ALMS, Virginia International Raceway – Preview
Three Titles To Be Decided On Saturday?

Believe it or not, but there is still racing that is due to take place in the ALMS.  In fact, we still have two races left – the upcoming four hours of Virginia International Raceway and the ten hours/1000 miles of Petit Le Mans.

While the merger has been all of the talk since – well, in actual fact just before - the race in Baltimore, it is the racing that needs to be brought back to the forefront.  I mean we’re actually here for the racing, aren’t we? 

After being a staple on the Grand-Am schedule for many years, the series dropped VIR and the ALMS gladly added it, filling a gap in the schedule. 

The scenic and challenging 3.27 mile long track has been an anticipated stop for the 2012 season – let’s hope it stays next season and into the future.  Sportscar racing belongs on classic tracks like this

Some of the championships have become pretty clear based upon the results at Baltimore.  Heading into VIR both of the “C” classes are close to being decided.  In PC, Core has already wrapped up the team Championship and Alex Popow holds a 32-point lead over team owner/driver Jon Bennett and Colin Braun.  Things do look good though for Bennett and Braun concerning racing at VIR.  Both have significant history of racing at VIR, which is also pretty much the home track for the team.  But, with 46 points available in the last two races, it would take a pretty big collapse for Popow to not bring home the trophy this season.  He will be teamed with Tom Kimber-Smith again at VIR, like he was earlier this season at Laguna, Lime Rock and at Road America, which they won together.  For the rest of the seven class entries, well, all that’s left is to battle for pride.

GTC sees a similar situation.  Cooper MacNeil has a 34-point lead over his usual co-driver, Leh Keen and a 35-point lead over the Green Hornet Faulkner/LeSaffre pair.  As in PC, it too would take a big collapse for MacNeil and AJR to not bring home the championship.  For VIR, there are seven Porsches entered, with super-sub Jeroen Bleekemolen returning to NGT for this race.

In GT, Corvette Racing has been stepping up in a big way.  With the two races left, Olly Gavin and Tommy Milner hold a 28-point lead over Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, with lead BMW driver Dirk Müller a further two points back.  In the team championship, Corvette holds a 24-point lead over RLL BMW.  At this point it is Corvette/Gavin/Milner in the driver’s seat for the championships.

RLL BMW will be racing for their stake in the championship, but also in memory of long time Rahal associate and COO Scott Roembke, who passed away after a long illness.  Our prayers are with the team and the family.

Also for BMW, Jonathan Summerton will step in for Joey Hand, who is occupied with the DTM race at Oschersleben, Germany.

All three of the above class championships could be decided this weekend – not surprising in the C classes, but very surprising in GT.  The racing in GT has been outstanding all season long and the class has never really failed to live up to the hype – this is indeed the premiere class of GT racing in the world.  Thus far we have had six team/driver pairings win this season, but it is only Gavin/Milner that have multiple wins (three thus far).  Even if the championship gets decided early, there is no worry of this class becoming dull.  In fact, it might just be best to see the gloves come off for a battle royal at Petit, if indeed the titles are clinched here at VIR.

As has been the plan, the Vipers are not entered this weekend.  This gives the young team more time to prepare for Petit, and apparently more time to build a replacement chassis to replace the one destroyed in Baltimore.

For all of the bad mouthing that P1 and P2 have taken all season long, it is rather surprising to see these two classes as the ones with the championship fight going the distance.  In P1, the lead for Pickett Racing has shrunk to only nine points over the Dyson Racing pairing of Guy Smith and Chris Dyson.  Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr have been dominant all season long, but a number of races have recently seen them lose laps during the race.  Luckily for them, two that they had problems at – Lime Rock and, most recently, Baltimore – also saw their rivals from Dyson slowed; otherwise the standing would be much closer.  Mark Patterson will be joining Michael Marsal in the No. 20 Dyson Mazda Lola for VIR.  He is also expected to be in the car for the Petit Le Mans finale.

After taking a 1-2 overall win at Baltimore, Level 5 is riding high, but their lead over the rapidly improving Conquest effort is only 12 points – Tucker/Bouchut over Plowman/Heinemeier-Hansson.  P2 at VIR was originally a four car class, but, just before the event, Dempsey Racing withdrew, leaving the class again Level 5 (x2) against Conquest.

Testing will commence on Thursday afternoon, with the race scheduled to start late in the afternoon on Saturday.

GH