ALMS Rnd 3: Long Beach 13-15 April 2007

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by vorsprung

Racingfanatics has a photo of interesting splitter on #21 PTG Panoz. #22 car seems to have old shape. For reference here's LNT car at Paul Ricard.

Same splitter it ran at St.Pete. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/galle...2_itemId=84367

L.P.

[peckadj]

practice

[peckadj]

Originally Posted by peckadj

practice

ok, it's another 3 hours delay...

[jhansen]

Session red flagged, wonder who tore some more equipment up?

[tux]

Originally Posted by jhansen

Session red flagged, wonder who tore some more equipment up?

i think it was because no.37 the intersport creation has some mechanical problems

[The359]

Great to see improvement from Mazda, 7th fastest overall.

[jhansen]

Top six prototypes within four tenths of a second. Pretty awesome!

[HORNDAWG]

It sure would of been nice to have Hindy on the air though!!

L.P.

[HORNDAWG]

Practice session times. http://www.imsaracing.net/2007/event...ch/ALMS_P1.pdf

L.P.

[cmk]

Originally Posted by yamato

Why did they not stick with the silver and yellow of Cytosport?

Because they're advertising Muscle Milk? I agree on the colour choice, but they will have made a decision about suitable branding from among their product line, and it's hard to fault them for that.

I am quite impressed with the practice pace of BK. I know it's just practice, and they're not heading the Penske cars or anything, but even being ahead of Dyson and Highcroft with so little time with the car is excellent.

[peckadj]

about 10 laps for each driver, what a joke!

[chocmonster7]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

It sure would of been nice to have Hindy on the air though!!

I assume he arrived in Long Beach, the last time I read anything from him he was in an airport lounge waiting for his flight!

[Hammerdown]

Originally Posted by yamato

I was thinking something more like this:


Are there not enough red/silver cars (and for that matter orange cars) in the P1 class.

Why did they not stick with the silver and yellow of Cytosport?

Nice one. I'd go with your version anyday.

[HORNDAWG]

Hindy is up for qualifying!

L.P.

[Hazard]

Pole for Dario! Wow. Penske's 2nd-3rd, Capello 4th and the first P1.

Salo easy first in GT2, though Muller impressive in that new PWL Ferrari to be 4th in class.

Some Corvette has pole in GT1

[JAG]

Did I hear right on ALMS Radio Web, Intersport SIX seconds of pole, come on, that's more than tyres, they seem out of their depth.

[CorvetteC6R]

Well, They did get second at sebring last year in the lola..I wouldn't say thats a shoddy team or out of their "depth." I do agree there is more than just tyres.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by JAG

Did I hear right on ALMS Radio Web, Intersport SIX seconds of pole, come on, that's more than tyres, they seem out of their depth.

Qualifing

http://www.imsaracing.net/2003/lt/ltc.html

[JHamilton]

1 #26 P21 Dario Franchitti 01:11.8 Acura ARX-01A Andretti Green Racing
2 #6 P22 Ryan Briscoe 01:12.1 Porsche RS SpyderPenske Racing
3 #7 P23 Timo Bernhard 01:12.2 Porsche RS SpyderPenske Racing
4 #1 P11 Allan McNish 01:12.7 Audi R10/TDI Audi Sport North America
5 #9 P24 Stefan Johansson 01:12.8 Acura ARX-01A Highcroft Racing
6 #2 P12 Marco Werner 01:12.9 Audi R10/TDI Audi Sport North America
7 #15 P2 Adrian Fernandez 01:13.1 Lola B06/43 AcuraLowe`s Fernandez Racing
8 #16 P2 Andy Wallace 01:13.4 Porsche RS Spyder Dyson Racing Team
9 #20 P2 Chris Dyson 01:14.0 Porsche RS Spyder Dyson Racing Team
10 #12 P1 Michael Lewis 01:17.2 Lola EX257 AER Autocon Motorsports
11 #4 GT1 Oliver Gavin 01:18.1 Chevrolet C-6R Corvette Racing
12 #37 P1 Jon Field 01:18.3 Creation CA06/H001 Judd Intersport Racing
13 #3 GT12 Jan Magnussen 01:18.4 Chevrolet C-6R Corvette Racing
14 #62 GT2 Mika Salo01:20.9 Ferrari F430 GT Risi Competizione
15 #44 GT2 Patrick Long 01:21.2 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Flying Lizard
16 #45 GT2 Jörg Bergmeister 01:21.2 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Flying Lizard
17 #31 GT2 Dirk Mueller 01:21.4 Ferrari F430 GT Petersen/White Lightning
18 #71 GT2 Wolf Henzler 01:21.6 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Tafel Racing
19 #61 GT2 Nic Jonsson 01:21.6 Ferrari F430 GT Risi Competizione
20 #18 GT2 Ralf Kelleners 01:21.7 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Rahal Letterman
21 #73GT2 Dominik Farnbacher 01:21.8 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Tafel Racing
22 #21 GT2 Bill Auberlen 01:22.1 Panoz Esperante GTLM Panoz Team PTG
23 #22 GT2 Scott Maxwell 01:22.6 Panoz Esperante GTLM Panoz Team PTG
24 #6 P1 Klaus Graf 01:25.0 Lola B06/10 AER Team Cytosport
25 #54 GT2 Tim Pappas 01:25.2 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Team Trans Sport
26 #8 P2 Jamie Bach ?.??? Lola B07/40 Mazda B-K Motorsports

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by JAG

Did I hear right on ALMS Radio Web, Intersport SIX seconds of pole, come on, that's more than tyres, they seem out of their depth.

I don't think so, but we should find out in the coming weeks. They have yet to have a test session with the car or tires.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by JAG

Did I hear right on ALMS Radio Web, Intersport SIX seconds of pole, come on, that's more than tyres, they seem out of their depth.

Agree it's highly disappointing, but I'm inclined to give the guys a break. The Creation deal came together pretty late, and the start of the season's been pretty hectic.

What they need now is to settle down and do some serious familiarisation on the car and development on the tyres. I'd be optimistic on both grounds. They've run complex cars successfully before - to my eyes there's no reason for the Creation to be different, and Kumho's LMP2 tyres haven't been a disgrace - they're also likely to have big steps forward available at this stage of their development compared to a more established tyre manufacturer.

It'll be highly interesting to see how Autocon take to the Creation come May, and see the real difference between the two.

[SebringMG]

From the last turn club house lastturnclub.com the writer is suggesting that the tyres are predominantly the problem and i quote:-

"Intersport has struggled from the first with this car. The Creation’s handling is good, as far as it goes, the Judd engine is “wonderful,” again, as far as it goes. Unfortunately, as far as it goes is not far enough, and the reason is tires. Bad tires. Tires that are now fourteen inches wide as allowed by LMP1 rules. But still “like being on rain tires against slicks. That go nowhere when you try to get the power down. That have such stiff sidewalls that the outer two inches weren’t worn in eight laps this morning – weren’t in contact with the track. That none of the set-up work has improved very much. New construction and compound at Houston? That’s what one team source says. But that’s not certain."

TBH do not think you will see much out of Intersport until Kumho get their act together and develop a new construction / compound - almost got to think in the interim it is worth running on customer michelins - surely Kumho must be highly embarassed by the situation ?

[isynge]

Originally Posted by SebringMG

TBH do not think you will see much out of Intersport until Kumho get their act together and develop a new construction / compound - almost got to think in the interim it is worth running on customer michelins - surely Kumho must be highly embarassed by the situation ?

Absolutely agree that until there are proper LMP1 Kumho tyres you won't see what Intersport can really do, but I'm not convinced that customer Michelins are necessarily the answer. Everything I've seen so far indicates that the Kumhos are still basically LMP2 tyres enlarged to LMP1 size, there's no change to the overall compound. If I were Kumho I'd be concentrating on getting the compound right for Houston (or later, if that's what it takes) and in the meantime accepting that they're off the pace.

In terms of brand damage? I don't see that particularly happening - so long as they keep developing, and the relative lack of motorsport pedigree from them means there aren't unrealistic expectations being put upon them.

In the final analysis are Intersport better or worse off this year with a works Kumho tyre package compared to last year's lacklustre Goodyear effort?

[yamato]

Originally Posted by cmk

Because they're advertising Muscle Milk? I agree on the colour choice, but they will have made a decision about suitable branding from among their product line, and it's hard to fault them for that.

I am quite impressed with the practice pace of BK. I know it's just practice, and they're not heading the Penske cars or anything, but even being ahead of Dyson and Highcroft with so little time with the car is excellent.

Well there is nothing in the branding of Muscle Milk that would suggest red to me. Take a look at their product site: http://www.cytosport.com/ProductGrou...oductGroupID=1

I'm not saying that the car is ugly at all; but it does not stand out in the least. Just another silver and red prototype going by. From a branding point of view; use the black backround with the white letters with a little yellow hightlights. Now that would be different and stand out from all of the other cars both in the class and the series.

I still would have liked some metalic shiny yellow highlights on that car though

[chocmonster7]

The Cytosport car will not be in the race according to the Warm-up report on the ALMS website.

http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=3058