Road
Atlanta ALMS, 6th Oct 2001
Race
Spectacular
end to the ALMS season
Audi
Sport UK Press release, 7th October: Johnny Herbert and
Andy Wallace brought the curtain down on the American Le Mans
Series in spectacular style when they claimed a third place
at Road Atlanta today (SAT).
The
British duo swept their "privateer" Audi R8 sportscar home six
laps behind the 1,000-mile race winning Audi of Emanuele Pirro,
who claimed the ALMS Driver's title and Frank Biela after over
nine hours of hard racing in front of a 60,000 crowd. Herbert,
from Brentwood, began the race from the third row of the 41-car
grid but had forced his way in to the lead after 90 minutes.
Johnny
remarked: "I had enjoyed a pretty steady race until 50 minutes
from the end when I lost the rear brakes. The car had been
superb until that point and we looked good for a solid second
- there was nothing we could do about the leading Pirro/Biela
Audi, they were just too fast."
Johnny
and Wallace, from Oxford, diced furiously for the lead during
the opening five hours with the Audis of Frank Biela/Emanuele
Pirro and Stefan Johansson/Patrick Lemarié despite a front tyre
problem and a stop-go penalty for a pit infringement.
After
six hours, the Biela/Pirro Audi led the 2000-spec Audis of Herbert/Wallace
and Johansson/Lemarié - the top-three covered by one minute
- but an hour later, second-placed Wallace headed for the pits
when a wheel centre broke costing them over a lap for repairs.
"I
took over from Johnny after the start but had a bad vibration
through a front wheel which lost me time," said Wallace. "I
had to make an unscheduled stop after almost three hours having
incurred a penalty when I ran over some equipment in our pit
area on my previous fuel stop.
"Then
a wheel centre broke on the left rear after seven hours when
we were placed second, just 45secs behind the leading Audi
having looked good for the runners-up place so it's been quite
eventful."
Second place looked secure until a rear brake problem 50 minutes
from the finish lost Herbert valuable time, dropping the ex-Formula
One ace down to third.
Herbert
added: "The rear calliper was changed but dropped us
to third. It's a disappointing end because we'd looked good
for second but that's racing and the Champion team deserved
that."
ALMS,
7th October: Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela led most of
the last five hours and cruised to a three-lap win in Audi presents
Petit Le Mans, the final race of the 2001 American Le Mans Series
season. With his win in the 1,000-mile sports car endurance
race, Pirro clinched the ALMS driving championship for the season.
The
drivers led a sweep of the top three finishing positions in
the event for Audi R8 Prototypes. Stefan Johansson and Patrick
Lemarie finished second, with Johnny Herbert and Andy Wallace
third.
Race
results:
1.
(2) Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela; Audi R8; 394, 9:15:57.547,
3 laps.
2. (4) Stefan Johansson, Patrick Lemarie; Audi R8, 391.
3. (5) Andy Wallace, Johnny Herbert; Audi R8, 388.
4. (9) Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli, Christophe Tinseau, Cadillac
LMP 01, 382.
5. (7) Emmanuel Collard, Marc Goossens; Cadillac LMP 01, 364.
6. (15) Kelly Collins, Andy Pilgrim, Franck Freon; Chevrolet
Corvette C5-R, 362.
7. (13) Milka Duno, John Graham, Scott Maxwell; Reynard 01Q-Judd,
361.
8. (24) Hans Stuck, Boris Said, Bill Auberlen; BMW M3 GTR, 360.
9. (23) Jörg Müller, Dirk Müller; BMW M3 GTR, 359.
10. (3) Jan Magnussen, David Brabham; Panoz LMP-1, 358.
Qualifying
Herbert
& Wallace 5th on the grid
Audi
Sport, 5th October: Team Audi Sport North America has secured
an optimal foundation for the final round of the American Le
Mans Series (ALMS) at Road Atlanta. Both Infineon Audi R8 sportscars
will start the 1000-mile or 10-hour long "Petit Le Mans"
in the US state Georgia from the front row.
For
the ninth time in the season's ten races an Audi works driver
secured pole position. Tom Kristensen was fastest in the final
qualifying session after having caused some extra work to his
team after going off the track on Wednesday. The Dane put his
ALMS leading team mate Emanuele Pirro to the second spot on
the grid by just 94 thousands of a second.
The
Audi customer teams Johansson and Champion qualified 4th and
5th with their 2000-spec R8 sportscars.
Audi
has already secured the ALMS titles for teams and manufacturers.
The drivers title, however, will be decided at the "Petit
Le Mans". Only the four Audi works drivers have chances
to win the title. Tom Kristensen (#1) and Emanuele Pirro (#2)
are scheduled as start drivers in the two Infineon Audi R8 sportscars.
Johnny
Herbert (#38):
"We
knew that we would not be especially strong in qualifying
but had hoped for more. I went out halfway through the session
only for it to be black flagged on my first lap out. Then
a slower car pulled across me in a corner causing me to spin
on my next lap out. Then Stefan took fourth place away from
me on the very last lap by nine thousands of a second! But
we've a good set-up for the race which is the most important
- it's the race winner people remember, not the pole-sitter."
Andy
Wallace (#38):
"We
tested here last weekend which represents the first-ever test
session this year. That mileage plus the practice has given
us a very good car for the race, one that is consistent and
easy to drive which will be decisive in a 1,000-mile race."
Starting
grid at Road Atlanta
1.
Capello/Kristensen (Infineon Audi R8) 1m 10.917s
2. Biela/Pirro (Infineon Audi R8) 1m 11.011s
3. Magnussen/Brabham (Panoz) 1m 11.061s
4. Johansson/Lemarié (Audi R8) 1m 11.939s
5. Herbert/Wallace (Audi R8) 1m 11.948s
6. Graf/Lagorce (Panoz) 1m 12.372s
7. Bernard/Collard/Goossens (Cadillac) 1m 13.043s
8. Weaver/Leitzinger/Forbes-R. (Riley&Scott) 1m 13.313s
9. Taylor/Angelelli/Tinseau (Cadillac) 1m 13.592s
10. Field/Sutherland/Neuhaus (Lola-Judd) 1m 14.244s
Testing
Herbert
& Wallace third quickest
ALMS,
3rd October: Emanuele Pirro carries the American Le Mans
Series point lead into Saturday’s running of Audi presents Petit
Le Mans at Road Atlanta, and the Italian driver wasted no time
on the opening day of practice in making sure that his car was
at the top of the speed chart. The Audi R8 co-driven by Pirro
and Frank Biela led Wednesday’s practice session at the 2.54-mile
circuit with a fast lap of 1:11.703, more than half a second
faster than the next machine.
Pirro can win his first American Le Mans Series title in Saturday’s
10-hour sports car endurance race.
The
Johansson Motorsport Audi R8 of Stefan Johansson and Patrick
Lemarie was second-fastest at 1:12.316 in Wednesday’s session,
followed by the Champion Audi of Johnny Herbert and Andy Wallace
at 1:13.029.
The
second factory Audi of Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen was
fourth at 1:13.171 to complete an Audi sweep of the top four.
Wednesday’s
test speeds:
1.
Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro, Audi R8, 1:11.703.
2. Stefan Johansson/Patrick Lemarie, Audi R8, 1:12.316.
3. Andy Wallace/Johnny Herbert, Audi R8, 1:13.029.
4. Rinaldo Capello/Tom Kristensen, Audi R8, 1:13.148.
5. Klaus Graf/Franck Lagorce, Panoz LMP-1, 1:13.171.
6. Wayne Taylor/Max Angelelli/Christophe Tinseau, Cadillac LMP
01, 1:13.822.
7. Eric Bernard/Emmanuel Collard/Marc Goossens, Cadillac LMP
01, 1:14.863.
8. Jan Magnussen/David Brabham, Panoz LMP-1, 1:14.868.
9. James Weaver/Butch Leitzinger/Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Riley
& Scott MkIIIC-Lincoln, 1:15.781.
10. Milka Duno/John Graham/Scott Maxwell, Reynard 01Q-Judd,
1:18.181.
Preview
Herbert
& Wallace look to sign off in style
Audi
UK Sport Press Release, 1st October: Johnny Herbert
bids to sign off in style from the American Le Mans Series by
scoring his maiden victory in the final race at Atlanta on Saturday
(6 Oct).
The 37-year-old former Grand Prix winner drives an Audi sportscar
in the 1,000-mile race with fellow Briton Andy Wallace. The
ex-Formula One ace drove an Audi R8 sportscar for the very first
time exactly five months ago when he joined Florida-based Champion
Racing at an official test day (6 May) for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Le Mans race a month later ended in disappointment when
a transmission problem sidelined his third-placed Audi.
Brentwood-born Herbert has contested ALMS races since July
and along with Oxford's Wallace (40), has claimed third place
twice plus fourth and fifth positions from five races. However,
the British duo could easily have won two races, Wallace missing
out by just 1.6secs in the last 165-minute race at Laguna Seca.
The "customer" Audi of Herbert/Wallace is one of last year's
models whereas this year's "factory" Infineon Audi R8 has improved
aerodynamics while its twin-turbocharged V8 engine also features
the latest petrol direct injection system (FSI), giving better
performance and economy.
In a race lasting around 10-hours, these elements are likely
to give the two Audi Sport North America entered R8s an advantage
over the Herbert/Wallace Audi and British-based 2000-specification
Johansson Motorsports Audi of Stefan Johansson and Patrick Lemarié.
"In
a 1,000-mile race, especially if its run in the dry, I believe
the new FSI engine in the factory Audis will prove to be extremely
beneficial because they get better fuel consumption and therefore
can go further on a tank of fuel," confirmed Herbert who has
never even previously visited the 2.54-mile, 11-corner Road
Atlanta circuit. "Our race pace has been good in recent races
though and we could have won at Mosport and Laguna so at top-three
should be achievable if not an outright victory."
Wallace
added: "The track is another of my favourites and features
three very quick corners, a long straight, and a 'jump' where
the car briefly leaves the road. The average lap speed in
qualifying will be around 130mph and the race average will
be 110mph - so it's fast! The race is long and hard and it's
usually staged in hot and humid conditions. It's a great event
which I won two years ago."
A field of over 40 cars, contesting four different classes
according to engine capacity, is expected to line-up for the
Audi North America sponsored Atlanta 10-hour race christened
the "Petit Le Mans". Audi has already secured the Manufacturers'
title for a second consecutive year thanks to five Stateside
wins from seven races although any one of its four "works" drivers,
Emanuele Pirro (I), Frank Biela (D), Rinaldo Capello (I) and
Tom Kristensen (Den) are mathematically capable of claiming
the Driver's "crown" won by Britain's Allan McNish last year.
McNish, Capello and the late Michele Alboreto won the corresponding
1,000-mile Atlanta race last September with Audi team-mates
Biela, Pirro and Kristensen claiming second place. Capello started
the season off on a roll, winning at Texas, Sebring, Donington
Park (GB) and Jarama (SP) but has only won one race since finishing
second at Le Mans in June compared to the Pirro/Biela pairing
who have won two of the last three races. An Audi victory would
be the 20th time an R8 has won from 24 races since its début
in March 2000.
Audi of America is donating $100,000 to the New York Fire Fighters
Disaster Relief Fund to help the families of victims who lost
their lives in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre.
The donation will be in the name of the American Le Mans Series
and is part of a fundraising effort tied to the Atlanta race.
"We
at Audi want to donate this money to the families of the fallen
firefighters in New York as a tribute to those hard-working
heroes who gave their lives," said Len Hunt, Vice President
in charge of Audi of America.
"This
country is trying to move forward, encouraged by our leaders
to return to normalcy. And so we will race in Atlanta. But
even as we prepare to start our engines on Oct. 6, we will
honour the victims of that terrible day, and remember their
families. That is why we make this donation in the name of
the American Le Mans Series, which will be racing, but racing
with heavy hearts."
This $100,000 donation is part of the commitment of Audi AG
to the Volkswagen Group Foundation in the U.S. On Monday, September
17, the employees and management of the Volkswagen Group (which
includes Audi and Volkswagen in the United States) decided to
create a Foundation to assist victims of the recent terrorist
attacks. The Foundation will be funded initially with $2 million
dollars from the Group.
Wallace tested the Champion Audi, re-painted in a new "stars
and stripes" livery, at Atlanta last Sunday (30 Oct). The Johansson
Motorsports Audi of Johansson and Lemarié also took part in
the test.
Atlanta is 5hrs behind BST. Qualifying is staged on Friday
5th October at 2200-2230 (BST) with the race starting at 1700
(BST) on Saturday.
Every
effort is made to ensure factual accuracy but no
responsibility is accepted for the information on these pages.
News and photos
from Audi Sport © and from
AmericanLeMans
used by kind permission.
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