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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">12/05/2002</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">American Le Mans Series</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Back After Two Months</FONT></B></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">With drivers and racing teams keen to return to action, the 2002 American Le Mans Series season will resume when the series makes its fourth annual appearance at California’s Sears Point Raceway for the Grand Prix of Sonoma presented by Fosters on Sunday, May 19.<BR> <BR> The sleek and exotic sports cars of the series have not raced in North America since the season opened with the Sebring 12-hour event in March. With many of the stars and cars of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the field, the series will run a two-hour, 45-minute timed event at Sears Point beginning at 1 p.m. (PDT).<BR> <BR> American Le Mans Series races feature four classes of race cars, all competing at the same time for both class wins and the overall win. The speed difference between the ultra-fast and sophisticated Prototype race cars and the smaller GT cars creates a great deal of passing as well as many thrilling moments for drivers and fans. All cars have at least two drivers and will make at least one driver change during the race.<BR> <BR> The powerful Audi Sport North America team, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans the past two years, will also be looking for its third straight win in ALMS competition at Sears Point. Drivers Frank Biela, Rinaldo Capello and defending ALMS champion Emanuele Pirro will drive a factory-backed Audi R8 Prototype. Another Audi entered by Champion Racing will be co-driven by former Formula One star Johnny Herbert along with Andy Wallace and Tom Kristensen.<BR> <BR> The three-car Panoz Motor Sports team will feature an All-American driver lineup of former CART star Bryan Herta and road racing veteran Bill Auberlen in one car, and Americans David Donohue and Gunnar Jeannette in another Prototype. The third team car will be steered by international stars David Brabham and Jan Magnussen.<BR> <BR> Also driving a Prototype will be Milka Duno of Venezuela, the only female driver who regularly competes in the ALMS.<BR> <BR> Corvette Racing, which won the GTS class in last year’s Sears Point event with drivers Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell, will be back to defend its title. The two-car team will battle against attacking Dodge Vipers, Saleen S7R Supercars and a newcomer to ALMS racing, the Ferrari 550 Maranello.<BR> <BR> The GT class will be a wide-open affair among several Porsche 911 GT3 RS machines, including the Sonoma-based Racers Group team. Kevin Buckler of nearby Novato, Calif., heads the driving lineup for the team, which will be seeking its first ALMS win. The two-car Alex Job Racing team will seek to back up its win in March at Sebring with a Sears Point score.<BR> <BR> The newest ALMS class, the LMP 675 class for smaller, less-powerful Prototypes, will see the Sears Point debut of the highly-regarded MG Lola. The fast and nimble British machine will be fielded by American teams KnightHawk Racing and Intersport and many observers feel that the car could challenge for the overall win on the twisting, undulating Sears Point circuit.<BR> <BR> ALMS cars will test the circuit for the first time on Friday, May 17, with official practice and qualifying to be held on Saturday, May 18.</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>