ALMS 2006

Sebring Huston Mid Ohio Lime Rock Salt Lake Portland Road America Mosport Petit Le Mans Laguna Seca

Sebring 2006-03-18

Starting Lineup

Dyson Racing qualified their two new AER-powered Lolas fifth and sixth today for Saturday's 54th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the first round of the ten race American Le Mans season. The Thetford/Norcold team tested the cars for the very first time here two months ago.

"This was our first flyer runs with the cars this weekend and we are playing a little bit of catch up with the cars ahead of us that have more mature packages," said Chris Dyson, driver of the #20 entry with Guy Smith. "But we are in the show and we are learning every session this weekend."

"We have just scratched the surface with these cars," noted James Weaver who will be partnering with Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace in the #16 car. "We have definitely made some big steps forward with this car. I think it is a very nice piece, much easier to set up than the old car." I have always liked Sebring. I love the traditional races because they have such long history behind it. It is a proper motor race on the same date every year, and everyone knows when it is. It is more fun and challenging than Le Mans with more overtaking and racing here."

Weaver's teammate Andy Wallace has ten podium finishes at Sebring, the most among the 2,962 drivers who have competed in the race. He noted that to win the Twelve Hours of Sebring you "need very good reliability and a car that has strength. Many of us are in the same boat this year with new cars and I think this is one of those races where we are not going to be giving up no matter what happens."

Jon Field's qualifying was abruptly stopped on his out lap when his left front tyre deflated with a puncture. The Intersport Racing lead driver drove back to the pits but was forced to abandon the session due to a regulation that states 'no tyre changes allowed under any circumstances'. As he got out of the car, Jon Field said: "What a shame for the team and the fans! I couldn't even drive a single flying lap. The bad news is that we will be starting from the back of the grid on Saturday morning; the good news is that it should be a good show for the fans as I will be overtaking as many cars as I can to get back to the front where we belong. We proved yesterday that we have a very good chassis, engine and tyre package and I was looking forward to a strong battle with the two Porsches for LMP2 pole position. It was not meant to be today and we will have to do the talking in race conditions now!"

Jon's team mate Liz Halliday added: "It is a shame that Jon couldn't do a single flying lap, but that's motor racing for you! We are well prepared as a team and we should have a strong race. Jon will make the start, then Clint will take over and I will join for the third stint. We will all start with single stints so that we all get a good rhythm and then we will are planning to double sting depending on the way the race unfolds. I am very pleased with the car and the set-up that we have and I look forward to a fun race."

Clint Field said: "We are confident for the race. This year will be different to last year for us as we have been racing the Lola for a year now. We know the car inside-out and we have a fast, reliable package. If I know Jon, he will be back to the front pretty quickly after the start. The race will be challenging this year the competition is really tough with many strong cars, teams and good drivers.

Highcroft Racing qualifying report

Duncan Dayton is right where he wants to be - Sebring International Raceway - and right where he thought he'd be - fifth in class and seventh overall - following qualifications for Saturday's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Thursday afternoon.

Dayton, of Danbury, Conn., put Highcroft Racing's Lola EX257 AER No. 9 into the 35-car field with a qualifying time of 1:51.549, which works out to be an average speed of 119.409 miles per hour for the 3.7-mile road course.

He'll start Saturday's race and then turn the beautiful yellow and blue LMP1 car over to Gregor Fisken of London, England. Rick Knoop of Laguna Beach, Calif. will be third in the driver rotation as the team attempts to finish the 54th annual once-around-the-clock enduro while representing Gregor Fisken Fine Historic Automobiles, Stand 21 Racewear, Dunlop Tires, Koni Shocks, Hella Lights, KEEN Shoes and Resole.com.

"The Highcroft Racing guys have been working extremely hard since November to put this all together, and I appreciate all they've done," Dayton said after qualifications. "I'm proud of the effort they've put forward, and the pace we're setting and the presentation of the car. It's all due to their hard work, and I'm eternally grateful."

When asked how the car performed during qualifying, he said, "The car is very good. The session wasn't without its drama. A Dyson car had a problem, and an Audi spun right in front of me. Field had a flat, and a couple people dragged some dirt onto the track. My tail got loose a couple times. I didn't spin or anything, but it got my attention.

"I think we were chasing the track to some extent," he added. "The track is pretty greasy right now. "But our car is perfectly comfortable to drive, and that's exactly what we want," he continued. "I was just trying to conserve the car. I did our time easily. We just want to click off the laps on Saturday and try to finish the race." Dayton added that he was very pleased with the team's Dunlop tires. "Our Dunlops are extremely consistent, and the grip builds up quickly," he said. "We're also able to get rid of tire build-up quickly if we get off line."

Race results

Race Report

Seven-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen was the driver who had the honor of driving the new Audi AG prototype across the finish line to score the first victory for the Audi R10 TDI. In what was termed the "test race" for the newest sportscar prototype developed by Audi, the test ended up making history with the diesel powered engine.

"Today, Audi had the courage to bring out the car in what is a very young project," said Kristensen. "To conquer Sebring in our test for our big race which is Le Mans, that is what makes the headline today. I am just happy to be part of it."
A good place to make history is at Sebring International Raceway at the historic 3.7-mile circuit in the March Classic: the 54th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
"This was the first real endurance test, we encountered trouble but nothing we couldn't overcome. The engineers did a great job preparing for things that could go wrong," explained Allan McNish. "The car's rhythm was really good, it was fun to really blast the car around the track."
The season-opening race in the 2006 American Le Mans Series calendar saw an increase in fans over the four days of activity, from Wednesday's first practice session through today's race.
Sharing today's triumphant victory with Kristensen were McNish and Rinaldo Capello. For Kristensen, it was a win to savor as he became the first driver to earn four Sebring victories.
"This car takes a little bit more of a cautious approach, it takes a softer right foot, just like a real racecar should," Kristensen commented. "This project (today's race) has been a lot of motivation for Le Mans. There will be tests that go on Monday as there is still things to improve. But those will make us more confident."
For Audi, it was a day of learning and a day of celebration. Prior to the race start, the winning car had a heat exchanger problem, the crew went to work and were able to take the green flag from the pitlane and not from their original pole position. "It was a big moment for us after the warm up," said Capello. "It took a bit longer than expected."
The Italian continued on what it was like to start on cold tires: "From pit lane there is no heat and our car is no good on cold tires. When they came up to temperature, it was a matter of time before we could get to the front (where the leaders were). Unfortunately, we lost so much time when Allan was in the car. Tom and I always had to make it up," Capello said as he teased his teammate who laid down the fastest lap on Thursday to hand his co-drivers the pole position.
The No. 1 diesel-power car went out of the race with a telemetry problem dashing the hopes of the ALMS 2005 co-champions Frank Beila and Emanuele Pirro, along with the 2004 co-champion Marco Werner.
In the early stages of the endurance race, the telemetry that transmits data from the car to the pits failed. Unfortunately, without that data, the technicians had no idea that the radiator was being clogged with tire rubbish and in the end, the overheating was to the point that Audi wanted to save the engine.
"After the opening hours of the race, we know that we would have had the pace to go for victory," commented Werner when the team retired the R10. "It's a shame the race is over for us, but although we stopped, I have to give credit to Audi and the team for their hard work. While others work on their projects at home and without spectators, Audi faces the diesel challenge on the racetrack. Now I keep my fingers crossed for our companion car."

The race ended with a large margin of victory for Audi but earlier, their main rivals from Dyson Racing were ready to take on the new diesel-powered Audi with their new chassis and engine. Several teams made changes over the off-season and Rob Dyson's team was one of those who also ended up with a new prototype that would be tested at the challenging Sebring 12 hours event.
Still they fared well, the No. 16 LMP1 with James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace finished fifth overall and second in class. "With a brand new car, it was likely we would have some difficulties," admitted Leitzinger. "What was surprising was that we had so few. We are happy to be standing here (on the podium). As you drive around this track, there is so much energy from the fans, you can tell its Sebring!"
The new Advance Engine Research (AER) 3.6 liter twin-turbo V8 engines proved the reliability even though the No. 20 retired with overheating (tire rubber flying from other cars due to the heat did cause radiators to clogged up). The team was also pleased with their two new Lola B06/10 chassis'.
Weaver who did a lot of the development worked with the new package commented after the race "It was consistently grippy. We've been working very hard this year to stay in shape. The new car is definitely less work (to drive) than last year's car."
"When I drove it, the car worked fine, it was Butch and Andy that broke it," said the Brit smiling. "I'm the oldest, so I guess I;m in the best shape." Audi No. 2 and Dyson No. 16 were the only finishers in the P1 class. Thus, the Audi trio left with a three pint advantage over Dyson's trio of racers.
Houston could change the face of the points when Dyson's two new machines battle with the Audi R8 again. The R10 will return in July for the Utah event as Le Mans is their main focus. The R8 will run at Houston, Mid-Ohio and Lime Rock.

The LMP2 win was earned by the Intersport Racing trio of Jon Field, Liz Halliday and Clint Field. The long-standing team in the ALMS were able to bring home their Lola B05/40 AER as Halliday crossed the finish line not only first in class but second overall ! Quite an accomplishment for the team running last year's car. "We had a really good thing going today," said Jon (owner and third driver for Intersport Racing). "This place is special."
Their run was not flawless as they had, like many of the competitors did this year, mechanical issues. The main one came after the half-way mark, "We also had our share of trouble, especially the engine for the last five hours."
Halliday had the honor of bringing the AER powered Lola B05/40 home as she became the highest finishing woman driver at the historic Sebring race. "I was lucky enough to be the one to cross the finish line," she said. "AER did a great job keeping things running."
Still the trio did their job and brought the car home for their second Sebring victory. And they outlasted the two Penske Motorsports Porsche RS Spyders. "Today was great," Clint commented. "I had a really hard day. We really had to try and stay in it, it wasn't easy. The Penske Porsches were really fast, I have a lot of respect for them, and what they are going to do for the series. We're really going to have to step up our game."

The No. 6 Porsche RS Spyder did score second place points even though the Spyder had a drive-train failure just past the 11 hour mark. At the time, Emmanuel Collard, Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr were leading the P2 class and challenging Audi for the overall.
The trio had to overcome an early alternator failure early in the race. The made up the ground but the ending was disappointing. "Although the result wasn't what we hoped for, the drivers and team persevered to come back and take the class lead and second position overall," admitted Penske Racing, Inc president Tim Cindric.
"Second place championship points will certainly help us to pursue the LMP2 title, and to improve in the season ahead," he added.

The final step of the podium was earned in a hard-fought battle by Binnie Motorsports' trio of drivers in the Lola B05/40 with a Zytek powerplant. Bill Binnie, Allen Timpany and Rick Sutherland overcame the bumpy circuit to finish third.

The definition of a Sebring Sandwich: a moral victory wrapped in a solid result. The #16 Thetford/Norcold AER-powered Lola B06/10 finished second in the LMP1 class and fifth overall at Saturday's Twelve Hours of Sebring. The car, driven by James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace, had less than two months of testing under its development belt. The Teutonic Juggernaut was not as invincible as the pre-race prognosticators forecasted. Only one of the two Audis finished and both Porsches were not running at the end.

The #16 entry faced no major problems during its half-day run around Sebring's 3.7 mile course. The most time consuming was when Leitzinger came in shortly after he got in the car for his first stint, three hours into the race. This was to repair a leaking brake line and bleed the rear brakes. This put the car down to thirteenth, its lowest position in the race. Four hours later, the car was up to fourth where it remained for the last third of race until a stop forty minutes from the end to replace the rear shocks dropped it down to sixth. Wallace ended up finishing fifth in a race James Weaver calls tougher then the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The # 20 car of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith ended up retiring seven and a half hours into the race with overheating problems after a competitive but eventful run. Guy Smith started the race and ran as high as third, but two punctures and software glitches dropped the car to thirty-first. Delighted with his car's race setup, the Briton had moved the car back up to eighth by the end of his double stint. Dyson took over and continued the team's progress, running as high as fifth overall before an electronics problem interrupted the second half of the American's double stint. Dyson handed the car back to Smith, but two hours were lost replacing a supply-side oil pump and repairing a fuel leak. Unfortunately, the car was retired forty minutes after returning to action with overheating caused by debris in the radiator.

It was a race of the unknowns. Of the first six cars starting the race, four had never turned a race lap and two had only one race to their credit. Dyson Racing now has a known quantity.

Randall Kelsey: "I am so proud of our guys. No matter what problems the new cars threw at them, they rose to the challenge. We were lucky if we averaged four hours of sleep a night. It was a long week, but they still maintained their sense of humor. There is not stronger work ethic than what you find in racing and I will put our guys up against any team."

Butch Leizinger: "It is amazing how well the team came together for this race. The car was so new and had quite a few problems and not much practice, but they got everything right for the race. We went into this with our eyes open, knowing the challenge we faced with a brand new car. But for the car to run as strong as it has gives everybody a positive boost for the season."

James Weaver: "It was a typical Sebring week - fighting and struggling with a number of minor problems, but in the end, we got some good points. The car behaved itself amazingly well during the race, no major dramas and acquitted itself quite well."

Chris Dyson: "It is disappointing that the #20 car did not score points this event: the car was the best it's been all weekend. But the whole program has to start somewhere and I am very pleased with my teammate, Guy Smith and how we worked together all week. I am sorry for the guys - they put in such an effort, but it is a building block for this year as we have learned an incredible amount these past six weeks. Congratulations to James, Butch and Andy for their great run."

Guy Smith: "Little bit disappointed this weekend that we couldn't score any points. That was our aim for the week, but that is racing and in particular endurance racing. But all in all it has been positive. We know the car is good and it ran well through the race. It is fast. With the engine we have some good data and we know what we need to continue to improve on our performance."

Andy Wallace: "The car is actually very nice to drive; it really is a good car. Of course we knew coming into this race that it was very new and we have had our fair share of teething problems. But it was dead strong during the race. It has very good feel which is very important in a race car and I very much enjoy driving it."

Rob Dyson: "It would have been great if we had not had the overheating problems on the #20 car and the few minor problems on the #16. Dealing with a new package, you expect some more catastrophic things to happen, but the thing ran like a Swiss watch, and it was absolutely astounding how well we did."

The privateer Intersport Racing team, consisting of Jon Field, Clint Field and Liz Halliday, enjoyed a perfect start to the 2006 American Le Mans Series yesterday when they beat the mighty Porsche factory team to LMP2 class victory in the 54th running of the Sebring 12 Hours, while at the same time finishing a hugely impressive 2nd overall to the awesome new Audi R10.

Intersport owner and lead driver, Jon Field was forced to start from the back of the grid, following a puncture on his out lap in qualifying. Nevertheless, Jon, Clint and Liz drove a storming race to scythe through the pack taking the lead of the LMP2 class just two hours into the race. During the fourth hour, they benefited from the retirement of one of the works Audi's to move up to second overall whilst first in class. They held that position comfortably until the middle of the tenth hour when the Porsche overtook them for the lead. The Intersport drivers kept their cool and had their faith rewarded when, with 22 laps to go, their Porsche rival stopped on the track wit mechanical problems. Intersport duly reclaimed the lead and Liz Halliday took the car to the finish to score the team's best ever win.

After his exceptional drive, Jon Field said: "I made a good start from the back of the grid, overtaking as many people as possible but making sure I stayed out of trouble at the same time! It was an awesome race and I enjoyed every minute of it! We drove our own race and we played catch up with the number 1 Porsche all day. In the end, they broke down trying to catch us. This is a great win, probably the best that we've ever had as a team. Liz also became the highest placing woman driver ever at Sebring, beating Lynn St James who had managed fifth overall in the past. We did not have a trouble free race! We had some engine issues from the seventh hour and every time we came into the pits, AER engineers would download a new mapping but it did not make any difference. We think that problems started when Clint was forced to go off the track at high speed when the Audi spun in front of him. We think that some dirt got into the injectors. Nevertheless, we made it to the finish and the pleasure is even stronger!"

Jon's son and team mate Clint Field added: "At the beginning of the race, the weather was so hot and the track so greasy that we decided to be careful and make sure we looked after the car and did not damage it. With the exception of a scary moment avoiding a spinning Audi our plan worked out and we were ready to push hard when dusk arrived. We tried everything we could to keep the Porsche behind but we had picked up a misfire and they finally got by towards the end of the race. We continued to push hard and then they broke down as we were racing them. It was a great day and I am delighted for the team, Jon and Liz. We now need to capitalize on this result for the next race in Houston on 13th May. To win our class and finish second overall behind the works Audi team is a major achievement and this is my personal best ever overall finish in the ALMS. I would like also to thank Goodyear - they gave us great tyres this weekend and hopefully they can continue to do so throughout the year. We should get some softer compounds for Houston and hopefully they will be as good as the tyres we had today."

Jon and Clint's teammate Liz Halliday concluded the day by saying: "This is a magic day for the team and I want to applaud Jon and Clint for doing such an awesome job in giving Porsche a run for their money. It wasn't an easy drive today, but I loved every second of it -- and what an honour to drive the car to the chequered flag in the final stint of the race. The team and the mechanics worked hard all week and they really deserve this result. Today we beat Porsche fair and square which, as a privateer team, is a major achievement."

Liz's result is the highest ever finish for a female driver in the history of the Sebring 12 Hours and she also holds the highest number of wins for female drivers in the ALMS

LOLA Report: Intersport take Sebring glory

INTERSPORT LOLA SCOOPS LMP2 VICTORY AND FINISH 2ND OVERALL
Lola sportscars were once again in victory lane at the 54th running of the Sebring 12 hours over the weekend. Jon Field, his son Clint and Liz Halliday celebrated a superb win in the LMP2 class and a second placing overall.

Three different models of Huntingdon built sports-prototypes were competing on the famous airfield in Florida. While the all-new B06/10 LMP1 design finished 2nd in its class on its debut, the similarly AER powered B05/40 LMP2 car run by Intersport Racing started the season with its best ever result at Sebring. Completing a highly successful day for Lola was Binnie Motorsport who made it a 1-3 finish in LMP2, sandwiching one of the Penske Porsches.

Clint Field, the reigning LMP2 champion, had a scare early in the race when Frank Biela spun his Audi in the second hour, causing the American to take avoiding action on the grass. Later, the drivers took the chequered flag, 22 laps ahead of the second in class Porsche RS Spyder of Sascha Maassen, Lucas Luhr and Emmanuel Collard.

“This was a special race as we were sandwiched between the Audi drivers and the Corvette, and it was amazing beating those guys to claim runners-up spot. Full credit to my team mates, the team, Lola and AER,” said a delighted Jon Field from the podium.
Liz Halliday became the highest placing woman driver ever at Sebring, beating Lynn St James who had managed fifth overall in 1983 in a Nimrod C2. Oddly, Liz’s second place was also appreciated by race winner Allan McNish, as the Scot had lent a pair of his gloves to the Californian immediately before the start of the race!”

Jon’s son and team mate Clint Field added: “It was a great day and I am delighted for the team, Jon and Liz. We now need to capitalise on this result for the next race in Houston on 13th May. To win our class and finish second overall behind the works Audi team is a major achievement.”

DYSON DELIGHT WITH NEW LOLA LMP1
The new B06/10 AER package finished second in the LMP1 category in the hands of James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace, in the #16 Dyson entry. The car had a technical problem, which caused both of the team’s cars to temporarily stop out on the circuit, but neither was delayed for long. “I am very impressed with our guys, with Lola and also AER who have done a superb job with this fantastic car,” said Dyson team owner/manager Rob Dyson. “We have had only six days of testing prior to coming here, and this is the first time that the engine and chassis combination has run in anger. A year ago the engine was a blank sheet of paper, and we started to run it something like three months ago.”

Weaver was full of praise for the new package. “It is a very good car, and we can win races with it,” said the Englishman. “I think with development we can be on the pace the Audis showed today. We did not have too many problems during this race. We had a brake pipe problem and we damaged the floor running over some concrete somewhere but that was it and before this race, we had never run more than 12 laps at a time. It is an extraordinary achievement.”

The Audi has miles and miles of testing under its belt before it came here for the gruelling 12-hours of Sebring, but we have shown that with this good engine and chassis combination, we can be very competitive,” concluded Weaver.

The # 20 Lola B06/10 of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith ended up retiring seven and a half hours into the race after a competitive but eventful run. Guy Smith started the race and ran as high as third, but two punctures and software glitches dropped the car to thirty-first. Delighted with his car’s race setup, the 2003 Le Mans winner had moved the car back up to eighth by the end of his double stint. Chris Dyson took over and continued the team’s progress, running as high as fifth overall before a problem interrupted the second half of the American’s double stint. Dyson handed the car back to Smith, but two hours were lost replacing a supply-side oil pump and repairing a fuel leak. Unfortunately, the car was retired forty minutes after returning to action with overheating caused by debris in the radiator.

BINNIE TAKE IMPRESSIVE LMP2 PODIUM PLACE
Third in the LMP2 class was the Binnie Motorsports team of Bill Binnie, Rick Sutherland and Allen Timpany in their Zytek-powered Lola B05/40. “It is great that Binnie has worked hard to reverse his fortunes from last year,” said Lola’s David Scotney. “They have made a very good engine choice this year, and that has paid off for them this weekend.”

“But for a water hose clip we’d have been second but we’re very pleased indeed with that result,” confirmed Bill Binnie. “We can move forward now on the back of that. I’m absolutely delighted for Intersport. That was a fantastic race by all of them, ” he sportingly acknowledged. Binnie Motorsport will be in action in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June as well as selected Le Mans Series and ALMS races throughout the year.

HIGHCROFT AND AUTOCON POSITIVE FOR COMING SEASON
The Highcroft Racing Lola B01/60 AER of Duncan Dayton, Rick Knoop and Gregor Fisken, retired as a precautionary measure when the car was found to have a fuel leak, believed to be a ruptured fuel tank.

"We had a minor spin on oil and we lost several laps due to a misfire, but then we climbed up and we were ready to get back into the top 20 overall when we had to drop out,” said Gregor Fisken.
"Duncan was able to qualify quickest of the non-new generation Prototypes, and he was running fifth or sixth when he spun in oil. We regouped and we were knocking on the door of the top 20,” continued the Scot.

The similar Autocon Lola B01/60-AER of Michael Lewis, Chris McMurry and Bryan Willman stopped out on track with a suspected oil fire in the fifth hour of the 12-hour race.

Huston 2006

Starting Lineup

James Weaver won the first pole of the season for Dyson Racing in qualifying this evening at the Lone Star Grand Prix in Houston TX. This is Dyson Racing's fifty-third pole, fourteen of which have been earned by Weaver. This is also the first pole for the new AER powered Lola B06/10 in only its second race.
"I think one of the reasons we are quick here is that the Dyson team has always been good at arrive-and-drive races," observed James. "The team is excellent with a limited amount of time in making the right calls and the right judgments. When you cannot engineer the car to death, you have to know motor racing and I think that is when you see how much strength and depth there is at Dyson Racing."

The # 20 car of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith did not get a chance to qualify after it suffered electrical problems in the final practice session and there was not enough time to diagnose and fix the problem in the forty minutes between practice and qualifying. With no qualifying time, the car will start from the back of the grid. "It will make for an interesting race for Guy and myself," remarked Chris Dyson. "Guy went from twenty- sixth to second at VIR a couple of weekends ago, so we will put our heads down and do what we have to do."

"It does not matter how long you have been doing this, it never gets old," James Weaver said. "The thrill of rolling down pit lane for qualifying with a new set of tires and a great car under you. You are feeling confident and there is a lot going on and it just gives you a tremendous buzz. If anything, it gets better. Since I must me getting close to my "sell by date," you know it is not going to go on forever. You just savor it and enjoy it every moment you are in the car. It is just fantastic feeling."

Race results

Race Report

It doesn't matter if it's the R8 or R10 TDI. It seems like Audi always finds a way to win in the American Le Mans Series. Friday night's Lone Star Grand Prix was another example as Alan McNish and Dindo Capello won for the second time this season.
The R8 survived the attrition that claimed its closest competitors to send Allan McNish and Dindo Capello to their second straight victory. After winning in the debut of the diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI at Sebring, McNish and Capello completed 143 laps on the 1.69-mile, nine-turn street course at Reliant Park.
"I was surprised how good the car really was in the race," Capello said. "We could keep pace right behind the Porsche. We have no traction control and were very heavy out of the corners. Now we are in 2006 and this car should not have been as competitive as it was today." Corvette Racing's No. 4 Corvette C6.R, with Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin and the wheel, finished second overall and won for the seventh straight time in GT1.
The runner-up finish overall is the highest finish in the Series' history for a GT1 car. The rough surface, common for street races, played havoc on Dyson Racing's two Lolas and Penske Racing's two Porsche RS Spyders. But the Audi remained steady throughout the two-hour, 45-minute race.

It appeared the race would come down to pit stops between the Audi and the two Porsches. It didn't come down to that, however, as the reliability of the R8 won out in the end as the Penske cars suffered drivetrain problems late. As a result, the Audi R8 now has won 48 times in the Series since debuting in 2000. "There were two things that happened today; one, the car got better as the race went on and the grip got better, and two, the team did a great strategy," McNish said. "I didn't think it was a great idea when I got in, but as I saw it go on I realized it was spot on. We knew that we pitted in the window with full knowledge that the Porsche would have to pit and we could leap frog in the pits."

In LMP2, Clint Field nursed the Intersport Racing Lola over the final 20 minutes to claim his second straight win with Liz Halliday. As the Penske Porsches went by the wayside within the last 30 minutes, Field kept the car under power to win for the 14th time in his career. Halliday picked up her fifth career Series win, which ties her with Milka Duno for the most victories by a female driver in the American Le Mans Series.
"(Late in the race) I came down the straight and it made a wicked noise and I lost power but I knew what the problem was because we had the same problem earlier in the week," Field said. "Then I passed the yellow Porsche and I thought this is too good to be true. We came in and they safety tied it back together and it held."
B-K Motorsports placed second in class as Jamie Bach and Guy Cosmo finished two laps behind Intersport in their No. 8 Mazda-powered Courage C65. Both Halliday and Field said the race was a good example of never giving up and fighting until the checkered flag.

"I think the team and everyone's goal was just to stay alive," Halliday said. "We chatted with some of the other teams and we all agreed not to get in a wreck. I think we all did a good job respecting each other and keeping it clean. We knew we'd have a solid third if the Penskes held together. I didn't expect things to come out like they did today. It was survival of the fittest."

Dyson Racing's record of twelve straight LMP1 podium finishes remained intact at tonight's Lone Star Grand Prix in Houston Texas. On a track that drivers termed bumpier than Sebring, the number 16 car of James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger finished second in class and sixth overall. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith brought the sister 20 car home third in class on this inaugural 1.7 mile street course run under the lights around Reliant Stadium. James started from the pole but a series of what Guy Smith would call "higgly piggly" problems, kept both Thetford/Norcold entries from being stronger contenders. James Weaver led the first twelve laps. Handling problems dropped him to third where he stayed until a fuel, tire and driver change stop 42 laps latter. The car came out fourth after a longer stop than normal to remove rubber from the brake and radiator ducts. Butch Leitzinger lost fifth and sixth gears thirty-five laps from the end, but hung in there to finish sixth. "James showed the pace of the car in qualifying yesterday but mechanical issues held us back today," Leitzinger said afterwards. "But the fans saw the potential of the car."

Chris Dyson started the #20 car from the rear of the field after a mechanical problem prevented him from posting a qualifying time yesterday. Despite having had very few laps in fraught sessions prior to the race, Dyson picked off fifteen cars in fifteen laps and was up to fifth place. But on lap 16, he spun in the oil dropped by a retiring car in front of him and dropped to the back again. Dyson started the process all over again and set a series of quick laps before handing the car over to Guy Smith in tenth place. The Yorkshireman was on the pace instantly and continued the 20 car's march forward. "Once there was some rubber laid down, I was able to hustle the car around, said Smith. "In practice, I felt that I was basically a passenger but in the race I was able drive the car and actually have some fun." But the fun factor ended when a rear push rod failed and the long stop to replace it put them insurmountably down the field again. Noted Smith, "without those problems, we would have had much stronger finish. But it is encouraging: the car was fast and the engine went well with no problems. I started to enjoy the track after awhile and am looking forward to Mid Ohio next weekend."

Intersport celebrated their second consecutive win in the 2006 ALMS series with Clint Field and Liz Halliday in the AER powered Lola. The pair now lead the series standings by 16 points and Lola lead the manufacturers championship from Courage and Porsche.

Field was delighted to score maximum points for the second race in succession to take a healthy points lead in the series standings.

“When I passed the yellow Porsche, I thought this is too good to be true!,” stated Field. “At the end of the race, power-wise it was a quarter of the power, I could go flat out in most of the corners that I shouldn't have been able to. We seem to have a knack for holding the car together and Porsche is developing the art of losing the car with half and hour to go.”

Liz Halliday drove impressively once again and was delighted to have won her second LMP2 race of the year, saying: “This race has been brilliant for me. I was very proud to qualify the Lola for the team for the first time. It was not the easiest circuit for a first but I think I did a pretty good job and third in class behind the two Porsches was not too bad! In the race, I was a bit cautious at the start as I did not want to be in the wrong place in the wrong time on a circuit with no run off. I then drove a solid one hour stint and then handed the car to Clint as planned. This new win feels really good and I hope that we can score a hat trick next weekend.”

Next weekend the team travel to their home track of Mid Ohio to try and make it a hat-trick of class wins.

Dyson Racing showed the pace of the new LMP1 car in qualifying by taking pole position ahead of the Champion Audi R8 and the two Penske Porsche Spyders. James Weaver set a fierce pace in the AER twin turbo powered Lola B06/10 and was overjoyed to notch up the cars first pole position.

From the start the spirited Weaver led from the start holding off the Penske Porsche in the early stages. Sadly for the team the loss of 5th and 6th hears after Butch Leitzinger took over the car meant that 2nd place in class was the best result achievable. However, the new Lola had already created a paddock buzz with its pace in qualifying and the start of the race in what was its second race ever!

For the sister B06/10 AER of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith there was frustration as they were unable to take part in the qualifying session due to an electrical problem. Starting from the back Chris Dyson started making rapid progress up the field to 5th place after just 15 laps.

However, misfortune struck on lap 17 when the young American spun off on dropped oil from another car. After Dyson handed over to Smith, the car started to make even more progress but a lengthy pit stop to replace a rear push rod. The pair eventually finished in 3rd position in LMP1 claiming more useful points in the process.

Guy Smith was optimistic for the forthcoming race at Mid Ohio next weekend, saying: “It is encouraging, as the car was fast and the engine went well with no problems. I started to enjoy the track after awhile and am looking forward to Mid Ohio next weekend.”

The Van Der Steur Lola B2K/40 finished 4th in LMP2 with Briton’s Ben Devlin adding to his glowing reputation by setting some very impressive times.

Mid Ohio 2006

Starting Lineup

The blue and white racers of Dyson Racing qualified third and fifth this afternoon on the newly repaved thirteen-turn Mid-Ohio course for tomorrow's American Le Mans race. "The track is real smooth, much more like a European track," commented Guy Smith. "Especially coming from the street track at Houston last weekend, it is a great pleasure to drive." Butch Leitzinger qualified the # 16 Thetford/Norcold entry third. "We are getting much better," noted Leitzinger. "It is still a challenge to get temperature in the tires, but everyone is having that problem. In the qualifying session, the car was really coming right. I ran out of fuel in the first turn on my last lap while I was under braking, and had to switch to the reserve pump which cost some time and that was our fastest lap."

That has been the challenge facing everyone here this weekend: getting the tires warm enough in cold, overcast and initially damp conditions. "The car was getting better and better with every lap, but we are paying the penalty for missing yesterday morning's session with mechanical problems," said Chris Dyson who qualified the #20 entry fifth. "We have been playing catch-up today. We went in a different set-up direction than Butch and James Weaver, and it gave us a good race balance, but for qualifying, it was not the best."

Dyson Racing came in one, two in last year's Mid-Ohio race. "Last year we had a real all-out brawl for the lead at the beginning of the race," remembered Leitzinger. "It was probably the most fun I have ever had in a race car. I remember thinking that it does not get any better than this. I hope it does get better and we see a great race tomorrow."

Race results

Race Report

The Captain's cars have made American Le Mans Series history. Penske Racing's two Porsche RS Spyders finished 1-2 overall in the American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio, becoming the first LMP2 class team to post such a result in the Series. Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard captured their first overall Series race in the No. 7 Penske Porsche, coming from the back of the field for a monumental class and overall victory. Dumas went across the finish line by 0.424 seconds ahead of Lucas Luhr in the No. 6 sister car. "As we came in to this weekend, we were most concerned about reliability from the last two weekends," team owner Roger Penske said. "I think this broke the ice, running against the Audis and the Dysons. You'll notice we've been real lucky with the four drivers we have; not one of them have made a mistake. Now we can say we've arrived and let's go racing." The two Porsche RS Spyders showed their true potential as they were the only cars to lap in the 1:13-1:14 range. This was the first overall win for Porsche in the American Le Mans Series.

The No. 7 Porsche is only the second LMP2/P675 car to win an overall race in the Series. "When I had dinner last night with Timo, we decided the No. 1 target was clear: to win in the LMP2 class, just like in the first couple of races," Dumas said. "We figured we'd have to finish the race the best way we can. Then when I saw Timo had such a great start, I thought, 'Oh, now we have a chance.' Then with a good strategy of coming in a little bit earlier than we needed, and then with luck and the competition with our teammate, we got to finish first. It was for sure a great race between the team cars." The deciding move came with an hour left. After Luhr pitted for tires and fuel at the 1:40 mark, Dumas came in for a fuel-only stop about 10 minutes later. Dumas felt the tires would be fine the rest of the way, and he was proven right. Needless to say, the mood from 24 hours earlier was completely opposite. "Last night when I heard I had to move back because I was too light, I was disappointed," Bernhard said. "It was the perfect car.

Then it became a matter of how we could get around the other competitors." Intersport Racing's Lola B05/40-AER finished third in class and fourth overall at its home race. As a result, Clint Field and Liz Halliday retained their lead in the P2 championship standings over Maassen and Luhr. The Audi R8 finished third overall and claimed its third straight LMP1 class victory. Dindo Capello and Allan McNish again drove a smooth and steady afternoon as they outlasted Dyson Racing's No 16 Lola, which went off track at Turn 3 near the two-hour mark and lost time in the pits during the resulting stop.

Dyson's Butch Leitzinger and James Weaver finished fifth overall and second in P1, followed by Autocon Motorsports' Lola EX257-AER and drivers Chris McMurry and Mike Lewis. Capello and McNish are now off to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a return to the diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI that won at Sebring in March. Meanwhile the R8 has one more race left in its competitive life, that coming July 1 at Lime Rock Park. "It is a great result for us - another maximum points score to extend our championship lead," Capello said. "It was a struggle to get temperature into the tires; once we had some heat it was OK. But after each full-course yellow safety car period it took about five laps to get good grip." Despite the class win and the 20 championship points, both drivers were disappointed not to take the overall victory. McNish said the Mid-Ohio track suited the RS Spyders with their lighter weight and nimbleness.

"We saw on Friday and Saturday that it wasn't going to be possible in our current situation to attack the RS Spyder around here," McNish said. "The weight difference is quite different. The start was a bit bizarre. Within 6 or 7 laps the Porsche had a good gap. I had Butch right behind me and from that point of view I was more in defense mode. We were struggling with grip and balance."

The cold front that moved through the mid-west this weekend also brought a cold shoulder to Dyson Racing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. A repeat of their one-two finish at last year's American Le Mans race was not to be. James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger in the # 16 Thetford/Norcold car finished fifth today and second in LMP1, while the #20 AER-powered Lola of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith retired three laps into the race after being sidelined by transmission problems. James Weaver was running second forty-five minutes from the end when a tire puncture put him in the pea gravel. "The left rear tire went down going into the hairpin," said Weaver. "The car shot straight into the hedge and by the time we dug ourselves out, they wouldn't open the pits and we lost two laps with that. After we got the tire replaced and back in the race, the car was fine, it was just that tire going down that did us in."

Butch Leitzinger supplied the major portion of the excitement for the first hour of the race. Starting third, he was passed by Timo Bernhard in the Porsche on the sixth lap. Three laps later Leitzinger took back third place and than passed the Audi for second thirty laps later. Leitzinger stretched a gap at a second a lap on the Audi until pitting on lap 45 and handing the car over to James Weaver. "It actually was fun out there," said Leitzinger. "There is something about this track. There are not many good times in a race car while driving. Usually it is a lot of work and after it is done, you think 'that was fun' but Mid-Ohio and this car, and battling like we were today, it really was a good time. Both with Bernard in the Porsche and McNish in the Audi, we had a nice dice goint. Everyone was driving aggressively and right up to the line of professional courtesy - it was very tough but fair."

The next race for Dyson racing will at be their "home track," Lime Rock, CT on July 1st. It will be the twenty-first anniversary of Dyson Racing's entry into the top echelon of sports car racing. They debuted their Porsche 962 at Lime Rock in the International Motorsports Association GTP class and won the race. In the twenty years since, they have not relinquished their title as America's premier sport car team.

( Liz Hallyday report )

Liz Halliday, the Californian racing driver and international equestrian, secured her third straight LMP2 class podium of the 2006 American Le Mans Series on Sunday with a third-place finish alongside her Intersport Racing team mate, Clint Field, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Field and Halliday, who won the season-openers at Sebring and Houston, overcame early race gearbox problems to keep the car in podium contention on a weekend when the entire field -- even the premier LMP1 category teams -- were being shown the way by the awesomely dominant factory Porsche LMP2 cars who went on to finish 1st and 2nd overall, 1st and 2nd in class.

Both Halliday and Field were especially delighted with the result given that Halliday, who took the opening stint for the team, was forced to forfeit the car's 4th place qualifying position -- secured in a 'guest appearance' by local ace and father of Clint, John Field - and begin from the pit-lane at the rear of the field having lost operation of the paddle-shift mechanism on the warm-up laps. Having pitted for repairs, she rejoined the race and carved her way back through the pack before handing over to Field at the one hour mark. Field's outstanding stint continued the car's progress and at 2 hours he handed back to Halliday for the final run to the flag.
Liz's strong final stint and resultant podium was more than enough to keep the two drivers at the head of the LMP2 driver's standings -- with an 8 point lead over the factory Porsche drivers. Halliday and Field, along with the rest of the Intersport team, will now head to Le Mans for the 24 Hours [June 18-19, La Sarthe, France] -- their most important event of the year, and one in which they hope to make up for the disappointment of 2005, where the car submitted to engine failure while enjoying a class lead of nearly four laps at the 11 hour mark.

Liz Halliday: "I'd like to thank the Intersport boys because they've worked hard all weekend and did a great job to fix the car at the start. Given that set back, I think we can be pretty satisfied with today's result. We netted some extremely important championship points and are still in the lead. Although I think it's hats-off to the Porsche guys today because they did a stunning job."

Clint Field: "We had a good, clean race today although the paddle shift problem at the start was unfortunate. But the crew did a great job getting the manual transmission installed and we didn't lose too much time. The tires were great for me from the start of my stint and I had a quick car. Liz had never driven this car with a manual shift before so she did a great job. I had a great little battle with Dindo [Capello] and [James] Weaver which I enjoyed enormously. I seemed to have them in the esses and carousel, but they could pull away in the straights. The important thing for us today, is that we came up with some good points going into Lime Rock [July 1] and we're still at the top of the table."

Dyson Racing made the long journey from Houston to Mid-Ohio in good spirits after a highly promising weekend in Texas seven day previously. After finishing second in class and claiming pole position for that race, James Weaver attempted to repeat the feat but ultimately had to settle for 3rd place, between the Porsche and Audi cars after challenging for victory.

Despite the Chris Dyson/Guy Smith car suffering from a mechanical problem early on in the race, the long-term Lola customers were pleased with progress made during the Mid-Ohio qualifying sessions. After finishing 1-2 at Mid-Ohio last year, Dyson Racing didn’t quit endure the same result this season but still showed their pace and potential in the still very new Lola B06/10.

Early on in the race Butch Leitzinger had enjoyed a titanic battle with Timo Bernhard in the Penske Porsche and the American much enjoyed the scarp, saying: “It was a great battle. Both with Bernard in the Porsche and McNish in the Audi, we had a nice dice going on. Everyone was driving aggressively and right up to the line of professional courtesy - it was very tough but fair.”

On taking over from his team mate, James Weaver was running in second place, forty-five minutes from the end when a punctured tyre put him in to the gravel. “The left rear tyre went down going into the hairpin,” said Weaver. “The car shot straight into the hedge and by the time we dug ourselves out, they wouldn't open the pits and we lost two laps with that. After we got the tyre replaced and back in the race, the car was fine, it was just that tyre going down that did us in.”

It was a bitter pill for Weaver/Leitzinger and the Dyson team but a 2nd place in the LMP1 results ensures that they are still within 12 points of the Audi pairing of McNish and Capello.

Intersport Racing claimed 3rd position in the LMP2 class at Mid-Ohio and 4th position overall. Liz Halliday and Clint Field were campaigning the AER engined Lola B05/40 on home turf as the Intersport team are based at nearby Dublin. The pair still lead the LMP2 class after class victories at Sebring and Houston.

Like Leitzinger earlier in the race, Clint Field enjoyed a spirited fight with some of the LMP1 machinery, saying: “I had a great little battle with Dindo [Capello] and [James] Weaver which I enjoyed enormously. I seemed to have them in the esses and carousel, but they could pull away in the straights. The important thing for us today, is that we came up with some good points going into Lime Rock [July 1] and we’re still at the top of the table.”

Autocon Motorsport were also in action with their LMP1 Lola B01/60-AER which once again was shared by Chris McMurry and Brian Willman. The blue and white car finished a creditable 3rd in class and 11th overall.

Van Der Steur Racing took their B2K/40 to 5th place in LMP2 with Ben Devlin again doing some very quick laps in the AER powered car.

Lime Rock 2006

Salt Lake 2006

Road America 2006

Portland 2006

Mosport 2006

Petit Le Mans 2006

Laguna Seca 2006