Audi takes dramatic 1-2 at "Petit Le Mans"
 With
a dramatic finish at the “Petit Le Mans“, round nine of the American Le
Mans-Series (ALMS), Audi took its fourth 1-2 victory of the season. The
Audi R8 of Michele Alboreto, Rinaldo Capello and Allan McNish clearly
won the 1000 mile race at Road Atlanta. Team mates Frank Biela, Tom
Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro in the companion R8 had to fight hard
until the very last corner of a total of 394 laps: After a collision
with the Panoz halfway through the race the diffusor of the number
78 car was damaged. Nevertheless the Audi trio with their ill handling
car defended a margin of just five tenths of a second to the leading
Panoz to the finish line.
After his fourth victory in this ALMS season Scotsman Allan
McNish took
over the lead in the drivers championship, at the same time Audi
increases
its lead in the manufacturers championship to 21 points. The
victory at “Petit
Le Mans” also gives Audi 1-2 finishes at the three major long
distance races
at Sebring and Road Atlanta and a triple triumph at Le Mans.
60.000 spectators at Road Atlanta witnessed an exciting battle
for the lead
which was defended by pole-sitter Allan McNish first. He only
dropped back
for a short time during pit stops. The companion Audi R8 experienced
a
difficult beginning of the race: A stop-and-go-penalty and the
change of the
front body work cost valuable time.
During Kristensen's epic stint, the Audi made high speed contact with
the
Panoz LMP Roadster of fellow Dane Jan Magnussen. The two cars
continued
but it became obvious the 78 Audi's defuser became dislodged in the
incident.
Dispite the damage to this critical part of the car's aerodynamic package,
Kristensen
carried on maintaining the lead until a lengthy pit stop to diagnose
the damage dropped
the entry down the order.
The Audi Sport Team Joest number 78 entry completed the race without
the aide of the
defuser as the team discovered critical brackets which hold the large
piece in place were
damaged beyond repair and could not be replaced. The team maintained
a steady pace
during the rest of the event and benefitted from other incidents such
as a spin by
(then) second placed BMW LMR V-12 driver Jörg Müller during
the late stages also
withstanding a late charge by Panoz driver Magnussen.
Nevertheless Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela and Tom Kristensen fought
their
way back to their team mates and took over the lead after five
hours of
racing. But things changed again a few minutes later when a Panoz,
which
was a few laps down, tangled with the number 78 car of Tom Kristensen
who
had to finish the race without the diffusor. Although this severly
affected the
handling of the car the trio was able to do competitive lap times
and
complete the Audi triumph with a second place.
Quotes after the race
Michele Alboreto (#77): “I am very glad that we have won this
race. It was
very important for me to score at least one win with this car
because I
worked so hard on this project. Today it was easy to make a mistake,
because the competition was very tough. I was a little bit scared,
because
after so many months without racing it is difficult to come back.
But I think I
did a good job.”
Rinaldo Capello (#77): “In my first stint I had some problems,
but the
second stint was fine. In the end I had only to keep the car
on the track and
concentrate. It was a very difficult race, because on this track
it is extremely
hard to pass, especially during the night. You can hit oil without
seeing it. We
have seen very good drivers make stupid mistakes, this we had
to avoid.”
Allan McNish (#77): “We have won another race, another 1-2 for
Audi. It was
a very long and hard one and it was one that kept everyone biting
their nails
right until the checkered flag dropped after nine hours of racing.
But that's
what makes the American Le Mans Series so special.”
Frank Biela (#78): “During the last two laps I only saw the bright
headlights of
the Panoz in my rear view mirror. So I simply had no time to
think. In the last
lap I had to pass three back markers - I got one on the straight
and had to
pass the other two in the chicane. After that was done I was
sure we would
make it.”
Tom Kristensen (#78): “I enjoyed this race very much, especially
since I’m
only driving with the team for three races. It was a great fight
to bring the car
back into the lead after all the problems we had at the beginning.
That was
the result of a great team effort and very good strategy. The
incident with
Jan and me was just racing, we both think it was very unfortunate
because it
made the race quite difficult for both of us. Finishing second
today is like a
victory.”
Emanuele Pirro (#78): “We lost a little bit at the beginning.
Then we got our
lap back and I was starting to believe that we could do well,
but then we had
bad luck with the Panoz. When we lost the rear diffusor it was
only important
to finish the race. The balance of the car was not bad, but it
was very light
and more difficult to drive than normal. I think we finished
the race in the best
possible way. “
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Sport: “We have won all important
long
distance races this year at least with a 1-2. This is a great
achievement and I
would like to thank everybody who worked for this result. We
had no
technical problems, when Jan Magnussen and Tom collided the mounting
of
the diffusor was damaged and we could not change it. I have great
respect
for the lap times the drivers did without the diffusor. It was
a great team
effort.”
Reinhold Joest, Team Director Audi Sport North America:
”I think today not a single person felt bored. We can be very
proud to have
such a great car and drivers who know how to maximize it perfectly
and to
behave in an endurance race. Of course the last three laps were
really
thrilling. But we stayed calm and finally saved second position.”
Results
1. Alboreto/Capello/McNish (Audi R8) 394 laps
2. Biela/Kristensen/Pirro (Audi R8) - 3 laps
3. Brabham/Magnussen (Panoz) - 3 laps
4. O`Connell/Katoh/Graf (Panoz) - 5 laps
5. Lehto/Müller (BMW) - 11 laps
6. Bernard/Collard (Cadillac) - 14 laps
7. Angelelli/Taylor/van de Poele (Cadillac) - 22 laps
8. Wallace/Lagorce/Leitzinger (Cadillac) - 35 laps
9. Pilgrim/Collins/Freon (Chevrolet) - 36 laps
10. Archer/Huisman/Derichebourg (Chrysler) - 36 laps |
German