Mazda Raceway American Le Mans Series Monterey 2011

Mazda Raceway American Le Mans Series Monterey

ModSpace American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón

Starts: 09/16/2011

Ends: 2011-09-18

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey, California

USA

ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey, presented by Patron. .

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is Round eight of a nine race season and will field a 36-car grid which is the Series' largest at the track since 2000.

The six-hour enduro, of the Monterey round will feature the return of two high-profile entries. The first is Aston Martin Racing with a Lola-Aston Martin coupe for Adrian Fernandez and Harold Primat, in addition to the stellar full-season field.

Fernandez and Primat finished second in their last ALMS race at Long Beach in 2010 driving the same car, and the factory entry will join Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing's Lola-Aston Martin on the grid.

Porsche's ground-breaking 911 GT3 R Hybrid is back at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with factory drivers Romain Dumas and Richard Lietz. The Porsche has seen numerous updates since the car raced last in the ALMS at Petit Le Mans, 2010.

The updates include a lighter motor, a reconfigured distribution system for stored energy that is transferred to a more efficient flywheel. Moreover, drivers can manually use the stored energy with a boost-paddle on the steering wheel for overtaking. The Porsche will run unclassified.

The driver, team and tire manufacturer championships chases for each of the four classes are still in contention as they enter this years race.

Racing Into Darkness
American Le Mans Series Monterey 2011
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

The 2011 ALM 6 Hour race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was a very entertaining day and provided a very racy show. There are 3 parts to a race. The events before the start. The events between the green and checker flag and the order of cars passing the checker flag.

The pre-race stuff sets the starting order, which in an endurance race usually doesn't mean much as the real racing between drivers and team really gets going near the end of the laps or time period. Except in this years GT class. Much however determines the finishing order and luck can always be a big thing.

From the Corkscrew, race day was all about hard driving. The rest of the stuff that happened on the rest of the track contributed to the finishing order and was most important to 'Why men and teams race cars'. But what was going on at the Corkscrew is why people are fans of racing and why we all sit on the ground for 6 hours, watching the same 30 or so cars go past lap after lap. Even with all the spins and flying dirt, the show between the winning Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 GT3 RSR Porsche #45 and Risi Competizione, F458 Italia Ferrari #62 was the moment.

Which GT car was the fastest? Depends on what part of the track one is driving. Each of the manufactures cars seemed to have its moment.

The battle between the Porsche, Ferrari and BMW was the most interesting with pushing and shoving in the 3 turns that make up the famous Corkscrew. Seeing the passing and pushing between drivers was the show. The overall team work created the finishing order. In my opinion, even though the LM1 class had the fastest and most advanced cars, the GT cars with their race prepared-looks-like-streetcars gave the most action.

The Prototype cars created the added drama with their higher speed and passing. Without the prototypes it would not have been the same.

Press Release
Finishing order Laguna Seca 2011-pdf
Starting Order Laguna Seca 2011-pdf

The Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 ltalia of Melo and Vilander bumps through the Corkscrew with the Flying Lizards Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Long and Bergmeister. Long and Bergmeister finished 1st in GT Class with Melo and Vilander coming in 3rd. American Le Mans Series Monterey 2011 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Finishing Order
LMP1
Overall Finish, 1; Class Finish, 1; Car No. 007; Drivers, Fernandez/Primat/ M&uumi;cke; Car, Lola B09 60 Aston Martin
Overall Finish, 2; Class Finish, 2; Car No. 16; Drivers, Dyson/Smih/Cochran e; Car, Lola BO9 86 Mazda
Overall Finish, 3; Class Finish, 3; Car No. 20; Drivers, Masaood/Kane/Leitzinger; Car, Lola BO9 86 Mazda
LMP2
Overall Finish, 4; Class Finish, 1; Car No. 055; Drivers, Tucker/Bouchut/Diaz; Car, HPD ARX-01G Lola Honda
LMPC
Overall Finish, 5; Class Finish, 1; Car No. 63; Drivers, Lux//Julian/Guasch; Car, Oreca FLM09
UNCLASSIFIED
Overall Finish, 10 Class Finish, 1; Car No. 911; Drivers, Dumas/Lietz; Car, Porsche GT3R Hvbrid
GT
Overall Finish, 11 Class Finish, 1; Car No. 45; Drivers, Bergmeister/Long; Car, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
GTC
Overall Finish, 23 Class Finish, 1; Car No. 66; Drivers, Bergmeister/Long; Car, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup