Sears Point Raceway X-Factor 22/07/2001   Qualifying Report   © Tom Kjos Sonoma, California, USA--We have to start the qualifying report with a correction on the earlier practice session 2. It seems that the Timo Bernhard's Petersen Motorsports GT3-RS was the Porsche that "cut off" Frank Lagorce's Panoz, that according to the Panoz team. At the time, Porsche PR gave us the kerb story, which is undoubtedly what they knew at the time. The "cut off" issue is, of course at this point a matter of opinion. "I feel bad about what happened even though it wasn't my fault. But we'll be back out to qualify," said Timo. Porsche PR weighed in to unequivocally put the blame on the LMP. "Timo Bernhard in the #30 Petersen Motorsports Porsche was clipped by the #51 Panoz, causing a wheel on the Porsche to collapse and damage the front bodywork and suspension," observed Porsche Motorsport North America. Someone will sort it out, as if it still makes any difference, which it doesn't. The GTS and GT cars are lined up in pit lane awaiting the start flag for qualifying. As they have been for each session, the two PTG BMWs are at the head of the line, seemingly eager to get to it. Not hard to understand given Tom Milner's team's mostly futile struggles to make a dent in the Porsche dominance that came with the introduction of the GT3-R at Le Mans in 1999. The burden of 17 separate sanctioning body penalties weighed heavily on this team from 1998 on, though they were for the most part suffered in silence. It ultimately took 400 pounds of lead, narrow rear tires and engine RPM limitations to keep Porsche's RSR competitive, so it is no wonder that the Winchester, Virginia is pleased as punch with their new GTR. The session start is delayed, perhaps as a result of some bent sheet metal at the end of the Speedvision Cup Touring car race. Alex Job Racing was scrambling to repair the #23 car, so this delay likely pleases them immensely. They now roll off at 5:09 PM. Auberlen and Stuck fly by now on their first "hot lap" just after the #22 AJR Porsche gets on the track; the damaged #23 is not yet out. Neither is the American Viperacing GTS-R damaged in this morning's practice. It seems they have come up with all the parts they need except a radiator, and there was just an announced request for a Viper transplant donor. Terry Borcheller takes the Konrad Saleen S7R to a 1:30.924 to set the early pole standard. Andy Pilgrim follows with a 1:33.731 for Corvette. The Corvettes aren't done yet, of course, as Ron Fellows soon comes back to post a more acceptable 1:31.705 to grab second on the GTS grid. So with a Saleen and two Corvettes all heading the best of the GT cars, the pride of the class, in doubt after this morning's first practice, is upheld. In GT, Dirk Müller turns a 1:33.763 to head the class times, fourth overall, then comes in after four laps, satisfied with the effort. "I'm really, really happy to be on pole [here at Sears Point] for the third time in a row. I'm really happy to race with Fredrik again. Both of us are quick over here and the Schnitzer team did a fantastic job all weekend. They got better and better from practice to practice and finally in qualifying, we are on the pole. With the whole team effort we've had in the past, I'm quite confident for tomorrow," said Müller. Bill Auberlen, still on the track with a best less than two-tenths behind, could yet grab the pole. Hans Stuck, yet only another two-tenths in trail at the midpoint of the session, makes it nearly a BMW sweep with half the session to go. The two PTG cars ending up bracketed by their friends at BMW Motorsport. "All of the BMW M3 GTRs are within one second of each other so it looks to be a BMW race. I hope Team PTG will be up front, but I am relatively certain that a BMW will be up front and that is the most important thing," said a diplomatic Tom Milner. Yokohama was less so, throwing down the first gauntlet in the incipient intramural tire war. "Yokohama continues to be amazed by the performance of the new M3 GTR. We feel confident that our new tires will get to the checkered flag first," said Darren Tannehill, Motorsport Manager, Yokohama Tire. Boris Said indicated there may indeed be more in the PTG cars, "I got two good laps, but was too hot into the last turn on the second one and it cost me a few tenths. We saved the tires because ultimately we are here to win the race." Uncharacteristically (and disappointingly) there was no comment from Herr Stuck. JJ Lehto, who characteristically has waited until late in the session to go out, gets on a flying lap and pulls himself up to fourth in class, completing the sweep, though some time remains. JJ now goes on another hot lap in a final attempt to better his position. F1-like the Finn makes liberal use of the kerbs and nearly grazes the wall as he come around to again improve his time, but not his position. Understandably, JJ was less satisfied than teammate Dirk, "We can't get it dialed in. Normally, we have a lot of understeer and now we have a massive oversteer. We'll just have to get it right," said the usually ebullient Finn. Dirk Müller turns out to be right in parking the BMW Motorsports M3 early as his time holds up for the GT pole. Meanwhile, the second of the AJR cars, Lucas Luhr's 23, transmission repaired, makes it to the track only a few minutes after the roll-off, and as expected, quickly establishes himself behind teammate Randy Pobst as the best of the Porsche teams, as they have been all year. Their back-to-back is soon split by Shane Lewis, a top driver now finally showing a glimmer of taking the Vipers back to the future. Prototype qualifying starts with the Audi Sport North America R8s sitting patiently in the pits, another F1 kind of strategy, while they wait for the rest of the field to lay down rubber and set the time that they will then go out and beat. Panoz, Cadillac, Andy Wallace in Champion's Audi, and Intersport's Lola take to the track. For the first half of the session, these cars seem well matched, with the Cadillacs finally joined by Jon Field's Lola putting the Panoz down the charts. What appears to be a mild upset is retrieved by David Brabham's late fast lap to garner a fourth place on the grid. "I'm a little disappointed to be honest. We made some changes to the car's set up through the last session, which made the car more difficult to drive in qualifying. It's a shame because I'm sure we had the potential to get 3rd. We are still re-learning the LMP-1 but I think we have a good race setup which is the main thing," said David. Frenchman Franck Lagorce, driving the LMP-1 for the first time in a qualifying session, endured a more difficult time in the sister car and managed to set a time of 1m 28.645 using just two gears in a malfunctioning gearbox. Frank described what must have been a frustrating experience. "My first lap out was okay but then the gearbox went a little bit stiff, and then nothing. I couldn't get past 3rd gear so had to set my lap using just 2nd and 3rd." Under those conditions, his result is one heck of an achievement. After sitting quietly, though, the two Audi Sport R8s fire up and with that eerily quiet turbo V8 take the track, effortlessly nailing the first two grid positions. Frighteningly, Rinaldo Capello did not think much of his qualifying effort. "When I did my first two laps, I didn't expect the track to be so slippery," said Capello. "I missed the apex in one of the turns three times in a very quick part of the track. I wasn't sure if I got the pole because I felt that I could go quicker." The LMP 675 class was led (and trailed, since there is only one entry) by the Dick Barbour Racing Reynard 01Q-Judd driven by John Graham of Canada, who turned a lap of 99.396 miles per hour. His co-drivers will be Didier de Radigues of Belgium and Milka Duno of Venezuela. Over the life of the R8, short as it is, BMW, Panoz, Reynard, Cadillac, Courage, Lola, and now Daimler-Chrysler, Ascari, Dome, and Bentley have all taken their shots. Once Audi got on its game last year, none have been in the game. Nor do any appear to be any nearer to unseating the champion. Audi makes it look easy. What more is there to be said about any great sporting team? Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport