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Aston Martin, Corvette Quick At ALMS Winter Test

 
318 views Feb 15, 2011


Corvette Racing was quickest in the GTE class at Sebring winter test.
Photo courtesy Corvette Racing/Richard Prince


The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is holding its annual Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway this week, in anticipation of the coming season that begins on the same circuit in mid-March with the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.

While many of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) entries expected for that race did not make the trip over from Europe, a good contingent of American competitors intending to run the entire campaign are in attendance for the two-day test session, marking a total of 31 cars on-hand for the practices.  

Only two LM P1 cars are on the track testing and the cream of the crop is the AMR/Lola B08 driven by Klaus Graf, owner Greg Pickett and Lucas Luhr.  This was Pickett’s first time in a car since his horrific accident at Mid-Ohio last August in the team’s former mount, a Porsche RS Spyder.  Since Porsche isn’t supporting the car any longer, Pickett moved his Muscle Milk sponsorship to a former Aston Martin Racing Lola for the 2011 campaign.

“I didn’t want my career to end upside down in a Porsche,” Pickett said after his first stint behind the wheel.  “It’s a pretty little car,” he said of the Aston Martin.  “We were brokenhearted to close the door on the RS Spyder and Porsche was sad about it as well.  The Lola really does feel different and you can feel the extra weight (about 75 kg).  It’s nice to be able to squeeze through the GT cars easier than we did last year.  For an old guy like me, it’s more fun!”

Also on hand are Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Jay Cochran, driving Dyston Racing’s Mazda/AER-powered Lola B09/86 coupe.  They were second-quickest to the AMR Lola on Wednesday and Thursday, outpaced in each of the four practice sessions.

The LMPC Oreca continent amounted to five entries, while the largest group on-hand were the GT competitors, with Corvette Racing – who won Petit Le Mans last year – leading the way both days.  The Flying Lizard Porsche, with Patrick Long up was second on Thursday afternoon with the second Corvette third that day.  Still, the Corvettes were quickest of all GTE cars in the overall standings.

The new Ferrari 458 Italia, with Risi Competizione was fourth in class, a good portent of things to come.

In the GT Challenge, times were just as quick with TRG’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (the only type of car entered in the class) were quickest of all, while last year’s class winner at Sebring, Alex Job Racing were second.

With 59 cars expected for this year’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, this first outing barely set the grid, but it did show whose cars are sorted and ready for action.

© 2011 Anne Proffit



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