August 24, 2011
The way it should be.
By Peter M. De Lorenzo
Elkhart Lake. If there was ever a more perfect time for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón to deliver a spectacular race, last weekend was it. Beset by issues brought on by the International Le Mans Series and its confusing influential role in American sports car racing and perpetually vexed by the France family's obsession with throwing as much money as it takes to bring legitimacy to the Grand-Am series, the ALMS hunkered down and delivered what they do best with last Saturday's Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase at Road America - and that was a cracking good motor race hotly-contested in all four of its classes.
To say they put on a show is an understatement, as the ALMS positively lit-up "America's National Park of Speed" with four intense hours of the finest road racing you could ever imagine or hope to see. Despite lacking the factory Audi and Peugeot LMP1 prototype teams - which now only appear at Sebring and Road Atlanta annually - the ALMS reasserted its mission by delivering some fantastic racing all its own.
Klaus Graf (No. 6 Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing Lola B08) crossed the finish line 0.112 seconds ahead of Guy Smith (No. 20 Oryx Dyson Racing Lola-Mazda) in the the closest overall finish in ALMS history. Graf's teammate Lucas Luhr and Smith's teammate Steven Kane set the tempo right away as they both battled from the start before handing off to their respective co-drivers.
"The last 20 minutes, it was probably the toughest of my career," Graf said. "I can't remember pushing so hard for the last two hours. We were completely lucky the way the yellow came out (with 50 minutes left). The guys just drove an awesome race. We made for a great show. We showed ALMS has some of the best sports car drivers in the world."
"It's much easier when you're driving and not having to watch your teammate get squeezed and handled," Luhr said. "I prefer the driving much more than watching. Klaus is a little bit older than me, maybe after what he did we are the same age now! He drove extremely well. He put all the tricks in to defend the lead. It was close and everything. It was a very emotional day, especially losing the race last year with two corners to the end."
As if that wasn't enough, the GT race was again a knock-down, drag-out battle for supremacy among Risi Competizione (Ferrari F458 Italia), BMW Team RLL (BMW M3 GT), Corvette Racing (Corvette C6.R), and Porsche (911 GT3 RSR). And for my money it proved again that this GT series at this point in time is the best road racing this country has ever witnessed. Yes, even better than the glory days of the Trans-Am series. Because as good as the racing in the 1970 Trans-Am series was, it can't hold a candle to the intensity of the racing going on right now or the quality of the cars and teams competing.
Risi Competizion's Jaime Melo and Toni Vilander drove their Ferrari F458 Italia to the new model's first win in the ALMS in front of a delegation of Ferrari brass visiting from Italy (how's that for perfect timing?). And behind the winning GT duo it was BMW, BMW, Porsche, Corvette, Porsche, Porsche, Ferrari, etc., etc. Whew.
After witnessing the sensational ALMS show at Road America it's clear to me that this series has to go its own way. Sure, the direct connection between the ALMS and the 24 Hours of Le Mans has to be kept alive, but Scott Atherton should and I expect he will keep moving the series in a direction that is beneficial to both the competitors and manufacturers involved, as well as for the fans. Make that especially for the fans.
If the American Le Mans Series keeps delivering the kind of quality show that they put on at Road America then its future is not only secure, it will grow even more in significance.
Next up is the new Baltimore Grand Prix on September 3, followed by the ModSpace American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón on September 17, with the finale, of course, being the Petit Le Mans on October 1 at Road Atlanta.
Memo to hard-core enthusiasts: If you think road racing is a lost art or you haven't been to a race in person in a while, you owe it to yourself to take in one of these events. You won't be disappointed.
(Image © 2011 - John Thawley Motorsports Photography - http://www.johnthawley.com)
Klaus Graf runs ahead ahead of Guy Smith on the way to the the closest overall finish in ALMS history.
Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD
(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Trenton, New Jersey, September 27,1964. Parnelli Jones, J.C. Agajanian, Jim Clark and Colin Chapman chat before the Trenton 200 USAC Champ Car Series race at Trenton Speedway. Jones qualified on the pole in his No. 98 Team Lotus-Ford and would lead all but ten laps of the race for the win, one of two he recorded that season. Clark qualified 7th in his No. 6 Team Lotus-Ford entry but would suffer a half-shaft failure just under half distance at the treacherous 1-mile track. Don Branson (No. 5 Wynn's Friction Proofing Watson-Offy) would finish 2nd, followed by Bud Tingelstad in his No. 15 Federal Engineering Trevis-Offy. A.J. Foyt would win 10 of the 13 races that year in a dominating performance for the championship.
(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Parnelli Jones speeds to the win in the 1964 Trenton 200 in his Lotus-Ford.
Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD
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