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Adelaide

ALMS

31/12/2000

Race Review

The Tortoise, The Hare And The....

Michael Olsson

Most track images throughout the meeting from the excellent services of the www.americanlemans.com sitelink and Audi Sport Press.

Since other, more analytical minds have already provided detailed coverage of the race, I thought I'd try instead to give Sportcarworld / TotalMotorSport some sense of the atmosphere here at the Race of a Thousand Years: in effect, what makes endurance sportscar racing so endlessly fascinating (at least to me). I also want to share with you my experiences of talking to some of the interesting characters that were involved in this race.

Looking at the raw statistics, with its virtually flag-to-flag victor, 21 lap winning margin and the GTS / GT pole-sitters both taking out class victories, you might conclude that the race was about as interesting as Tasmanian parliamentary question time. Instead, it was a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds to stir the heart of any sportscar fan.

Pre-Race

One of the first surprises for this neophyte would-be reporter was how approachable people in the ALMS paddock were. The second, even bigger surprise was how ready they were to give you a straight answer, uncontaminated by F1-style media-speak!

A good example of this was Panoz driver Johnny O'Connell. Like a lot of the overseas drivers, he was impressed with the Adelaide circuit. "It's a beautiful circuit. Y'know, I've always loved street races and I would say that by far this is the safest circuit. The facilities are the best I've ever been at. I'd say the only circuit layout I liked better was Detroit - the old Detroit circuit they raced Formula 1 at, I really loved that circuit - but this is world class. They've really done a great job."

Johnny was very open about his chances of keeping up with the Audis. "No, y'know this last time we really had a good car was Silverstone - since then our car’s been awful. So, y'know, I don't think we have a great handling car and when you look at the times the Audis did this morning, they're just on another level, so unless they have problems, I don't think we can out-run them."

O'Connell however was optimistic about Panoz's chances next year with the new car. "I think it's going to turn out to be a great piece - I really do. Again, it's of course so early to be here, not enough development but I think it’s going to turn out to be a great car. And if there's any guy who deserves to have a great car and win Le Mans, it’s Don Panoz. You don't run across too many individuals like him and I think everyone in sportscars should be thankful that he came along.”

Hugh Chamberlain proved particularly prophetic on what would constitute the Adelaide circuit’s biggest challenge "Walls! With a W! It's a street circuit and as street circuits go it’s no more narrow than anything else but it is narrow... The kerbs are high. It's not hard on tyres but it's hard on brakes." Several front-running competitors (although fortunately not the 61 Viper) were to find those walls all too unforgiving.

The ebullient Englishman was equally succinct on the virtues of the V10 Viper. "It's built like a truck! It’s really built like a very solid piece of machinery, which it is. It has an almost unbreakable engine; it has a reasonably strong gearbox a very, very strong chassis… it mechanically won't break. It's the modern day D-type Jaguar or GT40." The relentless pace and reliability of both the ORECA and Chamberlain Vipers, their inexorable climb up the leader board, as faster, more fragile prototypes fell by the way-side, made it easy to understand how one of these cars won Daytona outright.

Still at Chamberlain, the veteran Australian racer Ray Lintott reminded me this was not his first race at the wheel of one of the team's Vipers "I drove with the Chamberlain team three years ago at Daytona in 1998. We did rather well, we came 3rd in our category. They were happy enough with me - they've asked me to drive on a number of occasions in Europe but I just couldn’t get away. They've asked me to race here because I'm an Aussie and here I am!"

Lintott, an enormously experienced Porsche pilot himself, was interesting on the relative strengths of the two marques here, where even the ORECA cars have seemed at times to struggle to match the pace of the fastest GT3Rs. "It's pretty tough because the Vipers a heavy car, a very brutal car. The car's good but the Porsches are lighter, they brake later, they corner a bit quicker. We've got more speed on them down the straights. I think the Porsche is better suited here."

The modest veteran was concerned not to let the team and his co-drivers down. "I haven't done enough laps, it's only this morning in the warm-up when I had ten precious minutes to really string some laps together. So I know I can go a lot faster. I think I'll be OK, I'll just drive sensibly, I'm pretty proud that I never crash. I'd hate to let my beautiful 28 year old team mate down, she's come all the way from Venezuela … not to mention my great 26 year old co-driver from South Africa, Stephen Watson - he's really good! It’s a great honour to be back at the track when you're a grandfather with grey hair!"

Gentlemen, Start your Engines!

The pre-race marching bands and razzamatazz was received enthusiastically by the crowd of around 70,000, although an occasional cry of "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!" interrupted the singing of the American national anthem. Draping the cars in the national flags of the teams was an artistic touch, although I think it might have been diplomatic to drape the 12 Panoz in the Southern Cross rather than the Stars & Stripes.

As the cars came around and took the rolling start, the aural assault, even through earplugs, gave you some insight as to what it must have been like in the trenches at the Somme circa 1916. The wall of sound hit you like a physical blow – a better effect on the street track than perhaps anywhere else this year? Fortunately my girlfriend was not there to see the grin on my face, as she would no doubt have seen it as final proof that the noise & exhaust fumes had finally sent me completely gaga.

Biela slipped past McNish at the start, who seemed content to pace himself, seeing how his injured back coped with the stresses of race conditions. Soon then, we had a high speed convoy with the 2 Audis leading the Panoz equipe followed by the Cadillacs, then the Rafanelli and Konrad Lolas.

Unfortunately, if perhaps predictably, the race's first casualty was Magnussen in the new Panoz 2001. After only four laps, the car pulled into its pit with a broken alternator. One has to admire Don Panoz for allowing such a new and untested car to race - surely a sign of his commitment to do everything possible to make this race a success. The car looks absolutely sensational - the only car capable of making an LMP-1 look understated! I predict this car will seriously worry the Audis next season.

Here in Adelaide, however, the Ingolstadt team looked unstoppable as they inexorably drew away from the chasing Panoz, despite the best efforts of David Brabham. Dindo Capello suggested yesterday that one of the reasons why the Audis are so quick compared to the Panoz and others is that they are so easy to drive (if you are a top flight professional driver that is). "Especially, you do not have to take your hand off the wheel to change gear. This is a big advantage in the corners - it is easier to be smooth." Smooth is certainly what the R8s look from trackside - they have the looks of cars being driven well within their limits, with plenty in reserve. After more than half an hour ghosting Biela in the silver car, McNish moves the 'Croc' into the lead. It will remain there, more or less unchallenged for the rest of the race.

Vic Rice in the 37 Porsche GT2 is also an early visitor to the pits. Team manager, Rob Schirle tells me the car has broken a ball joint in the front suspension. Repairs are swiftly carried out and the car rejoins the fray. All is in vain, however, as the car retires out on the circuit with a broken driveshaft before the end of the 1st hour - a bitter blow for the Cirtek team. It also proves that it is just as well I am not a betting man (the circuit is amply provided with strategically placed bookies) as if, before the race I had been asked to nominate one car likely to be there at the end, it would have been this Roock Porsche.

Behind the flying prototypes came the roar of the big, bad Vipers. These big coupes may lack the balletic grace of the low-flying prototypes but their sheer power, their relentless pace of their progress can only be described (to use a tired old phrase) as awesome. Wendlinger in the 91 ORECA car leads Belloc in his sister car in the usual red-and-white flying formation.

Following in their wheel-tracks, however, maintaining their pace, is the Chamberlain Viper with Stephen Watson at the wheel. The young South African, who was so spectacular throwing the big coupe around in practice yesterday, is now super-smooth. Through much of his first stint he clings to the back of Belloc's car as though connected by an invisible tow rope. "I was pretty happy, I managed to stay on the back of the works cars for nearly 20 laps." He told me. "I actually had a go at Belloc into a hairpin. I locked up all the wheels though and I decided, well, it was better to try and make him make a mistake, so I slowed up and tried to keep pushing him. And then the traffic kind of split us up and I saw the Porsche, which is basically our major competitor, by the side of the road. I got some grit in my left eye, so I couldn't really focus and I started missing the apex, so I came in two laps early."

Team principal, Jack Cunningham was delighted with his driver's performance "The first stint by Steve Watson was the best driving I've seen from him – every bit as good as we could expect."

In GT, the Barbour Porsches in line astern led the PTG BMWs. Standing at the entry to the hairpin onto pit straight it was amazing to see just how late these 'junior' GTs brake - much deeper than the Vipers (I saw several just-lapped cars almost end up in an ORECA boot!). Bill Auberlen in the BMW seemed to be able to go even deeper under brakes than Maassen in the Barbour Porsche, but lacked the power to make an overtaking move. No surprise BMW are looking at a V8 for next year.

While qualifying had provided a pure adrenalin hit of prototype speed, you don't really appreciate what amazing devices these cars are until you watch them scything through traffic, like sharks through schools of minnows. From up close, however, you realise that the 'minnows' are themselves travelling at an amazing speed. Also it’s a terrible cliché but a horde of GT3Rs really does sound like a swarm of angry hornets!

After a double stint in the #12 Panoz, David Brabham handed over to local V8 driver Greg Murphy. "I was able to hang on to the Audis early in the race until the tyres started to lose a bit of grip. The Audi is easier on its rubber than our car, so we decided to make a tyre change at the 1st fuel stop rather than push them through two stints."

Not long after this, it all started to go wrong for many of the prototype runners. Both the DAMS Cadillacs, which had never managed to make much of an impression on the leader board, retired, one with steering problems, the other with engine failure. Meanwhile, after an earlier, lengthy stop, the #2 Panoz with Katoh at the wheel swerved dramatically towards the pitwall, only to die completely further down Pit Straight. Marshals pushed the car backwards all the way back to the pits. It was to re-emerge after lengthy repairs. "We had brake problems as well as a sticking throttle." O'Connell said. "Added to that we also broke a driveshaft which has cost us quite a few laps, but we are continuing to push on." Meanwhile the Rafanelli Lola had shed a wheel but managed to limp back to the pits, remaining ahead of the Konrad entry.

Even more dramatically, the first chinks appeared in the Audi armour when Emanuele Pirro hit the wall at Banana Bend while lapping the Konrad Lola. After a lengthy inspection, Pirro got back in the car and crept back to the pits. Although the car would eventually return to the track (it would later be beset by front splitter failure) its race was effectively over.

Out in front, however, the 77 'Croc', despite its morning warm-up accident, was making its seemingly inevitable march to victory. If McNish was feeling any strain from his back injury, it was certainly not apparent from this spectator's point of view!

Ray Lintott after his first stint in the Chamberlain car, looked like a man who had done a job of work. Actually, he looked like a man who had done a job of work wearing a full suit of armour in a blast furnace in the Sahara desert - probably not a bad analogy for the cockpit of a racing Viper, where cockpit temperatures can reach up to 70C. "The perspiration was dripping into my eye and stinging. … For the sake of the team, I didn't feel like I was going to be competitive, so I came in a few minutes early." Ray was being far too modest; many drivers half his age would be ecstatic at a performance such as his in the big brutal Viper.

Another who should be proud is Milka Duno. The glamorous Venezuelan has attracted more public and press attention than almost any other driver, little of it relating to her ability as a driver. When I spoke to her she was very conscious of the need to divorce herself from this when driving the car. "I am very grateful to the people here (in Australia) for their warmth and their friendliness. But when I am in the car, I need to focus on that." Sportscar racing legend, Vic Elford, who is Milka's manager, paid tribute to her ability to separate the public relations and driving sides of her time at the track, pointing out that she is very professional for someone in only their second year as a racing driver. [Incidentally, I asked Vic what the biggest differences between driving today and in his heyday "The money! If I'd made the sort of money some of these guys do, I'd be retired on a yacht in the Caribbean!"]

At this point I wandered over towards the back of the circuit where I unwittingly worked my 'Evil Eye' on two unsuspecting prototypes. I had not been standing at one corner more than a minute when the #0 Lola speared past with everything locked up straight into the gravel trap. Fortunately, contact with the wall was avoided and the tricolour soon departed in a spray of gravel.

Thirty seconds later, Greg Murphy (who hitherto will be referred to by me and every other Australian as "that New Zealand driver") slammed the #12 Panoz into the wall right in front of me! Honestly fellas, it was nothing to do with me - I was rooting for ya! Murphy would follow Pirro's example and limp his car back to the pits for repairs, one wheel pointing to the sky. As it turns out this effort was not to be in vain.

So as the race entered its final phase, it was the notoriously fragile Lolas that occupied 2nd and 3rd! Was a fairy tale ending to this race possible? Probably not - but ensuring nothing untoward happened to the leading car probably explained why ring-in local Brad Jones did not get a drive in the car, despite its enormous lead. While the Latin glamour and exciting driving of Schiattarella, in particular, ensured that the Rafanelli scuderia had plenty of local admirers, both male and female, the Konrad team had until now been not so much low-profile as no-profile! This small team had been more than nine seconds off Capello's pace in qualifying, but now looked certain of a podium finish. It just goes to show that endurance racing is still very much about the fact that to finish first, first you must finish (I know I've probably well and truly used up my cliché quota by now!).

I can honestly say, with hand on heart I am completely innocent of the Rafanelli's final demise. I was at the hairpin, Turn 16, watching the brake-discs glow (am I a racing nerd or what?). Seriously, for any of you who have never experienced night racing, it adds a whole other dimension to the experience. The dancing lights and the glowing brakes make for a kind of mechanical fantasia such as old Walt never imagined.

Incredibly impressive throughout the race were the ORECA Vipers. The only word to describe them is 'Relentless'. Their pace throughout the race, regardless of the driver, was fast and consistent. Out on the track, their battery of lights ablaze seemed to snarl "Get the hell out of my way!" Does anyone doubt this team will turn the Chrysler prototype into a winner?

The Chamberlain Viper was far from disgraced, however. This combination of hotshoe, veteran and racing novice did all that could be asked of them and more. Third in GTS and 7th overall was a worthy reward for the efforts of this amazing team. Stephen Watson drove for four and a quarter hours. That will go down as one of the great endurance drives.

So the 1st Adelaide Le Mans race came to a close. The 77 car’s crushing 21 lap winning margin a testimony to the superiority of both Audi's technology and Capello and McNish as a driving combination. Hopefully next year the competition will be a little closer. The inclusion of Adelaide local, Allen Heath in the driver line-up, meant that the Konrad Lola was a popular runner-up, while the 'Croc-hunters' Brabham, Murphy and Bright were able to salvage some pride by bringing their battered Panoz home 3rd in class. After the race, Jason Bright paid tribute to the Panoz mechanics "I told them this is their podium, they kept doing everything right, even when we did everything wrong!"

“This Championship hasn’t really sunk in yet,” commented Dirk Muller. He and Lucas Luhr won the class by eight laps over the third string Barbour entry (below), but PTG came home third and fourth, only their Stuck / Said / van Overbeek BMW not making the flag. The #10 M3 had led after 90 minutes, before breaking a half shaft. “It’s taken its toll on the cars,” said Brian Cunningham of this excellent facility. What a shame that birthday boy Hans Stuck didn’t get a race.

“Our GT3R finished strong in 5th place,” explained Rob Schirle. “If Darren Palmer hadn’t had to take two stop and gos, we would have been third or fourth.” For Schirle, it was a meeting full of drama – much of it the sort a team manager doesn’t want. We missed the 675 Pilbeam.

As I battled my way out against the tide (being one who would happily pay NOT to attend a rock concert), I nonetheless thought about what an addictive experience this race of a Thousand Years had been. Will I be back? Definitely! Next year promises to be better than ever. Maybe I'll even see some of you here?

Not the Champion, McNish, though, who is lost to F1 for now – after Daytona anyway. Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Sport: "Before the race there were a lot of bad omens. For sure I will never forget this New Year's Eve." And he was the “For The Fans Winner” too.