Petit Le Mans @ Road Atlanta

[Cadillac Tech]

Jaguar XKR GT2 at Petit Le Mans

Rocketsports Racing (RSR) is scheduled to debut the Jaguar XKR GT2, the newest entry in the American Le Mans Series, at the famed Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta this week.

In preparation for a full championship effort in 2010, the team plans to enter the last two events on the 2009 ALMS schedule using the track time for testing and development.

The car is currently undergoing extensive system tests at RSR's East Lansing, Michigan facility and is being prepared for a performance evaluation and shakedown prior to Road Atlanta.

The team will be hosting a press conference on Thursday, September 24 at Road Atlanta to officially unveil the car and drivers for 2009, and tire partners.

RSR will face a flurry of competition in GT2 from the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, Corvette and others. Fourteen GT2 machines are currently entered for the 1,000-mile/10-hour road race classic

Get A Petit Le Mans ‘Sneak Peak'
at The Fox Sports Grill!

It's free! All race fans are invited to join us at the Fox Sports Grill in Atlantic Station from 5 PM – 9 PM on Tuesday, September 22 for an evening of racing festivities! See race cars and meet drivers including Dirk Mueller (BMW), David Brabham/Scott Sharp/Dario Franchitti (Patron Highcroft Racing), Allan McNish/Marco Wener (Audi) and many more! Activities include, pit stop demos, ticket and prize give-aways , 790 The Zone live broadcast , driver Interviews, iRacing simulators, photos with Road Atlanta models, discounts to local stores and much more.
Students:
Bring your GA Tech ID and receive 15% off your meal at Fox Sports Grill
Café 19: Receive 10% off when you mention Petit Le Mans

A FIRST LOOK AT DRAYSON
RACING'S LOLA-JUDD LMP1

The sports car world is taking in the first looks at Drayson Racing's brand new Lola B09/60-Judd prototype that will make its debut at the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6. The eye-popping, British green coupe turned its first laps recently at Silverstone.
Click here for more information >>>

Plenty of Excitement at
Petit Le Mans, Sept. 23rd -26th!

Get your tickets at the gate and don't miss out!​

The 12th Annual Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda6 is so much more than just a rae— it's a 4-day road racing festival! Don't miss 9 different racing series, 12 thrilling races, driver autograph sessions and chats, tech talks, an open paddock all week, grid walk before the race, Vendor Village, Club Patron, Road Atlanta Sports Bar, Car Corrals, Night Practice, Reserved RV spaces, VIP Hospitality Chalet, Petit Pit Stopfor kids and so much more! Remember, kids under 12 get in free so bring the entire family!

Click here for more information on the above highlights and attractions >>>
​

5300 Winder Highway Braselton, Georgia 30517 1-800-849-RACE 770-967-6143




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[FONT=verdana,arial]Road Atlanta | 5300 Winder Hwy | Braselton | GA | 30517[/FONT]

 

[Tiffany's Dad]

So wish we could be there with you guys. Maybe next year. Be safe.

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Petit Le Mans Set to Dazzle Sports Car Racing Fans—Rain or Shine!

Weather Provisions Being Made at Road Atlanta
to Ensure a Great Fan Viewing Experience​

BRASELTON, GA, September 21st, 2009 – The 12th Annual Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda6, at Road Atlanta this Wednesday through Saturday, is arguably the most anticipated North American endurance race in a generation. Despite all the rain in the Metro Atlanta area recently, the Road Atlanta facility is well prepared to host thousands of fans and the race cars are ready to dazzle the crowd—rain or shine.

“The race will occur rain or shine, in fact the American Le Mans Series cars are spectacular in the rain – going faster than most race cars run in dry conditions,” said Road Atlanta President Geoff Lee. “Also, the changing track conditions create all sorts of excitement and thrills for drivers and fans”.


With ticket sales ahead of last year's record pace, fans clearly want to see racing in any conditions. Although the rain is expected to break by mid-week, Road Atlanta is making extra provisions to ensure that race fans enjoy a great race weekend, with or without rain. Those provisions include:

• PARKING: Ample additional paved parking will be available in the Support Paddock on Saturday and free parking will also be available across the street at Lanier Speedway. SHUTTLES: Extra shuttle buses will be running to transport fans from the Support Paddock and Lanier Speedway to the main infield of the track and the shuttles will also enable movement around the facility once personal vehicles are parked. INGRESS/EGRESS: Gravel is being placed at the entries to non-paved parking areas and extra parking staff is being brought in to ensure a smooth parking experience for race fans.
• CAMPING: Campers and RVs will not be allowed into the property until 8 AM Wednesday morning (normally Tuesday night) to allow extra time for wet areas to dry and to prep the affected areas, making camping more enjoyable.

Rain or shine, fans are in for a real treat this weekend. The four day event includes nine different racing series and 12 thrilling races over a three day period. It's simply the best lineup of races ever included during a single road racing event. It's all highlighted by Petit Le Mans itself on Saturday, September 26th.
In addition to a prototype grudge match between Audi, Peugeot and Acura, and an epic GT battle between Porsche, Ferrari, Panoz, Corvette, BMW and Jaguar, no other series in the world offers the kind of up-close and personal access the fans will experience at Petit Le Mans. Activities include, driver autograph sessions and chats, tech talks, an open paddock all week, grid walk before the race, Vendor Village expo area, Club Patron, Road Atlanta Sports Bar, Car Corrals, Night Practice on Thursday, Reserved RV spaces and camping, VIP Hospitality Chalet, Petit Pit Stop for kids and so much more! Kids 12 and under get in free so bring the entire family. Tickets for the 12th Annual Petit Le Mans Powered by MAZDA6 are available at the gate.

5300 Winder Highway Braselton, Georgia 30517 1-800-849-RACE 770-967-6143

 

[cubby558]

Hope the weather staightens out for you guys for Road Atlanta. It's been a mess down there the last few days--20 in. of rain in three days. It has turned little creeks into raging rivers. Have a safe trip and have fun!!!

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Petit Le Mans Is First Endurance Test for GT2 Corvette C6.R

Roller Coaster Road Course to Challenge New-Generation Corvettes in the Long Run

BRASELTON, Ga., Sept. 22, 2009 – The GT2 version of the Corvette C6.R will face its sternest test yet at Road Atlanta on Saturday, September 26, in the 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans, the ninth round of the 10-race American Le Mans Series. The grueling race on the Georgia road course will be the first test of endurance for Corvette Racing since the debut of the second-generation C6.R in the GT2 category. Although the new-generation Corvette race car has finished on the podium in the last three sprint races – including its maiden win three weeks ago at Mosport International Raceway – Petit Le Mans will be the longest race yet for the Corvette ZR1-based machines.

Corvette Racing has seven wins in the GT1 category at Petit Le Mans, scoring victories in 2000-02, 2004-05, and 2007-08. Now the team is making its transition to the ultra-competitive GT2 category to test and develop the second-generation Corvette C6.R race cars in anticipation of a run for the championship in 2010.

"Petit Le Mans is always a formidable challenge because anything can happen in a 10-hour race," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "The fact that the team will be competing in the GT2 class means that it's going to be a tremendous battle. In addition to the endurance factor there will be the competition factor. We'll continue to focus on the priorities that have made Corvette Racing successful in the past: durability, reliability, race strategy, and pit stop execution."

Johnny O'Connell, a resident of nearby Flowery Branch, Ga., will be in the spotlight in his hometown race. O'Connell and teammate Jan Magnussen notched the Corvette C6.R's first GT2 victory at Mosport on August 30 in O'Connell's record-setting 100th career ALMS start. The red head knows the challenges he will face in his 101st ALMS race.

"Petit Le Mans is definitely a race you want to win, and we have a team that knows how to win long-distance races," O'Connell said. "That experience is definitely a plus. On the other hand, there could be periods of rain according to the weather forecast, and we have very little experience with these new cars in the wet. GM Powertrain has done an amazing job with the GT2 engines, but this will be the longest run so far with the 6.0-liter motors. So between the dicey weather and the longer distance, this will be our first true test of endurance in GT2.

"The GT2 Corvette is a little less edgy than the GT1 version, but the drivers still have to push just as hard," O'Connell explained. "With a smaller engine, we no longer have the horsepower to drive away from the GT2 cars. With steel brakes, we don't have the stopping power that we had with carbon brakes in GT1. It's going to be interesting to see where we stand relative to the competition in the fast and slow corners at Road Atlanta. We'll also have to contend with some very fast and impatient prototype drivers. It will be a challenge, but history shows that Corvette Racing is very good at doing long races without making mistakes."

Petit Le Mans will be the first race for the team's third drivers in the GT2 specification cars. Antonio Garcia will rejoin O'Connell and Magnussen in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R, and Marcel Fassler will again be teamed with Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R. Garcia is riding a streak of endurance racing victories in the Daytona 24-hour, Sebring 12-hour, and the 2008 and 2009 Le Mans 24-hour races.

"Antonio and Marcel are true professionals and they will adapt to the car and to the circuit quickly," O'Connell said. "Both of them have been racing in other series, so they're already sharp. They're going to show up at Road Atlanta and get dialed in quickly."

The Corvettes will have an honorary seventh driver at Road Atlanta – Bibendum, the Michelin Man. With special graphics for Petit Le Mans, Bib will be riding shotgun with the drivers in both cars.

"Putting Bibendum on the GT2 Corvettes for their first endurance race is our salute to Michelin," said Fehan. "Corvette Racing wanted to thank Michelin for the exceptional work that the entire Michelin organization has done to ensure our long-term success. None of that could have been achieved without the close relationship and technical partnership we enjoy with Michelin. Their dedication and commitment mirrors the Corvette Racing team's goals and objectives. It's a relationship that extends from the race track to the highway, with Michelin tire technology on both the Corvette C6.R race cars and the production Corvette ZR1 supercar."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the 1,000-mile/10-hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., on September 26. The race is scheduled to start at 11:15 a.m. EDT. SPEED will broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage starting at 11 a.m. EDT.

 

[Lola's Mom]

You guys have a good, safe trip .... stay ahead of the rain! Have a fun trip and I will be looking forward to seeing the pictures.

This is quite the weekend for all of us in one place or another ..... yeah! ~

 

[HOMEGAMEROOM]

Indeed, have a good, safe trip. I'll give you a ring on Saturday when I'm heading to the track (if not sooner). I'm looking forward to seeing the C6R's kick some butt on 1000 miles of racing!

I'm going to head to Georgia either Thursday afternoon or Friday early AM. It just depends on how much pay I want to miss. I'll probably head home on Monday.

 

[HOMEGAMEROOM]

You guys have a good, safe trip .... stay ahead of the rain! Have a fun trip and I will be looking forward to seeing the pictures.

This is quite the weekend for all of us in one place or another ..... yeah! ~

And you have a good trip too! Have a blast!!!!!!!!

 

[Lola's Mom]

And you have a good trip too! Have a blast!!!!!!!!

Thanks ... I know I will!
Poor Ray, has to hold down the fort ... well, Lola needs a bath so there will be plenty to keep him busy - plus he can watch the Western Channel without me fighting him for the remote!
Have to leave for the airport at 4:30 ... need to get up at 3:30 .... and y'all know, that's usually when I go to bed ..... oh, boy .... jet lag ...

 

[Quinn]

We're here!

David and I had a beautiful drive through the Great Smokey Mtn Nat'l Park and we arrived in Buford GA earlier this evening. We're ready to head to Road Atlanta for the race in the morning. We're about 15 miles from the track and where Bruce and Kathy are staying.

Hoping the rain holds off...

Looking forward to seeing a few of the MMs, but sad to miss the party at Bob's! You guys have fun! I'll see ya in October for the Fall Drive.

Ruth Ann - have a great time and say Hi to Linda for me.

~Cathy

 

[cubby558]

You guys have a great time as well!!! Give all our MM friends hugs from us. We'll see you in October!!!! We're hoping the rain holds off here as well. Looking forward to the cannon again.

David and I had a beautiful drive through the Great Smokey Mtn Nat'l Park and we arrived in Buford GA earlier this evening. We're ready to head to Road Atlanta for the race in the morning. We're about 15 miles from the track and where Bruce and Kathy are staying.

Hoping the rain holds off...

Looking forward to seeing a few of the MMs, but sad to miss the party at Bob's! You guys have fun! I'll see ya in October for the Fall Drive.

Ruth Ann - have a great time and say Hi to Linda for me.

~Cathy

Supa &

 

[Lola's Mom]

David and I had a beautiful drive through the Great Smokey Mtn Nat'l Park and we arrived in Buford GA earlier this evening. We're ready to head to Road Atlanta for the race in the morning. We're about 15 miles from the track and where Bruce and Kathy are staying.

Hoping the rain holds off...

Looking forward to seeing a few of the MMs, but sad to miss the party at Bob's! You guys have fun! I'll see ya in October for the Fall Drive.

Ruth Ann - have a great time and say Hi to Linda for me.

~Cathy

'Wish I could be in 5 places at once! Believe me,
I landed in Chicago yesterday and have been lost among the trees and cornfields ever since. My god, the MidWest is beautiful. No wonder you guys are so peaceful -- unbelieveable beauty. We have such limited hours here at LS's .... but today we are going to get to see Cubster and the Little Woman (and Sam!) !
Quinny - LS is doing pretty good. (More later) - can't believe how spread out everyone is right now ... races, corrals - what a great time I think will happen in Mattoon .... what great hosts!
Have fun you all - we are chompin' at the bit to get out of here. Although, really, I am just perfectly happy being here and looking at LS' and JR's stunning "farm" .....

 

[HOMEGAMEROOM]

Bruce, any pictures or reports on Petit LeMans? I did watch a bit of it on TV, but not all. It looks like the "Olivers" came in 4th in their class and Jan and Johnny O came in 6th. How was the auction? Pictures?!?! I was sorry to miss it, but you-know-who was back in Rehab. (Umm, that would be Misty, NOT me! ) Her new brain should be in this week.

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Bruce, any pictures or reports on Petit LeMans? I did watch a bit of it on TV, but not all. It looks like the "Olivers" came in 4th in their class and Jan and Johnny O came in 6th. How was the auction? Pictures?!?! I was sorry to miss it, but you-know-who was back in Rehab. (Umm, that would be Misty, NOT me! ) Her new brain should be in this week.

Rich, the weather was the big story, hot and very humid on Thursday and Friday, cool and very wet on Saturday. The race was red flagged after about 4 hrs. It was finally called @ 8:00pm(first time in ALMS history). Both the factory Corvettes were running well and leading the GT2 class, but lost positions after pit stops and then the race was red flagged. Lou Gigliotti's Corvette did well, starting 2nd in class behind the Robertson Racing Ford GT. This is the same Corvette that had the fire @ Long Beach in April.

Andy Pilgrim won the Speed World Challenge GT race on Friday. He made an awesome pass @ the start and never looked back. Boris Said had a great run in the #3 Mustang before his tires went away. There was a beautiful Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in the SWC GT race.

It was great to see our friends and Johnny's auction was fun as always. We helped out with the autograph session on Friday. We rented a golf cart this year and it was a life saver. Kathy took some really good pictures.

 

[HOMEGAMEROOM]

I'm glad you had a good time - sorry I missed it though.....

I glanced at the newspaper for the standings - I didn't see anything about the race being called for rain.

What a bummer for the Corvette GT2 cars. I'm sure they were looking forward to a nice long endurance run for their new babies!

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Pictures from Petit Le Mans '09

Lou Gigliotti's Riley Corvette C6

Robertson Racing's Ford GT

Corvette Racing even has a party funnel for Supa.

Running around on the golf cart with Quinn and DD.

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Pictures from Thursday/Friday practice

Drayson Racing Lola B09 Judd P1.

Audi R15 P1.

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Speed World Challenge GT pictures

Volvo S60s of Andy Pilgrim and Randy Pobst.

Hood of Boris Said's Ford Mustang Cobra.

M-B SLR McLaren 722 GT.

Boris Said and Tony Rivera put on a show. Tony finally got past Boris, but he really had to work for it. Great racing!

 

[Cadillac Tech]

Corvette Racing Splashes to Fourth and Sixth in Rain-Shortened Petit Le Mans

Corvette C6.Rs Run One-Two Before Early Finish to Rain-Soaked Race

BRASELTON, Ga., Sept. 26, 2009 – The torrential rain that has inundated Georgia returned today, forcing officials to red flag the scheduled 10-hour Petit Le Mans after four hours and 50 minutes of racing. With heavy rainfall and runoff continuing to drench the Road Atlanta circuit and no hope of drying the track, the event was declared official at 8:44 on the race clock. When the race ended with the cars parked in the pit lane, Corvette Racing's No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R was fourth in the GT2 class, one lap behind Risi Competizione's GT2-winning No. 62 Ferrari 430. The No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R was classified sixth, two laps down.

The two Corvette C6.Rs dominated the first three hours of the race, running first and second consistently until a flurry of pit stops mixed the running order just as the heavy rain arrived. Starting with rain tires on a wet track, the Corvettes quickly asserted themselves at the start with Oliver Gavin taking the No. 4 Corvette to second and O’Connell slotting the No. 3 Corvette into fourth on the opening lap. Gavin made a move on the pole-winning Ford GT of David Murry in the Turn 10 chicane on the second lap, but lost grip and fell to fourth. O’Connell immediately applied more Chevrolet pressure to the Ford, taking the lead on the third lap with an inside pass going into the high-speed first turn. On the fourth lap, Gavin passed the championship-leading Flying Lizard Porsche of Patrick Long to take third, and one lap later he overtook Murry in Turn 1 to make it a Corvette Racing one-two in the GT2 class.

“I knew this morning we had a good car in the wet,” said O’Connell. “Everyone was being a little tentative at the start, but I felt confident with my Michelins. Olly got in a little too deep and went off trying to pass the Ford GT, so then it was my turn to take care of business.”

With a dry line emerging, the Corvette crew made the decision to switch from rain tires to slicks on the first pit stop. Gavin was the first to pit at the 45-minute mark, taking on four slick tires and a tankful of E85R ethanol. O’Connell pitted two laps later and also made the change to dry tires. Following the exchange of pit stops, Gavin emerged at the front of the GT2 class with O’Connell comfortably in second.

“I thought I was being super careful with the Ford, but obviously I wasn’t being careful enough and went across the grass in Turn 10,” Gavin said. “Fortunately the car wasn’t damaged and I got going again and passed the Porsche and the Ford GT. The track was drying and I thought it had to be time for slicks. I could see it was going to be nasty in several turns, but thought that if I could build enough heat in the tires, it should be good for the rest of the track. As soon as I went out on slicks, I knew we’d made the right choice.”

The Corvettes made their first driver changes during a full-course caution at 1:34 (62 laps) with Jan Magnussen replacing O’Connell and Olivier Beretta replacing Gavin. A second full-course caution period closed up the field, producing a pack of six GT2 cars representing Corvette, BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari all running within 20 seconds of each other in the third hour. The Corvette team took advantage of the third yellow flag to make another change of drivers at 2:49 (109 laps) with Antonio Garcia taking over the class-leading No. 3 Corvette C6.R and Marcel Fassler getting into the second-ranked No. 4 Corvette C6.R.

Marc Lieb in the No. 45 Porsche took second in the GT2 class on a restart following the fourth full-course caution and then closed to within half a second of Garcia. The two drivers waged a fierce battle until their duel was interrupted by the fifth caution period at 3:33. The Corvettes suffered a setback during their yellow-flag pit stops, ceding track position to Lieb and to Joerg Mueller in the No. 92 BMW. Rejoining the race after the pit stop exchange, Fassler was third and Garcia fourth.

“It was difficult because the two cars in front of me, the Risi Ferrari and No. 87 Porsche, were fighting for position and didn’t want to lose a lap,” said Garcia. “They were defending their position very hard. I think our pace was faster, so I took it easy and was waiting for an opportunity."

With the weather deteriorating and rain in the air, the No. 62 Ferrari pitted for wet tires just after the four-hour mark under the race's sixth full-course caution. Racing resumed at 4:24, but four minutes later a downpour began. Both Corvettes pitted for rain tires at 4:29, with O’Connell getting back into the No. 3 and Gavin returning to the No. 4. As he completed his out lap, O'Connell aquaplaned off the track in the downhill Turn 12 and was beached in the gravel trap. Quick work by the IMSA safety team had the No. 3 Corvette back on the circuit after losing only one lap. However, the No. 62 Ferrari’s timely pit stop resulted in a one-lap advantage on the rest of the GT2 field.

“The rain was unbelievable,” O’Connell said. “I came underneath the bridge like I've done a thousand times before and suddenly hit a stream of water. I wasn’t pushing hard at all, just trying to get around and catch up with the field. When something like that happens you feel awful for the guys.”

“It was quite difficult because the tires were cold running behind the safety car, and as soon as I tried to accelerate the car moved around and it was very tricky to stay on the track,” Fassler said. “I was following a BMW, thinking he would show me the grip level, but then he went directly into the pit so I was on my own. Out of the first corner I had a big moment with oversteer. When I saw the rain coming, I was happy to hear the pit call for a driver change.”

The downpour intensified, and race officials displayed the red flag, stopping the race at 4:50. The clock continued while the cars were parked in the pit lane. The rain continued, and the race was terminated three hours and 55 minutes later.

"It was a very unusual event, and in some respects a disappointing one," said Corvette Racing program manager Doug Fehan. "Rain is a perfect environment to race the GT2 Corvette C6.R – the engineering that has gone into this chassis provides tremendous mechanical grip. Coupled with Michelin's exceptional rain tires, we certainly would have liked the opportunity to finish the race with a good result. But safety is always paramount at GM Racing, and we applaud the officials in making the decision to call the race. Safety must always prevail."

Corvette Racing’s next event is the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. The four-hour race is scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. PDT on Saturday, October 10. SPEED will broadcast the race tape-delayed on Sunday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

Petit Le Mans GT2 Results:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Laps
1. Melo/Kaffer/Salo, Ferrari 430 GT, 170
2. Mueller/Milner/Mueller, BMW E92 M3, 169
3. Henzler/Werner, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 169
4. Gavin/Beretta/Fassler, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 169
5. Bergmeister/Long/Leib, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 169
6. O'Connell/Magnussen/Garcia, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 168
7. Law/van Overbeek/Neiman, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 162
8. Bell/Sutherland/Drissi, Corvette, 157
9. Farnbacher/James, Panoz Esperante GTLM, 152
10. Robertson/Robertson/Murry, Ford GT MK 7, 142
11. Sellers/Cicero, Porsche 9111 GT3 RSR, 136
12. Hand/Auberlen/Priaulx, BMW E92 M3, 133
13. Feinberg/Hall, Dodge Viper, 129

NEXT EVENT
October 10, Monterey Sports Car Championships, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif.
TV: SPEED tape-delayed, October 11, 2:30 p.m. EDT

 

[HOMEGAMEROOM]

Thank you!!!!!