CAPELLO, KRISTENSEN SCORE SEARS POINT ALMS VICTORY
Pit stop strategy helped Rinaldo Capello and
Tom Kristensen score a victory Sunday at Sears Point Raceway in the American
Le Mans Series The X-Factor Grand Prix of Sonoma.
The drivers benefited from a team decision to stretch time between pit
stops in the two-hour, 45-minute sports car endurance race. The decision
allowed the team to make its final pit stop into a 20-second fuel splash
that kept the Audi R8 in the race lead.
Capello, from Italy, and Denmark's Kristensen scored a 6.674-second win
over Audi teammates Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela. Capello, the ALMS points
leader, won for the third time in three races this season.
"Our cars were very even," said Capello of the two Audi factory machines.
"It was only the traffic that separated us on the track. But they made the
wrong strategy and you can see the result."
David Brabham and Jan Magnussen, driving a Panoz LMP-1, finished third, on
the lead lap with the two Audis. The race was the first for the ALMS in four
months, and six remain in the series championship schedule.
Corvette drivers Ron Fellows of Canada and Johnny O'Connell of Flowery
Branch, Ga., finished fifth overall and took honors in the GTS class for the
second time in three races. They beat Corvette teammates Andy Pilgrim and
Kelly Collins by 5.3 seconds.
The GT class victory went to former Formula One and CART driver JJ Lehto of
Finland, who teamed with Jorg Muller of Germany to finish seventh overall.
Driving a BMW M3 GTR, Lehto and Muller led a BMW sweep of the top four spots
in GT, the first loss in the series this year for Porsche.
The GT cars of Fredrik Ekblom and Hans Stuck collided on the last lap while
battling for second place in class, with Stuck spinning and losing the
position to Ekblom. After the race, officials of Professional Sports Car
Racing, the sanctioning body for the ALMS, announced that Ekblom was
penalized 35 seconds, which placed him behind Stuck in the final finish
order. In addition, Ekblom was placed on probation for one race.
Officials of SPORTS CAR also announced that Magnussen would be fined $5,000
for attempting to perform a "donut" maneuver on pit lane following the race.
The next race for the American Le Mans Series will be the Grand Prix of
Portland on Aug. 5 at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway.
SONOMA, Calif. -- Finish of Sunday's American Le Mans Series The X-Factor
Grand Prix of Sonoma sports car endurance race at 2.52-mile Sears Point
Raceway with starting position in parentheses, drivers, hometown or country,
type car, laps completed, reason out, if any:
1. (1) Rinaldo Capello, Italy; Tom Kristensen, Denmark; Audi R8, 107.
2. (2) Emanuele Pirro, Italy; Frank Biela, Germany; Audi R8, 107.
3. (4) David Brabham, Australia; Jan Magnussen, Denmark; Panoz LMP-1, 106.
4. (3) Andy Wallace, England; Johnny Herbert, England; Audi R8, 106.
5. (10) Ron Fellows, Canada; Johnny O'Connell, Flowery Branch, Ga.; Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, 97.
6. (11) Kelly Collins, Corona del Mar, Calif.; Andy Pilgrim, Aventura, Fla.; Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, 97.
7. (15) Jorg Muller, Germany; JJ Lehto, Finland; BMW M3 GTR, 96.
8. (14) Boris Said, Carlsbad, Calif.; Hans Stuck, Austria, BMW M3 GTR, 96.
9. (12) Dirk Muller, Germany; Fredrik Ekblom, Sweden; BMW M3 GTR, 96.
10. (13) Niclas Jonsson, Sweden; Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, Calif.; BMW M3 GTR, 95.
11. (18) Sascha Maassen, Germany; Lucas Luhr, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 95.
12. (5) Emmanuel Collard, England; Christophe Tinseau, France; Cadillac LMP 01, 95.
13. (9) Didier de Radigues, Belgium; Milka Duno, Venezuela; John Graham, Canada; Reynard 01Q-Judd, 95.
14. (20) Johnny Mowlem, England; Timo Bernhard, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 95.
15. (25) Jon Field, Dublin, Ohio; Rick Sutherland, Los Gatos, Calif.; Lola 95.
16. (8) Terry Borcheller, Phoenix; Franz Konrad, Germany; Saleen S7R, 95.
17. (19) Kevin Buckler, Sonoma, Calif.; Tyler McQuarrie, Walnut Creek, Calif.; Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 94.
18. (17) Shane Lewis, Jupiter, Fla.; Jeff Altenburg, Cantonsville, Md.; Mike Silcox, Indianapolis; Dodge Viper GTS-R, 94.
19. (23) Robert Orcutt, Santa Cruz, Calif.; Vic Rice, San Rafael, Calif.; Porsche 911 GT3 R, 91.
20. (22) Phillip Colin, Lincolnshire, Ill.; Tony Burgess, Canada; Porsche 911 GT3 R, 88.
21. (26) Gene Martindale, Vincennes, Ind.; Tom Weickardt, Whitefish Bay, Wis.; Dana Brewer, San Diego; Dodge Viper GTS-R, 86.
22. (24) Randy Wars, Mexico; Grady Willingham, Birmingham, Ala.; David McEntee, Novato, Calif.; Porsche 911 GT3 R, 83.
23. (16) Randy Pobst, Melbourne, Fla.; Christian Menzel, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 82, drive shaft.
24. (6) Wayne Taylor, Altamonte Springs, Fla.; Max Angelelli, Italy; Cadillac LMP 01, 52, lost wheel.
25. (21) Jeff Pabst, Canada; Kye Wankum, Canada; Joe Foster, Atlanta; Porsche 911 GT3 R, 31, accident.
26. (7) Franck Lagorce, France; Klaus Graf, Germany; Panoz LMP-1, 18, mechanical.
Created and Designed by John Favata
