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Fast Cars From Around the World Heading to Petit Le Mans
The P1-leading PatrĂ³n Highcroft Acura will be hoping for an overall win. (Jeff Yeh/The Epoch Times)
A thundering hoard of powerful automobiles is swooping down on Georgia, planning to do battle at Road Atlanta in the 12th annual Petit Le Mans endurance race.
The four-day Petit Le Mans event, September 23-26, features twelve races in eight different series, culminating in the Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda6 endurance classic. Sports cars, sports racing cars, and open-wheel Formula Atlantic cars will be practicing and racing from 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday the 23rd almost non-stop until 11:15 pm Saturday the 26th (please see schedule below.)
The four days of Petit Le Mans is arguably the biggest sports car event of the year, and definitely not an event to miss.
The speed of the Dyson Lolas' turbocharged Mazda engines should serve them well at Petit Le Mans. (James Yeh/The Epoch Times)
The Big One
IMSA, the parent of governing body which International Motor Sports Association has released its provisional entry list for the 12th annual Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda6 American Le Mans Series endurance race, which will start at 11:15 a.m. on September 26, at Road Atlanta Raceway in Braselton, Ga.
Petit Le Mans is a ten-hour, one-thousand mile test of endurance, speed and teamwork on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Road Atlanta circuit. Petit Le Mans is one of two North American races which attract European teams (the other being the Twelve hours of Sebring.)
This year, Le Mans winner Peugeot will send a pair of diesel 908’s, while Sebring winner Audi will bring two diesel R15 TDs to race in the Le Mans Prototype class (P1), the fastest and most technologically advanced class. The two European giants will face off against the ALMS-leading Acura ARX-02a’s of PatrĂ³n Highcroft and de Ferran Racing, plus the Lolas of Intersport and Autocon.
P1 will be further augmented by two more European teams. ECO Racing will bring its Radical SR9, powered by a diesel engine based on the 5-liter Volkswagen V10.
The GT2-class-leading #45 Flying Lizard Porsche will be looking to increase its lead at petit Le Mans. (James Fish/The Epoch Times)
Also, Drayson Racing, the team of British science minister Lord Paul Drayson, will bring a Judd V10-powered Lola coupe in his team’s first foray into the P1 class. Drayson Racing is best known for successfully campaigning Aston Martins in GT2.
While the diesels are generally acknowledged to be the fastest cars on the track, it is possible that the Acuras, with their greater traction, will be able to make up time through Road Atlanta’s high-speed corners. The Intersport and Autocon Lolas are almost as fast as the diesels; reliability has been their weak pint so far this season. The Drayson Lola is an unknown, but similar Aston Martin-powered Lola couples did quite well at Le Mans in June, so the Drayson car should be in contention.
Lou Gigliotti's GT2 Corvette will return to racing at Petit Le Mans. (Jeff Yeh/The Epoch Times)
A Rich GT2 Field
GT2, often the most hotly contested class in ALMS racing, will see a field of thirteen (possibly fourteen) cars taking the green flag at road Atlanta. Aside from the regular ALMS entries, Team Falken Tire is bringing its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, and Lou Gigliotti, whose car burst into flames at its last race, is back with a new Corvette CR6.
The Rocketsports Racing GT2 Jaguar XKR will probably only run test laps. The car is not yet sufficiently developed to warrant racing the entire thousand miles. No official announcement has been made, but insiders report that the car will probably not actually race until 2010.
Schedule: Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda 6
Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA September 23–26, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
8:00 a.m.–8:20 a.m.: Practice—SPEED World Challenge Touring
8:25 a.m.–8:45 a.m.: Practice—SPEED World Challenge GT
9:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.: Practice—PatrĂ³n GT3 Challenge by Yokohama
9:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m.: Practice—IMSA Lites presented by Frisby Performance Tire
10:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m.: Practice—Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda
11:15 a.m.–11:45 a.m.: Practice—BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda
11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Lunch
12:30 p–1:00 p.m.: Practice—PatrĂ³n GT3 Challenge by Yokohama
1:15 p–1:45 p.m.: Practice—Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear
2:00 p–2:30 p.m.: Test Session—American Le Mans Series (LM P1/ LM P2)
2:30 p–3:30 p.m.: Test Session—American Le Mans Series (All Classes)
3:30 p–4:00 p.m.: Test Session—American Le Mans Series (GT2)
4:15 p–4:45 p.m.: Practice—IMSA Lites presented by Frisby Performance Tire
5:00 p–5:30 p.m.: Practice—Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda
5:45 p–6:05 p.m.: Practice—SPEED World Challenge Touring
6:10 p–6:30 p.m.: Practice—SPEED World Challenge GT
Thursday, September 24, 2009
8:00 a.m.–8:25 am Qualifying #1—BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda
8:35 a.m.–9:05 a.m.: Practice—Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear
9:20 a.m.–9:50 a.m.: Qualifying—PatrĂ³n GT3 Challenge by Yokohama
10:05 a.m.–11:05 am Combined Practice—American Le Mans Series (All Classes)
11:20 a.m.–11:50 a.m.: Qualifying—IMSA Lites presented by Frisby Performance Tires
11:50 a.m.–12:35 p.m.: Lunch
12:35 p–12:55 p.m.: Qualifying—SPEED World Challenge Touring
1:00 p–1:20 p.m.: Qualifying—SPEED World Challenge GT
1:35 p–2:05 p.m.: Qualifying—Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda
2:20 p–3:05 p.m.: Qualifying—Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear
3:20 p–4:20 p.m.: Combined Practice—American Le Mans Series (All Classes)
4:35 p–5:05 p.m.: PatrĂ³n GT3 Challenge by Yokohama Race Round 1—30 Minutes
5:20 p–5:50 p.m.: IMSA Lites presented by Frisby Performance Tire Race #1—30 Minutes
5:45 p.m.: American Le Mans Series Driver Chat—location TBD
6:05 p–6:35 p.m.: BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda Race #1—30 Minutes
6:35 p–7:20 p.m.: Dinner/ Corral Laps
6:40 p–7:05 p.m.: IMSA-facilitated Corvette Corral Parade Laps (100 cars maximum)
7:20 p–9:05 p.m.: Combined Night Practice—American Le Mans Series (All Classes)
Friday, September 25, 2009
7:40 a.m.–8:05 am Qualifying #2—BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda
8:15 a.m.–8:45 a.m.: Practice—Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.: Combined Practice—American Le Mans Series (All Classes)
10:10 a.m.–11:10 a.m.: SPEED World Challenge Touring Race—50 Minutes
11:00 a.m.: American Le Mans Series Tech Talk at TBD Team Transporter
11:25 a.m.–11:55 a.m.: BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda Race #2—30 Minutes
12:10 p–12:40 p.m.: IMSA Lites presented by Frisby Performance Tire Race #2—30 Minutes
12:30 p–1:30 p.m.: Mandatory driver autograph session for all American Le Mans Series drivers in the American Le Mans Series competitor paddock
12:40 p–1:25 p.m.: Lunch/ Corral Laps
12:45 p–1:10 p.m.: IMSA facilitated Porscheplatz (100 cars maximum)/ Audi (50 cars maximum) Corral Parade Laps
1:25 p–2:10 p.m.: Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda Race—45 Minutes
2:25 p–2:50 p.m.: Qualifying—American Le Mans Series (GT2)
2:55 p–3:20 p.m.: Qualifying—American Le Mans Series (LM P1/ LM P2)
3:35 p–4:05 p.m.: PatrĂ³n GT3 Challenge by Yokohama Race Round 2—30 Minutes
4:15 p–5:15 p.m.: SPEED World Challenge GT Race—50 Minutes
5:30 p–6:15 p.m.: Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear Race—45 Minutes
6:15p.m.: Johnny O’Connell Auction at Main Paddock Podium
6:30 p–7:00 p.m.: Qualifying—Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
7:10 p–7:30 p.m.: IMSA facilitated TBD Corral Parade Laps (50 cars maximum)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
7:15 am Motorsports Ministries Chapel Service at the American Le Mans Series Business Unit located in the main Competitor Paddock
8:15 a.m.–8:40 a.m.: Combined Warm Up—American Le Mans Series (All Classes)
9:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m.: Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Race—30 Minutes
10:15 a.m.–11:15 am Recon Laps/ Pre-Race Activities
11:15 a.m.: Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda 6 for the American Le Mans Series (Round 9)—1,000 miles or 10 hours maximum.
source: theepochtimes