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Mosport International Raceway

Gran Turismo 3 Grand Prix

19/08/2001

Friday

Report

© Tom Kjos

Mosport, Ontario, Canada--Mostly cloudy skies and cooling breezes kept track temperatures down for the American Le Mans Series test session Friday afternoon. This much-improved track saw records fall or be challenged early in the weekend, particularly for the Michelin-shod teams who had the advantage of two days testing here last week.

Keeping in mind that testing is testing, not qualifying or racing, Friday served only to heighten expectations for this race following on Panoz' stunning upset at Portland two weeks ago of the Audi Sport North America juggernaut. Over an hour into the hour and a half track time that the prototypes were allotted, the #50 Panoz of David Brabham and Jan Magnussen topped the timing sheets with a 1:10.084 set on lap 22. Only on its 43rd lap did the Biela / Pirro #2 Audi best that with a time of 1:09.404, less than a second off Frank Biela's track record of 1:08.43 set last year.

Better yet, the entire LMP 900 field of eight put up times within about two seconds of the Audi pace-setter. At the end of the session, Panoz hung on to the second spot just ahead of Johnny Herbert and Andy Wallace's Champion Racing Audi R8. Cadillac's #8, in the hands of Wayne Taylor and Max Angelelli somewhat surprisingly held down the fourth spot today, ahead of the second Joest Audi, the latter having spent some pit time on two occasions with the rear bonnet removed.

There is no small interest in the return of Rob Dyson's Lincoln V8 powered Riley & Scott Mark IIIC to the series. When last seen at Sebring, the new C model was not yet ready for primetime, having been delivered scant weeks before that March race. Dyson's team went off to wrap up the Grand Am driver and team championships with their earlier generation Mark III, and now are ready to challenge the best in ALMS. They do indeed seem ready. Driver Butch Leitzinger indicated before the weekend that the team had found significant new speed from the new C in recent testing. It appears that he was not pulling our leg, at least on the basis of first day testing. This car, though an evolution of the previous R&S, remains the newest and least race-sorted car in the field. James Weaver nevertheless joined his partner in putting up solid times all day, amongst the Audi and Panoz and within eight tenths of the front, until the late Audi laps.
Overall, testing here seems for now to be supporting the assumption that the prototype field is "closing up," that the back is getting closer to the front.

So far this weekend, the two Corvettes hold better than a second advantage over the Franz Konrad Saleen. Even the vastly experienced David Donohue is unable it seems to wring much out of the American Viperacing Viper GTS-R. The team's best effort is still mired deep amongst the GT field and shows as yet to sign of challenging the GTS front-runners. David has another day to find a set-up that can bring the former champion-winning V10 back at least nearer the front here are Mosport.

In GT, Porsche's premier 911 GT3-RS team, Alex Job's McKenna continues to battle the new BMW M3 GTRs head-up, with drivers Lucas Luhr and Sascha Maassen trailing the pace setting BMW of Fredrik Ekblom and Dirk Müller by less than three tenths of a second. The two PTG cars are so far the bridesmaids to their Schnitzer-run siblings, perhaps reflecting more than anything else the tire testing done here last week by the latter team. Bill Auberlen alluded to the idea that the team got a somewhat slow start, and that changing conditions did not help with set-up. "When I started the session the car did not feel its best, but we ran through a number of changes and it got better. The sun was coming in and out of the clouds the entire time. Nic ran his stint and I got back in the car at the end of the session - on the same tires - and the car was unbelievable. Whether the fuel load was right or the track came in - the grip was there and at the end of the session I went my quickest."

If, as Auberlen suspects, the track "came in" we might well have an indication that the late Audi laps were made under somewhat better conditions than prevailed earlier.

Hans Stuck, although seemingly lonely without "brother" Boris Said on hand, made the most of the session working with the #6 PTG BMW GTR. "I would be happier if Boris was here today, but I really enjoyed the session by myself. Usually in a test session it is in and out of the car. Today there was less time pressure and I could try a number of changes and a few different lines. I am happy with what we accomplished and I think my car is pretty sharp."

"Mosport is a one-of-a-kind track and the recent improvements to the circuit have made it even better. I really appreciate the investment in the track."

The session was interrupted when Johnny Mowlen's smacked a barrier shortly before the start of the prototype-only testing session. Mowlem was examined at the medical center and is OK. The Petersen Motorsport's Porsche 911 GT3-RS however, is not. It sustained major front damage that the crew will work late tonight to repair.

Tomorrow is expected to bring somewhat more stable weather, with only scattered clouds, less wind, and a bit warmer. Practice and qualifying tomorrow are eagerly awaited. Can we continue toward even closer competition at the front and in the classes? We really don't know. Will there be other surprises? Most assuredly yes.