn't give up when they were a lap behind the GT1 leader in today's American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park. That perseverance was rewarded when they scored a come-from-behind victory after a sudden reversal of fortune put their No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R in front with 25 minutes remaining in the race. The pair's fourth victory of the season was highlighted by a wheel-to-wheel battle between O'Connell and Olivier Beretta as they jockeyed for position as the No. 3 emerged from the pits after its final splash-and-go fuel stop.

O'Connell and Magnussen completed 157 laps on the reconfigured and repaved Lime Rock Park road course, finishing eighth overall. The No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Beretta and Oliver Gavin finished second with 146 laps after a gearbox problem sidelined the car with eight minutes remaining. The No. 009 Aston Martin DBR9 of Borcheller and Ducote was third in the GT1 class, completing 61 laps before retiring after an accident.

"Today's race was a perfect example of why you never give up," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Coming off our second and third-place finishes in Le Mans, you might think that this team might be a little bit down. But take a look at what happened today: Nobody gave up when one of the cars was almost a lap down. That's what makes Corvette Racing a great team."

Magnussen started in the No. 3 Corvette and Gavin in the No. 4, and they completed their 57-minute stints without a caution period. The first full-course yellow began at the one-hour mark just after the Corvettes had pitted for fuel, tires and driver changes. When racing resumed 25 minutes later, the two Corvettes were nose-to-tail with O'Connell in the No. 3 and Beretta in the No. 4. The complexion of the race changed dramatically when a second safety car period began at 1:34 into the race. With the leading prototype between the two Corvettes, the No. 4 gained nearly a full lap on its sister car. Then a third yellow at 2:02 put the two cars back on the same lap.

"It was looking dark for a while, but No. 3 Corvette C6.R was a great race car today," Magnussen said. "I was unlucky with traffic in my stint, and then just after Johnny got into the car, the race leader was between the two Corvettes when the yellow flag came out. We lost nearly a full lap on the wave-by. It looked grim, but then we got back on the lead lap when the other car had to stop. Then they had a small problem and stopped again. We needed just a few gallons of ethanol to make it to the finish, and Johnny just pipped Olivier coming out of the pit lane. That was very exciting!"

O'Connell notched his 32nd career ALMS victory today, but it was his first win ever at Lime Rock Park.

"There are so many races we could have won but for bad luck," said O'Connell. "I don't know if we should have won this one, but I'm going to take it!

"When I came out of the pits after the last stop, I saw Olivier coming," O'Connell continued. "I held the inside line, and the only way he was going to take me was on the outside -- and that would have been impossible."

With their victory today, O'Connell and Magnussen now hold a 12-point lead (106-94) over their teammates in the GT1 drivers championship with six races remaining.

"That is racing," said Beretta. "We were fast again like we were in Long Beach and Salt Lake City, but the luck was not with us. At the end of the day, Corvette Racing finished one and two, and we are still working to improve for next year."

Gavin agreed: "You wonder when the luck will turn our way," he said. "Olivier drove brilliantly and the team did a great job. Now we need to get to the bottom of the issue with the gearbox. We're pleased that both cars have come out of this race unscathed and are ready for next weekend in Mid-Ohio, because this is a very difficult track."

-credit: gm racing