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2005
AMERICAN LE MANS (ALM)
- 53rd
Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 19, 2005
- SEASON OPENER
FOR ALM
- SEBRING 12
Hours, Sebring International Raceway, FL
- Race start:
10:45 a.m. Saturday, March 19, 2005
- LAST
YEAR - 2004 SEBRING RESULT:
1
AUDI R8, Frank Biela, Alan McNish, Pierre Kaffer Audi Sport UK,
350 LAPS
2 AUDI R8, JJ Lehto, Marco Werner, Emanuele Pirro, DT Champion Racing
+5 laps
3 AUDI R8, Johnny Herbert, Jamie Davies, Guy Smith +12 laps
2005
RACE RESULT: SEBRING 12 HOURS
FINAL
RESULT AFTER 12 HOURS
- 1 P1,
AUDI R8, JJ Lehto, M.Werner, T.Kristensen , 361 laps
LEHTO: "It cannot be any tougher than it was today.
It was so close until the end. This victory is really for Dave Maraj.
We have been so close in the last couple of years always finishing
second. Now it was even a one and two. Champion Racing did a fantastic
job. Two cars both running so strong -- the team did an incredible
job today."
- 2 P1,
AUDI R8, F.Biela, E.Pirro, A.McNish +6.3s
(*the closest margin of victory in Sebring 12H history*)
McNISH: "This has been the most exciting race I've been involved
in. Less than seven seconds of difference after twelve hours of
racing and the gap never being more than 30 proves how hot the race
was. It was a very good start for Audi and Champion Racing considering
that this is presumably the last year for the Audi R8. Now let's
go to Le Mans!"
- 3 P1,
LOLA, J.Weaver, B.Leitzinger, A.Wallace +20 laps
- 4
GT1,
ASTON MARTIN DB9, D.Brabham, D.Turner, S.Ortelli +23 laps
BRABHAM: "Aston Martin is back! This is just such
a fantastic achievement for everyone involved in the programme.
The team were just superb - to come here and beat such a strong
Corvette team is a massive achievement for Aston Martin Racing."
- 5 GT1,
CORVETTE C6-R,
R.Fellows, J.O'Connell, M.Papis
- 6 GT1,
CORVETTE C6-R,
O.Gavin, O.Beretta, J.Magnussen
- 7
GT2,
PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR, L.Luhr, P.Long, J.Bergmeister
- 8 GT1, SALEEN,
T.Borcheller, J.Mowlem, R.Kelleners
- 9 GT1, MASERATI,
A.Bertolini, F.Babini, F.De Simone
- 10 GT1, CORVETTE
C6-R, A.Figge, R.Dalziel, D.Empringham
GT1 CLASS
RESULT
- 1. Brabham/Turner/Ortelli
Aston Martin
2. Fellows/O'Connell/Papis Corvette
3. Gavin/Magnussen/Beretta Corvette
4. Borcheller/Mowlem/Kelleners ACEMCO Saleen
5. Bertollini/De Simone/Babini Maserati
6. Figge/Dalziel/Empringham Corvette
7. Weickardt/Rugolo/Belloc Viper
8. Kox/Lamy/Sarrazin Aston Martin
9. Sutherland/Smith/Cole Saleen
10. Bouchut/Bourdais/Golin Ferrari
GT2 CLASS
RESULT
- 1. Long/Bergmeister/Luhr
Porsche
2. Jackson/Sugden/Jonsson J3 Porsche
3. van Overbeek/Fogarty/Law Porsche
4. Krohn/Sluszny/Cawley Porsche
5. Barazi/Vergers/Thompson Porsche
6. Ivankovich/Pumpelly/Lally Porsche
7. Maxwell/Sellers/Jeannette Panoz
8. Burgess/Rockenfeller/Jensen Porsche
9. Hyne/Pearce/Dean Porsche
10. Tomilson/Hughes/Kane TVR
AFTER
9 HOURS / 12
- 1 P1,
AUDI R8, JJ Lehto, M.Werner, T.Kristensen , 265 laps
- 2 P1, AUDI
R8, F.Biela, E.Pirro, A.McNish +7.3
- 3 GT1, ASTON
MARTIN DB9, D.Brabham, D.Turner, S.Ortelli +14 laps
- 4 GT1, CORVETTE
C6-R, R.Fellows, J.O'Connell, M.Papis +17 laps
- 5 LOLA, J.Weaver,
B.Leitzinger, A.Wallace
- 6 GT1, SALEEN,
T.Borcheller, J.Mowlem, R.Kelleners
- 7 P2, COURAGE,
P.Bennett, I.Mitchell, H.Primat
- 8 GT2, PORSCHE,
L.Luhr, P.Long, J.Bergmeister
- 9 GT1, CORVETTE,
O.Gavin, O.Beretta, J.Magnussen
- 10 GT2, PORSCHE,
J.Jackson, T.Sugden
QUALIFYING:
JJ
LEHTO ON POLE: Grid based
on practice times after qualifying session was cancelled by rain.
GRID,
PROTYPE CLASS
- 1 JJ
Lehto , Audi R8 1m 49.723s (Tom Kristensen, Marco Werner)
"I
got pole at Sebring for two years in a row now. We were a bit lucky
this time, but we would have been able to achieve this also in qualifying.
Conditions have been very difficult so far. The track has been bad
as never before in the previous years and we don't know yet how
the rain will affect the track. But I am pretty confident. The car
is good and I am happy I have such a good team around me."
- 2 Emanuele
Pirro, Audi R8 +0.33s (Allan McNish, Frank Biela)
"Normally
at Sebring there is every day more rubber on the track and you get
more and more grip. This time this was not the case due to the changing
weather conditions. We had to modify the set-up a little bit and
I am very happy with the work we did. Both our cars very equally
fast in all the sessions. We have a very good setup for the race,
so I'm looking forward to it."
GRID,
GT1 CLASS
- 1.
Gavin/Magnussen/Beretta Corvette
2. Fellows/O'Connell/Papis Corvette
3. Borcheller/Mowlem/Kelleners ACEMCO Saleen
4. Kox/Lamy/Sarrazin Aston Martin
5. Brabham Turner Ortelli Aston Martin
6. Figge/Dalziel/Empringham Corvette
7. Weickardt/Rugolo/Belloc Viper
8. Bouchut/Bourdais/Golin Ferrari
9. Bertollini/De Simone/Babini Maserati
10. Sutherland/Smith/Cole Saleen
GRID,
GT2 CLASS
- 1.
Long/Bergmeister/Luhr Porsche
2. Auberlen/Liddell/Naspetti Panoz
3. Bernhard/Dumas/Maassen AJR Porsche
4. van Overbeek/Fogarty/Law Porsche
5. Maxwell/Sellers/Jeannette Panoz
6. Pobst/Baas/Cunningham AJR Porsche
7. Pechnik/Neiman/Mury Porsche
8. Ehret/Buckler/Davis Porsche
9. Burgess/Rockenfeller/Jensen Porsche
10. Jackson/Sugden/Jonsson Porsche
RACE
PREVIEW:
PRESS
RELEASE
ASTON
MARTIN DEBUT
Aston Martin Racing
Confirms Driver Line-Up for 12 Hours of Sebring
Aston Martin Racing
has officially confirmed the driver line-up for its two DBR9 entries
at the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. David Brabham, Stephane Ortelli
and Darren Turner will drive car number 57, in green and yellow livery
and driving car number 58, in green and red, will be Peter Kox, Pedro
Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin. The colours echo those first seen on the
DB3S Works cars in the 1950s.
George Howard-Chappell,
Team Principal of Aston Martin Racing, said: "I'm sure enthusiasts
around the world will share in the team's excitement at Aston Martin's
long awaited return to the race track. "The
12 Hours of Sebring will undoubtedly be a tough race debut for the
all- new DBR9, but we regard it as a critical milestone in our testing
and development programme leading up to the Le Mans 24 Hour race in
June.
The results we
have achieved from our testing and development programme so far -
including a test session at Sebring earlier this year - have been
encouraging, but looking ahead to the race, clearly there are many
unknowns. The team has been working hard in preparation for Sebring,
but we have yet to run in a race environment. Regardless of the outcome
at Sebring it will prove an invaluable learning experience for us."
Aston Martin last
appeared at Sebring in 1983 when two prototypes - the Nimrod - finished
fifth overall. Aston Martin has a lengthy history at the Sebring circuit
dating back to 1950 when three DB2s competed in what was then a 6-hour
competition. In 1953 a DB3 achieved Aston Martin's best ever finish
with a class win and an overall second place. Some three years later,
driving a DB3S, the Le Mans winning team of Carroll Shelby and Roy
Salvadori took fourth place overall and in 1958 Stirling Moss set
the fastest race lap in a DBR1.
TEAM ADT
CHAMPION RACING SEEKS FIRST VICTORY AT THE 12 HOURS OF SEBRING (MAR
11, 2005)
After taking the
runners-up spot four times in succession, Team ADT Champion Racing
(Pompano Beach, FL), targets its first win at America's premier sports
car race and one of the world's most famous endurance tests, the 53rd
running of the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway
March 19. The storied 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course annually serves
as the season opener for the American Le Mans Series.
This season also
marks the farewell tour for the Audi R8, which will be replaced next
year by a new model. The Audi R8, the most successful Le Mans prototype
ever produced, made its race debut exactly five years ago at Sebring
and remains unbeaten in the American endurance classic. Throughout
its impressive history, the Audi R8 has celebrated 52 wins in 62 sports
car races.
Team ADT Champion
Racing shows no reservation this year, as they will enter two Audi
R8 sports cars in all ten of the American Le Mans Series races as
well as the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race in June. Piloting the two
cars at Sebring and Le Mans is a genuine "Dream Team" of
drivers: Audi "works" drivers Tom Kristensen, Frank Biela,
Emanuele Pirro, Marco Werner and Allan McNish along with world renowned,
former Formula 1 driver, JJ Lehto. All six Audi drivers have won the
12 Hours of Sebring at least once.
Frank Biela (Neuss,
Germany) can become the first driver in the long and prestigious history
of the event to win four Sebring championships should he capture the
title this year. He is one of only five drivers to post three (3)
victories in the 52-year history of Sebring with wins in 2004, 2003
and 2000. The other four are Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, Hans Stuck
and Olivier Gendebien.
TEAM ADT
CHAMPION RACING AUDI R8 #1
- Tom Kristensen
(Den) 12 Hours of Sebring -- sixth career appearance including 2005
American Le Mans Series record: 2002 LMP 900 Champion - 22 starts,
8 wins
"I can't
imagine a better place to start the season. The first race of the
year is always something very special, but Sebring is one of the
genuine classics. It's about time that Champion Racing finally wins
this race. Obviously the same can be said about Le Mans. I will
compete in both races for the team and will give everything. I drove
in one ALMS race for Champion in 2002, which helped me then to win
the title. Perhaps I can give something back to the team that competes
in motorsports with so much enthusiasm and passion. I drove together
with JJ in 1999. I drive with Marco for the first time -- but I
know just how quick he is in a sportscar."
- JJ Lehto (Fin)
12 Hours of Sebring -- seventh career appearance including 2005
American Le Mans Series record: 2004 LMP 900 Champion - 48 starts,
20 wins
"Having
tested at Sebring in December and again for three days in January/February
and then visiting New York on an ALMS promotion in February, it
feels like the ALMS season never finished since last year! We completed
our test program which means we can return with a good set-up. The
last test allowed all six drivers to get acclimated to the team
and each other and it worked out fine. The weather will be warmer
in March and the track conditions will be different but I'm certain
we'll be in good shape. Since my 1999 Sebring victory, I haven't
enjoyed the best of luck but it has always been close. "
- Marco Werner
(D) 12 Hours of Sebring -- third career appearance including 2005
American Le Mans Series record: 2003 & 2004 LMP 900 Champion
- 18 starts, 11 wins
"After the
jubilation of winning in 2003 on my Sebring debut, last year's race
was very disappointing. I touched a slower GT car at Turn 1 causing
damage, which forced us to lose nine laps making repairs in the
pits. We recovered to finish second at the chequer but it was a
shame to miss out in this way. Obviously I dream about winning Sebring
- and my first Le Mans -- but also about retaining the ALMS title
in 2005. Sebring will be tough but it's good training for the year
ahead. The test was productive but you also need a little luck to
win a race like Sebring - as I found out last year."
TEAM ADT
CHAMPION RACING AUDI R8 #2
- Frank Biela
(D) 12 Hours of Sebring -- seventh career appearance including 2005
American Le Mans Series record: 2003 LMP 900 Champion - 41 starts,
15 wins
"Champion
Racing are a well equipped squad -- they have good, experienced
personnel and are based at impressive workshops in Pompano Beach,
FL. They have done a good job in recent years in ALMS and of course
won the series with JJ [Lehto] and my ex-co driver Marco [Werner]
last year and I'm certain that we'll be competitive this year. The
atmosphere is really good throughout the team and it's an impressive
squad of drivers for both cars. I'm really looking forward to be
driving in ALMS regularly again this year and it's always good to
drive the Audi R8."
- Allan McNish
(GB) 12 Hours of Sebring -- third career appearance including 2005
American Le Mans Series record: 2000 LMP 900 Champion - 19 starts,
7 wins
"I'd love
to win Sebring again after last year's victory with Audi UK but
it will be tough - not only 'internally' against Champion's 'sister'
car but the challenge from the Dyson team. But I'm certain the Audi
R8 will again be strong and Champion will provide a potential race-winning
car. Sebring is a fantastic race where the crowd is a major part
of the atmosphere, which makes it a totally unique experience. Tom
[Kristensen] and I join Champion for only Sebring and Le Mans, our
main program is for Audi's 'works' DTM program, but this type of
racing is strongly in my mind."
- Emanuele Pirro
(It) 12 Hours of Sebring -- seventh career appearance including
2005
American Le Mans Series record: 2001 LMP 900 Champion - 33 starts,
9 wins
"There is
good motivation in the team which gives me confidence. I drove with
Champion at Sebring and Le Mans last year. While I've driven many
races with Frank, I've never shared a car with Allan [McNish] but
our driving styles are well suited which means no one needs to make
compromises which is very important. The Audi R8 gives me a lot
of pleasure to drive. Sebring is a physically demanding track -
more so than Le Mans. Like JJ [Lehto], since my Sebring victory
[2000] I've always been in a competitive car but have just missed
out on winning each time due to little problems. I hope it changes
for 2005."
Dave Maraj, Team
ADT Champion Racing Owner. "We are very excited going into this
2005 season and especially this first race. We have finished second
four times in succession in Sebring. We feel that this year with the
two car effort and with six of the world's best drivers, we finally
will have the opportunity to win this prestigious event."
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich,
Head of Audi Motorsport. "Up till now the Audi R8 remains unbeaten
in Sebring and this should also be the case in what is probably its
last season. That's why we have made five of our best works drivers,
who all know how to win at Sebring, available for Team ADT Champion
Racing. At the same time the team will use this race as preparation
for the 24 Hours of Le Mans -- a strategy that has often paid off
in the previous years with a victory at Le Mans." (ADT Champion
Racing) |
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