Sports Car News

What a Day in Monterey: Corvette Wins as GT Steals Show          

  Graf, Luhr win second straight overall race

Muscle Milk Pickett Racing cruised to its second straight victory in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón on Friday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. But another thrilling GT battle stole the show as Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner also took their second consecutive class win.

The last 90 minutes of the GT race undoubtedly was the highlight of the American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón. Seven cars in the class were within two seconds in the closing hour including the two Corvettes, BMW Team RLL’s two BMW M3s and Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs from Flying Lizard Motorsports and Team Falken Tire.

Gavin made what turned out to be the winning pass in his Corvette C6.R on Team Falken Tire’s Wolf Henzler with a little less than an hour left at the final turn. But the drama carried on for the next 60 minutes. Bill Auberlen in the No. 55 BMW M3 GT looked set to challenge Gavin for the race win before Jan Magnussen in the sister Corvette muscled his way past the BMW with less than 15 minutes to go.

“It was so tight in our class. You could never let off and think 'I'm alright now,’” Gavin said. “I had a few close calls in the pitlane, and then Wolf passed me for the lead. He was hard but fair, and he gave me just enough room to get by at the last turn. I managed to sneak by a lot of people today, and we managed to catch all the breaks. It was a great race for me today.”

Dario Franchitti on Deck as Next SAFEisFAST.com Online Driving Instructor
New Video Tutorial Features the SPEED TV Team Offering Tips on Working with the Media

HILLIARD, Ohio – After a successful launch of its Online Driving Instructor program two weeks ago with IZOD IndyCar Series driver and reigning Firestone Indy Lights Champion Josef Newgarden, the SAFEisFAST.com site welcomes a new instructor this week – four-time and reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti.

SAFEisFAST.com is a free online resource offering video tutorials on safety, fitness, mental skills, race craft, career development, sponsorship, marketing and more to assist the careers of drivers in all forms of racing. The website was created by the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC), led by president Bobby Rahal, in conjunction with the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety and Sustainability. Since its launch, there have been over 90,000 views of the online tutorials with visitors representing 105 countries.

Through Sunday, April 22, drivers will be able to pose questions to Franchitti via a form on SAFEisFAST.com. Franchitti will begin answering questions online on Monday, April 23, and continuing through Friday, April 27, just prior to the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on April 29. 

Coinciding with Franchitti taking over the reigns as the next instructor, SAFEisFAST.com launched its newest online video tutorial which features valuable tips and advice on working with the media from members of the SPEED TV broadcast team including Bob Varsha, Calvin Fish, Leigh Diffey, Brian Till and Chris Neville.

LONG BEACH, CA - RIS - Fuel strategy won out at Long Beach on Saturday with Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr winning the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach for the second straight season. The Muscle Milk Honda Performance Development ARX-03a stopped twice during the race’s sole caution period and ran the final 56 minutes without another stop to win over Dyson Racing.

LONG BEACH, CA - RIS - Fuel strategy won out at Long Beach on Saturday with Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr winning the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach for the second straight season. The Muscle Milk Honda Performance Development ARX-03a stopped twice during the race’s sole caution period and ran the final 56 minutes without another stop to win over Dyson Racing.

An unusual rainy day in southern California washed away qualifying for the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. That left Dyson Racing's Mazda-powered Lola coupe on pole position for Saturday's second round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

SEBRING, FL - RIS - Audi returned to victory at Sebring International Raceway for the first time since 2009 on Saturday with a convincing victory in the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish completed 301 laps in their Audi R18 to win by four laps in the opening round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Audi, Muscle Milk, Ferrari
Lead Sebring Qualifying            

 Grid set for 2012 ALMS and FIA WEC opening rounds

Andre Lotterer led an Audi sweep of the top three positions in qualifying Friday for the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. It was an expected result for the mighty trio of diesel-powered prototypes, and Lotterer led the German factory squad with a lap of 1:45.820 (127.235 mph) in the Audi R18 he drives with Benoit Treluyer and Marcel Fassler. The three seek to add a Sebring victory to their win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year.

Lotterer led a 64-car qualifying grid that combines the fields of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Tom Kristensen qualified second at 1:46.215 (126.762 mph) with Romain Dumas 0.72 seconds further back. Lotterer’s quick lap was more than enough to offset an early-session penalty for speeding in pitlane.

“Usually the pit limiter is always on, but it wasn’t that time. That was my mistake for not noticing. It didn’t really make my life more difficult. The car ran great and I was able to get in a good lap. This pole is really nice for the staff as the guys work so hard to prepare for this race.”

After the three Audis, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing’s Klaus Graf was the fastest non-diesel entry at 1:47.536 (125.205 mph). He drives the team’s HPD ARX-03a with Lucas Luhr and Simon Pagenaud. Graf was the quickest qualifier from the ALMS, and his performance was remarkable given that the Muscle Milk got its car less than two months ago.

Romain Dumas got Audi Sport Team Joest started on the right foot in official practice for the 60tth Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. The Frenchman set the fastest time in Thursday’s one-hour session with a lap of 1:48.626 in his Audi R18.

ALMS Entries Set for Historic 60th Sebring Challenge
Returning champions, new talent will take on the world's best March 17

the opening round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. A field of 64 cars - 34 from the ALMS along with 30 entries from the FIA World Endurance Championship – is set for America’s greatest sports car race – the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida.

The start of the 14th ALMS season also marks the start of the fourth MICHELIN GREEN X® Challenge season. The 2012 grid at Sebring will be powered by a collection of four different alternative fuels: sulfur-free diesel, E10, E85 and isobutanol.

Four of last year’s American Le Mans Series class championship-winning teams will begin t title defenses in 2012 – Dyson Racing in LMP1, Level 5 Motorsports in LMP2, BMW Team RLL in GT and CORE autosport in LMP Challenge. Black Swan Racing, last year’s GT Challenge champion, moves up to LMP2 for 2012.

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES RELEASES SEBRING ENTRY LIST

 A field of 60-plus cars will take the green flag for the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida. The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón unveiled its entries that will combine with 30 from the FIA World Endurance Championship to fill out the starting grid for America`s premier sports car race on March 17.

This year`s 12 Hours of Sebring is poised to be the greatest sports car race in North American history, with the largest and most diverse field of the ALMS era, an all-time record crowd and television coverage on ABC.

LOTUS ENTERS AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES PRESENTED BY TEQUILA PATRÓN

 Lotus Motorsport and Alex Job Racing announced a partnership that will see Lotus Alex Job Racing compete for the GT championship in the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

Lotus joins the ranks of legendary manufacturers to compete in the American Le Mans Series, and will go head-to-head against GT entries from the likes of BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari and Porsche. The factory-backed effort will feature a 2012 Lotus Evora GTE and drivers Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler beginning with the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach the weekend of April 14th. Lotus AJR will carry sponsorship from Battery Tender, William Rast and is a Yokohama-supported team for 2012.

ALMS FEATURES LIVE ABC AND ESPN2 RACES FOR 2012
Four live broadcasts and four ABC shows complement live ESPN3 online programing

Following a successful 2011 season with ABC/ESPN which resulted in a double-digit increase in audience size, the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón today unveiled its full broadcast schedule for the 2012 season, highlighted by four live broadcasts, four ABC broadcasts and an entire season of lap-by-lap coverage online.

Live broadcasts for 2012 include the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge on ABC in August. In addition, ESPN2 will air the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix and Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport live. Additional races on ABC include the Series` opener, the 60th Anniversary Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida, the Baltimore Grand Prix and the ALMS finale from Road Atlanta: Petit Le Mans.

KEVIN FANDOZZI NAMED 41ST ANNUAL RECIPIENT OF RRDC MARK DONOHUE AWARD

HILLIARD, Ohio (Nov. 3, 2011) - Kevin Fandozzi, of St. Joseph, Mich., was selected as the 41st annual recipient of the prestigious Road Racing Drivers Club Mark Donohue Award for his outstanding Touring 3 class victory at the 2011 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., in September. He will be officially presented the award at the 2012 SCCA National Convention on March 1-3, 2012, at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas.

Fandozzi, 41, a mechanical engineer, formerly with General Motors and now running his own company, Insight Driven, won his first SCCA National Championship after four straight appearances at the Runoffs, racing his Insight Driven/Carbotech/Hoosier 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS.

Starting from pole position on dry tires in damp and changing racing conditions, while the majority of his competitors were competing on rain tires, he outlasted them all in the 13-lap event to take the win, despite a last-lap passing attempt by Chris Puskar, of Charlotte, N.C. Fandozzi won by a margin of 1.278 seconds, both impressing and confounding his competitors with his performance in the rain.

"I will be honest," said Fandozzi, who is also, ironically, working technical support for a tire company in a professional series. "I was struggling out there. There's a lot of races that are uncomfortable and obviously we put ourselves in these situations. But it was very uncomfortable out there.

ARCA Racing Series Sets July 1 Date for 2012 Road Course Race at New Jersey Motorsports Park

(TOLEDO, Ohio) - Road course action is in the plans yet again for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, as the series will visit New Jersey Motorsports Park's Thunderbolt Raceway for the fifth consecutive year on Sunday, July 1, 2012.

ARCA and New Jersey Motorsports Park officials reached an agreement this week to bring stock car racing's most versatile series back to the 14-turn, 2.25-mile circuit in southern New Jersey, less than 50 miles south of Philadelphia.

"The ARCA Racing Series has long been recognized for the diversity in the types of venues on the schedule," said Ron Drager, ARCA president. "Racing at New Jersey again in 2012 once again gives our schedule a full range of venues, also including paved short tracks, superspeedways, intermediate tracks, and the mile dirt state fairgrounds ovals. We're looking forward to another visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park."

Entering its 60th anniversary season, ARCA has hosted 15 road course races. The first occurred at Meadowdale Raceway in Illinois in 1958, and Andrew Ranger won in the most recent - his ARCA debut - at New Jersey in May. Ranger, driving a car fielded by Northeast owner Robert Torriere, completed a daring pass over George Miedecke just before the white flag to create one of the season's most exciting finishes.

ALMS REWIND: Black Swan Racing

Reviewing 2011 with reigning GTC champion

The 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón delivered another GT Challenge (GTC) championship for Black Swan Racing (BSR) and team owner Tim Pappas. The Boston-based team and its owner won five times on the season including ALMS cornerstone events Sebring to open the year and Road Atlanta to close it. Pappas talks us through 2011 and a preview of what might be to come in 2012.

ALMS: Was this a more difficult season than 2010 for Black Swan?

Pappas: 2011 was by far a more difficult season for Black Swan because the competition in GTC was more consistent. In 2010, Alex Job Racing had its two front-running cars pull out of the series after Utah, which allowed BSR to put itself in position to lead the championship. By Mid-Ohio, the team took the lead and never looked back. In 2011, BSR fought hard with Alex Job and TRG, trading the lead in the team championship with TRG during the season. Though we maintained the lead in the GTC drivers championship all season, it was nonetheless a season of hard, close racing. NGT and Magnus provided some additional gravity to the series, but succeeded in hurting the other teams more than BSR. All in all, Black Swan`s participation raised the bar and the competition stood up to the challenge.

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES WELCOMES TOYOTA DECISION
 

American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón president and CEO Scott Atherton welcomed today's announcement by Toyota regarding their Le Mans Prototype program to be launched in the 2012 season.

"Toyota's decision clearly demonstrates the importance the world's automobile manufacturers place on the relevance of endurance sports car racing in developing future automotive technology solutions," said Atherton. "The announcement that this new LMP1 effort will be based on a hybrid powertrain underlines the fact that the Le Mans rule book not only allows, but strongly embraces the automotive innovations of the future. We welcome Toyota's announcement and we will do all we can to encourage their participation in the American Le Mans Series as soon as this exciting and innovative program is ready."

A PETIT LE MANS FOR THE AGES
Peugeot and Audi Clash, LMPC and GTC Championships Settled

The 14th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda was a classic 1,000-mile endurance thriller and a more-than-worthy finale for the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Peugeot Sport Total won its third straight Petit Le Mans after an intense battle with Audi Sport Team Joest as Franck Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin and Alexander Wurz drove to victory.

AF Corse held off Flying Lizard Motorsports and BMW Motorsports for the GTE-Pro win at Road Atlanta in what served as the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Tim Pappas and Black Swan Racing successfully defended their GT Challenge driver and team championships while Eric Lux, Gunnar Jeannette and Ricardo Gonzalez had a three-way tie for the LMP Challenge driver`s championship. CORE autosport earned its first LMPC team championship.

As expected, the LMP1 race began as a dogfight between Peugeot Sport Total and Audi Sport Team Joest. Marcel Fassler in the No. 1 Audi R18 took the lead briefly from the pole-winning No. 7 Peugeot 908 of Sébastien Bourdais, but Bourdais retook the race lead shortly before the first full-course yellow. The No. 7 Peugeot`s bid for a Petit Le Mans win didn`t go much farther, as the car lost drive and came to a halt early in the race`s second hour. The team brought the car behind the wall for repairs but retired shortly thereafter.

Peugeot Sport Total claimed victory at the 14th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda, the final round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. The No. 8 Peugeot of Franck Montagny, Stéphane Sarrazin and Alexander Wurz had an intense battle with the No. 1 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 that ended with three hours to go when the two touched, sending the Audi into the wall at turn eight. From there it was clear sailing to the checkered flag for Peugeot. The No. 10 Team Oreca Matmut Peugeot 908 Hdi-FAP driven by Nicolas Lapierre, Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gené was second, followed by the No. 007 Aston Martin Racing AMR Lola Coupe B09 60 of Adrian Fernandez, Stefan Mücke and Harold Primat.

Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda
Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.
Provisional Race Results

Race story to follow

DAVIDSON DOES IT AGAIN IN PETIT LE MANS QUALIFYING

Second straight pole position for Peugeot's British ace

Seeking a third straight victory at Road Atlanta, Team Peugeot Total is on pole position again for the 14th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. Anthony Davidson set a blistering 1:07.428 (135.611 mph) lap in qualifying Friday in the diesel-powered Peugeot 908 coupe that he will drive in Saturday’s 1,000-mile/10-hour race with Sébastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud.

The British driver in the French car was 0.128 seconds quicker than Timo Bernhard for rival Audi Sport Team Joest. Bernhard set a lap of 1:07.556 (135.354 mph) in the Audi R18 that he will share with Romain Dumas and Marcel Faessler in the final round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

“It feels great to take the pole,” said Davidson, who was last year’s fastest qualifier. “It puts us in the best possible position to win the race tomorrow. So far it's history repeating itself. We finished second last year so I want to do one better tomorrow.”

The battle between the Audi and Peugeot factory efforts will renew Saturday at Road Atlanta for the fourth time. Their four cars were within 0.585 seconds following qualifying.

BRASELTON, GA - RIS - Seeking a third straight victory at Road Atlanta, Team Peugeot Total is on pole position again for the 14th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda. Anthony Davidson set a blistering 1:07.428 (135.611 mph) lap in qualifying Friday in the diesel-powered Peugeot 908 coupe that he will drive in Saturday’s 1,000-mile/10-hour race with Sébastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud.

ATHERTON: 2012 WILL BE A SEASON OF CHANGE

Addresses schedule, ACO agreement, digital/TV plans and more

A dynamic 2012 schedule, a new agreement with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), and upgrades to its pioneering TV and digital package highlighted the annual State of the Series for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. Scott Atherton, ALMS President and CEO, heralded the Series’ progress and growth in a number of key areas in 2011 and emphasized that even larger gains are coming next season for the world’s leading sports car championship.

“We’ve embraced change to drive progress because that is what’s at the heart of our sport’s reason for being,” Atherton said. “The American Le Mans Series represents the leading-edge of motorsports – not just in North America but around the globe. That will continue into 2012 and beyond as we continue to solidify the American Le Mans Series in a leadership position.”

Mission Viejo, Calif. – September 23, 2011 – Arnold Hubert Wagner, an original partner of Andial - one of America's most successful and respected authorities on Porsche performance tuning – has died here at the age of 75.

BRASELTON, GA - RIS - The first day of testing for the 14th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda belonged to Peugeot as its two diesel-powered Peugeot 908 factory prototypes finished 1-2 on Sunday afternoon at Road Atlanta.

MONTEREY, CA - RIS - Aston Martin Racing won its first overall race in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, and Dyson Racing and BMW Team RLL each clinched driver and team championships on Saturday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Stefan Mucke, Adrian Fernandez and Harold Primat won the six-hour ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón in their Aston Martin-powered Lola coupe. The trio battled all day with Dyson Racing and Oryx Dyson Racing Lola-Mazdas, and Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing’s Lola-Aston Martin.

MONTEREY, CA - RIS - Guy Smith won his second straight overall pole position at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Friday – a banner day for Mazda. Dyson Racing’s British pilot set a time of 1:13.927 (108.983 mph) in the Mazda-powered Lola coupe that he will drive during Saturday’s ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón.

BMWs sit 1-2 in GT during Mazda Raceway testing

MONTEREY, CA - RIS - Klaus Graf and Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing fired the first salvo at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Thursday with the fastest lap in a two-hour test session for the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón. Graf set a time of 1:16.293 (105.603 mph) in the Aston Martin-powered Lola coupe that he will drive with Lucas Luhr.

Alex Gurney takes first laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing

Second-generation champion takes to IMS over 40 years after father Dan Gurney
 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (September 7, 2011) — Alex Gurney, joined by his fellow two-time GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Champion teammates at GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, turned his first career laps Wednesday on the hallowed ground of Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) over 40 years after his famous father Dan Gurney last drove in the Indianapolis 500.
 
Alex Gurney is handling the driving duties in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet Riley for a two-day Continental tire test on the IMS road course in preparation for next year’s debut GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race at the 2012 Super Weekend at the Brickyard.  Although his father Dan Gurney, who finished second twice in the 500 as a driver and won it three times as constructor/team owner, earned a place in Indy’s rich history, Alex Gurney has never had a chance to take to the track until today.
 
“It felt great,” Gurney said. “I have thought about this place for a long time, and heard so many stories from my dad, and wondered what it would be like, and it is a cathedral.  I feel very lucky to finally get a chance to drive around it at speed.”

ROAD AMERICA FOUR-HOURS ENDS IN PHOTO FINISH
Muscle Milk wins in ALMS' closest overall finish

It took four hours of racing at Road America to produce the closest overall finish in American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón history. Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing`s Klaus Graf crossed the finish line 0.112 seconds ahead of Dyson Racing`s Guy Smith. A back-and-forth Risi Competizione and BMW Team RLL battle in GT ended with the first win of 2011 for Risi.

As the green flag waved on the Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase, it was Oryx Dyson Racing`s Steven Kane in the No. 20 Oryx Dyson Racing Lola-Mazda that stormed into the lead on the opening lap, passing Muscle Milk`s Lucas Luhr in Turn 3. After two rounds of pits stops and driver changes, the No. 6 Lola-Aston Martin retook the lead in the hands of Graf.

Taking over for Chris Dyson, Smith gave chase to Graf and ticked off several fast race laps before closing the gap to less than two seconds with 15 minutes remaining. Smith caught the tail of Graf`s Lola as the pair weaved their way through battles for the GT and GTC lead. The LMP1 rivals spent all four miles of the final lap glued together and as the two crested the hill and screamed underneath the checkered flag, the timing screens displayed Graf the winner by the slimmest overall margin recorded in ALMS.

LMP1 - AMR/Lola edges Dyson Lola/Mazda for overall win

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid to start on the Monterey Peninsula  

Stuttgart/Atlanta – August 5 -- Porsche Motorsport of Stuttgart, Germany, today announced that its ground-breaking Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Version 2.0 will make its racing debut on the West Coast September 17 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The outing of Porsche’s hybrid racer at the 24 Hours of Nuerburgring last month was more than heartening. The innovative race car achieved the same quick lap times as its top rivals yet used considerably less fuel. Just two broken transmission flanges and a collision thwarted a potential podium spot. The next test under race conditions for the further development of the particularly efficient drive-train technology of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 is now planned for the American Le Mans Series race at 2.23- mile course featuring the famous Corkscrew Turn. The vehicle is not eligible for championship points, as the hybrid technology is not yet a part of the GT regulations.

Round Five of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón started with a bang and ended with a splash at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Classic battles for the lead across all four classes turned into a game of strategy and bravery when the skies opened up on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. When the red flag turned into a checkered, Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing collected its third win of the season, while Team Falken Tire recorded its very first Series GT victory.

Another GT pole for BMW Team RLL as Müller leads 1-2 class effort

Home Run for Dyson Racing

It was one of the closest and most-dramatic races in the 79-year history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Limping home on a slowly-deflating tire, the sole remaining Audi R18 TDI - the #2, driven by Andre Lotterer, with co-drivers Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer - beat the unflappable trio of Peugeot 908 diesels.

The fastest Peugeot, driven by Simon Pagenaud, with co-drivers Sebastian Bourdais and Pedro Lamy, trailed the winning Audi by a gap of only 13.854 seconds after 24-hours.

It was Audi's tenth overall victory in 12 years.

Chevrolet celebrated its centennial by winning both the GTE Pro and GTE Am classes, the former with Doug Fehan's factory Corvette Racing program, with drivers Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia, and the latter with Larbre Competition's #50 Corvette, driven by Patrick Bornhauser, Julien Canal and Gabriele Gardel.

AUDI LEADS AT TWELVE HOURS, DESPITE A CALAMITOUS FIRST HALF

At the 12-Hour mark, the 2011 edition of the 204 Hours of Le Mans - the 79th running - has been one of the more dramatic in recent memory.

The battle between the French Peugeot - winners here in 2009 - and German Audi - winners here in 2010 - has played out as a titanic fight of the turbo-diesels.

Race classification at 12 hours.

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES PRESENTED BY TEQUILA PATRÓN

EYES SCHEDULE EXPANSION

Potential Oklahoma City race in 2013 the tip of the iceberg, hints Atherton

On the heels of OKC Motorsports` announcement of its plans to host an American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón race in Oklahoma City, Series President and CEO Scott Atherton confirmed that the street race is just a part of the Series` ongoing efforts to expand its schedule.

Targeted for 2013, a race in Oklahoma City`s Adventure District would likely take place the third week in May, falling between Mother`s Day and Memorial Day. The mid-May date also would give teams competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans ample time to transport their cars to the French classic. OKC Motorsports President and CEO Mike McAuliffe, who has been instrumental in bringing drag boat racing to Oklahoma City`s downtown riverfront, has indicated that next steps for the proposed race include a site inspection with ALMS officials, confirmation of the track layout and solidifying local business and political support. The Series` agreement provides for an exclusive planning period for the event with OKC Motorsports.

MUSCLE MILK SCORES LONG BEACH WIN AHEAD OF EPIC GT BATTLE

Opening lap pass gives Luhr/Graf win while BMW makes it two in a row in GT

Muscle Milk collected its first American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón win under the Aston Martin Racing banner Saturday as Lucas Luhr made an opening-lap pass on Dyson Racing’s Chris Dyson. The Lola-Aston Martin coupe sped away to the overall victory at the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach, leading the Mazda-powered Lola by more than a minute before a full-course caution brought the race to a close behind the safety car.

“I had the plan in my head to get around Chris in the first corner but he did a good job staying ahead,” Luhr said.  “But I could see I was quicker and made my move a few turns later. The car was good. We had some issues in the first practice and didn’t do many laps. The car was running perfectly today.”