American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Portland

THE AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES
The Grand Prix of Portland
PIT NOTES: Page 3 SATURDAY AUGUST 4, 2001

Combined GT/GTS Qualifications (scheduled for 5:40, delayed 20 minutes)
At 6:00 green flag, temperature 72 degrees, mostly cloudy, slight breeze.

At 6:05, car #4-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (Pilgrim) sets fast lap in class at 1:13.492.
At 6:06, car #10-GT BMW M3 GTR (Auberlen) sets fast lap in class at 1:14.717 (new class record).
At 6:07, car #10-GT BMW M3 GTR (Auberlen) sets fast lap in class at 1:13.407 (new class record).
At 6:07, car #4-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (Pilgrim) sets fast lap in class at 1:12.682.
At 6:08, car #26-GTS Saleen S7R (Konrad) sets fast lap in class at 1:12.390.
At 6:08, car #6-GT BMW M3 GTR (Said) sets fast lap in class at 1:13.291 (new class record), eclipses the time of 1:15.155 set by Dirk Müller in a Porsche GT3 R, September 2000.
At 6:08, car #3-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (Fellows) off and on at turn 6.
At 6:18, car #3-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (Fellows) sets fast lap in class at 1:12.324.
At 6:20, checkered flag.

This is the first ALMS pole for driver Boris Said, and only the second for team PTG in the history of the series. Ron Fellows and Corvette Racing starts on pole for the second time this season, and seventh time in ALMS GTS class.

Top three in class: #3-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (Fellows) 1:12.324, #26-GTS Saleen S7R (Konrad) 1:12.390, #4-GTS Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (Pilgrim) 1:12.682; #6-GT BMW M3 GTR (Said) 1:13.291, #42-GT BMW M3 GTR (Lehto) 1:13.331, #10-GT BMW M3 GTR (Auberlen) 1:13.331

Sascha Maassen (#23-GT Porsche 911 GT3-RS) put in only 4 qualifying laps, posting a 1:13.783, “The BMW’s qualify better than we do, so we’re just saving the tires for the race.” Maassen was the fastest Porsche behind the four BMW M3’s.

Combined LMP675/900 Qualifications:
At 6:27, green flag (slightly threatening skies).
At 6:31, car #38-P Audi R8 (Herbert) sets fast lap in class at 1:05.195.
At 6:31, car #57-P675 Reynard 01Q/Judd (de Radiques) sets fast lap in class at 1:07.910 (new class record).
At 6:34, car #51-P Panoz LMP1 Roadster S (Graf) sets fast lap in class at 1:04.508.
At 6:35, car #51-P Panoz LMP1 Roadster S (Graf) off course and back on at turn 11.
At 6:40, car #2-P Audi R8 has a big side to side twitch coming out of turn 3 and continues (after posting a 1:05.925 – forth quickest).
At 6:41, car #50-P Panoz LMP1 Roadster S (Brabham) sets fast lap in class at 1:04.181 (new class record, previous: 1:04.312 - Rinaldo Capello Audi R8, September 2000).
At 6:46, checkered flag.

Top three in class: #50-P Panoz LMP1 Roadster S (David Brabham) 1:04.121, #1-P Audi R8 (Tom Kristensen) 1:04.255, #2-P Audi R8 (Emanuele Pirro) 1:04.300; #57-P675 Reynard 01Q/Judd (Didier de Radigues) 1:07.910, #11-P675 Lola B2K/40/Judd (Mel Hawkins) 1:11.281.

This is David Brabham’s third pole and the fourth for Team Panoz since the series began. The last time an Audi was not on the pole in ALMS competition was Charlotte 2000 (Audi had 11 straight poles).

Franz Konrad (#26-GTS Saleen S7R) (about their time) “We figure that we won the pole last night when Terry (Borcheller) set the lap record with a 111.7+. I let Terry fly off to Trois-Rieves today where he’s competing for the GT championship and he let the old man qualify. We’ll take our time (.066 behind Fellows) and our Dunlops for the race tomorrow.”