Sebring! Corvette Racing Preview

[MOTV8]

...and set those TiVo's, lots of coverage will air on Speed!

Date 2009-03-12

Season-Opening Sebring Race Marks Corvette Racing's 10th Anniversary

GT1 Championship Edition Corvettes Commemorate Corvette Racing's Decade of Success

SEBRING, Fla. -- The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the season-opening race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series to be held on March 21, will mark the start of Corvette Racing's 10th anniversary in international road racing. The team made its competition debut in February 1999 at Daytona, and competed in its first Sebring 12-hour race the following month, finishing fourth in the GTS class. Since that modest beginning, Corvette Racing has become one of the world's premier production sports car teams, winning eight consecutive ALMS GT1 manufacturers and team championships, seven straight drivers' titles, and five class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Chevrolet is commemorating Corvette Racing's decade of success with the introduction of the GT1 Championship Edition Corvette. These limited edition vehicles (designated Regular Production Option GT1) will be available in coupe, convertible, and Z06 models in yellow or black livery. With graphics packages inspired by the championship-winning Corvette C6.R, the GT1 Championship Edition Corvettes will make their public debut at Sebring International Raceway. Production is scheduled for spring.

"There have always been strong ties between production and racing Corvettes," said GM Racing manager Mark Kent. "Technology developed by Corvette Racing is applied to improve the efficiency, performance, handling, aerodynamics and safety of production vehicles. Now with the introduction of the GT1 Championship Edition Corvettes, the link between the race and street versions is apparent at a glance. Corvette enthusiasts will be able to purchase cars that celebrate the remarkable history of Corvette Racing. The GT1 Championship Edition program is another example of how racing helps Chevy sell cars and trucks and provides a solid return on investment."

The ALMS season-opener also will mark the final appearance of the Corvette C6.Rs in the GT1 class in the Sebring 12-hour endurance classic. The twin Corvette C6.R race cars (chassis Nos. 5 and 6) are beginning their third season, and are scheduled to be retired in preparation for new global GT class rules that will take effect in 2010. These two cars have accounted for 23 of the team's 74 wins.

Corvette Racing has scored six class victories in Sebring, and Johnny O'Connell, driver of the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, notched his record-setting seventh Sebring win in last year's event. O'Connell and Jan Magnussen, the reigning GT1 champions, will be joined by Antonio Garcia at Sebring, while three-time GT1 champions Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta will be teamed with Marcel Fassler in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. The addition of Garcia and Fassler for long-distance races will bring the total number of Corvette Racing drivers to 19 since the team's inception.

Corvette Racing will be powered by cellulosic E85R ethanol fuel at Sebring for the first time. The team adopted the renewable fuel made from wood waste after last year's Sebring race, and used E85R throughout the remainder of the 2008 ALMS season. Cellulosic ethanol was one of the key ingredients in the team's overall victory in the inaugural ALMS Green Challenge in the 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans held at Road Atlanta in October 2008. The winning No. 3 Corvette C6.R achieved the best overall score based on performance, fuel efficiency and environmental impact under criteria developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and SAE International. Corvette Racing's use of an alternative fuel on the race track reflects GM's commitment to producing fuel-efficient vehicles for customers -- there are 3.5 million E85-capable GM FlexFuel vehicles on the road today.

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 21. The race will be televised live on SPEED from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 11 p.m. ET.

-credit: cr/gmracing

Hey Timmy, click that link in the press release to see a YELLER one!

[P51tj]

Crap, I gotta go change my shorts now! That thing is P-U-R-D-Y!!!

Hummm, stripes, hummm

Go Yeller!!!

[Guest azz061]

great info!

[Desertdawg]

That yeller one is kick butt!!!

[MOTV8]

That yeller one is kick butt!!!

Er, opinions are mixed....

We now return to your regularly scheduled program:

Peugeot bounces back, leads Sebring times on Tuesday

After Audi led on Monday, Peugeot’s Nicolas Minassian set the unofficial fastest time Tuesday in the final test day before the start of the 57th 12 Hours of Sebring, the first race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series.

Official practice starts Wednesday with the race set for 10:30 a.m. Eastern time Saturday.

Driving a diesel-powered Peugeot 908 HDi, Minassian turned in a best lap of 1 minute, 44.555 seconds. He is teamed with Pedro Lamy and Christian Klien in one of the two Peugeot factory LMP1-prototype coupes.

Minassian was 0.259 second quicker around the 17-turn, 3.7-mile circuit than Audi Sport Team Joest’s Rinaldo Capello in one of the two brand-new Audi R15 TDI prototypes. Making their worldwide event debut, the Audis sat second and third overall with Marco Werner at 1 minute, 45.630 seconds.

Acura, like Audi, debuted a new prototype this week. Scott Dixon was the quickest of Acura’s LMP1 drivers with a lap of 1 minute, 45.714 seconds in the de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a.

Dyson Racing’s Guy Smith was the fastest LMP2 driver with a lap of 1 minute, 51.733 seconds. The Dyson team debuted the new Mazda-powered Lola B09/86 coupe at Sebring as part of a new long-term partnership with the Japanese manufacturer.

Jan Magnussen went quickest in GT1 in Corvette Racing’s No. 3 Corvette C6.R. The Dane, the defending race and class champion, posted a lap of 1 minute, 58.196 seconds in the entry that he will share with seven-time Sebring winner Johnny O’Connell and newcomer Antonio Garcia.

Fellow first-year Corvette Racing driver Marcel Fässler was 0.886 second behind in the Corvette C6.R that he will drive with Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin. This is the last appearance at Sebring for the GT1 Corvette; the team is set to move into GT2 in August at Mid-Ohio.

In GT2, Ferrari factory driver Gianmaria Bruni was again the fastest driver in class for Advanced Engineering/Pecom Racing Team and its Ferrari F430 GT. Bruni, who set a lap of 2 minutes, 3.163 seconds, drove at Sebring last season for Risi Competizione and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008 with that team.

Wolf Henzler was second quickest in GT2 for Farnbacher Loles Racing. The German Porsche factory driver’s best time was 2 minutes, 3.684 seconds in the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. He is driving with full-season teammate Dirk Werner and Richard Westbrook.

Third quickest was Mika Salo in the Risi Ferrari at 2 minutes, 3.740 seconds. He teams with the full-season pairing of Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer.

So, the new kid with the funny vowel in his name is pretty quick in the C6.R, ...better come up with just a mildly derisive nickname for the rook.

Any suggestions?

[MOTV8]

BTW...anybody still follow Speed World Challenge GT? Alot of Vette entries this year against some interesting cars...Volvo's??? Really? Andy Pilgrim caught a ride too.

World Challenge GT

A new face joining the World Challenge crowd this week at the Sebring kick-off is 2007 SCCA Touring 1 National Champion Andrew Aquilante. Aquilante and the Phoenix Performance team are planning to pull double duty at Sebring, campaigning a Chevrolet Corvette in World Challenge GT and the No. 35 Phoenix Performance Inc. Subaru WRX in the Touring class as well.

Round One of the World Challenge GT Championship poses many of the same scenarios as Touring Car. Defending Drivers’ Champion Randy Pobst is back, but instead of climbing behind the wheel of the Porsche that brought him so much success in 2007 and 2008, a Volvo S60 will be his weapon of choice. That’s right, in case you’ve been living in a cave for the past month, K-PAX/3R Racing has made the switch to Volvos for the 2009 season and they’ve brought 2005 Drivers’ Champion Andy Pilgrim into the mix. Pilgrim, who makes the switch to K-PAX and Volvo after five years of driving a Cadillac CTS-V, finished runner-up to Pobst in the Championship the past two seasons. Like the new TSXs, the Volvos will be pulled off the trucks at Sebring with minimal testing, making for a stressful weekend for the K-PAX team, but you couldn’t ask for a better driving pairing than Pobst and Pilgrim to get the cars up to speed and ready to fight for race wins.

So without K-PAX, who will lead Porsche’s Manufacturers’ Title defense? That responsibility may fall on James Sofronas and GMG Racing’s shoulders. Sofronas’ maiden World Challenge victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park last year clinched the World Challenge GT Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine a race early for Porsche. Now that he’s got that race win off his back, Sofronas is fired up to make a run for the Championship in 2009. He’ll have a solid wingman at his side in series veteran Dino Crescentini and a fresh face with rookie William Ziegler.

A new team, Brass Monkey Racing, may also have a hand in a repeat Championship for Porsche. Working in conjunction with former series Champions Kelly-Moss Motorsports, Brass Monkey Racing has brought in 2008 IMSA Challenge Gold Cup Champion Tony Rivera to pilot the No. 97 Tax Masters/Mirage Group Porsche 911 GT3.

To take back-to-back Championships, Porsche will likely have a tough battle with Ford on its hands. In his first full World Challenge GT season, Brandon Davis had a big impact on the 2009 Championship in his No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions/Sun Micro Ford Mustang Cobra. It was at Sebring last year that the paddock first became aware of Davis’ speed in the new Mustang. When qualifying was cancelled due to an engine failure that coated the front straight in oil, Davis claimed the top spot on the grid thanks to his lighting-quick practice times. If it hadn’t been for three DNFs mid-season, Davis could have had a real shot at the Drivers’ Championship and is certainly a lead contender for the 2009 Title.

Eric Curran too is hoping his reliability woes of 2008 will be solved. Many a finish slipped through Curran’s fingers last year, but when his No. 30 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette did make it to the finish line, it was always a top-five finish. Curran was the 2007 World Challenge GT winner at Sebring, if the rain stays away, perhaps this weekend he’ll add another Sebring trophy to his case.

Could Viper be the surprise of the weekend? World Challenge GT 2008 Rookie of the Year Gunter Schaldach has returned for his sophomore season in the No. 9 Lala Motorsports Viper. This season his Lala Motorsports crew has hooked up with Alchemy Motorsports Group to work on chassis setup and development, so look for Schaldach to reset his career-best finish several times over this season.

Viper pilot Jason Daskalos could very well be on the podium at Sebring. Now in his third year of World Challenge GT competition, Daskalos demonstrated tremendous improvement in 2008. He led a lap in the Sebring rainstorm last year and finished a career-high fourth at New Jersey Motorsports Park. His No. 5 Daskalos Developments Viper will definitely be a factor in Friday’s World Challenge GT race.

Two exotics are scheduled to make their World Challenge debut this week. Former NFL quarterback Dan Pastorini has brought a five liter V10 Lamborghini Gallardo to Sebring. It will be the first time the Italian marque has raced with World Challenge. Also mixed in amongst the giants of GT will be a small and nimble Louts Exige S. Campaigned by Hypersport with Joe Foster behind the wheel, it will be interesting to see how the Lotus stacks up against cars twice its size.

Dan Pastorini? In a Lamborghini?? Too much! And I imagine a little nudge will put them Lotus buggies right in the marbles.

[Desertdawg]

So, the new kid with the funny vowel in his name is pretty quick in the C6.R, ...better come up with just a mildly derisive nickname for the rook.

Any suggestions?

Marcel Fässler You could quickly learn to call him "Faster" as long as he stomps the go fast pedal in that Corvette....

When is the GT Challenge supposed to be on? That looks like it could be fun to watch! At least there's always the chance they will rack up the Lambo!!!

[MOTV8]

Eh, I'm still pondering...

12 Hours of Sebring: Peugeot tops Wednesday practice

Peugeot's Stephane Sarrazin set the fastest lap of the day at Sebring International Raceway on Wednesday, the first official day of practice for the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The Frenchman toured the 3.7-mile, 17-turn circuit in 1 minute, 44.719 seconds (127.198 mph) in the day's second practice session.

Driving one of Peugeot's diesel-powered LMP1-class 908 HDi factory coupes with Franck Montagny and Sebastien Bourdais, Sarrazin was 0.214 second quicker than Audi Sport's Tom Kristensen in the new R15 TDI turbodiesel. Kristensen is teamed with Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello, and the same trio won last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The last time Peugeot and Audi went head-to-head was last season's Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, where Audi won by less than five seconds. Sarrazin was the overall pole winner, however.

A second Audi prototype was third, with Mike Rockenfeller, Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner posting a best time of 1 minute, 45.894 seconds (125.786 mph), a little more than a half second better than 2007 IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon in de Ferran Motorsports' Acura ARX-02a.

Guy Smith kept Dyson Racing on top in LMP2 for the second straight session. The Brit, driving with Chris Dyson and Andy Lally, set his quickest lap--1 minute, 50.802 seconds (120.214 mph)--in Dyson Racing's new Mazda-powered Lola B09/86 coupe. It was good enough for a 0.346-second gap back to Lowe's Fernandez Racing's Acura ARX-01b of Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz.

In GT1, Jan Magnussen kept the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C6.R out front for the second straight session. After teammate Antonio Garcia went quickest in the morning, Magnussen bettered that time in the afternoon with a lap of 1 minute, 56.907 seconds (113.937 mph) in the entry that Johnny O'Connell also will drive. The sister Corvette of Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin and Marcel Fässler was second in class at 1 minute, 57.069 seconds (113.779 mph).

Dirk Werner put Farnbacher Loles Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR on top in GT2 with a lap of 2 minutes, 2.591 seconds, also the best time in class for the day. Werner, who will drive with Porsche factory drivers Wolf Henzler and Richard Lietz, was 0.667 second quicker than the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche of Patrick Long, Jörg Bergmeister and Marc Lieb. Risi Competizione's Ferrari F430 of Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer was third in class at 2 minutes, 3.303 seconds (108.027 mph).

Thursday's first practice session is scheduled for 10:20 a.m. EDT, with qualifying set for 2:45 p.m.

And the big news of the day...Corvette rules!

Gaples Leads Surprising World Challenge GT Opening Practice in Sebring

Tony Gaples, of Libertyville, Ill., topped the opening practice session of 2009 for the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship at Sebring International Raceway, part of the Toyo Tires Season Opener at the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh from Florida. Series newcomers Rob Morgan, of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Tony Rivera, of Missouri City, Texas, completed the top three.

Driving the No. 34 Kleinschmidt/Blackdog Racing Chevrolet Corvette, Gaples turned a fastest time of 2:11.686 (101.149 mph) around the 3.7-mile, 17-turn course on his second-to-last lap in the early-morning session.

"It feels pretty good [to be on top], of course, but it also makes me a little nervous," Gaples said of his unfamiliar position. "I’m wondering why, because I’m just driving like normal.

"The track was a little slippery, which plays into my benefit, because I’m used to driving in the wet. It’s good to be at the top. We’ve been coming here seven years now. It’s my favorite flat track and we usually do pretty well here. It still surprised me that we’re number one though. We get to enjoy for the next eight hours, until the next practice. We always hope to do well, whether that’s what’s happening or not is yet to be seen."

Morgan jumped to second as the checkered flag fell in his No. 47 EverCleanse/NADA/TruSpeed Porsche 911 GT3 with a time of 2:11.771 (101.084 mph)—just 0.085-second off of Gaples’ time. The time bumped fellow series newcomer Rivera’s No. 97 Tax Masters/Mirage Group Porsche 911 GT3 back to third with his 2:11.855 (101.020 mph). Rivera led much of the session with his fast time, turned on lap four.

Gunter Schaldach, of Aspen, Colo., also jumped into the top five on his final lap, with a 2:12.083 (100.845 mph) in the No. 9 Lala Motorsports Dodge Viper. Former Sebring winner Eric Curran, of East Hampton, Mass., was fifth in his No. 30 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette, with a time of 2:12.091 (100.840 mph).

While the 20-minute session had several surprises at the top, it had just as many at the bottom, with defending series Champion Randy Pobst only making half a lap in his new Volvo S60 and fellow frontrunners Andy Pilgrim (Volvo S60), James Sofronas (Porsche 911 GT3) and Dino Crescentini (Porsche 911 GT3) remaining in the paddock for a variety of reasons.

SEBRING, Fla. - Results from the first practice session in preparation for Friday’s SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship Toyo Tires Season Opener at Sebring International Raceway, with position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, (34), Tony Gaples, Libertyville, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:11.686, 101.149.

2, (47), Rob Morgan, Costa Mesa, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:11.771, 101.084.

3, (97), Tony Rivera, Missouri City, Texas, Porsche 911 GT3, 2:11.855, 101.020.

4, (9), Gunter Schaldach, Aspen, Colo., Dodge Viper, 2:12.083, 100.845.

5, (30), Eric Curran, East Hampton, Mass., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:12.091, 100.839.

6, (12), Brian Kubinski, Shorewood, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:12.159, 100.787.

7, (5), Jason Daskalos, Albuquerque, N.M., Dodge Viper, 2:12.210, 100.748.

8, (31), Sonny Whelen, Old Saybrook, Conn., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:12.496, 100.531.

9, (66), Tim McKenzie, Madison, Wis., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:12.671, 100.398.

10, (35), Andrew Aquilante, Phoenixville, Pa., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:12.737, 100.348.

11, (56), Ritch Marziale, Tempe, Ariz., Dodge Viper, 2:12.883, 100.238.

12, (10), Brandon Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:13.011, 100.142.

13, (99), Jeff Courtney, Slinger, Wis., Dodge Viper, 2:13.264, 99.952.

14, (13), David Welch®, Kirkland, Wash., Dodge Viper, 2:13.792, 99.557.

15, (05), William Ziegler®, Jacksonville, Fla., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:16.186, 97.807.

16, (44), Lee Saunders, Lakeland, Fla., Dodge Viper, 2:18.110, 96.444.

17, (24), Patrick Flanagan(G), Laguna Niguel, Calif., Porsche GT3 Cup, 2:20.399, 94.872.

18, (2), Steve Valentinetti(G), Burien, Wash., Porsche GT3 Cup, 2:20.996, 94.470.

19, (06), Joey Scarallo, Smithtown, N.Y., Pontiac GTO, 2:21.096, 94.403.

20, (7), Dan Pastorini®, Houston, Texas, Lamborghini Gallardo, 2:30.707, 88.383. (Damn slow Dan!)

21, (1), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Volvo S60, no time.

22, (4), Dino Crescentini, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, no time.

23, (6), Joe Foster, Lawrenceville, Ga., Lotus Exige S, no transponder. (Typical Brit-car!)

24, (8), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Volvo S60, no time.

25, (14), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, no time.

Now, as for when to set your TiVo for the WCGT race....

The Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, round one of the 2009 SPEED World Challenge GT Championship, will air on the SPEED Channel Tuesday, March 31 at 2:00 pm ET.

What time will that be here?

[MOTV8]

Some Youboob vids of practice at Sebring: Linky

The Bimmers sound strange!

At the veeery end of Pt. 1 the LGM vette flies by, turn up the volume.

[MOTV8]

Thursday Morning Practice Results

The final free practice session ahead of the American Le Mans Series Qualifying session had 26 cars taking to the track in order to fine tune set-ups. VICI Racing was still unaccounted for, while the #07 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP had been repaired and returned to the track for the 55 minutes long session.

At 10.45 am the Audi’s were the first to roll on to the Sebring International Raceway and they were still first when the checkered flag came out almost one hour later. Mike Rockenfeller posted the fastest lap of the session, setting a 1:45.678. Only the other Audi R15 TDI was able to keep up with the #1 R15, yet already at 0.152s behind.

Acura took third and fourth fastest in the session, the de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a at six tenths of a second and the Patrón Highcroft Racing car at almost eight tenths behind the Audi. Peugeot, with both cars on track, ended in fifth and sixth place. The two Peugeot’s were still within a second of the Audi’s though.

In LMP2 the second Dyson Racing Lola Mazda completed its first four laps, bringing the number of LMP2 cars to three. Adrian Fernandez in the Lowe’s Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b was the fastest in the LMP2 category. His fastest time took him within 3 seconds of the Audi’s and almost three seconds ahead of the #16 Dyson Lola.

Porsche took a 1-2 in the GT2 category with the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 997 GT3 RSR #45 lapping the 3.700 miles long circuit in 2:02.654. The Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche came closest to beating the time set by Jörg Bergmeister but as timer showed 0:00 it was still a quarter of a second behind. Advanced Engineering Pecom Racing Team’s Ferrari F430 GT2 was the best non-Porsche by taking third place. So far the weekend has gone quite well for the FIA GT team.

BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team #90 and the Risi Ferrari #61 had some close calls. The BMW spun backwards into the tyres at Turn 5, while the Ferrari spun without hitting anything at Turn 3.

In GT1 the #3 Corvette C6.R was over a second quicker than the #4. Jan Magnussen set the fastest time, a 1:57.431, then told the rookie C6.R drivers to eat his Danish dust.

Okay, I made up that last part.

Lou and LGM also issued a press release with more background on their new driver....

LG Motorsports preview: LG Motorsports Brings Out "Young Guns" For 12 Hour of Sebring Attack

Sebring, Fla. March 18, 2009 When the green flag flies on Saturday's American Le Mans Series season opener, the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway, LG Motorsports will field it's No. 28 LG Long Tube Headers Corvette GT2 car featuring the young Brazilian driver Luca Molo. Molo, a two time Brazilian champiom of Endurance (2004-2005) and winner of 500 kilometers of Interlagos in 2006, is 24 years old, pilot of Tekprom team and also son of the pilot and businesman Uberto Molo. He will be joined by World Challenge racing sensation, Eric Curran and three-time World Challenge Champion and team owner, Lou Gigliotti.

This will be Molo's first start in prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring and in the American Le Mans Series.

The Brazilian motor press cites Molo as one of the finest pilots to come out of Brazil in the last few years. Starting his career at 19 years-old, Lucas surprised everyone becoming the National Champion in his first season in the highly competitive Brazilian Endurance Championship.

Despite his the brilliant performances in medium and long duration races, Lucas Molo, developed his technique and skills behind the wheel competing in the Stock Car Light Division and formula races, most of them in partnership with the experienced pilot Claudio Capparelli. They will also share the wheel of the Ferrari 360GT2 of the Tekprom Team, at the Endurance Brazilian Championship of 2009.

"We're very excited to add Lucas to our driver line up and help him make the move to the American Le Mans Series and the GT2 division," said LG Motorsports team owner and driver Lou Gigliotti.

In Wednesday practice, Lucas began to settle in with the car and began shaving time off his laps with each outing. By the end of the day, Lucas was feeling very much at home in the No. 28 LG Long Tube Headers Corvette.

"This is world-class competition. and Molo is going to be a great fit," said Gigliotti. "I like that we'll have a couple of young guns in the car, though both have solid backgrounds. Eric Curran ran with us at Utah in 08 and came up to speed quicker than anyone I've ever driven with. I think the three of us can work well together and see the #28 Corvette through the 12 hours and on to the podium. This is a great opportunity for us."

Lou has 19 total wins in the World Challenge series in 90 starts, which is almost a 21% win record in the series. Lou also has 41 top 3 finishes, 46 top 5s, 56 top 10s and was the fastest qualifier 21 times on the pole which is just about 1 pole in every 4 races which tops PD Cunninghams pole percentage. Lou only has 9 fastest race laps which shows that Lou can win races on desire alone! Even without the fastest race car, Lou can win races. (Who wrote this? Mrs. Gigliotti?)

A fixture at the front of the World Challenge GT field, Eric Curran has competed professionally in the NASCAR Camping World, American Le Mans, Grand Am Rolex, Koni Challenge, & World Challenge series since 2000. Curran has driven more than 30 different types of race cars ranging from front wheel drive to rear wheel drive and from 150 hp-750hp and over 40 total wins under his belt. In 2008 at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, Eric helped propel LG Motorsports to their highest finishing position in the team's young ALMS career, running as high as 3rd place and finishing 7th.

Well, thanks for that Lou.

Qualifying this afternoon!

[Desertdawg]

Okay, I made up that last part.

Your excused, I enjoyed it!

Missed most of the session on speed tonight, didn't get home in time. :

[MOTV8]

Freakin' Gavin, sandbagger.....

Sebring: Corvette Racing qualifying report

Racing series ALMS

Date 2009-03-19

Gavin Kicks Off Corvette Racing's 10th Anniversary with GT1 Pole in Sebring Season-Opener; Gavin Edges Magnussen for Top Starting Spot in Classic 12-Hour Endurance Race

SEBRING, Fla., March 19, 2009 -- Three-time American Le Mans Series GT1 champion Oliver Gavin posted the fastest time in the GT1 category in qualifying for Saturday's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Gavin piloted the black No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R to a 1:57.882 (112.994 mph) lap around the 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course. The Englishman edged Jan Magnussen's best time in the yellow No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R by.321 seconds, denying the Dane his third straight GT1 pole in Sebring.

Gavin has previously started at the head of the GT1 class three times in Sebring, most recently in 2005 when the grid was set by practice times after rain cancelled qualifying. This year he put together a quick time on the second of his three timed laps to claim the 18th pole of his ALMS career, tying him for second on the series' list of pole winners.

"It's great to come away with a pole as we begin the 10th anniversary for Corvette Racing," Gavin said. "Anytime you manage to beat Jan in qualifying, you've earned your money.

"Sebring is a tough event, very hard on the cars and the drivers, and great preparation for Le Mans," Gavin continued. "Everyone is very mindful of the fact that Le Mans is the goal, but all of us would like to have the first 10th anniversary victory here in Sebring."

Magnussen was quicker as the two Corvettes completed their first flying laps, but slowed slightly on his second lap. He cut Gavin's margin on his final lap with a 1:58.203 time, but not enough to unseat the polesitter.

"We've been trying a lot of different things throughout the week, and it looks like we took a step in the wrong direction for qualifying," Magnussen said. "The car is good and we know what we have to do to get back on track with just a small adjustment. I think these were the warmest conditions we've had so far this week, and that definitely played into what we were doing."

Gavin agreed that track conditions were difficult today: "The track seems a little light on grip, and if someone runs off the racing line and gets some sand on the track, then it's a real effort to get the tires cleaned off for the next few corners," he said. "In fact, on my third timed lap I ran through some sand, ran a bit wide, and made a mess of the lap time. Fortunately my second lap was quick enough to get the pole. Ben Brady and Jason Trompeter, the new engineers for the No. 4 Corvette C6.R, worked their magic and came up with a car that was very, very good."

-credit: gm racing

The full ALMS qualifying report:

Dixon puts new Acura P1 on Sebring pole

Racing series ALMS

Date 2009-03-19 (Sebring, FL)

By Nancy Knapp Schilke - Motorsport.com

The de Ferran Motorsports new Acura ARX02a has its first Twelve Hours of Sebring pole courtesy of the 2008 IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. The 57th running of the historic event takes place on Saturday, March 21st to open the American Le Mans Series racing season 2009. The IndyCar driver made the best of his final lap in the prototype qualifying session to garner his first career pole with a fast lap of 1:45.278 (126.522 mph) in the new Acura LMP1 car.

"I've been here four or five days and I've done maybe 18 laps. With three drivers its hard to get good development time sitting in the car and with this track its hard not to get too excited and overheat the tires because then you're done," said Dixon. "Overall its been a great week especially to now have Acura on the overall pole. I think from my point of view it was unexpected. We always shoot for the pole from the get-go. But realistically expected only a third or a fourth."

Dixon, who will start his defense of his IndyCar title at St. Petersburg, admitted his surprise when team owner Gil de Ferran called him to let him know he would be the team's qualifying driver today, instead of de Ferran or Simon Pagenaud.

"When the phone call came from Gil, I could barely hear the news that I was to qualify the car," he said. "We all have had equal amount of time in the car so I don't know why he picked me but in the end any of us could have done it and had the pole."

Last year, de Ferran added the Indy 500 winner to his team for the Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta so it was not a surprise to see him invite the Kiwi back for the team's first attempt to win the March classic event with the debut of the LMP1 Acura. It was Dixon's second appearance at Petit having run the event in a Ferrari in 1999. However, this is his first time as a competitor at Sebring International Raceway for the 12 hours; he has tested Indy cars here on the short track.

"The Audis were quick out of the box and laid down a great time. But I think the heat helped us and the longer you run the Acura on the same set of tires it seems to get better and better," explained Dixon. "This car is like nothing else I've driven. It's hard to compare it to other cars. They've only been developing this car for a few months so its exciting. For an Indy car you're always driving the car on the edge and you know you're there and can react, but this is 80-90% power assist so you can't get too sloppy moving the wheel, and I'm a driver who always seems to be moving the wheel, my tracers go back and forth. It is a lot different from anything I have ever driven."

Prior to Dixon's final flying lap, it appeared that the debut of the Audi R15 TDI would meet with success in the hands of Tom Kristensen. The eight-time Le Mans winner had clocked a time of 1:45.360 (126.424 mph), missing the point position by a mere 0.082 seconds.

"Wow! It would have been really cool to have made a debut pole for the R15 TDI. We had pole but it was snatched away on the last lap of qualifying which was very close and exciting," Kristensen said.

Like Dixon, Kristensen was in the cockpit of the newest P1 entry from the Audi camp. Under the banner of Audi Sport Team Joest for the No. 2 Audi P1, Kristensen and co-drivers, Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello, might have a slight edge heading into the first turn at the start as all three have a lot experience at Sebring while de Ferran, Pagenaud and Dixon, even with their own open-wheel racing talent, are "rookies" for the demanding and very challenging Sebring enduro.

"Our focus is for the race and a successful warm-up for Le Mans but as a driver, of course I wanted the pole," added the Dane. "I could have been luckier as it took until my seventh lap before I had a clear lap out of traffic. I had to back off and make space. Thankfully I had enough diesel in the car so I could do the extra laps. Well done to Scott (Dixon). We're eagerly looking forward to the race."

Both Acura and Audi have brand new P1s out of the box and even with preseason testing, this will be their first race; of course Audi did debut the R10 TDI with a victory here. The team with the known platform with minor tweaks since 2008 is Peugeot.

The French-based manufacturer has gone head-to-head with the German marque but this will be the first time that the Japanese-owned but built and designed at the North American Honda Performance Development Acura team will challenge the two European teams for supremacy in the ALMS P1 class on Saturday. Acura runs on petrol while both Audi and Peugeot run on diesel.

Christian Klien was third-quickest in qualifying in the No. 07 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP with a time of 1:45.462 (126.301 mph). Klien had the top spot until Kristensen knocked him down a slot. The top three are separated by less than two-tenths of a second.

"Sebring is new to me and I haven't had too many chances to drive this week," said Klien. "It is a very difficult, bumpy track, but I feel comfortable with our car. Concentration is likely to be a key factor because there are so many pitfalls here."

Adding to the exciting day for Acura was Fernandez Racing: Adrian Fernandez landed his first LMP2 pole with a time of 1:49.686 (121.438 mph) in the Acura ARX-01b.

"It feels good to start the season well," said Fernandez. "Our experience helped and we hope to finish very strong in the race, starting on pole is good. Last year was frustrating that we didn't ever get a win we deserved. It was always some little stupid things that prevented us. So it's great to focus on finishing the race."

Rule changes in P2 and the addition of Dyson Racing in the class does give Fernandez cause for concern. "It's just me and Luis (Diaz) doing the whole race. We know the car, we know the track, and we have the most experience in the car. I think it will be difficult for us because the car is heavier and [has] the smaller engine intake. It takes a whole lap to pass a Corvette and sometimes as long for a GT2. We have to be very patient and take our time. We are racing against Dyson and Mazda and Dyson is a very experienced team."

Chris Dyson was second fastest in the team's new Lola B09 86 Mazda with a fast lap of 1:51.534 (119.425 mph). While Fernandez and Acura have the same platform as last year, Dyson Racing switched to a new program this year.

Third in P2 is Dyson's No. 20 with Butch Leitzinger clocking a 1:51.840 (119.099 mph).

Corvette Racing is celebrating their 10th anniversary at Sebring and while they own the LMGT1 field as the only competitors, they still have a contest that is a true heated battle. Today it was would Jan Magnussen or Oliver Gavin place the Chevrolet Corvette C6-R on the pole.

Gavin won the battle today but the race is long and Magnussen is looking for his 100th win since he began his racing career covering the different series he has ran. The other side of the coin is Gavin who likes to build on his own personal stats. Add their season-long teammates and the third driver in both cars, plus the No. 3 and No. 4 team crew members leading up to what will be a contest on Saturday.

Gavin turned a 1:57.882 (112.994 mph) to earn the GT1 pole with Magnussen a tad slower at 1:58.203 (112.687 mph). "It was nice to come away with a pole on the 10th anniversary of Corvette and anytime you can beat Jan in qualifying you know you earned your money," said Gavin.

"It's great to be here, great to race the Corvettes and prepare for Le Mans. The cars feel like they have lost a lot of grip, that seems to be the biggest change on the track this year. If you get off-track and make any mistakes then you're ruined for the next three or four corners," he added, "I think both of us want to go away with the 10th anniversary victory for Corvette."

Dirk Werner ran the fastest qualifying lap in LMGT2 with a time of 2:03.051 (108.248 mph) in the Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to earn the pole in the highly-contested class.

"Qualifying went well. While driving I didn't feel the time would have been good for pole. The track changed a lot from this morning. It was very greasy. The team made fun of me and asked me why I was going so slow. But when I came in I realized that I was first and was okay," smiled Werner. It shows the abilities of the team, we've been fortunate to come back and it shows we are worth the works support. The car was really good. It was comfortable to drive. It as easy to drive, I didn't have to push too hard."

Porsche locked up the GT2 front row with Jorge Bergmeister clocking a 2:03.433 (107.913 mph) in the Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 GT3 RSR.

Advanced Engineering Pecom Racing Team ended third fastest in the hands of Gianmaria Bruni in a Ferrari 430 GT with a time of 2:03.487 (107.866 mph).

Friday allows the teams to setup for the race with final practice. The race on Saturday starts at 10:30am.

And last, but not least, the Speed World Challenge report:

Crescentini lands pole at Sebring

Racing series SCCA-WC

Date 2009-03-19 (Sebring, FL)

Dino Crescentini did two tours to notch the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series pole. His time of 2:10.228 (102.282 mph) landed the Global Motorsports Group's Porsche 911 GT3 driver his first career pole.

"We were feeling pretty good," Crescentini said. "This year has been a whole different ballgame for me. Steve Ruiz, one of my best friends for 30 years and a brilliant engineer, joined the team and that helps the situation out. The big difference is that this year, I feel completely confident in the car. I feel like I can go out and go quick. We've achieved the comfort and we're actually going to be getting better. I hope I can get away at the start and lead the whole race."

Second fastest, also saving his Toyo tires for Friday's race was Eric Curran in his Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette. The 2007 Sebring winner was clocked at 2:10.414 (102.136 mph), nearly two-tenths of a second off the pole.

The surprise was third fastest, laying down six laps, two extra ones trying to improve his time after clocking a 2:10.450 (102.108 mph) was Tony Rivera. The Mirage Group Porsche 911 GT3 driver is new to the GT series and he missed the front row by 0.036 seconds.

Sounds more and more like a Corvette vs. Porsche shoot-out!

[P51tj]

Sounds more and more like a Corvette vs. Porsche shoot-out!

Probably just Vette vs Vette

[Bigfoot]

Sounds more and more like a Corvette vs. Porsche shoot-out!

Probably just Vette vs Vette

Yeah, the only 2 cars in GT1 are vettes and I'm guessing the C6 in GT2 is non-factory supported.

Been watching for an hour and not ONE single mention of the vette's on the track at all. Why watch???

[MOTV8]

Patience, grasshoppa. It's a freakin' twelve hour race. There were several choice bits about Corvette Racing, and yea, with only the 3 and 4 racing each other, their coverage was on the more 'active' classes. Nothing new there.

The only GT2 vette was Lou Gigliotti's, and they were out early.

**** SPOILER ALERT **** RESULTS POSTED BELOW ****

First, the Corvette Racing report:

Sebring: Corvette Racing race report

Racing series ALMS

Date 2009-03-21

O'Connell, Magnussen, Garcia and Corvette Racing Make History in Sebring

Corvette Racing Sets Records in Final GT1 Appearance in Sebring 12-Hour Race

SEBRING, Fla., March 21, 2009 -- The 57th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring was a history-making event for Corvette Racing. For Johnny O'Connell, it was a record-setting eighth Sebring class victory. For Jan Magnussen, it was his milestone 100th career victory in the American Le Mans Series' landmark 100th race. For Antonio Garcia, it was his first win with Corvette Racing. And for Corvette Racing, it was a perfect performance that included an ALMS record for laps completed in the GT class at Sebring to jump start the 10th anniversary of America's premier production sports car racing team.

O'Connell, Magnussen and Garcia completed 349 laps in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R to take a one-lap victory in the GT1 class over Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Marcel Fassler in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. The Corvettes finished sixth and seventh overall, and the winning car set a record for the most laps completed by a GT car in ALMS competition in America's most demanding endurance race. The No. 3 Corvette C6.R also won the inaugural Michelin Green X Challenge race-within-a-race with the best score in the GT classes based on performance, efficiency, and environmental impact.

"In our final race in the GT1 class at Sebring, I think we raised the bar high by setting an all-time laps completed record and running a flawless race," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Today was an example of what we've done since the inception of this program -- continuous improvement. This gives us a solid foundation for going to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and completing our mission over there."

Gavin started on the GT1 pole with Magnussen in close pursuit. The first round of pit stops at 49 minutes into the race proved decisive. Magnussen pitted first, handing off to O'Connell. One lap later, Gavin pitted and was replaced by Beretta. The two cars emerged from their stops side-by-side, with O'Connell taking the lead for good in Turn 10. The No. 3 Corvette C6.R then held its advantage through 11 long hours of racing and 11 more pit stops.

"I had the advantage of a killer lap going out of the pits," said O'Connell, who extended his record as the all-time leader in Sebring victories with his eighth career win on the historic circuit. "Maybe our car was a little better in that stint. I came by as Olivier was coming out of the pits on cold tires, so he had knife for a gunfight on that first lap. Anytime you get close dicing like that it's a lot of fun, and Olivier was pushing me every bit of the way.

"I don't know why this place has always been special for me, but a lot of it is that I've been here with good people," O'Connell continued. "When you have a race car prepared by Corvette Racing and the support of Chevrolet, this is how you want to start a year. To have won this so many times with Ron Fellows, and now to do it with Jan and Antonio, makes me very excited about the future. Not only did we win the race, we also won the Michelin Green X Challenge, so there is a lot for Chevrolet to be proud of today."

Magnussen reached a milestone with his 100th career victory. The 35-year-old racer from Denmark has scored wins in single seaters, touring cars, prototypes, and GTs. His resume now includes 23 ALMS victories.

"Winning my 100th race in the 100th ALMS event is perfect," said Magnussen. "I'm so happy for Johnny, and to welcome Antonio to the team with a win couldn't be better. We had a nearly perfect race -- we didn't make any mistakes and everything went according to plan. A victory here is the best possible preparation we could have for Le Mans."

Garcia completed a trio of endurance racing victories after wins in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Spaniard notched his first ALMS victory in his debut with Corvette Racing.

"Starting off with a win with my new team, I can't ask for anything more," Garcia said. "Everything went perfectly, the team did a magnificent job, and the pit stops were awesome. For me today was a learning race, and I think I achieved everything that I wanted."

The gap between the two Corvettes was never more than 30 seconds through the long day of racing. Gavin and Magnussen started and finished the race, running five stints, while their teammates each completed four stints.

"It came down to a couple of little things that just didn't quite work out for us," Gavin said. "We had some bad luck with the cautions and safety car, and we were a little off on tire pressure or the setup on a few stints. There was really almost no difference in performance between the two Corvette C6.Rs, so it was going to take just one small thing to throw it one way or the other. Unfortunately it didn't work out our way today, but there's a lot of positives for us to take away from this. We had a car that was strong and that we all could drive well."

Beretta agreed: "It was a good race, but we just had some little issues and some bad luck on the pace car," he said. "Congratulations to the No. 3 Corvette, they did a perfect race. We are leaving Sebring with two cars in perfect condition, and that is the most important thing."

Marcel Fassler has raced Corvette C6.Rs extensively in Europe, and the Swiss driver was delighted by his first race with the Corvette Racing team. "This gives me confidence going to Le Mans because the car was reliable on a very tough track," Fassler said. "To finish second is never nice, but the No. 3 Corvette today was a little faster and they did a good job. I congratulate them, and I really look forward to Le Mans."

Corvette Racing backed up its overall victory in last year's inaugural ALMS Green Challenge with a win in the first Michelin Green X Challenge at Sebring. Created jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, SAE International and ALMS, the Green X Challenge ranks the competitors on the amount of energy used, greenhouse gases emitted, and petroleum displaced.

"Today's race was the final appearance by Corvette Racing in the GT1 category at Sebring, and we ran an absolutely perfect race with cellulosic E85 ethanol fuel," said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. "We accomplished our mission and demonstrated Chevrolet's technical capabilities. This same technology is applied to other vehicles in Chevy's product line, and that's what we're demonstrating every time the Corvettes are on the race track."

Corvette Racing's next event is the Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series at Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., on April 18.

-credit: alms

If you want the whole race analysis with each class and results listing, click here.

As for the World Challenge, don't forget to TiVo it on SPEED Channel Tuesday, March 31 at 2:00 pm ET. Results below...

Tony Rivera wins GT race at Sebring

Beginners' luck? Beginners' skill? Regardless, Tony Rivera won the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT race Friday at Sebring International Raceway--becoming the first driver to notch a victory in his series debut in five years.

The Missouri City, Texas, resident drove a Porsche 911 GT3 to the win by 2.049 seconds over Eric Curran, of East Hampton, Mass., who piloted a Chevy Corvette. Brandon Davis, of Huntington, Beach, Calif., was third in a Ford Mustang Cobra.

Tony Gaples (Libertyville, Ill.) and James Sofronas (Newport Beach, Calif.) rounded out the top five.

Rivera drove for Tax Masters/Mirage Group, and he recorded the fastest lap of the race, 2 minutes, 11.589 seconds (101.224 mph). After a double-file restart on lap 16, Rivera passed Curran to win the AutoWeek Move of the Race.

The race ran 47:29.54, and it was contested at a speed of 93.488 mph. There was one caution for three laps.

Rivera leaves Sebring with a two-point lead over Curran in the Drivers’ Championship, 124 to 122.

[Desertdawg]

After this perfect race, I can't wait to watch Corvette Racing move in and stomp the piss out of the others in the GT2 category!!!

Thanks for all the news Dean