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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">09/10/2001</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">ALMS Awards</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Pirro Is The Star</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/ardsPirrAME.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">Sunday night saw 500 guests attend the ALMS awards ceremony and dinner at Chateau Elan, with Emanuele Pirro receiving the title of 2001 American Le Mans Series Champion in the LMP900 class.<BR> <BR> "I love racing in America," said Pirro during his acceptance speech. "I've met so many wonderful people and made so many friends. I didn't know what to expect when I came here last year."<BR> <BR> "I'm 50 percent of the championship, and he is the other 50 percent," said Pirro of partner Frank Biela. The inability of co-drivers to share titles is a niggling criticism of the points structure of the ALMS.<BR> <BR> General Motors' Gary Claudio was winner of the American Le Mans Series "From the Fans" award, in recognition of the Corvette racing programme in the ALMS. He asked Corvette project manager Doug Fehan to join him onstage and share the award.<BR> <BR> Other Champions receiving awards were 675 winner Didier de Radigues, GTS Champion Terry Borcheller and GT Champion Jorg Muller.<BR> <BR> Manufacturer championships were won by Audi in the LMP 900 class, Lola-Nissan in the LMP 675 class, Chevrolet in the GTS class and BMW in the GT class. Team championships were won by Audi Sport North America in LMP 900, Dick Barbour Racing in LMP 675, Corvette Racing in GTS and BMW Motorsport in GT.<BR> <BR> Le Mans and Sportscar Racer magazine presented "Personality of the Year" awards in all four classes, with Jan Magnussen winning for LMP 900, de Radigues for LMP 675, Johnny O'Connell for GTS and JJ Lehto and Muller sharing the GT award.<BR> <BR> Appropriately, a special video was shown in honour of Bob Wollek and Michele Alboreto - both sadly missed during the bulk of the ALMS season.<BR> <BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>