Atlanta
ALMS, 29th June 2003
Race
Champion
Racing takes first ALMS victory
Champion Racing, 29th June 2003: Johnny Herbert and JJ
Lehto earned Team ADT Champion Racing its maiden American Le
Mans Series victory when the Anglo-Finnish driver combination,
racing together for the first time, swept to a 30-second victory
at Road Atlanta today (Sunday).
Having
achieved 17 top-5 finishes since entering ALMS two years ago
- including five runner-up placings last year - victory at a
circuit where the team had scored its first major success (1998
Petit Le Mans, 3rd overall & GT1 class winner), had recorded
third and second in ALMS at Atlanta (2001 & 2002), combined
with third-place in the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans, has completed
a truly memorable month for the Pompano Beach, Florida-based
team.
Lehto
started the Champion Audi from third place on the 37-car grid
in hot and very humid weather conditions in Georgia. JJ was
in a determined mood at the green light and forced his way past
Marco Werner (Infineon Joest Audi) going into turn one. On
the sixth lap the “Flying Finn” repeated the maneuver, Lehto
sweeping past pole-sitter James Weaver (MG Lola) and in to the
lead.
After
30-minutes, the Team ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 had a lead
of 15-secs over Weaver with Werner a further 7-secs adrift in
third. Lehto pitted for fuel only on lap 44 with a 24-seconds
advantage while Frank Biela resumed in second place - 43-secs
down - having taken over from Werner a lap later, their Audi
being re-fuelled and also fitted with new tires on its scheduled
stop.
The
James Weaver/Butch Leitzinger MG Lola dropped to third and out
of contention for race honors when it collected a stop-go penalty
for an infringement during its pit-stop.
JJ
maintained his advantage over Biela’s similar 2002-specification
Audi R8 and pitted with a 45-secs advantage with 50-minutes
to run. Herbert took over from Lehto with the well-drilled Champion
Racing team servicing the Audi with fuel and tires. Biela pitted
the same lap, his Audi requiring just fuel, which brought the
Joest Audi to within 24-secs of Herbert’s Champion Audi.
With
15-minutes to the checker, Herbert’s lead was 24-secs and the
British driver took the flag 30-secs ahead of the Biela/Werner
Audi - earning Johnny only his second ALMS victory and JJ’s
seventh outright race success which takes him into a three-way
series lead after two races. The Team ADT Champion Racing Audi
R8 led all but one of the race’s 128-laps.
“We
had planned that JJ would do the first two stints and for
me then to bring home it home to the finish and everything
worked out perfectly," Johnny said. "Dave Maraj’s
team deserve this maiden ALMS victory and to beat a Joest
Audi must be especially sweet for him. After JJ’s stints I
had a relatively easy job. The car for me was perfect, never
missing a beat since Friday’s tests. I’m looking forward to
the rest of the season.”
“Qualifying
was cancelled yesterday so I thought I’d do it today in the
first corner to get past Marco [Werner], JJ Lehto added. "Then
traffic caused James [Weaver] to lose momentum exiting the
last turn onto the start finish straight which allowed me
to take the lead. The Audi was perfect for my entire stint.
I had no problems whatsoever apart from the traffic. It’s
good to be winning again and I’m sure there are more to come
this season.”.
Team
Champion Racing's owner, Dave Maraj commented:
“We
came close on many occasions including this year’s ALMS race
at Sebring when we led most of the 12 hours but had to be
content with second. With our Le Mans result two weeks ago
and now our maiden ALMS victory, I am so proud of my team.”
Autosport,
29th June:
The
Champion Racing team took an overdue first American Le Mans
Series victory at Road Atlanta, with its Audi R8, driven by
Johnny Herbert and JJ Lehto, dominating the race.
Pole-sitter
James Weaver led at the start in his LMP675 class Dyson Racing
Lola-MG, although it only took five minutes for Lehto to muscle
past his more powerful LMP900 Audi to take a lead he and Herbert
would keep until the end of the race.
The
only serious challenge to Champion Racing came from fellow privateer
Audi squad Joest. Frank Biela and Marco Werner kept close enough
to keep the pressure on the leaders, but not close enough to
seriously challenge, eventually finishing just over 30s behind.
The
Intersport Racing Lola-MG of Jon Field and Duncan Dayton came
home third overall to take the LMP675 class victory, beating
the more fancied Dyson Lola by just 6s.
Oliver
Gavin and Kelly Collins took the GTS class victory in their
Chevrolet Corvette, beating the Veloqx Prodrive Ferrari 550
Maranello of Tomas Enge and Peter Kox to gain some revenge for
their Le Mans disappointment.
Race
Results:
1
Herbert/Lehto Champion Racing Audi R8 LMP900 128 laps
2 Biela/Werner Team Joest Audi R8 LMP900 + 30.407s
3 Field/Dayton Intersport Lola-MG LMP675 126 laps
4 Leitzinger/Weaver Dyson Racing Lola-MG LMP675 126 laps
5 van de Poele/Theys Doran Lista Racing Dallara-MG LMP675 125
laps
6 Papis/Beretta JML Team Panoz LMP900 125 laps .
Qualifying
Champion
third on the grid after qualifying cancelled
Champion Racing, 28th June 2003: Johnny Herbert and JJ
Lehto start their Team ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 from third
place on the 35-car grid for the second round of the American
Le Mans Series at Road Atlanta on Sunday.
Lehto
stopped the clock at 1min 13.826secs, an average speed of over
127mph around the fast and sweeping, hilly 2.54-mile track today
(SAT).
The
MG-Lola of Britain's James Weaver is on pole with Frank Biela's
Audi completng the front row.
The
165-minute race marks the first time Lehto and Herbert, 39 last
Wednesday, have raced together and Johnny’s first race in an
Audi since last October.
Grid
positions were taken by the fastest time set by each car in
any session today after officials cancelled the official qualifying
session due to heavy rain.
Practice
Lehto
second quickest on Friday
Champion Racing, 27th June 2003: JJ Lehto posted the
second fastest time in today’s (Friday) test session in preparation
for Sunday’s American Le Mans race at Road Atlanta.
The
“Flying Finn” stopped the clock at 1min 13.149secs, an average
speed of over 127mph, around the 2.54-mile track. Lehto’s time
in the Team ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 was just 0.108secs slower
than Frank Biela’s fastest time in the similar Infineon Joest
Audi R8.
Johnny
Herbert, driving the Audi again for Champion Racing after an
eighth month break since last October's Atlanta race, set a
1:13.254secs during the 90-minute session.
Qualifying
for grid positions is staged tomorrow (Saturday) with the 165-minute
race on Sunday.
Preview
Herbert
and Lehto form "stellar" combo
Autosport,
26th June 2003: In the American Le Mans Series, the undulating
2.54-mile Road Atlanta circuit is best known for hosting the
1000-mile Petit Le Mans endurance event. This weekend, however,
the stands will echo with the screams of ALMS prototypes as
the Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta gets underway.
British
interest in Round Two of the series is being spearheaded by
Johnny Herbert, fresh from a sterling performance at La Sarthe
as one of ‘Les Bentley Boys'. Herbert teams up for the first
time with the hugely experienced Finn JJ Lehto, in the Champion
Racing Audi R8.
"Champion
Racing should have won last year's Petit Le Mans at Atlanta,"
says Herbert. "Stefan and I led most of the race but
ultimately finished second after a number of yellow flag periods
fell unkindly for us. This will be my third race at Atlanta
in a Champion Audi, having finished third on my Atlanta debut
in 2001."
The
Lehto/Pirro/Johansson Audi finished third behind the Herbert/Blundell/Brabham
Bentley in the Le Mans 24 Hours two weeks ago. With two such
stellar drivers in one car, and both ‘match fit', the Champion
Audi team can rightfully expect a good result this weekend.
"I
came close to winning at Atlanta in 1999 but my co-driver
(Jorg Muller) spun out in the closing stages," said Lehto.
"I love Road Atlanta. It is a demanding track and always
a tough race. It is hilly, fast and flowing. The traffic can
be a real problem and if you're not careful can lose you a
lot of time."
Birthday
boy Herbert hopes for added reason to celebrate
Champion Press Release, 22nd June 2003: Having achieved
two second place finishes and four thirds in the six races contested
so far this year, Champion Racing heads for Atlanta next weekend
(27-29 Jun) with high hopes of stepping on the podium’s top
step.
The
Florida-based team competes in the American Le Mans Series and
Speed GT World Challenge at Road Atlanta on the back of achieving
a fantastic third place in the 24 Hour of Le Mans endurance
sportscar race (14-15 Jun). The Team ADT Champion Racing Audi
R8 of JJ Lehto, Emanuele Pirro and Stefan Johansson earned the
privateer outfit from Pompano Beach a magnificent result in
France having finished second in the 12 Hours of Sebring (15
Mar) - the opening round of the ALMS.
“Flying
Finn” Lehto teams-up with Johnny Herbert for the very first
time in Champion’s 2002-spec Audi R8 for Atlanta to form a truly
stellar driver combo for the remainder of the ALMS season. The
British driver, who celebrates his 39th birthday on Wednesday
(25 Jun), finished second and third for Bentley at Le Mans and
Sebring respectively.
“Champion
Racing should have won last year’s Petit Le Mans at Atlanta,"
Johnny said. "Stefan and I led most of the race but ultimately
finished second after a number of yellow flag periods fell
unkindly for us. This will be my third race at Atlanta in
a Champion Audi, having finished third on my Atlanta debut
in 2001.”
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