There are 46 American Le Mans Series cars on the grounds. The #68 GT Atomic Kitten Racing Chevrolet Corvette C5 is the only one of the 47 entered cars that did not arrive.
THURSDAY OCT 4, 2001
Changes to the entry list as of 10/4:
#15 GT Porsche 911 GT3 R -- add drivers Taz Harvey and Derek Higgins.
#42 GT BMW M3 GTR -- delete driver Jorg Muller, add driver Fredrik Ekblom
#43 GT BMW M3 GTR -- delete driver Fredrik Ekblom, add driver Jorg Muller.
#34 GT Porsche 911 GT3 RS -- add driver Tony Kester.
#52 GT Porsche 911 GT3 R -- delete driver Andrew Bagnall, add drivers Stefano Buttiero and Hugh Plumb.
#68 GT Chevrolet Corvette C5 has been withdrawn.
#40 P675 Reynard 2KQ ROC/Volkswagen has been withdrawn.
# 9 GT BMW M3 GTR has been withrdrawn. This brings the entry list to 43 cars.
#19 GTS Viper GTS-R -- add driver Dino Steiner.
#25 GTS Saleen S7R -- add driver Tony Seiler.
#29 GT Porsche 911 GT3 R -- add driver Hugh Hayden.
#37 P900 Lola-Judd -- add driver Mark Neuhaus.
#44 GTS Viper GTS-R -- add driver Kevin Allen.
#69 GT Porsche 911 GT3 R -- add driver Doc Bundy.
Combined P900, P675, GTS and GT practice (1-hour session):
At 10:15, green flag.
At 10:34, #52-GT Porsche 911 GT3-RS off course and stopped between turns 6 and 7, will need to be towed at the end of the session, apparently mechanical problem.
At 10:36, #51-P900 Panoz LMP1 Roadster S (Klaus Graf) into the wall at turn 2. The driver reports contact with another car forced him off, hard contact on the front of the car. The crew thinks the entire front of the car will need to be replaced. Driver Graf is heading to the infield medical center for a precautionary check. Graf was checked and released to drive.
At 10:36, black flag all.
At 10:50, green flag.
At 11:15, car #47-GT Porsche 911 GT3 R has made slight contact with the wall in turn 3 and continued.
At 11:17, checkered flag.
In all, 41 of 43 cars practiced. Cars #32-GT Porsche 911 GT3-RS and #35-GT Porsche 911 GT3 RS did not take to the track.
Top three in class:
#50-P900 Panoz LMP1 Roadster S - 1:12.121, #51-P900 Panoz LMP1 Roadster S - 1:12.389, #38-P900 Audi R8 - 1:12.959
#5-P675 Reynard 01Q/Judd - 1:16.6.12, #57-P675 Reynard 01Q/Judd 1:16.912, #38-P900 Audi R8 - 1:16.945
#3-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R - 1:19.436, #4-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R - 1:19.724, #26-GTS Saleen S7R - 1:20.344
#43-GT BMW M3 GTR - 1:22.096, #6-GT BMW M3 GTR - 1:22.607, #10-GT BMW M3 GTR - 1:23.308
The next combined practice is scheduled for 2:00 pm today.
Afternoon Practice
Chris Bingham (#05-GTS Saleen S7R) and road manager Greg Baylis of Park Place Racing/Fordahl Motorsports were involved in a highway accident Monday on route to Road Atlanta from Florida. On an entrance ramp from I-75 to I-475 in Macon Georgia, their motor coach was hit by an electronic construction sign. The split windshield in front of Bingham (who was driving) was only buckled, but for passenger Baylis, the glass shattered into the coach. Baylis said "We were behind our transporter in our motor coach. We went around a corner of the construction and the construction people had this sign board in the lane. It was hanging out it enough that it impacted our windshield. The impact was enough that it lifted me out of my seat and blew glass 45 feet to the back of the bus. I had glass shards embedded all over me, even in my ears. Luckily, I had put my sunglasses on 15 to 20 minutes sooner which had protected my eyes."
According to Bingham "It was an interesting experience. There was a little area with this big electronic sign, maybe 2 feet wide by 10 feet high. I was right on the line and when the coach leaned a little bit, the sign clipped the windshield. The police said the sign should have been farther back. I called the team truck directly ahead of us and said we blue the windshield out. We pulled over as soon as we could. We were lucky. Gatroz sunglasses did their job" (The sunglass company endorses Bingham and also gives a pair of glasses to the team members).
ALMS Combined P900, P675, GTS and GT practice (one hour session):
From Michelin tire engineers, current temperature is 84 with a track temperature of 104.
At 2:00, green flag.
At 2:08, car #57-P675 Reynard 01Q/Judd is reported with a loose rear wing support, returns to the pits to be checked.
At 2:11, car #6-GT BMW M3 GTR is reported with a leak, possibly fuel.
At 2:14, car #30-GT Porsche 911 GT3-RS is reported slowing on course, makes it to the pits.
At 2:16, car #47-GT Porsche 911 GT3 R (John Warner) off course and stopped into the tire barrier, driver is out of car and ok, but being taken to the infield medical center because of back problems (prior to entering car). According to Sam Barrow, MD (track medical director), Warner was transported to the Northeast Georgia Regional Medical Center in Gainesville for precautionary x-rays and evaluation for his back.
At 2:16, black flag all to retrieve the #47 car.
At 2:25, green flag.
At 2:36, car #30-GT Porsche 911 GT3-RS enters the pits with something dragging underneath, possibly the diffuser.
At 2:40, car #7-P900 Cadillac LMP 01 spun and continued at turn 7.
At 2:42, black flag all. Car #37-P900 Lola B2K/10/Judd (Mark Neuhaus) has stopped and is high-sided at turn 7.
At 2:46, green flag.
At 2:49, car #26-GTS Saleen S7R into the tire wall at turn 5, and continued.
At 2:53, car #22-GT Porsche 911 GT3-RS into the pits smoking heavily.
At 3:00, checkered flag.
Top three in class:
#50-P900 Panoz LMP1 Roadster S - 1:12.517, #1-P900 Audi R8 - 1:13.001, #2-P900 Audi R8 - 1:13.320
#5-P675 Reynard 01Q/Judd - 1:15.424, #57-P675 Reynard 01Q/Judd - 1:18.105, #39-P675 Reynard 2KQ ROC/Volkswagen - 1:19.244
#05-GTS Saleen S7R - 1:21.111, #4-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R - 1:21.312, #26-GTS Saleen S7R - 1:21.795
#42-GT BMW M3 GTR - 1:23.405, #43-GT BMW M3 GTR - 1:23.491, #23-GT Porsche 911 GT3-RS - 1:23.650
A total of 39 out of 43 cars practiced. #19, #35, #51 and #52 did not post a time.
Created and Designed by John Favata
