Porsches scores 1-2-3 at ALMS at Long Beach...

[marcos_eirik]

Porsche RS Syder sweeps Long Beach podium.

Romain Dumas (France) and Timo Bernhard (Germany) brought their Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 prototype, prepared by Penske Motorsports, to a first place finish overall and class win at Saturday's American Le Mans Series race through the streets of Long Beach.

Bernhard, who started the car from the front row, ran second to the Franchitti/Herta Acura for the first 30 minutes of the 100-minute event, and turned the car over to Dumas, who took the lead when the Acura pitted for a driver change. The Sascha Maassen (Germany)/Ryan Briscoe (Australia) Penske Porsche RS Spyder was second, and the Andy Wallace (England)/Butch Leitzinger (USA) Dyson Racing Porsche RS Spyder was third.

It was the first time the Audi R-10 diesel LMP1 has not won an ALMS race that it entered. For Porsche, this was the second one-two overall finish in the American Le Mans Series (the same Dumas/Bernhard combination accomplished the feat at Mid-Ohio last year), and it was the first time any manufacturer has swept the overall podium in ALMS.

"How can you top this?" declared Penske Racing President Tim Cindric, who called the strategy on the radio for the winning car.

"Not only a one-two finish overall for Penske Racing, but a one-two-three finish for Porsche Motorsport," said Cindric.

The Dumas/Bernhard racer ran a flawless race, with a perfect driver change that helped the car minimize its time in the pits. The car ran the whole race without a tire change, proof that the Michelin race tires it uses provide exceptional track life. As no mechanical work can take place in the American Le Mans Series while the car is being fueled - including a tire change - this also helped the team save time in the pits.

Porsche now leads Acura in the LMP2 manufacturers points by six points, and Dumas/Bernhard lead the drivers championship by ten points over teammates Maassen and Briscoe and 16 points over the leading Acura drivers.

Although Maassen/Briscoe had a terrific race and good pit work, Briscoe ran over a bolt on the track - possibly from a P1 car which hit the wall on the pace lap - and incurred a deflating tire on lap number five, only eight minutes into the race. This meant a pit stop very early, and the Penske crew changed all four tires. Although Briscoe and Maassen charged through the field to gain their second-place finish, the unexpected pit stop was too much to overcome and they had to settle for second place.

The third-place finishers - the number 16 Dyson Racing Porsche of Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace, who were fifth in class at the first two events - broke through for a third-place finish after both drivers had a mistake-free run. The team number 20 Dyson Racing Porsche, with Chris Dyson (USA) and Guy Smith (England), also had a strong event, and actually led the team number 16 car out of the pit stops, but Chris Dyson ran wide at one of the corners on lap 29, losing time and allowing the team number 16 car to re-pass him. Dyson/Smith finished fifth overall and fifth in LMP2.

Before the race, Dyson was optimistic as the team had success with some of the changes it made to the new Porsches overnight.

"We're getting closer and closer to the right set-up every time we take to the track," said Dyson, whose team switched from Lolas to Porsches for the 2007 season.

"With additional testing and more races, we're ready to contend for a race win," he said.

More pictures at Porsche motorsports' news section...

 

[pfrocker]

nice to see someone new winning, I like Audi but I want some competativeness.

 

[fbc]

Good work - nice to see someone get one over Audi.

 

[Steve Levin]

As much as I'd like to see someone other than Audi win, I'd prefer to see other makes compete in the P1 class. I disagree with the ALMS folks in not limiting the intakes on the P2 cars as have the Europeans -- P2 cars should simply not be able to run with P1 cars.

Steve

 

[Jay]

About time Dyson switched from his old Lola chassis! Until last year, IIRC the Lola was from 1997. And it was fast.

Good job, Porsche!

 

[marcos_eirik]

P2 cars should simply not be able to run with P1 cars.

Steve

And neither are they usually doing... The smaller, nimbler P2 cars are only competitive against the bigger and more powerful P1 cars on tight circuits like the Long Beach street circuit and Mid Ohio. At wide open circuits like Le Mans, which is more than 80% flat out P2s don't have a chance against the P1 cars.

 

[watto]

I love the look of the RS Spyder and yes, good to see a petrol car beating the bloody Audi diesel

 

[marcos_eirik]

I love the look of the RS Spyder and yes, good to see a petrol car beating the bloody Audi diesel

And it's the proof that torques alone doesn't necessarily win races... RS Spyder: 270 lb/ft R10 TDi: 810 lb/ft. Atmospheric 3,4-liter petrol V8 against 5,5-liter turbocharged diesel V12...

 

[jack_christie]

And it's the proof that torques alone doesn't necessarily win races... RS Spyder: 270 lb/ft R10 TDi: 810 lb/ft. Atmospheric 3,4-liter petrol V8 against 5,5-liter turbocharged diesel V12...

Its not really that.

AMLS fudged the rules to allow LMP2 almost equality LMP1.

The orginal idea of LMP2 is that there are no works teams in the class, as that is what LMP1 is for.

Yet again the rule makers bend over as commanded by the manufacturers to destroy the private teams.

 

[watto]

And it's the proof that torques alone doesn't necessarily win races... RS Spyder: 270 lb/ft R10 TDi: 810 lb/ft. Atmospheric 3,4-liter petrol V8 against 5,5-liter turbocharged diesel V12...

Mind you, a car with 810lb/ft would be a laugh to drive.