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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">06/07/2004</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Despair, Repair, Floating On Air</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Pirelli and Ferrari Celebrate Their First ALMS GT Win</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"><B>Despair, Repair, Floating On Air</B><BR> <BR> <B>Pirelli and Ferrari Celebrate Their First ALMS GT Win</B><BR> <BR> There were celebrations aplenty at the New England Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park. The ALMS celebrated the 50th race in the history of the American Le Mans Series (The first was Sebring in 1999.). Mike Pickup, owner of the Pirellishod No.60 PK Sport Porsche 911 GT3 RS celebrated the birth of his second baby, seven pound, nine ounce, Amy. Pickup, a Brit, swears the baby was born on July 5, but those of us at Pirelli U.S.A. are convinced the birth actually occurred a day earlier on American Independence Day!<BR> <BR> But the biggest celebration of all was reserved for Ralf Kelleners, Anthony Lazzaro and their red Risi Competizione Ferrari 360 Modena GTC. In the morning warm-up prior to the start of the two hour, 45 minute race, Lazzaro intentionally spun the Ferrari to avoid a Porsche spinning in front of him. Unfortunately, a P2 car wasn’t paying attention to the waving yellow flags and hit the Ferrari, damaging the right front bodywork and a radiator in the nose. The crew got the Ferrari fixed in time for the 3 p.m. start and then team strategy played a role in how the race developed.<BR> <BR> “At the beginning of the race we had a shower,” commented Lazzaro. “We thought about going to the intermediates, because we knew the choice would have to last for an hour. But we asked a spectator, a Lime Rock local, about the weather,” Lazzaro continued. “The sky was clearing so we decided to stay on dry tyres, and that was everything. The decision to stay on Pirelli slicks got us to the front. And then the consistency of the tyres kept us up front. Pirelli’s done a fantastic job all year.”<BR> <BR> The win represented a number of firsts. It was the first ALMS class win for Lazzaro and Kelleners. While the Pirelli-sponsored Ferrari has finished on the podium a number of times in the past, this was Ferrari’s first ALMS GT class win. Porsche had won 21 straight starting with Sebring in 2002. Although Pirelli has won numerous IMSA GT Championships, it was also the first ALMS GT win for Pirelli.<BR> <BR> In GTS the ACEMCO Saleen S7R took another hard-earned third, first of the independents, behind the two factory Corvettes. While the Saleen was two seconds off the Corvettes’ pace at Mid-Ohio, the Saleen duo of Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem sliced that advantage down to less than half a second at Lime Rock.<BR> <BR> “Pirelli gave us a new tyre,” said Borcheller. “We had tested it previously at another track and it hadn’t worked especially well. But it’s obvious the Pirelli engineers knew what they were doing because it worked great here in combination with a new spring, shock and anti-roll bar package developed by Saleen engineers.”<BR> <BR> “We are moving closer to the Corvette,” said Mowlem. “If we continue to make similar progress, we will reach a point where we can seriously challenge the factory Corvettes.” <BR> <BR> For Le Mans- and Mid-Ohio- winner Clint Field and his Lola Judd, Lime Rock was a bit of a downer. “It was going great,” according to Field. “We had comfortable lead of over a lap in P2. The Pirellis were working great. Then, bang, it was over. A push rod broke in the rear suspension,” Field continued, “putting Mike (co-driver Mike Durand) hard into the barrier.” But the 21-year-old Field retained his youthful enthusiasm. “Don’t worry,” Clint said, “we’ll get it fixed for Sears.<BR> <BR> In only its second outing, the Pirelli-shod Krohn-Barbour Racing Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT of David Brabham and Peter Kox, still minus the second team car which was heavily damaged at Mid-Ohio, is still looking for the speed that will make it competitive with the fastest GTS entries. “We’re off the pace right now,” said Dick Barbour, “but the engineers in Germany are working on more power. We could have placed higher here at Lime Rock except for the time spent in the pits when the Lamborghini suffered rear suspension damage as the result of being rear ended about an hour into the race.”<BR> <BR> Lime Rock had a little of everything this year. Some rain, but mostly sunny skies. Some celebrations and some disappointment. But mostly the 2004 Lime Rock New England Grand Prix will be remembered for the smiling faces of Kelleners and Lazzaro as they stood on the podium waving to the crowd and celebrating Ferrari’s, Pirelli’s and their first ALMS GT class win.<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>