The 51st Annual Mobil 1
12 Hours of Sebring
Presented by Dodge
March 12-15, 2003
Tuesday Testing Report
Photo Courtesy:IMSA & Rick Dole
For the second consecutive day, Emanuele Pirro was on top of the speed charts Tuesday as American Le Mans Series teams tested their cars for Saturday’s season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Pirro, the 2001 American Le Mans Series champion, drove the ADT Champion Audi R8 to a lap of 1:49.819, fastest of the 46 cars that recorded times during Tuesday’s unofficial testing session. Official practice will be held Wednesday, with qualifying set for Thursday.
Pirro was also fast in Monday’s test session in the Audi Prototype that he will co-drive with Stefan Johansson and JJ Lehto in Saturday’s race. Pirro, who was part of the winning team at Sebring in 2000, joined the Florida-based Champion team this season after three years as part of the factory Audi team.
Frank Biela, driving the Infineon Team Joest Audi R8, was second-fastest on Tuesday with a lap of 1:49.824. Biela and Pirro were co-drivers on the factory team the past three seasons, but Biela will team with Phillip Peter and Marco Werner in the Sebring event.
A big surprise in Tuesday’s testing was the speed posted by the LMP 675 car co-driven by John Nielsen and Hayanari Shimoda, third-fastest overall at 1:50.823. The car, a DBA4-03S powered by a Zytek engine, edged the Bentley Speed 8 of David Brabham, Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell, which posted a lap of 1:51.000. Rounding out the top five was the Dyson Racing Lola EX257-MG, also running in the LMP 675 class, which was clocked at 1:51.603. James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace are co-driving the car.
Competition on the testing day was also close in the production classes. In GTS, the Veloqx Prodrive Ferrari 550 Maranello of Anthony Davidson, Darren Turner and Kelvin Burt led the way with a lap of 2:00.206. Close behind was the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R of Oliver Gavin, Kelly Collins and Andy Pilgrim at 2:00.438, followed by the other factory ‘Vette of Ron Fellows, Franck Freon and Johnny O’Connell at 2:01.347.
In the GT class, defending series champions Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr asserted themselves to lead the class with a lap of 2:07.123 in the Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The Petersen Motorsports Porsche, driven by Nic Jonsson, Johnny Mowlem and Craig Stanton, was a close second at 2:07.181, followed by the second Job Porsche driven by Jorg Bergmeister and Timo Bernhard at 2:07.275.
Tuesday test results:
1
Pirro/Lehto/Johansson, Audi R8
38
LMP900/GTP
1:49.819
2
Biela, Peter, Werner; Audi R8
1
LMP900/GTP
1:49.824
3
Nielsen, Shimoda; DBA4-03S-Zytek
15
LMP675
1:50.823
4
Brabham, Herbert, Blundell; Bentley Speed 8
8
LMP900/GTP
1:51.000
5
Weaver, Wallace, Leitzinger; Lola EX257-MG
16
LMP675
1:51.603
6
Theys, Van de Poele, Lienhard; Dallara-MG
27
LMP900/GTP
1:51.889
7
Kane, McCarthy, Salo; Audi R8
9
LMP900/GTP
1:52.268
8
Dyson, De Radigues, Block; Lola EX257-MG
20
LMP675
1:52.954
9
Magnussen, Goossens, Matthews; Riley & Scott MkIIIC-Yates
36
LMP900/GTP
1:53.325
10
Beretta, Jeannette, Papis; Panoz LMP01
10
LMP900/GTP
1:53.667
11
Andrews, Keen, Oberto; Lola B2K10-MG
77
LMP900/GTP
1:56.738
12
Dumas, Herta, Stirling; Reynard-Cosworth
01
LMP900/GTP
1:57.540
13
Lewis, Drissi, Cosmo ; Riley & Scott MkIIIC-Lincoln
12
LMP900/GTP
1:57.718
14
Davidson, Turner, Burt ; Ferrari 550 Maranello
80
GTS
2:00.206
15
Gavin, Collins, Pilgrim ; Chevrolet Corvette C5-R
4
GTS
2:00.438
16
James, Ziegelman, Roussel ; Norma M2000-Ford
87
LMP900/GTP
2:01.066
17
Fellows, O’Connell, Freon ; Chevrolet Corvette C5-R
3
GTS
2:01.100
18
Leuenberger, Graham, Maxwell ; Panoz LMP01
11
LMP900/GTP
2:01.145
19
Enge, Kox, Davies ; Ferrari 550 Maranello
88
GTS
2:01.347
20
Schiattarella, Naspetti, Cecotto ; Ferrari 550 Maranello
0
GTS
2:01.946
21
Konrad, Seiler, Nearn ; Saleen S7R
2
GTS
2:03.121
22
Weickardt, Altenburg ; Dodge Viper GTS-R
71
GTS
2:05.173
23
Hezemans, Kumpen, Belloc ; Pagani Zonda GR
17
GTS
2:05.844
24
Maassen, Luhr ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
23
GT
2:07.123
25
Jonsson, Stanton, Mowlem ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
31
GT
2:07.181
26
Bergmeister, Bernhard ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
24
GT
2:07.275
27
Lieb, Hindery, Baron ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
43
GT
2:08.073
28
Borcheller, Lazzaro, Kelleners ; Ferrari 360 Modena
35
GT
2:08.851
29
Gregoire, Babini, Pescatori ; Ferrari 360 Modena
28
GT
2:09.506
30
Bennett, Franchitti, McGarrity ; Ferrari 360 Modena
34
GT
2:09.996
31
Jackson, Murry ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
79
GT
2:10.154
32
Collin, Shep, Lloyd ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
52
GT
2:10.484
33
Masarati, Wamock, Liddell ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
60
GT
2:10.503
34
Buckler, Pace, Salazar ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
66
GT
2:10.681
35
Rosa, Caffi, Chiesa ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
53
GT
2:11.069
36
Whitehead, Zacharias, Davis ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
63
GT
2:11.396
37
Fomenko, Daoudi, Lechner ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
07
GT
2:11.514
38
Skelton, Nyberg, Foster ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
03
GT
2:12.040
39
Said, De Quesada, Jones ; BMW M3
40
GT
2:12.167
40
Hugenholtz, Simon, van Schoote ; Spyker C8 Double 12R
48
GT
2:12.228
41
Gleason, Bunting ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
68
GT
2:12.302
42
Sherman, Longhi, Assentato ; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
39
GT
2:13.554
43
Fitzgerald, Ja. Policastro ; Jo. Policastro; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
42
GT
2:13.752
44
Stanton, May, Barff; TVR
41
GT
2:14.075
45
Schrom, Ehret, Rice; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
67
GT
2:14.257
46
Hayden, Fisken, Donaldson; Porsche 911 GT3 RS
61
2003 Sebring Index
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