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2011 ALMS – Lime Rock – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
Stuttgart. With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) posted the third quickest time in the GT qualifying for the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock.
Patrick Long
He contests round three of the American Le Mans Series on Saturday with his works driver colleague Joerg Bergmeister (Germany),
Jörg Bergmeister
who with five wins in the last five years is the most successful driver at the race in the US state of Connecticut .
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
“I was lying in fifth when my pit crew requested me to come in. But my gut feeling told me that I could do better. So I stayed out for another lap and that lap was then perfect,” said Patrick Long.
“It felt just a good as my fastest lap last year where I secured pole position. It’s just that the gap to the cars at the front is simply too big. We just can’t match their pace due to the balance of performance regulations.”
At his first start on the short and very narrow 2.487 kilometre circuit, which had only just dried up after a rain shower, Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched sixth place.
Marco Holzer
“My quickest lap was just my seventh on the dry track in Lime Rock,” he said. “We’re very pleased with this and think we’ve found a very good set-up for the race, regardless of whether it rains or not.”
The Porsche factory pilot shares driving duties in the second Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with American Seth Neiman.
Seth Neiman
ALMS 2011 – Lime Rock – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken TireWolf Henzler
Bryan Sellers
In the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Falken Tire squad, Bryan Sellers (USA), the teammate of Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany), claimed the ninth quickest time.
The race starts on Saturday at 14.05 hours local time (20.05 hours CEST) and runs over 2:45 hours.
Qualifying result
GT class
1. Joey Hand (USA), BMW M3 GT, 50.925 seconds
2. Dirk Werner (D), BMW M3 GT, + 0.245
3. Patrick Long (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.947
4. Oliver Gavin (GB), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.972
5. Tommy Milner (USA), Chevrolet Corvette, + 1.029
6. Marco Holzer (D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.080
9. Bryan Sellers (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.463
12. Bryce Miller (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2,286
GTC class
1. Jaap van Lagen (NL), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 54.982 seconds
Facts and figures
This is the American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations correspond to those of the Le Mans 24 hour race. All classes start together but are classified separately:
GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers is traditionally extremely well supported: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR). GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup). LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 750 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and an 825 kg minimum weight. LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.
All race cars start together but are classified separately. This ensures exciting and diverse racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only awarded for placings in each class.
Stuttgart. The American Le Mans Series picks up the pace.
After a break for the Le Mans 24 Hours, round three of the race series with the world’s fastest sports cars now takes off on 9th July in Lime Rock in the US state of Connecticut.
Lining up on the grid is the five-time Lime Rock winner Joerg Bergmeister (Germany). At the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Bergmeister and his Porsche works driver teammate Patrick Long (USA) are hoping for their first podium result of the season.
The race
The Northeast Grand Prix has been a permanent fixture on the American Le Mans Series calendar since 2004. Many fans are happy to travel the two and a half hours from New York City to witness the often very entertaining race. On one of the hills alongside the track stands a small church in which a service is held on Sundays. For this reason, races are traditionally contested on Saturdays.
The circuit
The 2.478 kilometre circuit in the picturesque countryside of Connecticut is the shortest in the American Le Mans Series.
The lap times are far under a minute. The surrounding grassy hills serve as grandstands, with most of the spectators bringing their own camping chairs and coolers to witness the race action.
The 911 GT3 RSR entered by Paul Miller Racing is manned by Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA).
Quotes before the race
Hartmut Kristen, Porsche Head of Motorsport:
“The season really gets going now in USA. The last race was before the break for the Le Mans 24 Hours in April, so it’s almost like a second season-opener for the teams. If they want to look good for the crucial phase of the season, they’ll need to pull out all stops in Lime Rock.”
“Lime Rock seems to really suit our car. I’ve won on this track five times in a row – that’s not such a bad track record. With 30 cars on this narrow circuit you have to concentrate totally over the whole distance, you have to use your head if you want to reach the flag in such heavy traffic without bruises. It’s always worked out well in the past. Still, a little bit of luck is always part of it.”
Patrick Long (No. 45, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports):
“There are normally loads of safety car phases in Lime Rock. And no wonder with all the traffic. This is a huge challenge for our strategists. The pit stops have to be carried out quickly, the right timing can mean the difference between victory or defeat. But our boys at Flying Lizard Motorsports know how to do pit stops – they’ve proven that often enough.”
Wolf Henzler (No. 17, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Faken Tire):
“The track is very short, and hence the traffic is heavy. You’re constantly overtaking slower cars and you being overtaken by the faster sports prototypes. Lime Rock is not exactly a favorite of mine. But I have good memories of last year when we qualified in second in the rain. Hopefully, it’ll rain again this year. We used the Le Mans break well and tested at Road America and in Mid-Ohio. The team has invested a great deal into tyre development. That makes me optimistic for the rest of the season.”
“This is my first race in Lime Rock and I’m looking forward to getting to know another race track in the USA. The team sent me a DVD of on board footage and loads of data – so at least I can prepare myself a bit.”
The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
The most successful GT race car of the last years takes off into the season with a raft of improvements. The output of the four-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine has increased to 455 hp (335 kW). Priority in the further development of the car was given to the newly designed aerodynamics at the front and rear. In 2010, the 911 GT3 RSR again won the environmental “Michelin Green X Challenge” classification as the GT vehicle with the best overall efficiency in the American Le Mans Series.
Porsche’s successes
In the history of the American Le Mans Series, Joerg Bergmeister is the most successful driver at Lime Rock. At the last five races he claimed victory every time for Porsche in the GT and later the GT2 class.
Patrick Long was his teammate for three of these wins, Wolf Henzler once. With the RS Spyder sports prototype, Porsche celebrated three class wins on this track as well as an overall victory in 2007.
The schedule
The race in Lime Rock starts on Saturday, 9 July, at 14.05 hrs local time (20.05 hrs CEST). The GT qualifying on Friday will be broadcast on the internet on Friday from 21.45 hours CEST on www.porsche.com/alms-live.
The American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations correspond to those of the Le Mans 24 hour race. All classes start together but are classified separately:
GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers is traditionally extremely well supported: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR). GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup). LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and an 825 kg minimum weight. LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.
2011 ALMS – Lime Rock – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
Patrick Long
Jörg Bergmeister
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
Marco Holzer
Seth Neiman
ALMS 2011 – Lime Rock – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire
Wolf Henzler
Bryan Sellers
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