gaijin
10-13-2006, 03:46 PM
CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE LINE IN 2006 FINALE
Braselton, Ga. - To say that the final race of the 2006 American Le Mans Series is a microcosm of the entire season would be more than a fair statement. The racing has been tight, finishes close and the suspense overwhelming at times. The Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca offers one final time for teams to make their championship bids.
Heading into the 2006 finale, seven championships remain up for grabs - three drivers titles, two team crowns and one each in the tire and manufacturer ranks. It all points to one of the all-time classics in Monterey, which will see the cars and stars of the American Le Mans Series race for four hours into darkness.
The GT1 clash between Corvette Racing and Aston Martin has been the focus for much of the 2006 season. Two of the most prestigious names in the auto industry, the two titans will face off one more time in a winner-take-all round - sort of.
In the fight for the driver's championship, Corvette's Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta lead Aston Martin's Tomas Enge by 11 points. As long as the No. 4 Corvette C6.R completes 70 percent of the overall winner's total of laps, Gavin and Beretta will win their second straight class championship. If they fail to reach 70 percent, Enge will win the championship as long as he and Darren Turner finish the race. Stephane Sarrazin of Aston Martin and Corvette's Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell also remain alive, though barely.
The team championship is a bit simpler. Corvette Racing will clinch the team championship (as will Chevrolet in the manufacturers rank and Michelin in the tire championship) if one of its two cars finishes first or second. If both Corvettes fail to finish and one Aston Martin finishes, the team and auto manufacturers titles will go to Aston Martin and the tire crown to Pirelli.
If both Aston Martins finish 1-2 and at least one of the Corvettes finishes 70 percent of the race the two teams would tie for the championship as both teams would have the same number of wins. The next tiebreaker is the number of eligible runner-ups - simply put, races where the team's best result was second place.
"We're not interested in sharing the championship," Gavin said. "Our focus is on winning. You can't have half a cup or half a trophy."
GT2: Closer Than Ever
The driver and team championships in GT2 are even tighter than in GT1 Flying Lizard Motorsports' Johannes van Overbeek leads defending champion Jorg Bergmeister of Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing by 4 points after nine rounds. There are all sorts of scenarios that could happen.
If Bergmeister and Patrick Long win, and van Overbeek and Wolf Henzler finish second then Bergmeister will repeat as champion on the basis of most wins (his four versus van Overbeek's one). From that point on, van Overbeek would win the championship as long as the No. 45 Porsche finishes one spot behind the No. 31 entry. If Bergmeister finishes fourth or better and two spots ahead of van Overbeek, the German will be champion.
In the team standings, Risi Competizione leads by 6 points over Flying Lizard and 10 over Petersen/White Lightning. If one of the Risi Ferraris finishes first or second, it clinches the team title no matter where the Porsches finish. Flying Lizard can win the team title with a victory and third-place finish by Risi or a runner-up finish by the Lizards and fifth-place Risi result.
For Petersen/White Lightning to win its second straight championship, it must win the race plus have Risi finish fourth or worse and Flying Lizard finish second or worse.
Braselton, Ga. - To say that the final race of the 2006 American Le Mans Series is a microcosm of the entire season would be more than a fair statement. The racing has been tight, finishes close and the suspense overwhelming at times. The Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca offers one final time for teams to make their championship bids.
Heading into the 2006 finale, seven championships remain up for grabs - three drivers titles, two team crowns and one each in the tire and manufacturer ranks. It all points to one of the all-time classics in Monterey, which will see the cars and stars of the American Le Mans Series race for four hours into darkness.
The GT1 clash between Corvette Racing and Aston Martin has been the focus for much of the 2006 season. Two of the most prestigious names in the auto industry, the two titans will face off one more time in a winner-take-all round - sort of.
In the fight for the driver's championship, Corvette's Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta lead Aston Martin's Tomas Enge by 11 points. As long as the No. 4 Corvette C6.R completes 70 percent of the overall winner's total of laps, Gavin and Beretta will win their second straight class championship. If they fail to reach 70 percent, Enge will win the championship as long as he and Darren Turner finish the race. Stephane Sarrazin of Aston Martin and Corvette's Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell also remain alive, though barely.
The team championship is a bit simpler. Corvette Racing will clinch the team championship (as will Chevrolet in the manufacturers rank and Michelin in the tire championship) if one of its two cars finishes first or second. If both Corvettes fail to finish and one Aston Martin finishes, the team and auto manufacturers titles will go to Aston Martin and the tire crown to Pirelli.
If both Aston Martins finish 1-2 and at least one of the Corvettes finishes 70 percent of the race the two teams would tie for the championship as both teams would have the same number of wins. The next tiebreaker is the number of eligible runner-ups - simply put, races where the team's best result was second place.
"We're not interested in sharing the championship," Gavin said. "Our focus is on winning. You can't have half a cup or half a trophy."
GT2: Closer Than Ever
The driver and team championships in GT2 are even tighter than in GT1 Flying Lizard Motorsports' Johannes van Overbeek leads defending champion Jorg Bergmeister of Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing by 4 points after nine rounds. There are all sorts of scenarios that could happen.
If Bergmeister and Patrick Long win, and van Overbeek and Wolf Henzler finish second then Bergmeister will repeat as champion on the basis of most wins (his four versus van Overbeek's one). From that point on, van Overbeek would win the championship as long as the No. 45 Porsche finishes one spot behind the No. 31 entry. If Bergmeister finishes fourth or better and two spots ahead of van Overbeek, the German will be champion.
In the team standings, Risi Competizione leads by 6 points over Flying Lizard and 10 over Petersen/White Lightning. If one of the Risi Ferraris finishes first or second, it clinches the team title no matter where the Porsches finish. Flying Lizard can win the team title with a victory and third-place finish by Risi or a runner-up finish by the Lizards and fifth-place Risi result.
For Petersen/White Lightning to win its second straight championship, it must win the race plus have Risi finish fourth or worse and Flying Lizard finish second or worse.