ALMS, Lime Rock - Race Report

Muscle Milk Comes FRom Behind - Lizards Finally Win Again

“Typical Lime Rock, chaotic!”, says Tommy Milner.  I couldn’t agree more. Every-time I  thought I knew what was going on, there was another yellow, or an unscheduled pit stop by one of the leaders.  It would be nearly impossible to write about every incident, near miss, and risky pass that went on during this race.  At one point in the race P2 cars held overall positions 1, 2, & 3, while the P1 trio followed in 4, 5, & 6!  Although it might have been tricky to follow, it was fun to watch.

The chaos started before they even dropped the green flag. We had several cars sent to the back of the grid and one start from pit lane.  In GTC the Porsche’s of #34 Green Hornet and the #11 JDX failed post-qualifying inspection with a camber and a wheelbase infraction respectively.  GT also sent two to the back of the queue as #44 Flying Lizard got nailed for a ride height infraction and the #02 Ferrari elected to change tires. The head scratcher of this bunch in the Level 5 team.  They practiced both the #95, exclusively driven by Bouchut, and the #055, which was exclusively driven by Tucker.  Diaz was listed on the #055 car but never got behind the wheel.  The team has elected to withdraw the #055 car and insert Tucker into the #95 with Bouchut.  Since Tucker did not turn a single practice or qualifying lap in the #95 car he did not meet the minimum qualifying time per IMSA rules, so they were also moved to the back of the grid.

The heartbreak of the pre-race happenings goes to Bill Auberlen who just yesterday set a track record on his way to winning the GT class pole, and would have celebrated his 100th ALMS start leading the GT field here today. As the cars were taking there spots on the grid pre-race the team went to top off the fuel noticed a fuel leak at the filler neck on the #55 BMW. They were forced to start from pit lane thus putting them a lap down on the field before the race started. A fairly new IMSA rule now states that cars which start the race from pit lane may join the race only after all the cars have passed pit exit after concluding their first lap.

Auberlen, “The car was fast.  But having to start from pit lane, one lap down on cold tires was not what I had hoped for my 100th start. I was not aware of the new rule that forces you to wait until after the first lap was complete to start. What’s the reason for that? I just don’t understand. We had a great car and it’s just a shame we weren’t able to contend for the win.”

The biggest beneficiaries of the chaos was Muscle Milk Racing.  Lucas Luhr started the race, and after tailing Chris Dyson for a few laps made the pass for the lead.  Luhr was able to build a gap over the #16 until an electrical problem caused the shifter to malfunction.  Luhr pitted and Dyson was able to build a four lap lead before the Muscle Milk team diagnosed the problem.  After a full ECU reset the HPD was back to normal and Luhr was back in the race.

Luhr, “I had a good start and was able to pul away from the #16 car. Then I had the electrical problem and it took four laps to figure it out. At that point I was really thinking that we were going to lose this race. So I had to just put the hammer down and keep fighting. Luckily the car was so good I was able to push like crazy.  I did not hesitate and took every risk when overtaking.”

At that point it did look like it was Dyson’s race to lose.  Their car was quick and they had the benefit of a four lap cushion.  That cushion would take it’s first hit when just after Guy Smith took over from Dyson a punctured tire would force a green flag unscheduled pit stop.

Chris Dyson, “My stint was exciting and busy. Debris on track caused the puncture which was unfortunate. That cost us some time and is a perfect example of why you never count your chickens before they hatch here at Lime Rock. The car is ok. We were unsure about the weather and made a slight change that I think has cost us a bit of speed. All in all the car is still good; a lot better than at Laguna that’s for sure.”

A few more timely yellow flags, and some fantastic tire wear would put Klaus Graf just one lap down and directly behind Guy Smith on a late race restart.  Graf made a risky pass on the outside of Smith going through turn 1.  Smith held his inside line; he could have drifted wide and easily punted Graf. Graf worked his way through the field pushing the HPD to it’s limits and again benefitted from another yellow to close the gap even more.  Another late braking move going into turn 1 would put the Muscle Milk car in the lead for good.  It was a mighty charge for Luhr and Graf to recover from a four lap deficit  to score the win here at Lime Rock.

Graf, “I was literally qualifying every lap.  I could not have pushed any harder. The car was really good today and allowed us to take every chance we needed to close the gap.   I have a lot of respect for the way Guy Smith raced me today. It was a high risk pass I made on him to the outside of turn one, but our car was good and stable under braking and knew I could brake really late into that turn.”

Michelin added this tidbit of information.  Muscle Milk ran a street soft compound the entire race using only two sets of tires.  The first set was on the car for 119 laps which included qualifying.  The summer heat and surface at Lime Rock normally requires a harder compound so it’s unusual to use the street soft, much less get such incredible wear.  Obviously the Muscle Milk guys nailed the setup for the race.

Level 5 raced from the back of the grid all the way to the front, literally.  At one point in the middle of the race Bouchut was the overall leader, and he held that spot for quite awhile.

Bouchut, “Sometimes when you start last it’s a good thing. The car was really good and I was able too push hard my whole stint.  When they told me I was in P1 overall, I was thinking to myself ‘Oh my can we just end the race now’.”

Scott Tucker took over midway and finally gave the overall lead back to the P1’s of Smith and Luhr. But more importantly Tucker deftly held a charing Martin Plowman at bay during the final green flag run of the day to secure the P2 class win. The Conquest Racing guys were equally as quick today, but again just couldn’t seem to bring home the win.  This time a painfully slow pit stop during the driver change put them down a lap to Level 5.

Heinemeier Hansson, “My stint went pretty well, the car was quick. I had little incident with the #44 and it cost me a dive plane, but the car was alright. The pit stop is what killed us. We had a problem with the belts and it cost us a lot of time on the driver change. In addition to that, the speed limiter malfunctioned and I got penalized for speeding. A little luck with the yellows and we were still in contention.  We just need to close it.”

Plowman was able to get back on the same lap but couldn’t catch the #055. Tucker did a wonderful job using the slower traffic to his advantage in keeping a gap over Plowman.

Dempsey Racing was elated with their effort, high fives and hugs all around the pit box after the race.  They ran trouble and incident free the entire race.  At one point Joe Foster held 3rd place overall.  Dempsey himself finished the race and did a nice job on this difficult little track.  They are still a few ticks off the pace of the other in class but their podium finish today was well deserved.

Marcelli in the Merchant Services entry jumped out to the early lead in PC, but he was hit from behind on the restart following the first yellow flag and had to retire the car from body and exhaust damage.  As the race cycled through pit stops and yellow periods, PC came down to a battle between Leitzinger in the PR1 entry, and both Core Autosport cars with Kimber-Smith and Braun. The three traded positions as the race winded down, until contact with the #01 Ferrari sent Leitzinger into the grass.  Braun came out on top in the battle of the team cars finishing just ahead of Kimber-Smith.  Braun’s codriver is team owner Jon Bennett.

Bennett, “The car was good but got buried in the early race war so I just backed off and let them sort it out. Then I just started working my way back up picking them off one at a time.”

Duncan Ende in the Dempsey Racing entry recovered from a near disastrous incident to pass the stranded Leitzinger for the 3rd position.  Ende went wide exiting turn one, getting all four tires on the grass. He attempted to reenter the race track before he had the car fully under control and he shot across the racing surface barely missing getting t-boned by two other cars that were existing turn one. Leiztinger and Dobson finished 4th.

I prophesied in my preview that this could be the race that Porsche, and more specifically the Flying Lizards, shake that monkey they’ve be carrying since Sebring.  Auberlen got much of the attention for his 100th ALMS start by nabbing the pole position, but this was also Bergmeister’s centennial ALMS event as well.   And I know Auberlen would gladly trade that pole position for what Bergmeister and Long were able to do today.

Through the whole chaotic race, the one constant was the #45 Porsche. Long opened the race and never put a wheel wrong. He consistently and cleanly worked his way through the madness to P1 in GT.

Long, “This was way overdue. I was starting to think we would never get back up here (on the podium). I was patient at first and made it a point to work my way through the PC traffic early. The fact that we were able to easily double stint the tires today was a huge advantage.  It really put me in the position to lead the race.”

Bergmeister took the car over in the lead and really never looked back.  Bergmeister commented that he thinks he’s now won six of the last seven races here.  I haven’t verified that but there is no doubt he loves this track and this win couldn’t have come at a better time for himself, Long and the Flying Lizard team.

Both Corvettes also ran great races and kept out of trouble but they never really were in position to challenge Bergmeister at the end.  Garcia was strong early and led until the first caution.  He gave up the lead to pit and then couldn’t get by Long later in his stint. Magnussen took over and brought the car home in 2nd.  Milner and Gavin finished 3rd.

Milner, “I had a good start, but the yellow just didn’t work in our favor today. This is one of the most physically demanding tracks we race at and Corvette has had some rough races here in the past. So our goal was to bring both cars home and get on the podium. So mission accomplished.  We scored good points in the driver’s championship with our 3rd place and with both cars on the podium good points in the manufacturers championship for Corvette.”

The ESM Ferrari had another great race with no results to show for it.  By opting to stay out during the first yellow flag, Cosmo inherited the lead in the #02 Ferrari.  He drove a fantastic stint holding the lead the entire time only giving it up to Long when he had to pit. Brown had an equally solid middle stint and delivered the car back to Cosmo in 4th place for the final run to the checker.  Cosmo unfortunately would never see the checker flag. Slight contact with one of the Core Autosport cars coming out of the very fast turn 7 would send the #02 Ferrari spinning through the grass and hard into the tire barrier.  The rear of the Ferrari would sustain heavy damage, and Cosmo was taken to the care center but he walked away and appears to be unhurt.

The #01 ESM Ferrari driven by van Overbeek was really the only other GT car that was able to pressure the #45 of Long.  About mid-race, Van Overbeek worked his way past the #56 BMW and both Corvettes to catch Long.

van Overbeek, “The car was really good and I was able to stay in the top 3 for the whole stint.  Once I caught up to Pat (Long) I could have pressed the issue and made a pass for the lead but I knew he was going to pit soon and didn’t want to push it.  The car had an aero push when we get close to the car in front and it’s worse in the high speed sections where we are the best.  So that made it very tough on Scott to try to improve his position.”

Sharp also had contact with the PC of Leitzinger which cost them some track position.  Sharp ended up bringing the car home on the lead lap, but one spot off the podium behind the #4 Corvette.

The #56 BMW had various issues and what seemed to be a ill-handling car.  They and the #55 team car both finished a lap down to the leaders.

Mention must be made of the Alex Job Lotus effort.  They are still just off the ultimate pace, but they are much quicker and they had a perfectly reliable drama free race.

Speaking of Alex Job Racing, they were also the GTC winners.  MacNeil and Keen came into this race leading the championship.  MacNeil opened the race and kept the #22 Porsche in one piece and touch with the class leaders.  Keen took over and had an excellent closing stint to finish the race just ahead of the #34 Green Hornet entry in 2nd.  No other GTC cars finished on the same lap as the top two.

Fittingly this race ended under caution. Cosmo’s big shunt into the turn 7 barriers came with just 5 minutes left in the race.  There was no way the officials were going to get that cleaned up in time to finish under green. Although several of the classes were being hotly contested up to that point, I don’t believe the late yellow affected the final order.

Russell Wittenberg