A wild season of qualifying in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr\u00f3n continued Saturday. Muscle Milk Team CytoSport\u2019s Klaus Graf grabbed pole position for Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mospot, the seventh driver in eight races to earn those honors. He set a best lap of 1:06.956 (132.212 mph) around Mosport International Raceway in the Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder that he will drive with factory pilot Romain Dumas.<\/p>\n
Graf outpaced Dyson Racing\u2019s Chris Dyson \u2013 driving the Mazda-powered Lola coupe he will share with Guy Smith \u2013 by 0.186 seconds in another incredibly close qualifying battle. Patr\u00f3n Highcroft Racing\u2019s Simon Pagenaud was third in the HPD ARX-01c he will drive with David Brabham at 1:07.228 (131.677 mph).<\/p>\n
The top four cars were within 0.526 seconds. Needless to say, the margin for error was razor-thin.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is very special to be (on pole),\u201d Graf said following his first career Fast Qualifier honor. \u201cCongrats to all the guys. In any class driving at this place is quite challenging and difficult. In the LMP cars, it\u2019s unbelievable. Some of the corners you go through – it\u2019s like a roller coaster. To put it all together and get a good lap and be overall pole here at Mosport is unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Muscle Milk squad remains in the thick of the LMP championship despite missing the Mid-Ohio round. Team owner Greg Pickett was injured in a testing crash earlier that week and is out for the rest of the season. Graf and Pickett were winners at Lime Rock, and Timo Bernhard joined Graf with the two finishing second last weekend at Road America.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt`s a fantastic car, not just at this place, but everywhere,\u201d Graf said. \u201cSo we are happy right now and we`ll get a good sleep tonight, but the big thing will be tomorrow. We had a good pace setup right away. We weren`t always happy; we tried a lot of things. We were trying for the sweet spot. We didn`t make any big steps this morning, but we did in the second practice. Those things were crucial.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given how close race finishes have been the last few weekends, any adjustment the right way is critical. The last two Series races \u2013 at Mid-Ohio and Road America \u2013 have been nail-biters with a combined winning margin of 0.779 seconds. There have been three finishes of less than a second in overall races and a total of seven finishes of less than two seconds in all classes.<\/p>\n
Risi Competizione\u2019s drama-filled day ended on a high thanks to Gianmaria Bruni\u2019s third career GT pole position. The Italian turned a lap of 1:17.160 (114.728 mph) on his third of five laps in the Ferrari F430 GT that he will drive with Toni Vilander. Bruni was to team with full-season partner Jaime Melo but he was pulled from the lineup with a stomach virus Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Vilander originally was in a second Risi entry but it was withdrawn following a vicious crash with Pierre Kaffer at the wheel Saturday morning. Kaffer went hard into the outside wall between turns 1 and 2 with heavy impact on the front end. He was transported to a local hospital but released a few hours later. Because Vilander was moved to Bruni\u2019s car following the first practice, the car will start Sunday\u2019s race from the back of the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cWherever we finish \u2013 first, second or third \u2013 it will come from a clean good race,\u201d said Bruni, the pole-winner at Utah. \u201cRight now I\u2019m not thinking points or championships. I`m just thinking how I can get by all the cars tomorrow. We`ll see how it ends up tomorrow and see how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the accident happened this morning, although I was fast I was not on the limit,\u201d Kaffer said. \u201cEverything was under control.\u00a0 At the exit from the corner which enters the little short straight between Turns 1 and 2, the rear floor of the car hit the ground and the car got upset and snapped into the barriers. It was quite harsh and very sudden. I didn\u2019t expect it at that point as the car was really good as our lap times would have showed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bruni\u2019s best qualifying lap was 0.301 seconds better than Flying Lizard Motorsports\u2019 J\u00f6rg Bergmeister in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR he will drive with Patrick Long. He turned a lap of 1:17.461 (114.282 mph) in the class championship-leading Porsche. Four manufacturers and five entrants filled the top-five with BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team\u2019s Tommy Milner third at 1:17.491 (114.238 mph). Those two cars will start on the front row in class.<\/p>\n
As has been the case all year, more than half the field were bunched insanely close. Only 0.681 seconds separated the top-seven in GT. The championship standings reflect the class\u2019 competitiveness. Risi is third in the team standings and only 14 points behind Flying Lizard.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are fighting for the championship with the (Flying Lizard) Porsche so we made the change to keep going,\u201d said Bruni, a runner-up in class in 2007 at Mosport. \u201cI enjoy this track here. It\u2019s more of a driver track than any parts of America. You have to have a good car and a good setup more than anything. It`s a great job for the team; they\u2019ve worked so hard this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
In LMP Challenge, Luis Diaz claimed his second straight class pole with a lap of 1:11.455 (123.888 mph). He will make his third start with Ricardo Gonzalez in PR1\/Mathiasen Motorsports\u2019 ORECA FLM09.<\/p>\n
Diaz was 0.558 seconds clear of Genoa Racing\u2019s Frankie Montecalvo, who put in an impressive effort for 1:12.013 (122.928 mph).<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us it\u2019s been a dream really. Ricardo and I fit perfectly in this team,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cThe car has been fantastic since we got here Wednesday. It was kind of weird but boring. I didn`t know what to ask the engineers. To have the pole is nice, we love it. But Mosport is Mosport. The race is going to be very, very tough tomorrow. We know we have the speed but it will come with strategy too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Mexican star won the LMP2 class last year at Mosport and shared the Series\u2019 class championship with Adrian Fernandez. So he has some prototype experience and data to share.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasically in the P2, we had a lot more downforce through turns 1 and 2, and in Turn 8 we were flat out,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cIt\u2019s really a pleasure with the LMPC because you have to really think about corners and braking and driving the car. I remember last year when I was driving I told Adrian, \u2018You will get to drive lots tomorrow. This is too dangerous!\u2019 But the LMPC is perfect for this track. It\u2019s just a great challenge to keep it fun but advanced too. \u201c<\/p>\n
Gunnar Jeannette qualified third at 1:12.073 (122.825 mph) in the Green Earth Team Gunnar entry he will drive with Elton Julian. The top four cars in the class were within 0.805 seconds.<\/p>\n
Bryce Miller broke Jeroen Bleekemolen\u2019s stranglehold on GT Challenge pole positions with his first career Fast Qualifier in the ORBIT\/Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry. The young American set a lap of 1:22.495 (107.308 mph) in the car he will share with Luke Hines, good enough for a 0.103-second gap back to Bleekemolen in the Black Swan Racing entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really enjoy this circuit. It\u2019s a great circuit with a lot of character,\u201d said Miller, a GT2 race-winner with Farnbacher Loles Racing at Road America in 2008. \u201cIt`s exciting to be in the qualifying position at this track and pull a great lap here. It can be an unforgiving track. It\u2019s great for the team; the car has been technically sound but we just really had the luck come our way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bleekemolen, who posted a lap of 1:22.598 (107.175 mph) and Tim Pappas lead the class championship after four wins in five races. But Miller has been one of the few drivers in class to match the speed of Bleekemolen. Like Risi in GT, the ORBIT squad had to overcome a little weekend drama of its own; the Porsche\u2019s engine let go early in Friday\u2019s test session.<\/p>\n
Shane Lewis was next in class for Velox Motorsports at 1:22.911 (106.770 mph). He will drive with Lawson Aschenbach, the duo seeking Velox\u2019s third podium finish in four races.<\/p>\n
Miller has raced a variety of cars at Mosport, and his father Paul was a Trans-Am winner at the circuit in 1985. So the younger Miller knows Mosport\u2019s risks and rewards.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredible to look at the data and realize the speed you\u2019re carrying around here. All the corners are really fast, which is a strength for me. I like fast corners. It`s really exciting, the laps really count a lot here because the track can be unforgiving. You have to have a lot of confidence here. Hopefully I can also finish up with a result.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport is set for 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 29 from Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. SPEED will air the race in its entirety starting at 4 p.m. ET with live radio coverage available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche \u2013 a production of Radio Show Limited \u2013 as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242. Visit the Series\u2019 schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com.<\/p>\n
Mobil 1 presents Grand Prix of Mosport<\/p>\n
Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s Qualifying<\/p>\n
1. Romain Dumas, Ales (FR); Klaus Graf, Germany (DE); Porsche RS Spyder (LMP), 1:06.956, 132.212<\/p>\n
2. Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY (US); Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire (GB); Lola B09 86\/Mazda (LMP), 1:07.142, 131.846<\/p>\n
3. David Brabham, Maidenhead, GB (GB); Simon Pagenaud, Montmorrillon, FR (FR); HPD ARX-01c (LMP), 1:07.228, 131.677<\/p>\n
4. Paul Drayson, London, GB (GB); Jonny Cocker, Guisborough, GB (GB); Lola B09 60\/Judd (LMP), 1:07.482, 131.182<\/p>\n
5. Tony Burgess, Toronto (CA); Johnny Mowlem, London (GB); Lola B06 10\/AER (LMP), 1:08.117, 129.959<\/p>\n
6. Ricardo Gonzalez, Monterrey (MX); Luis Diaz, Mexico City (MX); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:11.455, 123.888<\/p>\n
7. Christian Zugel, Holmdel, NJ (US); Frankie Montecalvo, Highlands, NJ (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.013, 122.928<\/p>\n
8. Elton Julian, Santa Monica, CA (Spa); Gunnar Jeannette, Salt Lake City, UT (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.073, 122.825<\/p>\n
9. Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, ON (CA); Chapman Ducote, Miami Beach, FL (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.239, 122.543<\/p>\n
10. Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS (US); Christophe Bouchut, France (FR); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.260, 122.508<\/p>\n
11. Jaime Melo, Milan, IT (BR); Gianmaria Bruni, Rome, IT (Ita); Ferrari 430 GT (GT), 1:17.160, 114.728<\/p>\n
12. Joerg Bergmeister, Langenfield, DE (DE); Patrick Long, Bellaire, FL (US); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:17.461, 114.282<\/p>\n
13. Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, CA (US); Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA (US); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 1:17.491, 114.238<\/p>\n
14. Jan Magnussen, Denmark (DEN); Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings, GB (GB); Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (GT), 1:17.668, 113.977<\/p>\n
15. Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL (US); Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA (US); Ferrari 430 GT (GT), 1:17.726, 113.892<\/p>\n
16. Olivier Beretta, Monaco (MON); Johnny O`Connell, Flowery Branch, GA (US); Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (GT), 1:17.794, 113.793<\/p>\n
17. Dirk Mueller, Monte Carlo, Monaco (DE); Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA (US); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 1:17.841, 113.724<\/p>\n
18. Bryan Sellers, Braselton, GA (US); Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen, DE (DE); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:18.469, 112.814<\/p>\n
19. David Robertson, Ray, MI (US); David Murry, Atlanta, GA (US); Andrea Robertson, Ray, MI (US); Doran Design Ford GT (GT), 1:18.502, 112.767<\/p>\n
20. Marc Goossens, Huntersville, NC (Bel); Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, MI (USA); Jaguar XKRS (GT), 1:19.099, 111.915<\/p>\n
21. Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV (US); Guy Cosmo, West Palm Beach, FL (US); Ferrari 430 GT (GT), 1:21.771, 108.258<\/p>\n
22. Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ (US); Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA (US); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:21.798, 108.223<\/p>\n
23. Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS (US); Andy Wallace, England (ENG); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:22.081, 107.850<\/p>\n
24. Bryce Miller, Summit, NJ (US); Luke Hines, Essex (Eng); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:22.495, 107.308<\/p>\n
25. Tim Pappas, Boston, MA (US); Jeroen Bleekemolen, Monte Carlo, Monaco (Net); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:22.598, 107.175<\/p>\n
26. Shane Lewis, Jupiter, FL (US); Lawson Aschenbach, West Palm Beach, FL (US); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:22.911, 106.770<\/p>\n
27. Henri Richard, Los Altos Hills, CA (FR); Andy Lally, New York, NY (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:23.211, 106.385<\/p>\n
28. Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT (US); Mitch Pagery, Deerfield Beach, FL (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:23.324, 106.241<\/p>\n
29. Jon Field, Dublin, OH (US); Clint Field, Dublin, OH (US); Lola B06\/10 AER (LMP), No Time.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 RIF | ALMS<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A wild season of qualifying in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr\u00f3n continued Saturday. Muscle Milk Team CytoSport\u2019s Klaus Graf grabbed pole position for Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mospot, the seventh driver in eight races to earn those honors. He set a best lap of 1:06.956 (132.212 mph) around …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[9],"tags":[5264,5334,2161],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8103"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8105,"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8103\/revisions\/8105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}