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American Le Mans Series, round 5 in Lexington, USA
Stuttgart. On the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Porsche factory pilot Wolf Henzler (Germany) celebrated a brilliant victory in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR: With a sensational charge through the field in torrential rain, he clinched the first win of the season for Porsche with his teammate Bryan Sellers on the traditional circuit in America’s Midwest in the fiercely-contested GT class of the American Le Mans Series.
Bryan Sellers (USA)
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
For his Falken Tire team, this marks the first ever win in the popular race series with the world’s fastest sports cars.
Wolf Henzler (Germany)
“What an unbelievable race. The rain came just at the right moment,” said Wolf Henzler after his second Mid-Ohio win against strong opposition from BMW, Ferrari and Chevrolet. “When they called me in to the pits to switch to wet tyres I didn’t really want to at first. I would have preferred to stay on slicks as I had enough grip. But the team made the right decision. Thanks to Falken for the super tyres. The boys work so hard. Now they are finally rewarded for their untiring efforts.”
When it comes to drama, the final phase of the race that started under sunny skies was unsurpassed. First a few raindrops fell causing a flurry in the pits.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
Then came a sudden heavy shower. That was the Wolf Henzler’s chance – and he used it:
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
When the race restarted after a yellow flag and most of his rivals had their hands full keeping their cars on the flooded circuit, he charged from fifth to the lead in just one lap – even passing Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) who had led the field until that point after a strong drive with the Flying Lizard Motorsports-run 911 GT3 RSR.
“In the final lap many cars driving on the inside line of the track spun. I found grip on the outside and could overtake them all,” said Wolf Henzler. “Falken has tested in rain in Mid-Ohio. We trusted these tyres and they yielded us victory.”
Bryan Sellers (USA) , Wolf Henzler (Germany)
Whilst Wolf Henzler brought home his first win of the season in heavy rain, Patrick Long struggled with the amount of water on the circuit.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
The teammate of Porsche factory pilot Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) took up the race from the second grid row, slid into the gravel trap and fell back to ninth place.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
Shortly afterwards, with ten minutes left to the finish, the race was red-flagged and not restarted due to the persistent rain.
Patrick Long (USA)
“Our car was good, the set-up and strategy worked well – that was our race,” said Patrick Long. “But when the rain arrived, we lost grip and everyone started sliding around, even those on wets.”
Joerg Bergmeister (Germany)
In front of the title defenders Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA) finished in eighth place at the wheel of their Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Bryce Miller (USA)
Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
Sascha Maassen (Germany)
Americans Seth Neiman and Darren Law planted the second Flying Lizard Porsche on tenth. Victory in the GTC class went to Americans Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Ende in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Teams
1. BMW Team RLL, BMW, 96 points
2. Corvette Racing, Chevrolet, 77
3. Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche, 60
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.
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.
All race cars start together but are classified separately according to their respective classes. This ensures exciting and diverse racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only awarded for placings in each class.
Stuttgart. The Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) take up the fifth round of the American Le Mans Series on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course from the second row of the grid.
Joerg Bergmeister
With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Joerg Bergmeister, two-time winner at Mid-Ohio, set the fourth quickest time in the GT class qualifying on the 3.621 kilometre circuit in America’s Midwest.
Flying Lizard Motorsports #45
“To start from the second row is not so bad considering the strong competition. If we get away well we could probably make up one or two positions,” said Joerg Bergmeister.
“The 15 kilogram weight handicap that we were handed prior to Mid-Ohio costs us about two-tenths of a second per lap. But we’re still hoping that the better strategy of our Flying Lizard crew can make the difference over the race distance.”
Patrick Long
At the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by the Falken Tire squad, Bryan Sellers (USA) posted the ninth quickest time.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by the Falken Tire
Bryan Sellers
Sellers shares driving duties for the race on Saturday with Porsche factory pilot Wolf Henzler (Germany).
Wolf Henzler
Sascha Maassen (Germany) claimed the 13th grid spot with Paul Miller Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Paul Miller Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
Sascha Maassen
Bryce Miller
Two places behind him is Seth Neiman from America in the second Flying Lizard Porsche.
Flying Lizard Motorsports #44
Seth Neiman
Darren Law
The race starts on Saturday at 15.30 hours local time (21.30 hrs CEST) and runs over 2:45 hours, with a live broadcast on www.americanlemans.com.
Qualifying result
GT class
1. Joey Hand (USA), BMW M3 GT, 1:20.539 minutes
2. Dirk Werner (D), BMW M3 GT, + 0.116 seconds
3. Jaime Melo (BRA), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.206
4. Joerg Bergmeister (D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.378
5. Oliver Gavin (GB), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.405
6. Guy Cosmo (USA), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.529
9. Bryan Sellers (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.382
13. Sascha Maassen (D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.545
15. Seth Neiman (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 4.173
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.
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.
All race cars start together but are classified separately according to their respective classes. This ensures exciting and diverse racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only awarded for placings in each class.
Race: Aug. 6, 2011, 3:30 pm ET; 2 hour, 45 minutes ESPN2: Aug. 7, 10:00 pm-12:00 am ET ESPN3.com qualifying live: Aug. 5 2:20- 3:35 pm ET ESPN3.com race live: Aug. 6, 3:15-6:30 pm ET Europe: Live on MotorsTV Latin America: Live on Fox Canada: Live on Rogers SportsNet Outside of the U.S.: live at americanlemans.com/live
(broadcast times may vary by market; check your local listings)
Stuttgart. The detour of the American Le Mans Series to Canada was not rewarded with success for the Porsche teams: After their second position in Lime Rock, the Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) went home empty-handed from round four of the season on the Mosport International Raceway close to Toronto.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
The best-placed Porsche team was factory pilot Wolf Henzler (Germany) and America’s Bryan Sellers who secured fifth place in the GT class with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Falken Tire squad.
Wolf Henzler (Germany)
Bryan Sellers (USA)
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
With Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, four-time Mosport winner Joerg Bergmeister made a clean start and at times even took the lead. But during a pit stop after the halfway point in the 2:45-hour race, the #45 vehicle lost fluid from the power steering unit. Following the repairs, Patrick Long rejoined the race with a nine-lap gap to the GT front-runners to finally see the flag in twelfth place. This yielded zero points for the title defenders.
Patrick Long
Jörg Bergmeister
“Our car ran very well over the whole weekend,” said Joerg Bergmeister. “During my stint we were always in the top three and even had the lead. But when I tried to avoid a slower competitor, I spun, we lost the lead and then the power steering went. It was simply bad luck.” Patrick Long said: “After the pit stop we collected a lot of data but unfortunately no points.”
At his maiden race in Mosport, Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany) took over the wheel of the second Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports from his American teammate Seth Neiman while in 14th and pushed through to finish eighth.
Teams
1. BMW Team RLL, BMW, 83 points
2. Corvette Racing, Chevrolet, 61
3. Risi Competizione, 41
4. Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche, 40
Facts and figures
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.
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.
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.
Flying Lizard Motorsports, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) take up round 4 of the American Le Mans Series on Sunday in Mosport/Canada from 3rd place
2011 ALMS – Mosport
Stuttgart. With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) take up round four of the American Le Mans Series on Sunday in Mosport/Canada from third place.
2011 ALMS – Mosport
In the GT qualifying on the 3.957 kilometre Mosport International Raceway on the outskirts of the city of Toronto, Joerg Bergmeister was just two-tenths adrift of the fastest time. The German has won this race four times so far with Porsche.
“Again today, the set-up and balance of our car were top,” said Joerg Bergmeister. “Regardless of what our competitors do, we have to stick to our plan. We’re feeling confident that we can bring home a podium result from the race tomorrow.”
2011 ALMS – Mosport – Joerg Bergmeister
2011 ALMS – Mosport – Patrick Long
With Falken Tire’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) turned the seventh quickest lap.
2011 ALMS – Mosport – Wolf Henzler
Falken Tire’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
Bryce Miller (USA) planted his Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by Paul Miller Racing on the eleventh grid spot.
2011 ALMS – Mosport – Bryce Miller
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – Paul Miller Racing
Position 13 in qualifying is occupied by American Seth Neiman, who shares the second Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 GT3 RSR with Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany).
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.
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. Once a year, the American Le Mans Series makes a detour to Canada.On the Mosport International Raceway near the major metropolis of Toronto, round four of the race series featuring the world’s fastest sports cars takes off on 24th July.
On this demanding circuit, Porsche factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) aim to continue their strong performance with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, with which they recently scored their first podium result of the season in Lime Rock.
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
The race
The Grand Prix of Mosport has been a regular fixture on the calendar since the American Le Mans Series began in 1999. It is the only race held in Canada.
Photo Source: Mosport Raceway
The circuit
The 3.957 kilometre Mosport International Raceway with its ten corners is situated in Bowmanville, about an hour’s drive east of Toronto. It is regarded as one of the fastest and most demanding circuits on the American Le Mans Series calendar. Canada’s oldest permanent race track opened in 1961 with a sports car race that Stirling Moss won with a Lotus 19. From 1967 to 1977, the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix was also held in Mosport.
The Porsche drivers
With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long contest the particularly tough GT class.
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
Their works driver colleague, Wolf Henzler, shares driving duties in the cockpit of the Falken Tire team’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with Bryan Sellers (USA).
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
Joining forces with American Seth Neiman in the second 911 GT3 RSR of Flying Lizard Motorsports is again Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany).
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
The 911 GT3 RSR run by Paul Miller Racing is manned by Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA).
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
Quotes before the race
Hartmut Kristen, Porsche Head of motorsport:
“Mosport is a track where engine performance is more important than on any other circuit. For this reason we were thrilled to hear that the rule-makers in the USA want to revise the imbalance that disadvantaged our cars. I hope that Flying Lizard and the Falken and Miller teams can continue their upward trend that they showed in Lime Rock.”
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport
Source: Porsche AG Media Database
Joerg Bergmeister:
“Last year we travelled to Mosport without high expectations and we won. It’s not normally a circuit that particularly suits us and it features too many straights. But if we can manage to make everything come together like in Lime Rock recently then we might bring home a podium result. I’d be very happy with this.”
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
Patrick Long:
“It’s not easy making a reliable prediction for Mosport. The track is very fast, and very demanding for the driver. It’s unforgiving with mistakes. That should work in our favour. I hope we can use this to our advantage.”
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
Wolf Henzler:
“The tests that we conducted since Long Beach have brought us a huge step forward. This was clearly apparent in Lime Rock. We’re now in the position to drive consistently quicker lap times over a race distance. This will also help us in Mosport. There are many fast corners there that we drive in fourth and fifth gear, so our average speed is correspondingly high. I hope that we can continue our good performance from Lime Rock.”
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
Marco Holzer:
“Like Lime Rock, Mosport is a circuit that I’ve never raced on. So I’ll be taking a look at the videos again to check out the track before the first practice. I quickly became familiar with the Lime Rock circuit, so I’m hopeful it’ll be the same in Mosport. With its very fast corners, the track is a real challenge. I’m looking forward to it.”
Source: Porsche AG Media Database – Bob Chapman, Autosport Image
Der 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 successes
Since 1999 Porsche has scored a total of seven class wins in Mosport. Joerg Bergmeister contributed greatly to four of these: In 2005 and 2009 he won with Patrick Long in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, in 2003 and 2004 he triumphed with his works driver colleague Timo Bernhard.
The schedule
The race in Mosport starts on Sunday, 24 July, at 15.05 hours local time (21.05 hours CEST).
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.
Porsche factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) finished second in the GT class at the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock to improve their championship position.
Porsche factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA)
Stuttgart. In the American Le Mans Series, the title defenders clinched their first podium result of the season at their third attempt.
Patrick Long
With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) finished second in the GT class at the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock to improve their championship position.
The race on the short 2.478 kilometre circuit in the US state of Connecticut was thrilling from start to finish.
And it began well for Porsche:
Patrick Long snatched second place right at the start and defended his position to the first pit stop and driver change.
His teammate Joerg Bergmeister, who tops the winners’ list with five victories from the last five years on this circuit, fell back just once to third place after another pit stop behind his works driver colleague Wolf Henzler, but was quickly able to regain his position.
Bergmeister went on to deliver a spirited fight for the lead, at times only two seconds adrift of the front-runner. But with three laps to go, his result looked in jeopardy when tyre damage forced him into the pits.
As always, the Flying Lizard crew worked swiftly on his number 45 Porsche so that he was able to defend his second place. At the flag only 20.387 seconds separated Bergmeister and Long from their first win of the season.
“That was a lively race,” said Joerg Bergmeister. “Today we were able to fight for victory and I’ve tried everything to continue my winning streak after five straight Lime Rock victories. Unfortunately, a puncture prevented this. Still, it was our best result so far this season. Our entire team has worked extremely hard for this.”
Patrick Long said: “I’m very satisfied. Today we have earned plenty of championship points. Because all of our direct competitors had problems, these points are especially valuable. Our car was perfectly set-up over the entire weekend. It’s a shame that we were just a few seconds off clinching victory.
Bryan Sellers drove the first stint for the Falken Tire squad.
Cleverly, he kept out of any trouble on the tight circuit, and his teammate Wolf Henzler did the rest. With an early refuelling pit stop 1:15 hours before the flag, they took their opponents by surprise and turned up in second place when the rest of the field pitted for fuel.
Wolf Henzler too had his big moments: 30 minutes before the finish he brought the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR into the pits with suspected tyre damage. Luckily, he had only picked up rubber from the track. And in the final laps, problems with the fuel pressure cost him a safe third place. He took the flag in fifth.
In the second Flying Lizard Motorsports-run Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, works driver Marc Holzer (Germany) clinched seventh at his Lime Rock premiere together with American Seth Neiman.
Marco Holzer
He was clearly pleased with this result.
“When I took over the car we were running last,” he said. “The chase was huge fun. I was able to put in very competitive times on this unfamiliar track.”
Sascha Maassen (Germany)
Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA)
brought the Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR home in sixth place.
Bryce Miller (USA)
Victory in the GTC class went to Americans Dion von Moltke and Mike Pierce with a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Round 4 of the American Le Mans Series is held on 24th July in Mosport/Canada.
Statistics: 3rd race Lime Rock, CT
Result GT class
1. Müller/Hand (D/USA), BMW M3 GT, 176 laps
2. Bergmeister/Long (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 176
3. Murry/Lazzaro (USA/USA), Doran Ford GT, 174
4. Sharp/van Overbeek (USA/USA), Ferrari F458 Italia, 174
5. Henzler/Sellers (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 174
6. Maassen/Miller (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 172
7. Holzer/Neiman (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165
Result GTC class
1. von Moltke/Pierce (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164 laps
2. Pumpelly/Ende (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164
3. Leitzinger/Sweedler (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164
Points’ standings GT class Drivers
1. Dirk Müller, Joey Hand, BMW, 70 points
2. Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Chevrolet, 37
3. Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Porsche, 34
4. Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner, Chevrolet, 33
Dirk Werner, Bill Auberlen, BMW, 33
6. Augusto Farfus, BMW, 26
7. Jaime Melo, Toni Vilander, Ferrari, 25
8. Seth Neiman, Porsche, 23
Teams
1. BMW Team RLL, BMW, 70 points
2. Corvette Racing, Chevrolet, 41
3. Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche, 37
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 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.
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.
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.
Stuttgart. Last year’s winners narrowly missed out on the podium at the 79th running of the long distance classic.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Richard Lietz, Marc Lieb, Wolf Henzler
After 24 hours, the Felbermayr-Proton team with Porsche works drivers
Marc Lieb (Germany),
Richard Lietz (Austria)
and Wolf Henzler (Germany) received the flag as fourth in the GTE Pro sports car class.
The French IMSA Performance Matmut squad clinched fifth place ahead of Flying Lizard Motorsports from the USA.
The 911 of the Belgian ProSpeed Competition team crossed the finish line
at the Le Mans 24 Hours in eighth.
In the GTE Am class, where only one professional race driver is permitted per vehicle and only last year’s vehicles are eligible to race, the French Larbre Competition team celebrated second place with the 911 GT3 RSR.
“All of our teams took off into the race well prepared. Under the most difficult circumstances, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR proved to be enormously durable and reliable. Unfortunately our teams had to cope with two accidents. You could clearly see the performance differences that are a direct result of the current Balance of Performance ratings. Unfortunately the fastest 911 GT3 RSR were affected by the phenomenon that they couldn’t turn the number of laps per set of tyres that were calculated which meant some extra pit stops for tyre changes. Under these conditions we can be satisfied with the results – especially in the GTE Am class where our team claimed a spot on the podium. I congratulate all the teams, drivers and partners who have contributed to this good result.”
Like in 2010, the best-placed Porsche crew put in a brilliant drive with high reliability in all areas. Drivers Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz and Wolf Henzler drove an immaculate race that was punctuated by many accidents and safety car phases. Only in the early stages of the race, the team lost more than one lap, first at the red light on the exit of the pitlane, then due to tyre damage which also required repairs to the car body.
Other than that, the blue 911 GT3 RSR only came into the pits for tyre changes and refuelling. Under the leadership of team boss Christian Ried, the pit crew of the Felbermayr-Proton team again shone with very fast pit stops.
Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet (France) also lost time in the jam at the red light of the pitlane exit. Shortly before midnight, Pilet and his driver colleagues, team owner Raymond Narac and his French compatriot Nicolas Armindo were ranking eighth in the GTE Pro class.
With consistent lap times and a perfectly-running 911, the trio with the two seasoned Le Mans campaigners Pilet and Narac and the 24 hour rookie Armindo fought their way up to fifth place.
The pilots of Flying Lizard Motorsports can look back on a lively marathon.
In the opening phase of the race, the set-up was not perfect, and they also had to contend with tyre damage. For a while, works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) as well as Lucas Luhr (Germany) held a promising fourth place, only to fall back to eighth with technical problems.
After a difficult race, the trio were satisfied to finally bring home sixth place.
Fight to the finish – that was also the motto of the Belgian squad.
Works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Belgium’s Marc Goossens and Jaap van Lagen from the Netherlands had all but worked their way nearly into the lead after the first third of the race but finally finished in eighth place after losing time with two minor repair stops.
The untiring mechanics of ProSpeed Competition received a very special honour:
They won the “Prix ESCRA”, an award that has been endowed for the 36th time to the best pit crew of the entire race.
In the GTE Am category, Larbre Competition were thrilled with second place in a 2010-spec 911 manned by the all-French line up of Christophe Bourret, Pascal Gibon und Jean-Philippe Belloc.
Two 911 GT3 RSR retired after accidents that were not their fault. One of those affected was the sister car of Felbermayr-Proton. Suffering tyre damage Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) flew from the track in the fast Indianapolis corner.
Al Faisal
Luckily, Al Faisal climbed out uninjured, but the Pro-911, which he shared with Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Bryce Miller (USA), was so badly damaged that the team was unable to repair it.
Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition)
Contesting the GTE Am class, Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition) fell victim to an opponent at 8.00 a.m. when his 911 GT3 RSR was hit hard on the driver’s side.The Austrian was transported to hospital for a medical examination.
Result Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Pro class
1. Garcia/Milner/Beretta (E/USA/MC), Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, 314 laps
2. Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander (I/I/FIN), Ferrari 458 Italia, 314
3. Priaulx/Müller/Hand (GB/D/USA), BMW M3 GT, 313 4. Lieb/Lietz/Henzler (D/A/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 312 5. Pilet/Narac/Armindo (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 311 6. Bergmeister/Long/Luhr (D/USA/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 310 8. Holzer/Goossens/van Lagen (D/B/NL), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 293
GTE Am class
1. Gardel/Canal/Bornhauser (CH/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1, 302 laps 2. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 301
Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
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With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
Stuttgart. Porsche’s customer teams have an eventful night behind them. With five hours to go until the finish of one of the toughest Le Mans races in history, the teams in the GTE Pro class currently sit in positions three, four, seven and eight.
Piloting the best-placed 911 GT3 RSR are the winning trio from last year. Porsche’s factory pilots Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) fought their way through the field to now rank third thanks to the reliability of their 911, the perfect work of the drivers and the swift pit stops of the Felbermayr-Proton crew.
“I can’t remember the last time I experienced so many accidents at a Le Mans race,” said Marc Lieb, the two-time GT class winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours. “I don’t find it okay that many of the drivers are so extremely aggressive. Luckily we had no problems in the night and we are hoping for a podium finish.”
The drivers of the French IMSA Performance Matmut 911 can thank their fourth place at 10 a.m. to the fact that the night hours ran smoothly. Works driver Patrick Pilet, team owner Raymond Narac and Carrera Cup champion Nicolas Armindo (all France) all put in double stints. As planned, the brake pads were changed once.
Le Mans newcomer Armindo was surprised at the harshness of the competitors in the more powerful classes.
“Sometimes it seems we are completely invisible to them when they are lapping us,” says Armindo. “They drive as if we weren’t even there.”
After leading for quite some time, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the American Flying Lizard Motorsports team lost an excellent fourth place within striking distance of the podium six hours before the finish. Works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA) and seasoned racer Lucas Luhr (Germany) share driving duties in double stints and are doing a faultless job. However, due to a problem in the engine electrics, the 911 was forced to take an unscheduled pit stop and fell back from fourth to eighth position.
The Belgian ProSpeed Competition squad experienced a problem free start to the race only to suffer a sitback while lying in a promising fourth. A small leak in the water cooling system made repairs necessary in the early morning hours, which relegated works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Marc Goossens (Belgium) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands) back down the field. Extreme bad luck plagued the second driver trio of Felbermayr-Proton. Suffering tyre damage Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) flew from the track in the fast Indianapolis corner. The Pro-911, which he shares with Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Bryce Miller (USA), was so badly damaged that the team was unable to repair it. Luckily, Al Faisal climbed out uninjured.
Contesting the GTE Am class, Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition) fell victim to an opponent at 8.00 a.m. when his 911 was hit hard on the driver’s side of the 911 GT3 RSR. The Austrian was transported to hospital for an examination. In the same class, a 2010-spec 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the French Larbre Competition team currently ranks second.
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Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Stuttgart. The opening eight hours of the long distance classic brought mixed fortunes for the five Porsche customer teams.
The Belgian ProSpeed Competition squad made the best start to the race. After completing the first third of the distance, Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Marc Goossens (Belgium) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands) rank third in the GTE Pro sports car class in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Flying Lizard Motorsports (USA) follows with factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) as well as seasoned campaigner Lucas Luhr (Germany) sitting sixth in the strongest-supported class of the 24 hour race.
Driving for the Felbermayr-Proton squad, last year’s winners Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) were thrown far back down the field with two mishaps and are now fighting their way through the pack.
An hour before midnight, the Porsche works drivers lie tenth in the GTE Pro class.
“After refuelling we waited for ages for the lights to turn green at the pit exit during the safety car phase,” explains Marc Lieb. “Once we rejoined the race the car suffered tyre damage – I must have picked something up. Unfortunately it happened in the first chicane, that’s about 10 kilometres from the pits.”
Lieb returned to the pits on his rim and lost more time when the crew found that part of the body had also been damaged.
The ProSpeed Competition team are feeling cautiously optimistic.
“The first eight hours ran smoothly,” reported Marco Holzer.
The 22-year-old was a Le Mans rookie last year and now has the role of team leader. For Jaap van Lagen this marks a premiere on the demanding 13.629 kilometre track.
“I know exactly how this feels,” says Holzer. “You need quite some time to find a rhythm and to trust the car and your own ability. Our 911 is running well, the team’s pit stops are super. Our goal is to keep out of any trouble.”
The American Flying Lizard Motorsports team also faced tyre problems. Early on in the race, Joerg Bergmeister fell victim to tyre damage.
“My first stint was difficult because the set-up wasn’t one hundred percent,” said Bergmeister. “We then made a few changes and now the balance is much better. We can’t quite match the pace of the front-runners but we’re looking ahead. We can build on sixth place.”
Heading into the night, the French IMSA Performance Matmut team was not particularly pleased with their eighth place.
Works driver Patrick Pilet was also held up long at the red lights of the pit exit.
“It was really dumb,” complained the Frenchman. “But I had to come in to refuel otherwise I would have been stranded out there. The traffic on the track is brutal and the prototype drivers are at times very aggressive. Nicolas Armindo is a newcomer in our team, but he’s a very controlled driver.” Third in the group is an experienced Le Mans contender, team owner Raymond Narac (France).
The second Felbermayr-911 ranks 13th in the GTE Pro class after eight hours. At the wheel are Le Mans debutant Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) as well as American Bryce Miller, who contested the endurance classic last year.
In the GTE Am sports car class, in which only one professional race driver is permitted per vehicle, Larbre Competition lies in a excellent first place with their 911 GT3 RSR in last year’s specification (as stipulated by the regulations for this class). The sister 911 of Flying Lizard Motorsports has settled in to fourth place, with the Proton Competition drivers currently sitting in sixth.
Facts and figures
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This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Source: Images of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Porsche AG Press Database
Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Stuttgart. The first step is taken with success. Porsche customer teams from all over Europe and the USA have secured good grid positions after the qualifying sessions for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports (l.-r.): Jörg Bergmeister, Lucas Luhr, Patrick Long, Seth Neiman, Spencer Pumpelly, Darren Law
The fastest Porsche driver, works pilot Marc Lieb (Germany), planted the Felbermayr 911 GT3 RSR on seventh in the GTE Pro class. Lieb competes for last year’s winning team with works drivers Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany). Four other 2011-spec 911 GT3 RSR take up the race in the GTE Pro category. In the GTE Am class, three 911 GT3 RSR from last year take off into the 79th edition of the long distance classic on Saturday at 15.00 hours from positions two, three and four.
(l.-r.): Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Wolf Henzler
“We’re satisfied with our preparations and are feeling confident for the race,” said two-time Le Mans winner Marc Lieb. “In the practice sessions, we managed to find a good set-up for our 911 for the challenges of this marathon and the very special, highly demanding race track.”
Richard Lietz, who has also notched up two wins at the world’s toughest automobile race, added:
“The handling of our 911 GT3 RSR is neutral and comfortable. This means that the car tends neither towards oversteer nor understeer. This works in favour of Marc, Wolf and I because our driving styles are similar.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton
The crew of the #75 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR also finished the qualifying without problems. Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched the ninth grid spot for the ProSpeed Competition squad.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Prospeed Competition (l.-r.): Marc Goossens, Jaap van Lagen, Marco Holzer
(l.-r.): Jaap van Lagen, Marco Holzer, Marc Goossens
“Today we worked on our race set-up,” said Holzer. “Yes, we were faster yesterday but our car was rather twitchy, and that wouldn’t have been optimal over the race distance. There are a couple of damn fast corners here in Le Mans so you need a car that you can trust. And now we have that car.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Prospeed Competition: Marc Goossens, Marco Holzer, Jaap van Lagen
Joining forces with the 22-year-old is Le Mans veteran Marc Goossens (Bel-gium) as well as Le Mans rookie Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands).
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Lucas Luhr
A damaged damper and an accident threw the schedule of the Flying Lizard Motorsports into disarray.
“Because of the faulty shock absorber we worked in the wrong direction for a long time during yesterday’s practice session,” explained Porsche works driver Joerg Bergmeister (Germany). “Then we lost time when a competitor spun and I couldn’t avoid him. The repairs were extensive. We decided to forget about turning an extra qualifying lap and instead we concentrated totally on finding a set-up.”
(l.-r.): Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Lucas Luhr
Bergmeister takes up the marathon on Saturday with his works driver colleague Patrick Long (USA)
Lucas Luhr
and Germany’s Lucas Luhr from 12th position in the GTE Pro class.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Nick Tandy, Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Bryce Miller
Grid position 14 went to Nick Tandy in the second 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Felbermayr-Proton. The Briton currently leads the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup series as well as the German Carrera Cup, but this marks his first race in Le Mans. His teammates are Abdulaziz Al Faisal from Saudi Arabia and Bryce Miller from the USA.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, IMSA Performance Matmut (l.-r.): Patrick Pilet, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
The French IMSA Performance Matmut squad had counted on a better grid position than 16th. Still, after team owner Raymond Narac’s accident during the first free practice, Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet, Narac and Le Mans newcomer Nicolas Armindo (all France) could only begin their set-up work this afternoon and therefore lag be-hind.
(l.-r.): Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo, Patrick Pilet
In the GTE Am sports car class, Austrian Horst Felbermayr Junior qualified the 911 GT3 RSR of Proton Competition on second place. His teammates are Horst Felber-mayr Senior and team owner Christian Ried (Germany).
(l.-r.): Horst Felbermayr Sr., Christian Ried, Horst Felbermayr Jr.
Position three was snatched by Larbre Competition’s
Grid spot four in the GTE Am class went to Americans Seth Neiman, Darren Law and Spencer Pumpelly from the Flying Lizard Motorsports team.
(l.-r.): Spencer Pumpelly, Seth Neiman, Darren Law
Porsche’s head of motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, praised the teams’ professional preparations for the race.
“They all worked hard to find an optimal set-up. Taking the Balance of Performance into account, the teams made the most out of what was possible.”
The race gets the green light at 15.00 hours on Saturday, 11th June. Television stations Eurosport and Eurosport 2 broadcast the race alternately around the clock with 15 hours of live coverage shown on the main station, Eurosport.
Result Qualifying GTE Am
1. Perazzini/Cioci/Breslin (I/I/D), Ferrari F430, 4:21.015 minutes
2. Ried/Felbermayr Jr./Felbermayr Sen. (D/A/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.250 seconds
3. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.366
4. Neiman/Law/Pumpelly (USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.636
Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
With a grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start to-gether in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. More-over, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Porsche enthusiast, Flying Lizard fan, Photographer SEAN KLINGELHOEFER, gives us a tour on what it takes to do a photo shoot of the Flying Lizard Motorsports Le Mans Porsches
Flying Lizard 2011 Porsche GT3 RSR Photographer: Sean Klingelhoefer
Sean Klingelhoefer posts another “Making of” behind the scenes look of his Automotive photo session with Porsche Flying Lizards GT3 RSR for Le Mans 24 hour 2011.
It is with great pleasure that I give you a look behind the scenes of the most challenge yet most fun photoshoot I’ve had to date. It should come as no surprise since I’m a Porsche enthusiast and Flying Lizard fan that I jumped at the opportunity to work with the team. It all started with some discussions during the off season, then a few months ago the head of PR/marking got in touch with me about a photo shoot concerning images for Le Mans. What I didn’t know at the time were the constraints I would be facing for the shoot.
READ MORE HERE>>>>> about Sean and the photoshoot of the 911 GT3 RSR Flying Lizards Le Mans Porsche with graphic design by Troy Lee
Flying Lizard 2011 Porsche GT3 RSR Photographer: Sean Klingelhoefer
Sean Klingelhoefer is a photographer specializing in automotive/motorsports photography and post production. He lives in Los Angeles …..more about Sean here
Troy Lee’s Design Celebrates History of Porsche at Le Mans
June 1, 2011 – Flying Lizard revealed today a commemorative livery for the No. 80 and No. 81 Flying Lizard Porsches for the 2011 24 Heures du Mans. Created by California-based artist Troy Lee, the livery celebrates the history of Porsche at Le Mans, featuring the 28 drivers who have won the 24 Heures du Mans overall in a Porsche.
The No. 80 and No. 81 designs are identical, implemented in complementary colors: candy metallic orange for the No. 80 and candy metallic blue for the No. 81; both anchored by a deep ocean blue. Primary colors provide a backdrop for the driver names and flags which weave throughout the design on the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
The Flying Lizard Porsche livery will be officially unveiled at scrutineering on Monday, June 6 in Le Mans at approximately 13.30 CET (just prior to the scheduled scrutineering time for the No. 80). “2011 is a special year for Flying Lizard at Le Mans: our first time fielding two entries,” said Flying Lizard VP of Marketing, Jennifer Hart. “The livery commemorates the heritage of Porsche at Le Mans, starting with drivers Hans Hermann and Richard Attwood, who secured the first overall victory for Porsche in 1970*. The 911 is an ideal canvas for Troy Lee’s beautiful tribute to this iconic race.”
Troy Lee described the concept of the design, “I started with the vibrant colors of the drivers’ country flags: imagining how they could be put to life on a racecar, as if they were blowing by on the front straight. Once we had the theme, we focused on making it come to life in 3D. The challenge was to really show off the depth and movement of these amazing cars, while maintaining the integrity of the Porsche design.”
Lee continued, “A crucial part of this project was getting the right paint: We worked extensively with PPG Industries to develop these custom colors, both for their liveliness and for the depth of the metallic colors. Using the candy paint as a base, we then created the intricate backdrop of asymmetric shapes to balance the design and create the sense of speed.”
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President of Porsche Motorsport North America Jens Walther added, “We are proud that Flying Lizard chose to honor the 28 drivers who have stood on the top step of the podium for Porsche at Le Mans. This design exemplifies the effort that Flying Lizard puts into every aspect of their race preparation, and shows why Lizard drivers have won the American Le Mans Series GT championship for the last three years.” Flying Lizard initiated the project with Troy Lee in late 2010. Hart added, “We worked with Troy’s team for several months to finalize the concept and design. The livery is a combination of candy paint overlaid with vinyl. The vinyl was custom-tailored to each Porsche and applied at our shop in Sonoma by Iconography Studios. Each car has a clear coat to protect the graphics. We are thrilled with the end result; the Porsches are uniquely beautiful and seem to be almost humming with energy.”
Click here for full list of drivers featured in the livery.
Flying Lizard also launched today new team merchandise which features the unique livery design. Click here for details.
Flying Lizard Driver Lineup
Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA) and Lucas Luhr (Germany) will team in the Flying Lizard No. 80 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the GTE Pro class. Darren Law (USA), Seth Neiman (USA) and Spencer Pumpelly (USA) will pilot the Flying Lizard No. 81 Porsche in the GTE Am class.
Follow the Race
The 24 Heures du Mans will get the green flag at 15.00h CET (6:00 am PT) on Saturday June 11. The race will be broadcast live in its entirety on Eurosport in Europe and partial coverage on SpeedTV in the United States. Radio Le Mans will broadcast live English language radio coverage. Flying Lizard will broadcast the team radio live throughout the race; read the team race blog for frequent team updates at www.lizardms.com
About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Flying Lizard Motorsports has competed in the American Le Mans Series GT class since 2004. The team has finished in the top three in the ALMS GT drivers’ and team championships every year since 2004. In 2010, Flying Lizard No. 45 drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long won a hard-fought battle for the GT drivers’ championship. In 2009 and 2008, the team swept all ALMS GT titles: drivers’ championship (Bergmeister and Long in 2009, Bergmeister and Wolf Henzler in 2008); Flying Lizard won the team championship; and Porsche won the manufacturer championship. In 2009, the Flying Lizard No. 44 Porsche also won the Michelin Green X Challenge championship.
Flying Lizard has also competed in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through 2010, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, and sixth in 2008. The team is sponsored in the ALMS by Openwave Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: OPWV), a global software innovator delivering context-aware mediation and messaging solutions for communication service providers and eSilicon, a semiconductor company.
Bryan Sellers (USA), Wolf Henzler (Germany)
Bryan Sellers (USA)
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
Wolf Henzler (Germany)
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers
Bryan Sellers (USA) , Wolf Henzler (Germany)
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long
Patrick Long (USA)
Joerg Bergmeister (Germany)
Bryce Miller (USA)
Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
Sascha Maassen (Germany)
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Darren Law, Seth Neiman
Darren Law (USA)
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Darren Law, Seth Neiman
Flying Lizard Motorsports #44
Porsche Everyday Dedeporsches Blog 