Panoz Motor Sports Team News
FT. WORTH, TEXAS
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES - ROUND ONE
THE LEATHER CENTER GRAND PRIX OF TEXAS
The Panoz Motor Sports team raced into the new 2001 American Le Mans Series with a superb run in today's opening round at Texas.
The brand new Panoz, in only its second race, battled throughout the 2hr 45 minute race with last year's Championship winning Audi team. Denmark's Jan Magnussen and Australia's David Brabham led the race for a while but a late "splash and dash" for fuel meant that the new LMP 07, with its brand new Panoz 4-liter V8 engine, lost any chance of springing a surprise win on the opposition.
Nevertheless, despite still being in a development stage, the speed of the car surprised fellow teams and the fans who enjoyed a race-long battle.
The two 2000 Panoz LMP-1 Roadsters finished in 5th and 6th positions. Klaus Graf in #51 led the race for nearly 20 laps during his stint, the first time he had done so for Panoz and he earned himself the plaudits of the team and team owner, Don Panoz for
his steady drive. Car # 49, run in co-operation with Westward Racing Group, achieved all the objectives set by the new team in giving themselves an opportunity to work alongside the factory team and get themselves race ready for the start of the European
Le Mans Series in April.
Don Panoz - Team Owner:
The team deserves a lot of credit for the hard work they've put in. It was a great effort by the team and the drivers to get our new baby, the car - which came out kicking and screaming at birth but has settled down nicely - through to the finish for our
first race this year.
Jan Magnussen - Panoz LMP 07 # 50:
It was a bit depressing at the start when everyone got by me but it was impossible for me to do anything about it for a while. When I got some clear track I got away and was able to gain on Capello pretty quickly. It has been really good to see the car g
o so well after all the problems we've had in the last few months.
David Brabham - Panoz LMP 07 # 50:
It's a tremendous result as we know how difficult it was getting the car here with the problems we have had pre-season. It was a great effort to get those problems sorted. Leading the race was an unexpected bonus and it is great to have got some points o
n the board so early in the season. I think today has shown how much potential is in the car, it ran faultlessly, and we are all looking forward to some of the new bit coming through for Sebring.
Klaus Graf - Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S # 51:
It was a good beginning of the race, getting past Jan! It's the first time for a while I've led a race so that was a good feeling and great for the team. I was unlucky in traffic a few times at the chicane and I missed it once - I locked up and decided i
t was safer to go straight on. The track changed quite a bit during the stints. I had to change my driving style but otherwise everything went well.
Gualter Salles - Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S # 51 :
I am happy that I have got the first race under my belt. I wish I could have finished a little higher though. We were a bit caught out under the yellows but I'm happy to have finished in the points. I should be better at the next race, especially with t
he new car.
Jay Cochran - Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S #49:
It's been four years since I last properly raced a car like this and I now feel I'm coming up to the level of the car. It was a nice stint and it felt good to run so many laps and get in a rhythm. I was patient with the traffic and kept out of trouble.
Richard Dean - Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S #49:
Everything went as well as we could have hoped for with such little time and preparation. We got through the race without incident and Jay and I have done starts, driver changes and pit stops so feel more race ready. We ran at a steady pace with the one a
im of bringing it home and learning and that is exactly what we did.
For more information contact Fiona Miller at Panoz Motor Sports on +44 7770 371 332 or email to fiona@panozmotorsports.com