Porsche RS Spyder Gives Audi a Run

Porsche RS Spyder Gives Audi a Run

Posted: July 16th, 2006 in American Le Mans
Author: Joe Martin
Photo By: Joe Martin

The inaugural Utah Grand Prix started on Saturday night with a peak temperature of 111 degrees as the green flag dropped. A good crowd was on hand to see their first American Le Mans Series race on this hot blistering day. It was also the second time that the American public got to view the new battle between the Audi R10 and Penske Porsche.

Even though the P2 Porsche should not be competing for the overall win they gave Audi a run for their money. The car was fast all weekend and led a couple of practice sessions until the Audi R10 gained pole position on Friday afternoon. Since the Porsche does not have the torque of the larger P1 class it came down to pit strategy.

The RS Spyder came into the pits early on their first stop because they could not get around the Dyson Lola, which finished 2nd in class. This gave them the lead when the Audi R10 went into the pits until the final round of stops. The Porsche took on new tires and fuel and the Audi took just fuel and did a double stint on their Michelin tires. That was the final difference as the Porsche came onto the Audi the last couple laps as they finished 0.314 apart from each other.

In GT1 there is a lot of grumbling about the Corvette and Aston Martin battle with new restrictions for the Pratt & Miller Team. At Lime Rock the team picked up another 50 pounds to the car and was part of the close GT1 victory for the Aston Martin. This week IMSA gave the Corvettes a smaller air restrictor and the Aston’s finished 1 and 2. We will look to see if there are any more corrections to either car next week at Portland.

After Risi Competizione put their Ferrari F430 on the pole this weekend they decided to change their tires and start from the back of the grid. It seems like they have gotten over their bad luck the last couple of races and have picked up their first victory in the American Le Mans Series since 2004. The car was extremely fast and finished 11 seconds ahead of the Petersen Motorsports White Lightning Racing Porsche.

The teams were quick to pack up and get ready for the drive to Portland since they will be on track by Thursday. It was an exciting race for the fans and a great look for the first time in this area of the country. Porsche and Audi should continue to battle till the end of the season, as the Spyder keeps doing what they are not supposed to do. Stay tuned to PitJournal.com for all of your American Le Mans Series news.

Joe Martin
PitJournal.com