Smith, Dyson Racing Take Epic Lime Rock Qualifying Battle
Home-track team, defending race winner start out front
LAKEVILLE, CT - RIS - The first battle of the Lime Rock Park weekend went to the home team. Guy Smith put Dyson Racing on pole position Friday for the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix in an epic 15-minute session. Smith set a lap of 44.017 (120.553 mph) in Dyson Racing’s Mazda-powered Lola coupe that he drives with Chris Dyson.
All five classes set qualifying records on the 1.5-mile, eight-turn layout. The unquestioned highlight was the fast and furious fight between Smith and Lucas Luhr from Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. Luhr set a lap of 44.119 (120.275 mph) to end up just 0.102 seconds behind his chief rival.
Friday’s pole was the first for Dyson Racing this season and provided a much-needed boost, Smith said.
“It was a bit nip and tuck and very entertaining,” Smith said. “We have struggled this year; it has been an uphill battle. After the Monterey round (in May, team owner) Rob Dyson said we need to knuckle down and put in the work. We've worked for the last seven weeks and tested and tested and tested. We've come here and regrouped and focused on what we need to focus on, so let’s hope this is a turning point for us tomorrow.”
Dyson and Dyson Racing – based in nearby Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – started from pole last year and went on to win the race as well as the P1 championship in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.
Dyson entries will start first and third in P1. Eric Lux set a lap of 46.552 (113.989 mph) in Dyson Racing’s other Lola-Mazda that he drives with Michael Marsal.
“It’s always difficult here with the traffic,” Smith conceded. “Last year we worked hard and stayed out of trouble. If we do that, maybe we can be the champs again. People want to see the premiere cars go fast, and today we are showing it.”
Bill Auberlen will make his 100th ALMS start with his first Lime Rock pole position in the Series for the GT class. “Mr. BMW” set a lap of 50.290 (104.211 mph) in the BMW Team RLL BMW M3 GT that he drives with Jörg Müller. The time broke BMW RLL teammate Joey Hand’s record from last year by 0.005 seconds.
Auberlen was 0.379 seconds quicker than Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin who is teaming with Tommy Milner. The pairing won the previous two GT rounds. The second BMW Team RLL M3 GT of Joey Hand and Dirk Müller – last year’s Lime Rock class winners – will start third. Hand posted a time of 51.334 (103.370 mph).
“We rolled off the truck really strong,” Auberlen said. “We were really strong the first session and got better in the second. Qualifying went green and we banged a good lap out. The session went red (after one of Extreme Speed Motorsports’ Ferraris went off at Turn 1) and we're lucky that the time was already there.”
Even if his time didn’t stand, Auberlen has experience in winning at Lime Rock from spots other than pole position.
“I remember a World Challenge race where I started in the rain from the pits and passed the entire field,” he said. “At the end I wasn't sure where we finished. When I asked they said, ‘Well you finished P1’. This weekend too, the BMW is really fast, and its such a great car. I know I can just focus on the hood emblem and it will take us to the checkered flag.”
Auberlen has more than 10 career professional victories at Lime Rock Park but none in ALMS. He was a runner-up in 2010, and third in 2009 and 2006. Each of those results came in a BMW.
Level 5 Motorsports’ Christophe Bouchut scored his third P2 pole position in four races with a lap of 46.539 (114.020 mph). It’s the first time running a P2 car at the circuit for the Level 5 team but it didn’t necessarily show on the timing screen. The squad’s two HPD ARX-03bs were first and second.
Team owner Scott Tucker qualified second in class at 47.007 (112.885 mph) in the team’s other entry that he drives with Luis Diaz. Tucker is pulling double-duty and is driving with Bouchut as well.
“Our car was good,” Bouchut said. “We went step by step this morning. Sometimes this track can be bad for drivers, but my goal was to learn the track. I improved my performance lap after lap, session after session. We are always looking for the pole, but it is never easy. Even Scott's time was very unbelievable, he was only five-tenths slower than me, so we know we have great cars this weekend. There is no room for mistakes here. If you make a mistake you pay cash, as the saying goes. Everyone knows that you must stay on track first before looking for performance. “
Martin Plowman qualified Conquest Endurance’s Morgan-Nissan prototype third in P2 with a lap of 47.072 (112.729 mph). He drives with David Heinemeier-Hansson.
Kyle Marcelli tallied his first Prototype Challenge pole of the season with a lap of 47.249 (112.307 mph) in Merchant Services Racing’s ORECA FLM09. The young Canadian – driving with Antonio Downs – barely missed out on pole position in the previous round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca against RSR Racing’s Bruno Junquiera.
Marcelli turned the table Friday and outpaced the Brazilian star by 0.233 seconds. His quickest lap came shortly on a restart following a red-flag period for one of CORE autosport’s two entries.
“It feels great. We had a bit of a rocky road this year,” Marcelli said. “So now we can start to build our momentum into the rest of the season. Anytime we are on the pole position it's an advantage. When it went back green, we clicked off a really good one. Luckily no one else went faster after that. We only started the team about a week before Sebring, and hopefully this marks the start to a really successful second half of the season.”
Junqueira and teammate Tomy Drissi will start in second and just ahead of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports’ Butch Leitzinger and Ken Dobson. Leitzinger, another of four ALMS drivers making their 100tth Series starts Saturday, qualified with a lap of 48.033 (110.474 mph).
In GT Challenge, Alex Job Racing’s Leh Keen won his second career ALMS pole position and first at Lime Rock. He set a lap of 55.195 (96.139 mph) in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup that he shares with GT Challenge championship leader Cooper MacNeil.
“For sure, this is so short of a course that position is really important,” Keen said. “Starting Cooper in the front, we'll want to get off to a good start. The way traffic works, you are always catching slower cars quickly. The key is not to get held up.”
Keen, who last raced at Lime Rock in the ALMS during the 2008 season, led an intense three-way battle in the class. He was just 0.201 seconds ahead of TRG’s Spencer Pumpelly and another 0.429 seconds clear of GMG Racing’s James Sofronas.
The American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix is Saturday, July 7. The two-hour, 45-minute race is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET from the 1.5-mile, eight-turn Lime Rock Park circuit. ESPN2’s broadcast featuring live coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET. Full coverage is available starting at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
The Series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the Lime Rock round and all ALMS races live on ALMS.com.
Visit ALMS.com for current and future event information including tickets and area accommodations. Follow the Series on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix
Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Conn.
Friday's qualifying
1. Guy Smith, Beverley, UK (ENG); Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY (USA); Lola B12/60 Mazda (P1), 44.017, 120.553
2. Klaus Graf, Germany (GER); Lucas Luhr, Germany (GER); HPD ARX-03a Honda (P1), 44.119, 120.275
3. Scott Tucker (US); Christophe Bouchut, France (FRA); HPD ARX-03b Honda (P2), 46.539, 114.020
4. Eric Lux, Jacksonville, FL (US); Michael Marsal (US); Lola B11/66 Mazda (P1), 46.552, 113.989
5. Luis Diaz, Mexico (MEX); Scott Tucker (US); HPD ARX-03b Honda (P2), 47.007, 112.885
6. David Heinemeier Hansson (USA); Martin Plowman, Indianapolis, IN (USA; Morgan/Nissan (P2), 47.072, 112.729
7. Lucas Downs, North Mankoto, MN (USA); Kyle Marcelli (CAN); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 47.249, 112.307
8. Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, CA (USA); Bruno Junqueira (BRA); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 47.482, 111.756
9. Patrick Dempsey (USA); Joe Foster, Lawrenceville, GA (USA); Lola B12/87-Judd BMW V8 (P2), 47.992, 110.568
10. Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA (USA); Ken Dobson, Carmel Valley, CA (US); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 48.033, 110.474
11. Tom Kimber-Smith, England (ENG); Alex Papow (VEN); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 48.134, 110.242
12. Colin Braun, Ovalo, TX (USA); Jon Bennett (USA); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 48.137, 110.235
13. Duncan Ende, Los Angeles (USA); Henri Richard (FRA); Oreca FLM09 (PC), 48.726, 108.903
14. Jörg Müller, Germany (DUE); Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA (USA); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 50.920, 104.211
15. Oliver Gavin (GBR); Tom Milner, Leesburg, VA (USA); Corvette C6-ZR1 (GT), 51.300, 103.439
16. Dirk Mueller (DEU); Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA (USA); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 51.334, 103.370
17. Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA (USA); Jörg Bergmeister (DEU); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 51.483, 103.071
18. Jan Magnussen (DEN); Antonio Garcia (ESP); Corvette C6-ZR1 (GT), 51.505, 103.027
19. Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL (USA); Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA (USA); Ferrari F458 Italia (GT), 51.525, 102.987
20. Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH (USA); Wolf Henzler (DEU); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 51.957, 102.131
21. Sascha Maassen (DEU); Bryce Miller, Hoboken, NJ (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 52.259, 101.540
22. Townsend Bell, Santa Monica, CA (USA); Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT (USA); Lotus Evora/Cosworth (GT), 52.458, 101.155
23. Guy Cosmo, Long Island, NY; Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV (USA); Ferrari F458 Italia (GT), 54.507, 97.353
24. Leh Keen, Dublin, GA (USA); Cooper MacNeil (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 55.195, 96.139
25. Spencer Pumpelly, Mason Neck, VA (USA); Mike Piera, Newton, CT (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 55.396, 95.790
26. Alex Welch (USA); James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 55.825, 95.054
27. Peter LeSaffre, Rye, NH (US); Anthony Lazzaro, Acworth, GA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 56.379, 94.120
28. Marco Holzer (AUT); Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), Excluded
29. Peter LeSaffre, Rye, NH (USA); Damien Faulkner (IRE); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), Excluded
30. Michael Valiante, Vancouver, BC (CAN); Chris Cumming, Vancouver, BC (CAN); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), Excluded