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NEW
BENTLEY SPEED 8
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2003
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES (5th
ALM CHAMPIONSHIP)
BIELA
& WERNER WINS CHAMPIONSHIP
ALM
CHAMPION: Frank Biela / Marco Werner, AUDI
- WERNER
(after Petit Le Mans):
".. This is unbelievable ... We had a lot of spins and accidents
and little problems with the car, but we still won the championship.
It feel great to come here as a new driver and win my first championship...."
- BIELA
(after Petit Le Mans):
".. I'm delighted ... It was hard work out there. The last
two races could have been better for us, but I thought we could
come here and do well .."
- GTS
CLASS CHAMPION: Johnny
O’ Connell / Ron Fellows, CORVETTE
- GT
CLASS CHAMPION: Sascha
Maassen / Lucas Luhr, PORSCHE
RACE
RESULTS:
-
FINAL
RACE: Petit Le Mans, Oct 18 -
won by AUDI (Lehto,
Herbert)
*
Frank Biela
/ Marco Werner wins 2003 ALM championship *
-
American
Le Mans Challenge at Miami, Sept 27
-
won by AUDI (Lehto,
Herbert)
*
Johnny O’
Connell / Ron Fellows wins 2003 GTS championship *
-
Laguna
Seca, Sep 7 -
won by AUDI (Biela,
Werner)
*
Sascha Maassen/Lucas Luhr wins 2003 GT championship *
-
Grand
Prix of Mosport, Aug 17 -
won by AUDI (Biela,
Werner)
-
Le
Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, Aug 10
-
won by AUDI (Biela,
Werner)
-
Grand
Prix of Sonoma, July 27, 2003 won by LPM 675 Lola EX257- MG
(Weaver,
Leitzinger) *** first time in ALM history a LMP675 car took pole
and race win ***
-
Round
2, GP of Atlanta, Georgia, June 29 - won by AUDI (Lehto,
Herbert)
-
Le
Mans 12 Hour - won by Bentley (Kristensen, Smith,
Capello)
-
Round
1, Sebring 12 Hours, MAR 14 - won by AUDI (Biela,
Werner, Peter)
*** return of Bentley to American racing in 81 years ***
2003
DRIVER STANDING:
- 1 Frank
Biela AUDI, 151 points
- =1
Marco Werner AUDI, 151
- 3 JJ Lehto
137
- 4 Johnny Herbert
134
- 5 Olivier Beretta
105
- 6 David Saelens
79
BRABHAM
& MAGNUSSEN JOIN FERRARI (JULY 15)
David Brabham will move down to GTS class and join the new
Prodrive Ferrari team. He will drive a Ferrari 550 Maranello with
Jan Magnussen. Until end of 2002 season, Brabahm was a regular driver
with the Panoz team. This year he raced Le Mans 24 Hours (June 14-15)
with the factory Bentley team and finshed runner-up. His first race
with Ferrari will be the Grand Prix of Sonoma California on July 27th.
BRABHAM: " .. I'm really excited to be back
in the American Le Mans Series .. and I'm just as excited to be driving
again with my old friend Jan Magnussen. I look forward to having some
great dices in the Ferrari against the Corvettes and with our old
friend Johnny O'Connell. It will be great fun .. "
2003
CALENDAR:
- 10 round championship
*
- March 15 to
October 18, 2003;
- series organised
by Panoz Motorsports
- *RACE
CANCELLATIONS
- Mexico race
scheduled for April 5th has been cancelled
- Washington
DC race scheduled for June 29th has also been cancelled
2003
TEAM / DRIVER CHANGES:
- NO FACTORY
AUDI TEAMS
- DORAN LISTA
Racing team returns to ALM after 3 years absence; they will contest
in P900 class with Dallara-MG. Nominated drivers are Didier Theys
and Fredy Lienhard, Jr.
- JJ LEHTO joins
AUDI Champion Racing team; Johnny Herbert will also drive for Champion
Racing except at Sebring 12 Hour. The team will race with 2001 spec
AUDI R8 with updates.
- MARCO WERNER
joins AUDI Joest Racing team
- PIRRO joins
AUDI Champion Racing team for Sebring and Le Mans 24H
- KRISTENSEN,
CAPELLO, SMITH join Bentley for Sebring and Le Mans 24H
- HERBERT, BRABHAM,
BLUNDELL join Bentley for Sebring and Le Mans 24H
- ANDY WALLACE
/ CHRIS DYSON, Dyson Racing
- JAMES WEAVER
/ BUTCH LEITZINGER, Dyson Racing
- MAX PAPIS (ex
CART driver) will drive for Panoz Racing in endurance races (Sebring,
Le Mans)
2003
CLASS:
- P900
(900 kg)
- P675
(675 kg)
- GTS
- GT
2003
CARS:
P900 and
GTP CLASS CARS
- Audi R8
- Lister Storm
LMP
- Panoz LMP01
/ EPP
- Riley &
Scott MK III C / Lincoln
- Dallara MG
- Lola B2K/10
/ MG
- Norma M2000-2
/ Ford
- Reynard / Cosworth
- NEW
BENTLEY - "Bentley Speed 8"
- the 2003 spec
Bentley will compete in Sebring 12 Hour and Le Mans 24 Hour races.
- Features:
- enclosed cockpit
- 4 litre twin
turbo engine
- new ‘snorkel’
type air intake at the sides
- new Michelin
tyres
- new suspension
- greater downforce,
better aerodynamics, lower car height
P675 CLASS
CARS
- Lola EX257
/ AER MG
- Lola B2K /
40 / Millington
- WR / Peugeot
- Pilbeam MP91/Willman
6
- Reynard / Nicholson
/
McLaren
GTS CLASS
CARS
- Ferrari 550
Maranello
- Saleen S7R
- Chevrolet Corvette
C5-R
- Dodge Viper
GTS-R
- Pagani Zonda
GT CLASS
CARS
- Porsche 911
GT3 RS
- Ferrari 360
Modena
- BMW M3
- TVR
- Morgan
- Lamborghini
GT-R
- Panoz Esperante
GTLM
- Chevrolet Corvette
C5-R
LAST
SEASON: 2002 CHAMPIONSHIP
- DRIVER
STANDING:
Tom Kristensen, Audi, 182 points, 3 WINS
Rinaldo Capello, Audi 180 points, 4 WINS
Johnny Herbert, Audi 164 points
Frank Biela, Audi 162 points
Emanuele Pirro, Audi 161 points
David Brabham, Panoz 141 points
- MANUFACTURER
STANDING:
Audi 197
Panoz 151
Lola 96
Riley & Scott 83
Cadillac 71
- 2002
LMP 675 CHAMPION: Jon Field, Lola MG
- 2002
GTS CHAMPION: Ron Fellows, Corvette
- 2002
GT CHAMPION: joint winner Lucas Luhr and Sascha Maassen,
Porsche
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- RACE
1: Sebring 12 Hours ,
March 15, 2003
- RACE 2: Grand
Prix of Mexico, April 5 **** CANCELLED ****
- RACE 3: Grand
Prix of Washington, D.C, June 29 **** CANCELLED ****
- RACE
4: Grand Prix of Sonoma, July 27
- RACE
5: Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres,
Aug 10
- RACE
6: Grand Prix of Mosport,
Aug 17
- RACE
7: Road America,
Aug 24
- RACE
8: Monterey Sports Car Championship,
Sept 7
- RACE
9: American Le Mans Challenge at Miami,
Sept 27
- RACE
10: Petit Le Mans,
Oct 18
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