ALMS, Mosport – Friday Report
Pot Holes And A Bath Tub The real news from the track here at Mosport is that once I got the proper password, I got on the internet. The sun is shining and the connection is working. At least for now… Unfortunately, possibly due to the sun (reported to be record highs in nearby Toronto) and the high down forces these cars are now generating, the Friday afternoon session was cut short due to developing holes in the track in the turn 4 area. Reports were that sections of the track were able to be pulled up by hand and quite possibly even by the cars as they drove over them. Visions of the infamous man-hole cover that was sucked up in the Montreal Group C race in 1990 came to mind; as well as previous issues at Sebring and Portland, to name but a few tracks. The session was tentatively red flagged and, after the track was repaired with quick-crete, the IMSA Lites were on track, followed by a 30 minute session for prototypes only at 5:00. By the time the 30 minute session arrived, a slight cloud cover had come over and the air temperature felt a bit cooler than the quite warm conditions earlier. It was confirmed that both Audis suffered damage from the loose pavement and neither made back out in the “bonus” time session. The damage to the #2 appeared to be the most serious, as it looks like the tub will have to replaced on the car. A rather large crate was seen in the Audi paddock, ready for the task at hand… Before the damage, the #2 was down to a 1:05.937. When the cars were on track, the speed was impressive. The top four were under 1:06, which works out to an average speed of almost 135mph. The fastest was Romain Dumas/Timo Bernhard at 1:05.630. As this was not an official practice session, it was not a track record, so the 1:05.829 that “Dingo” Capello set last year is safe for one more day at least. The new direct injection motor, of which roughly 60% of the components are new, has been in the Penske Porsches for a few races now, and according to Patrick Long, the difference is not that evident, at least by feel. It is in the fuel consumption where the changes are most evident. What is evident is that even though the engine is running more efficiently, it almost appears as if it is running rich, as at the last few races the rear wheels have become quite dark and “smoked” after extended runs. The #16 Dyson Porsche has this engine for this weekend, but was not able to take advantage of it, as their set up was off. Chris was reporting bottoming-out on track and the team was working on making the changes when the session was stopped. David Brabham and Scott Sharp just missed breaking the 1:06 barrier with a 1:06.005. Duncan Dayton reported that the Highcroft drivers were seeing over 4G’s in turns 2 and 8. The season so far has been quite a year for the team, but winning the drivers championship might be difficult. “We need to get some help for us to win the drivers’ championship. Either the #7 has to drop out, or we need to get a few of the Acuras finishing between us and them. We’ve got a good shot at the team’s championship, but we’d really like to help get Acura the manufacturer championship. That’s the main focus right now.” In the GT1 class, it was again close between the two Corvettes, with the #3 heading the #4 by just .13 seconds. The Bell Aston was a further 3 seconds back. GT2 saw a Ferrari 1-2, as the single Risi entry this weekend topped the class with a 1:17.708. Close behind was the #71 Tafel 430 with a 1:17.973. It was interesting to note some significant differences in set-up in the two top Ferraris. The Risi car was running with what appeared to be a 2007 spec wing, while the Tafel was running the straight 2008 wing; but it appears to be mounted lower and more forward on the car. Tony Dowe wasn’t saying anything specific, but did verify changes at both the front and rear of the car. Tony hopes to be able to keep the pressure on the Lizards for the championship. Currently they are seven points back and would like to further close the gap in the next two races and make the championship a shoot out entering Petit and Laguna. Both the Panoz and Drayson Barwell Aston Martin were taking advantage of the recent regulation changes as regards the rear wing. Tom Milner indicated that the wing made a difference on the Panoz, but most of the speed increases were due to the new bodywork and improved tires from Yokahama. “Bryan Sellers got in the car earlier this week and commented that it still feels like a Panoz, but it’s a much faster Panoz. The tires are much closer on a short run, but still go away and don’t like the heat. The entire package is improving, but the chassis is still from back in 2003. We’re working hard and making good progress, but the rest of the field is improving too.” Is this chassis historic-eligible now? The GT2 Aston was featuring a GT1 rear wing, which could double as a shallow bath tub, or an odd rear seat; the latter according to Dale White. “We needed something to make the rear stick better. We’ve made some big strides in the last bit and the factory has been getting us improved components. The engine is much improved and just being able to get consistent running time is a big help for us. We knew entering in that the emphasis from Aston was to be on the P1 Lola and the Le Mans GT1 effort. Now that those are over, we’ve been seeing more help come our way.” The VICI Porsche did not set a time today. There will be two one-hour practice sessions on Saturday, to be followed by qualifying. The forecast calls for cloudy conditions with a high of 80F, with chances of showers in the afternoon on Saturday and with slightly cooler conditions on Sunday; with continued chances of wetness through the early afternoon. Gary Horrocks | 
