THE LINE

September 30, 2009

Man Plans, God Laughs.

By A. J. Morning

Braselton, Georgia. With all of our advancements in technology, sometimes it's easy to become complacent – after all, we have so many toys, so much accumulated knowledge. We have touch-screen everything and cinnamon dental floss...and Google. What could possibly be beyond us in the Internet age? 

The answer is simple: We need to control the weather, which I expect we'll get around to, soon after we solve the global economic crisis, famine in Africa, and Bernie Ecclestone. 

Last weekend's Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 was set up to be the racing world's version of Ali vs. Frazier - a match the American Le Mans Series and its fans had been waiting for all year. While Audi has unquestionably been at the top of their game for the better part of a decade by now, having won the vast majority of endurance events dating back to the turn of the century, the last two years have seen the emergence of the young lions from France, in the form of Team Peugeot TOTAL.  2008 saw Peugeot bring a hard challenge, though Audi showed the world it was still the great force it had always been. Audi's triumph over Peugeot at last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans has been chronicled masterfully in the film "Truth in 24," one of the best documentaries of auto racing you'll ever see.

Peugeot finally broke through with a fantastic win at Le Mans this year, having gone seemingly overnight from young guns to seasoned vets, and with the addition of hired ace (and multiple Le Mans winner) David Brabham. Having proven they not only have the technological edge of a faster car and top-shelf talent behind the wheel, the last piece of the puzzle - the ability to run full-tilt with no errors on track or in the pits - was finally in place.

Finally, Audi had a worthy competitor to their endurance racing crown.

Yet, for all of the hype surrounding these two teams and their return to American soil to settle their Le Mans-borne grudge, Mother Nature had other plans.  Now, sports car racers pride themselves on the ability -- no, the specialty -- of racing in any conditions. Burning hot sun? No problem. Darkness?  We've got headlights that work.  Heavy rain?  Bring it! Wipers and Rain-X were made for this, weren't they?  It's what sets the sports car guys apart from NASCAR, a series that has to pack up and go home if the announcers have to break out their umbrellas.  Sure, nobody can run an oval in the rain, but as my fiancée recently pointed out "those guys in NASCAR have a hard enough time turning right, so on a wet track that would be a disaster."

But enough about Brian France's Circus of Dwindling Ratings: We came to Atlanta to race, rain or shine.

And race, we did...for just under five hours.

Watching Allan McNish run away from the pack on lap 1, you'd think he was being chased by crazed autograph seekers who had mistaken him for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  McNish flat-out tore away from the field, eager to establish a lead that even the lightning-quick Nic Minassian couldn't touch.  The repeat-Petit Le Mans-winning Scot wasted no time getting so far out in front, it looked as if he might just put a full lap on the entire field - the wet track working to the Audi team's benefit, as they've run (and won) in the rain at Le Mans so many times.

Then, the inevitable happened.

Or, to borrow another oft-used metaphor, the wheels fell off - literally.  Multiple caution flags flew due to cars simply losing their wheels, most notably the Drayson Racing Lola/Judd, and the Primetime Dodge Viper Competition Coupe. The loose-wheel cautions, combined with a perfectly-timed full-course yellow for the Doran Ford GT's hood flying off (for the second time that day - the first time was during the morning warm-up), played right into Peugeot's hands.

As the track began to dry after the morning downpour (the first in Petit Le Mans history), the twin Peugeot 908 HDi FAP cars were able to get traction and cut into the Audi team's lead, lap after lap.

No sooner did Peugeot gain the lead, the inevitable happened, again.  The rain that had caused so much disaster in Atlanta and the surrounding areas during the previous week, returned with a vengeance. The rainfall itself would not be enough to stop the action, but the flooding across the track at various points - standing water deep enough to be impassable by race cars - caused the first Red flag in Petit Le Mans history. Just under 5 hours into what would have almost certainly been a full 10-hour race, the cars were parked on pit road while track officials fought Mother Nature. A huge disappointment for the racers, the fans, the series, the track, SPEED channel - everyone involved.

Of course, it didn't take long at all for thousands of FaceSpaces and Tweety-pages to fill with angry voices, complaining of every conspiracy imaginable: The track or the series was trying to cut things short, for some idiotic reason.  Michelin had provided "good" tires to one team, and "bad" tires to another.  All of it absolute bullshit, without a doubt.  Michelin was forced to issue a press release, stating that no, the ALMS has exact rules governing wet tire specs, and ALL of the LMP1 teams were running on the same spec tire.  For Michelin to have to defend itself during a race, shows that some of the "wonderful" internet-related technology we've all come to embrace has its downside.

The Red flag period lasted nearly as long the race itself, as the flooding was so immense, there was no way to continue. There simply was nowhere for the water to go, with all of the water runoff areas overflowing -- even the Media center was overcome with water, though that was quickly and efficiently remedied by a combination of helpful staff and an inventive idea or two. Coupled with the torrential rain was occasional thunder and lightning, the latter of which is a show-stopper in any series.

Alas, a bit after 8 PM, the checkered flag was waved, and the race declared complete. The result of racing's Ali vs. Frazier was, arguably, a split decision. Peugeot's Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin scored the win (with their teammates Nic Minassian and Pedro Lamy second), but nobody had much to celebrate. We will now wait for Sebring – pending Audi and Peugeot announcing their intent – to see the now even-longer-awaited rematch.

Man planned, and God laughed. 

Now, that said, there was no shortage of outstanding action and notable events that DID take place during the week:  Following an absolutely disastrous crash of the Patrón Highcroft Acura (which left driver Scott Sharp amazingly free of serious injury) the team immediately ordered up a spare tub to be sent from their shop in California. Forget the obvious staggering freight bill to overnight the monocoque - the cost to the team to skip the race would have been absolutely prohibitive.  Many of you reading this, have already seen the crash on Speed TV and Youtube.  If you haven't seen the time-lapse video of the Highcroft team building the car from tub to complete racer in a mere 20 hours, you're missing out. That video, released by Highcroft during race day, shows just what can happen when a real team gets down to work and doesn't stop to breathe until the last bolt is tightened to spec. The effort these guys showed was absolutely epic, and it paid off with a solid 6th place finish - one which likely would have been higher, had the race gone the full run.

The BP Dyson Mazda/Lola team in P2 scored a victory in more ways than one. Not only was it the first Petit Le Mans win for Dyson Racing, but also for Mazda - making Mazda the first Japanese manufacturer to win both the Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as Petit Le Mans. A second Dyson Mazda was entered, though not scored, because it was running an experimental fuel. The mix of gasoline, ethanol and biobutanol seemed to propel the car around the circuit at least as well (if not better) than most of the other petrol-powered cars, adding further credibility to ALMS' goal of leading the way in alternative fuels and 'green racing'. In fact, the alt-fuel car finished far ahead of the other cars in P2. Fuel for thought.

That the race was sponsored by Mazda6 is just more pride for the company that seems to be more deeply vested in sports car racing than any other.  Rather than throw millions of dollars at NASCAR and F1 (yes, that's you, Toyota), Mazda's sponsorship and backing of sports cars - from grassroots to the Le Mans level - is highly commendable. The same goes for their open wheel program, with the Skip Barber series, Star Mazda series, and Cooper Tires presents Mazda Atlantic series as well.

In the same breath, it's impossible to look at the last endurance race of 2009 and not recognize the Corvette Racing team.  For all of the media-fed derision of the biggest car company on Earth (depending on what week it is and whose numbers you believe) this year, GM's commitment to keep the Corvettes a top-flight operation is proof that the company's still got all the mojo it needs - at least when it comes to its racing program.

On the other hand, privateer Primetime Viper racing manages to soldier on without so much as acknowledgement of its very existence from Dodge.

Speed Channel deserves a nod, for finally having the good sense to agree to air the entire race flag-to-flag.  Of course, because Mother Nature had her own agenda for last Saturday, much of the coverage was dashed.  Still, it was the right move, and it will still be the right move next year.  Keep doing it right, Speed.

The latest entry into the SPEED/SCCA World Challenge Series is the stunning TRG Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT. The car isn't yet winning races, but the visuals and sounds of this beast are absolutely devastating. The engine is said to be a 5.5L V8, driven by pistons. It sounds, however, as if it's driven by the angry tortured souls of a thousand Prussian warriors. Get out of its way, before it eats you.

The staff at Road Atlanta and the American Le Mans Series have certainly suffered tons of undue criticism, thanks to circumstances beyond the control of any human beings. Their handling of the situation, however, was the best anyone could hope for. These are true professionals at work, and their ability to respond to adversity is worthy of sincere praise.

Speaking of which... 

Last and far from least, long-time IMSA Pit Chief Dick Martin announced at Petit le Mans that he intends to retire at year's end.  In a meeting on Thursday, he made it clear that this wasn't due to illness or disagreement with the sanctioning body -- he just wants to do other things and enjoy life while he's young enough and in good enough health.  Over the years of covering the sport, it's rare to find anyone so universally respected and genuinely loved by everyone from the paddock to the corners to the announcer's booth. I'm not the only one who wishes him the best in this life, whatever he chooses to do.  Thank you, Mr. Martin.

That's it for now, I'll see you at the next pit stop.

See a gallery of fantastic images taken at the Petit Le Mans from photographer extraordinaire John Thawley here. And also a YouTube video from John here. The 2009 ALMS finale is the four-hour Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. The green flag is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, October 10. The race will air on SPEED from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 11. Live coverage will be available via American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche via americanlemans.com, which also will feature Living Timing & Scoring on Racehub. Live coverage also can be heard on Sirius 126 and XM 242. The race will also mark the 10th and final round of the 2009 MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge. Tickets are available at americanlemans.com and mazdaraceway.com.

(Mazda) 

MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development, Dyson Racing and their primary Series sponsor and technical partner, BP, fueled one of their Mazda MZR-R-powered Lola coupes with a fuel combining both ethanol and biobutanol - an advanced biofuel that BP is developing with its partner DuPont – in the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 last weekend. Biobutanol shares many of the environmental advantages of ethanol and has additional benefits, including: It blends into gasoline at higher concentrations than ethanol without the need to modify vehicles, it offers excellent fuel economy that is close to that of gasoline, it can be used alongside ethanol to help improve the performance of ethanol/gasoline blends, and it can be used in existing gasoline supply and distribution channels, eliminating the need for expensive infrastructure investments. “This weekend’s debut of an ethanol and biobutanol blend in our American Le Mans Series race car is the perfect example of the technical relationship between Mazda and BP,” said Robert Davis, Senior Vice President, Product Development and Quality for Mazda North American Operations, and the man responsible for the company’s North American motorsport programs under the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development banner. “Advanced biofuels such as biobutanol, along with the choice to use a production-derived 2.0-liter turbocharged MZR-R engine, shows the commitment that both Mazda and BP have to bringing clean, efficient, environmentally sensitive technologies to motorsports, and using motorsports to improve those products before we offer them for sale to the general public.”

(Shaun Lumley)
Andy Pilgrim (No. 8 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60 ), of Boca Raton, Fla., cruised to his ninth-career SPEED World Challenge GT win at Road Atlanta, part of the Toyo Tires Road Atlanta Grand Prix Presented by Dish Network. Eric Curran (No. 30 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette), of East Hampton, Mass., and Championship point leader Brandon Davis (No. 10 Applied Comp Solutions/SunMirco 2010 Ford Mustang GT), of Huntington Beach, Calif., completed the podium. Davis continues to lead the World Challenge GT Drivers’ Championship, with 919 points. He is followed by Tony Rivera (857), James Sofronas (805), Pilgrim (771) and Curran (719). Porsche continues to lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine. Porsche has 58 points, Ford 49, Volvo 41, Chevrolet 40, and Viper 18. This race will air Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. (EST). Next up is Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the season finale, Oct. 9-11.

(Shaun Lumley)
Seth Thomas (No. 38 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i), of Cumming, Ga., won Round Nine of the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championships at Road Atlanta - his home track - part of the Toyo Tires Road Atlanta Grand Prix Presented by Dish Network. Thomas’ BimmerWorld teammates James Clay (No. 36 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i), of Blacksburg, Va., and Nick Esayian (No. 34 BimmerWorld/GearWrench BMW 328i), of Encinitas, Calif., swept the podium, respectively. “We’ve been close to winning before here. My home track really has been a jinx for me," Thomas said. "I’ve had some good luck. But, many times, the finishing results have been bad luck. This win was very special for my family – especially with my grandfather being here – it was extra special because he is 86. I wanted him to see me win here at my home track. I wanted him to see it in person. It was ultra important for me.” Jason Saini leads the World Challenge Touring Car Drivers’ Championship, with 892 to Pierre Kleinubing’s 838 points. Peter Cunningham is third, with 812, followed by Thomas (806) and Charles Espenlaub, with 771. In the Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by RACER Magazine Mazda has 63 points to Acura's 62, followed by BMW, with 37. This race will air Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. (EST). Next up? Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the season finale, Oct. 9-11.

(RSR)

RSR unveiled its Jaguar XKR for the American Le Mans Series GT2 class during the Petit Le Mans weekend. The bodywork features a design that is based on the Jaguar XKR and was completed in the Jaguar Advance Design Studio headed by chief designer Ian Callum. The body has undergone intensive computational fluid dynamics work by the Jaguar aerodynamics department. Information from the CFD was then incorporated into the finished body work, which was made in clay at the RSR facility. More than 1,100 man hours were spent during the clay process. The carbon fiber composite body work was molded and produced by a local company in Michigan and conforms to the ACO guidelines. Partner suppliers for the effort include Yokohama, Brembo, Bosch Motorsport, Tilton and Hewland. Paul Gentilozzi, a five time Trans-Am Series champion, is the owner and also one of the three drivers who will race the car. He'll be joined by sports car veterans American Scott Pruett and Belgian Marc Goossens who will be involved in the development process in preparation for the 2010 season. RSR was formed in 2009 by Paul Gentilozzi and his sons, Tony and John.

(ALMS)
The first test of the new American Le Mans Series LMP Challenge class car took place last Sunday at Road Atlanta. The ORECA-Courage FLM09 was driven first by Gunnar Jeannette, a former factory Panoz driver, and 13 other drivers had a chance to try the machine out too. "The aero is great,” Jeannette said after emerging from the cockpit." “I raced a Courage P2 at Le Mans in ’04 and this is pretty similar. It’s a real prototype comparable to a P2 - a little pointy but not twitchy. I got a real good feel from the car. I really think the American Le Mans Series has got this right.” Unofficially, the former factory Panoz driver was in the 1:17 range during his laps. The FLM09 that will comprise the American Le Mans Series’ new prototype class for 2010 is said to represent an affordable “value engineered” entry to Le Mans prototype racing. It is a highly sophisticated race car with a full carbon fiber chassis, carbon brakes and an Xtrac sequential gearbox with paddle shifting. All LMPC cars will race on single-supply tires. The prototype was originally introduced earlier this year as part of the Le Mans Series in Europe. It was also showcased as part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend through the collaborative efforts of the ACO and ORECA/DPPI. The race car has a minimum weight of 900 kilograms which is similar to other cars in LMP, but its horsepower is 450 hp which is much less than the LMP cars which range from 500-700 hp. In 2010, LMP1 and LMP2 cars will compete as a single LMP class with exception of the Series’ two endurance classics - the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida and Petit Le Mans. Those races will continue to adhere to the ACO technical rules for LMP1 and LMP2.

(de Ferran Motorsports)
To mark his final race before retirement from professional driving, two-time IndyCar Champion and 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran has been appointed Grand Marshal at Laguna Seca for the the final round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series on October 10, the Monterey Sports Car Championships. In deference to motor sport legend Jim Hall - the man who gave de Ferran his first drive in IndyCars - the No. 66 XM Radio de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a will feature the famous bright white color scheme as displayed by Hall's revolutionary Chaparral sportscars during the Sixties and Seventies. Hall founded Chaparral Cars in the early Sixties and is considered one of motor sport's greatest innovators. With spoilers, high wings, composites and other technical advances developed with the close assistance of Chevrolet engineers, his famous Chaparral race cars - always painted white and often running the number 66 - were pioneers in aerodynamics and race car construction, and they forever changed the face of race car design. In later years Hall switched to open-wheelers winning the Indianapolis 500 first as a constructor with Chaparral and then as an entrant. In 1995 he invited Gil de Ferran to race for his team. de Ferran won the 'Rookie of the Year' award in his debut season scoring his first maiden win in the final round of the year at Laguna Seca. de Ferran was a consistent front-runner the following year winning at Cleveland to give Hall, who retired from the sport at the end of the 1996 campaign, a final victory. "It's going to be an emotional occasion and a great honor to be Grand Marshal," de Ferran said. "Along with Roger Penske and Jackie Stewart, Jim Hall has been one of the three greatest mentors during my career. Interestingly, I won my first IndyCar race with Jim at Laguna in 1995 and enjoyed two successful seasons racing for him when I first came to America. And it's in respect of what Jim did for me that since we established de Ferran Motorsports our Acuras have been running the same number 66 that he used on so many of his iconic Chaparrals. Now we are going one step further by recreating the famous Chaparral livery for my final race in California." A treat for fans in attendance? Hall himself will be present at Laguna Seca together with two of his celebrated Chaparral racers, plus the yellow Penzoil IndyCar which de Ferran drove to his milestone maiden victory at the same circuit in 1995. All three cars will be on public display throughout and performing demonstration laps during the event. "It's very nice that Gil has chosen to honor me in some way at what's obviously a very special event for him," says Hall. "We certainly had a good run with him for a couple of years and I really enjoyed watching his career develop thereafter. It gave me a lot of satisfaction seeing him do so well. He kindly gives me a lot of credit for the part I played in boosting his career along but Gil did it for himself - he's the guy with the talent and the skill plus the work ethic needed to succeed. I give him at least 99 per cent of the credit but I greatly appreciate the fact that he's thankful for the part I played in his career."

 Racing Geeks. Publisher's Note: Check out the behind-the-scenes video for the new Playstation commercial shot by my friend Jeff Zwart at Laguna Seca here. Too much fun! - PMD

(Mark Weber image)
Michael Varacins, of Burlington, Wis., was selected as the 39th annual recipient of the prestigious Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) Mark Donohue Award at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs this past weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Varacins, 34, raced his Speed Sport Engineering AM-5 Formula Vee to an impressive 25-second victory over his 40 other competitors from the pole position to earn his first SCCA national championship in nine appearances. He finished second in the category in the previous three years at the Runoffs. His margin of victory was the largest in the Formula Vee class since RRDC member Dave Wietzenhof won his event by 63.8 seconds in 1972. Varacins' win also capped a dream season that concluded with the coveted SCCA Super Sweep, which rewards a driver winning the Runoffs, his Divisional point title, a key qualifying event and the nationwide point title all in the same class. Every year, the RRDC Mark Donohue Award trophy is an engraved glass top mounted on a special, racing-experienced wheel, provided through the efforts of an RRDC member. This year’s wheel was raced on the Patron Highcroft Racing Acura driven by David Brabham and Scott Sharp to victory from the pole in the 2008 American Le Mans Series race in Lime Rock, Conn. It was the first overall win for the team and the first for Acura in the ALMS. RRDC President Bobby Rahal, a Runoffs champion long before he won the Indianapolis 500, emphasized the Mark Donohue Award is “about personal spirit and performance behind the wheel. Those qualities are more important for this award than winning the race. This year Michael Varacins excelled at both.” Varacins will officially be presented the award at the SCCA Convention in Las Vegas, Feb. 19-21.

Publisher's Note: My friend Paul Wilbur, who is the president and CEO of Aptera Motors, sent the following note along with photos he took last weekend at the Coronado Festival of Speed. "This past weekend in San Diego was the 'Coronado Festival of Speed,' located on the local Navy base on Coronado Island in San Diego.  It was a beautiful day and the event was set up exactly like the Monterey Historic Races.  There were a number of Devins and Listers in the crowd and even a real, original Cheetah with 4 drum brakes and center mounted Chevy V8.  From a Road America standpoint, the event was a 6 in comparison (very few CanAm cars), but for San Diego, it was a 12.  The grand stands were full on both Saturday and Sunday.  Take a look and enjoy!" We did - and we did! Thanks to Paul for his photo tour of the event. - PMD

 

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