Johansson Motorsports - Laguna Seca Race Report
Race Report - Sunday 9 September
JOHANSSON MOTORSPORTS - Gulf + Brocade Audi R8
Race Result: 3rd
The 2000-specification Johansson Motorsports Audi R8 finished third in an amazingly eventful penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca today. Frenchman Patrick Lemarié started the 165-minute race from the front row of the 29-car grid after a stunning effort by co-driver Stefan Johansson in qualifying the previous day.
Lemarié got shuffled down to fifth place at the green light and entering the tight turn 2, spun to the tail of the field. Thankfully his car was undamaged and within 10mins, Patrick was 10th and then eighth after 30mins. Lemarié pitted after 54mins (lap 41) in seventh place, Johansson climbing aboard with a full fuel tank once more and four new tyres - still seventh but a lap down - although the course of the race was about to change.
At mid-distance, the second-placed #50 Panoz and fifth-placed Cadillac crashed in separate incidents - the latter bringing out a full course yellow - while Kristensen's sixth-placed Audi rolled to a standstill during the pace car period promoting the Gulf/Brocade Audi up to fourth place.
But Johansson then coasted in to the pits after 100minutes (lap 70) with no power. However, the technicians merely added fuel and the twin-turbocharged V8 Audi engine fired back up and the Swede, 45 yesterday, resumed still fourth but now two laps down.
With 70mins remaining, the third-placed #51 Panoz hit trouble, promoting Johansson to third place - behind Johnny Herbert's Champion Audi and the Emanuele Pirro Infineon Audi R8, although these positions were soon to be reversed when Herbert stopped and also served a 20secs penalty. Johansson made a late stop for fuel with 20mins to run but went on to take the chequered flag in a magnificent third place, a lap down on the winner, to post the British-based team's best ALMS result.
Stefan Johansson: "Patrick was unlucky at the first corner which put us to the back of field and then the engine mysteriously cut out and I coasted in to the pits losing more time. We filled it with fuel and it fired up again. In many respects we were fortunate to finish third."
Patrick Lemarie: "There seemed to be four cars abreast at the green flag and then Herbert bumped me in to a spin at the first corner. The rear diffuser was broken from that moment which made it difficult to drive so after starting from the front row, I'm a little disappointed."
Mike Earle, Team Director: "Difficult to sum up - great to have finished on the rostrum but still disappointed as if it hadn't have been for the first corner problem I think we could have been in contention for race honours. Having said that, considering our problems, we were fortunately to get third place."
Johansson Motorsports Formguide: Sebring, USA (ALMS, Rd2): Q4/R4 (SJ+Guy Smith); Donington, GB (ELMS, Rd1): Q3/R3 (SJ+GS); Jarama, SP (ELMS, Rd2): Q3/R4 (SJ+GS); Le Mans 24 Hour: Q5/R Retired (SJ+Patrick Lemarié/Tom Coronel); Estoril, Por (ELMS, Rd3): Q1/R Not classified+FL (SJ+PL+TC); Most, CZ (ELMS, Rd4): Q1/R1+FL (SJ+PL); Laguna Seca, USA (ALMS, Rd7): Q2/R3. KEY: Q=Qualifying/Start position; R=Race position; FL=Fastest Race Lap.