Top Teams to Ride on Michelin Tires at Mid-Ohio
Michelin Quick Facts - American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio, American Le Mans Series
August 24-25 (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course)
* Top Teams To Ride On Michelin Tires - Coming off its ALMS Tire Championship-clinching weekend at Mosport three days ago, Michelin is preparing to race at Mid-Ohio for the first time since 1998. Twelve of the expected 28 cars will be riding on Michelin tires. In the LMP900 category, the Le Mans-winning Audi team, which has also won all but one ALMS race this season, will enter a pair of Audi R8 machines; Panoz Motorsports, winner of the Portland ALMS race, will have a pair of Panoz LMP1 Roadster S entries; Team Cadillac will race a pair of Northstar LMPs; and Champion Racing will field an Audi R8.
* In the GT category, a trio of Porsches from Alex Job Racing and Peterson Racing as well as a pair of BMWs from BMW Motorsport will race on Michelin tires.
* Which Tires To Bring - Because Mid-Ohio was added to the ALMS schedule after the start of the season, Michelin engineers did not have the opportunity to test tires to determine the optimum solutions for the track. Instead, they will use their experience at Sears Point (for the key hole and off-camber turns), Laguna Seca (for the surface and elevation changes) and Mosport (for the weather conditions) to determine which tires to bring. Michelin will supply different rubber compounds and construction solutions so that the teams can tune their cars for maximum performance.
* "We were able to do some tests with Cadillac at Mid-Ohio earlier this year, but we did not have the opportunity to do proper tire testing," said Jerry Rinaldo, Michelin Racing Manager. "We've analyzed the track carefully and are confident that, based on our knowledge and experience at other tracks, we will have the right tires for each of our partners."
* Why Tires Matter - Tires matter because they are what connect the race cars to the track. The best tires are those that provide a high level of grip and offer the driver a full sense of security as he races at 180 miles per hour. The tires must also be durable so that they can last at least one fuel stint without a drop-off in performance. In fact, Michelin has been able to accomplish all of that and have the durability to race two fuel stints. Referred to as "double stinting", this allows teams to not change tires on every pit stop, which saves approximately 20 seconds per pit stop. At Mid-Ohio, that can mean nearly a quarter of a lap in track position, a significant advantage.
* Tire Competition - Unlike the CART event a couple of weeks ago at Mid-Ohio where every team raced on a single tire brand, the ALMS features several tire manufacturers including Michelin, Yokohama, Goodyear, Avon and Dunlop.
* A First Time for Everything - Because the last time that Michelin competed at Mid-Ohio was in 1998, nearly half of its engineers have only seen the track on television. "We would obviously have preferred to have some experience at Mid-Ohio prior to going there to race," said France-based Matthieu Bonardel, Michelin Race Tire Development. "However, our job is to adjust to the conditions and give our teams the best tire solutions possible."
* Michelin Secures ALMS Tire Championship - By virtue of winning every ALMS race so far this season, Michelin clinched the ALMS Tire Championship for the LMP900 category last weekend in Mosport. Currently, Michelin holds an 81-point advantage over Goodyear (Michelin has 130 points compared to Goodyear's 49). Michelin has 126 points in the GT category, ahead of Yokohama (106), Dunlop (47) and Goodyear (11). Michelin won ALMS Tire Championships for the LMP900, GTS and GT categories in 2000.
For more information, contact:
Bob Andrew
Event Management Corp.
Tel: 313-449-0108
Cell: 313-510-8454
E-mail: bob@emcpr.com