TotalMotorSport All the latest Motorsport news, race reports and photographs from around the world. Alms, Touring Cars, Formula One & Le Mans 24 Hours

Sears Point Raceway

X-Factor

22/07/2001

Sunday

Race Day Morning

© Tom Kjos

Sonoma, California, USA--Early morning was as usual cool and overcast, important only because there were some qualifying tire selections made yesterday in anticipation of warmer weather today. As the clock approaches two hours before race time, however, the sky has cleared and it seems to be quickly warming. A lighter breeze than yesterday does indeed presage a warmer day. It is still too early to guess at attendance, but a scattering of people in the start-finish grand stand bodes well for the track.

Many, including Totalmotorsport, made much of JJ Lehto's entertaining qualifying laps. They looked spectacular, not because they were quick, but rather because the car had developed a severe oversteer. Perhaps in a "for the fans" series they should write loose setups into the rules.

As of now we have only encountered two pre-race problems. Emmanuele Collard stuck the #7 Cadillac LMP into the turn 11 tires wall, damaging the right rear suspension. Sad as it looks in the accompanying John Brooks photo, we are assured the car will be ready to race.

PTG was tearing into the right front of the #10 Bill Auberlen/Nic Jönsson BMW M3 GTR. The problem is a repeat of an alternator problem encountered in yesterday's qualifying. The crew worked late last night to fix that, confident that it will stay fixed this time. "But we are fine now," is the comment. PTG's "plan" is the keep the front of GT four BMW's in a row, with 6 and 10 at the head of the pack, of course. In the meantime the warm-up timesheets are posted, and the #10 "problem car" heads the GTs. Perhaps the boys are just driving too fast.

For the nostalgia buffs, HSR's Historic GTP race is lined up in pit lane. Only two of the field are GTPs, of course, the Hotchkis-Adams Wynn's Porsche 962, and a Lola T610. This race was scheduled in competition with Brian Redman's Road America Historic event, and just before the Lime Rock meeting, both among the "must do" weekends for the owners of these beautiful cars. Why, we don't know. It makes some sense that HSR would accept such a schedule, given that it provides an option for members who cannot go east this year. Why ALMS would agree to this date and place for its inaugural race in the Historic GTP Series defies belief. We are told to expect as many as 50 cars at Laguna Seca and the Petit Le Mans. Not only is that quite a leap from the two that are here, but this turnout hardly adds to the credibility of such a projection.

The questions of the day should be obvious. First, can Champion challenge the Audi Sport North America team? They have the drivers to do so, and have now gained some experience with the car. If the improvements on the 2001 R8 are minimal, say, less than a second here at Sears Point, a Champion upset is possible.

Saleen has the speed to win GTS, but reliability has sometimes been there, sometimes not. Corvette is there to hound them. I think the yellow cars will pull this one out. I also expect the Lewis-Altenburg pairing to give the American Viperacing team their most competitive showing to date.

Our preview predicted a BMW win in GT, and we'll stick by that. Only a mechanical failure or a crash will prevent a four-car sweep. A PTG win here will also not surprise us. They appear to be quickly up to speed with this car, and this may be a track at which the Yokohama tires give them an edge.