gaijin
08-06-2004, 09:37 PM
WEAVER SETS FAST TIME IN FRIDAY AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES TEST AT MOSPORT
BOWMANVILLE, ON, CANADA - The Dyson Racing Team has been looking forward to the American Le Mans Series stop at Mosport International Raceway all year, feeling that the high-speed Canadian circuit would suit the team's race cars very well and represented one of the team's best chances to take an overall race win this season.
On Friday, James Weaver showed that the team's optimism had merit as he pushed the #16 Lola EX257-AER/MG to a lap of 1:08.135, leading a two-hour test session on the 2.459-mile circuit that kicked off this weekend's Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport. Weaver will co-drive with Butch Leitzinger as the Dyson team seeks its first win of 2004 in Sunday's two-hour, 45-minute timed event.
"The car is in its element here," said Weaver. "It's very good aerodynamically and is stunning in the fast corners. The Goodyear tires work incredibly well in the long corners with all the download on the car. I love the high average speed and the elevation change here. Mosport is a unique blend of high-speed corners and elevation change, which makes it very exciting and satisfying to drive around."
"This is the kind of place you don't want to go out and watch because you realize how fast you're really going here," said Leitzinger. "It's best to be oblivious."
Second-fastest on Friday was the ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 of JJ Lehto and Marco Werner at 1:08.615. The two will be trying for their fifth consecutive overall race win in the ALMS this season. The other Dyson Lola of Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace was third in Friday's test at 1:08.691.
Oliver Gavin unofficially broke his own track record in the GTS class when he turned a lap of 1:14.293 in the Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5-R that he will share with Olivier Beretta. In leading the class during the session, Gavin was faster than the record of 1:14.417 that he set in last year's Mosport event.
Many Canadian fans were watching the other factory Corvette driven by Canada's own Ron Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell, the pair seeking to win the GTS class at Mosport for the fourth straight year. The car's fastest lap time of the day was 1:15.101, second-fastest in class.
"The car wasn't that bad," said Fellows. "We were at the top of the time sheet for awhile and then Oliver and Olivier found something, and Oliver busted off one that was just an unbelievably fast lap. So Johnny and I have a little bit of homework to do. We are fighting the front end a little bit, trying to get some more front grip, so we will look at that and make some changes."
Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem were third in the GTS class in the ACEMCO Saleen S7R at 1:15.355.
Robin Liddell set the fastest time of the day in the LMP2 class for smaller, less-powerful Prototypes with a lap of 1:13.859 in the Intersport Racing Lola B2K/40-Judd that he will share with Clint Field. The Team Bucknum Racing Pilbeam MP91-Nissan of Jeff Bucknum, Chris McMurry and Bryan Willman was second at 1:16.699, followed by the Miracle Motorsports Lola-Nissan of Ian James, James Gue and John Macaluso at 1:16.889.
Fastest in the GT class was the Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb at 1:18.971, just edging the other Job Porsche of Jorg Bergmeister and Timo Bernhard that turned a 1:19.170. Third in class was the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Porsche of David Murry and Craig Stanton at 1:19.613.
Official practice and qualifying will be held Saturday, along with an autograph session featuring all ALMS drivers.
Sunday's race starts at 12 noon (EDT) and will be a timed event of two hours and 45 minutes. CBS Sports will have live TV coverage in North America from 1-3 p.m. (Eastern) while MotorsTV will have full live coverage in Europe.
The American Le Mans Series Radio Web will have live coverage of both qualifying and the race online at www.americanlemans.com. IMSA Live Timing & Scoring will be operational online for all test and practice sessions, as well as qualifying and the race.
Friday's practice times, showing drivers, type car (class), lap time and lap speed in miles per hour:
1. James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger, Lola EX257-AER/MG (LMP1), 1:08.135, 129.924.
2. JJ Lehto and Marco Werner, Audi R8 (LMP1), 1:08.615, 129.016.
3. Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace, Lola EX257-AER/MG (LMP1), 1:08.691, 128.873.
4. Jon Field and Nic Jonsson, Lola B160-Judd (LMP1), 1:09.990, 126.481.
5. Clint Field and Robin Liddell, Lola B2K/40-Judd (LMP2), 1:13.859, 119.855.
6. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (GTS), 1:14.293, 119.155.
7. Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell, Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (GTS), 1:15.101, 117.873.
8. Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem, Saleen S7R (GTS), 1:15.355, 117.476.
9. Jeff Bucknum, Chris McMurry and Bryan Willman, Pilbeam MP91-Nissan (LMP2), 1:16.669, 115.417.
10. Ian James, John Macaluso and James Gue, Lola B2K/40-Nissan (LMP2), 1:16.889, 115.132.
11. Tom Weickardt and Jean-Philippe Belloc, Dodge Viper GTS-R (GTS), 1:17.473, 114.264.
12. Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:18.971, 112.097.
13. Timo Bernhard and Jorg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:19.170, 111.815.
14. Scott Maxwell and Tracy Krohn, Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT (GTS), 1:19.281, 111.659.
15. David Murry and Craig Stanton, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:19.613, 111.193.
16. Darren Law and Johannes van Overbeek, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:19.775, 110.967.
17. Peter Kox and David Brabham, Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT (GTS), 1:19.936, 110.744.
18. Leo Hindery and Sascha Maassen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.224, 110.346.
19. Gunnar Jeannette and David Saelens, Panoz Esperante GT-LM (GT), 1:20.285, 110.262.
20. Lonnie Pechnik and Seth Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.528, 109.929.
21. Cort Wagner and Patrick Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.720, 109.668.
22. Ralf Kelleners and Anthony Lazzaro, Ferrari 360 Modena (GT), 1:20.791, 109.572.
23. Justin Jackson and Tim Sugden, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.921, 109.396.
24. Piers Masarati and Tony Burgess, Porsche 911 GT3 RS (GT), 1:22.278, 107.591.
25. Pierre Ehret and Jim Matthews, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:24.615, 104.620.
BOWMANVILLE, ON, CANADA - The Dyson Racing Team has been looking forward to the American Le Mans Series stop at Mosport International Raceway all year, feeling that the high-speed Canadian circuit would suit the team's race cars very well and represented one of the team's best chances to take an overall race win this season.
On Friday, James Weaver showed that the team's optimism had merit as he pushed the #16 Lola EX257-AER/MG to a lap of 1:08.135, leading a two-hour test session on the 2.459-mile circuit that kicked off this weekend's Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport. Weaver will co-drive with Butch Leitzinger as the Dyson team seeks its first win of 2004 in Sunday's two-hour, 45-minute timed event.
"The car is in its element here," said Weaver. "It's very good aerodynamically and is stunning in the fast corners. The Goodyear tires work incredibly well in the long corners with all the download on the car. I love the high average speed and the elevation change here. Mosport is a unique blend of high-speed corners and elevation change, which makes it very exciting and satisfying to drive around."
"This is the kind of place you don't want to go out and watch because you realize how fast you're really going here," said Leitzinger. "It's best to be oblivious."
Second-fastest on Friday was the ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 of JJ Lehto and Marco Werner at 1:08.615. The two will be trying for their fifth consecutive overall race win in the ALMS this season. The other Dyson Lola of Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace was third in Friday's test at 1:08.691.
Oliver Gavin unofficially broke his own track record in the GTS class when he turned a lap of 1:14.293 in the Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5-R that he will share with Olivier Beretta. In leading the class during the session, Gavin was faster than the record of 1:14.417 that he set in last year's Mosport event.
Many Canadian fans were watching the other factory Corvette driven by Canada's own Ron Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell, the pair seeking to win the GTS class at Mosport for the fourth straight year. The car's fastest lap time of the day was 1:15.101, second-fastest in class.
"The car wasn't that bad," said Fellows. "We were at the top of the time sheet for awhile and then Oliver and Olivier found something, and Oliver busted off one that was just an unbelievably fast lap. So Johnny and I have a little bit of homework to do. We are fighting the front end a little bit, trying to get some more front grip, so we will look at that and make some changes."
Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem were third in the GTS class in the ACEMCO Saleen S7R at 1:15.355.
Robin Liddell set the fastest time of the day in the LMP2 class for smaller, less-powerful Prototypes with a lap of 1:13.859 in the Intersport Racing Lola B2K/40-Judd that he will share with Clint Field. The Team Bucknum Racing Pilbeam MP91-Nissan of Jeff Bucknum, Chris McMurry and Bryan Willman was second at 1:16.699, followed by the Miracle Motorsports Lola-Nissan of Ian James, James Gue and John Macaluso at 1:16.889.
Fastest in the GT class was the Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb at 1:18.971, just edging the other Job Porsche of Jorg Bergmeister and Timo Bernhard that turned a 1:19.170. Third in class was the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Porsche of David Murry and Craig Stanton at 1:19.613.
Official practice and qualifying will be held Saturday, along with an autograph session featuring all ALMS drivers.
Sunday's race starts at 12 noon (EDT) and will be a timed event of two hours and 45 minutes. CBS Sports will have live TV coverage in North America from 1-3 p.m. (Eastern) while MotorsTV will have full live coverage in Europe.
The American Le Mans Series Radio Web will have live coverage of both qualifying and the race online at www.americanlemans.com. IMSA Live Timing & Scoring will be operational online for all test and practice sessions, as well as qualifying and the race.
Friday's practice times, showing drivers, type car (class), lap time and lap speed in miles per hour:
1. James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger, Lola EX257-AER/MG (LMP1), 1:08.135, 129.924.
2. JJ Lehto and Marco Werner, Audi R8 (LMP1), 1:08.615, 129.016.
3. Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace, Lola EX257-AER/MG (LMP1), 1:08.691, 128.873.
4. Jon Field and Nic Jonsson, Lola B160-Judd (LMP1), 1:09.990, 126.481.
5. Clint Field and Robin Liddell, Lola B2K/40-Judd (LMP2), 1:13.859, 119.855.
6. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (GTS), 1:14.293, 119.155.
7. Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell, Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (GTS), 1:15.101, 117.873.
8. Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem, Saleen S7R (GTS), 1:15.355, 117.476.
9. Jeff Bucknum, Chris McMurry and Bryan Willman, Pilbeam MP91-Nissan (LMP2), 1:16.669, 115.417.
10. Ian James, John Macaluso and James Gue, Lola B2K/40-Nissan (LMP2), 1:16.889, 115.132.
11. Tom Weickardt and Jean-Philippe Belloc, Dodge Viper GTS-R (GTS), 1:17.473, 114.264.
12. Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:18.971, 112.097.
13. Timo Bernhard and Jorg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:19.170, 111.815.
14. Scott Maxwell and Tracy Krohn, Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT (GTS), 1:19.281, 111.659.
15. David Murry and Craig Stanton, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:19.613, 111.193.
16. Darren Law and Johannes van Overbeek, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:19.775, 110.967.
17. Peter Kox and David Brabham, Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT (GTS), 1:19.936, 110.744.
18. Leo Hindery and Sascha Maassen, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.224, 110.346.
19. Gunnar Jeannette and David Saelens, Panoz Esperante GT-LM (GT), 1:20.285, 110.262.
20. Lonnie Pechnik and Seth Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.528, 109.929.
21. Cort Wagner and Patrick Long, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.720, 109.668.
22. Ralf Kelleners and Anthony Lazzaro, Ferrari 360 Modena (GT), 1:20.791, 109.572.
23. Justin Jackson and Tim Sugden, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:20.921, 109.396.
24. Piers Masarati and Tony Burgess, Porsche 911 GT3 RS (GT), 1:22.278, 107.591.
25. Pierre Ehret and Jim Matthews, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:24.615, 104.620.