The final session of the day brought out the P1 prototypes that most of the spectators had waited all day to see on the track. Seven P1 prototypes, including three of the new Acura ARX-02As, three Peugeot 908HDi's and a single Judd-powered Pescarolo recorded official laps during the session. Fastest driver of the day was Andreas Eriksson driving the # 87 Privateer Acura ARX-02A with a time of 01:13.798. Second was Drew McLean driving the Judd-powered Pescarolo. His time was 01:15.277. Third overall was Rob Janca driving # 426 Doug Henson Racing 908HDi with a time of 01:16.500. Fourth was the # 16 Scuderia Bollesnegro Acura ARX-02A, driven by Chuck Penfield, with a time of 01:17.290. Rounding out the top five was Alexander Lugones driving the # #34 Feint Motion Acura ARX-02A with a time of 01:17.312.
Following the final session of the day, I caught the shuttle back to the Hotel. I put my equipment in my room and went downstairs for dinner. After dinner, I reviewed my notes and the data I had collected during the day. Then I added my Saturday report to what I had written the night before. I watched a bit of television and then went to bed to get ready for Qualifying Day with five separate sessions.
Sunday morning, I awoke to a perfect day for race watching. After breakfast, I grabbed my gear and caught the first shuttle to the track. A few minutes later I was headed through the garage area where the Support Series teams were busy making last minute preparations for their qualifying sessions.
First up were the Support Series Grand Touring class. Seven teams recorded official qualifying laps. Leading the way was Jos Friemann whose first timed lap was his best qualifying lap time was 1:29.399 in the # 125 GT World Racing Ferrari F430GT. Second was Paul Miller driving the ILMS Porsche 997 GT3 RSR who recorded his best time on his fourth and final lap with a lap time of 01:30.134. Third was Arturo Pereira driving the # 206 Tango Team Porsche 997 RSR with a time of 01:30.947. Rounding out the fast four was Kent Dickie driving the #80 Talon Racing BMW M3 GTR with a time of 01:33.839.
The Support Series Prototype qualifying session followed the Grand Touring session. Nine teams recorded official qualifying laps. The fastest driver in the Support Series was Ivan Langham driving the # 801 Langham-Olympus Porsche RS Spyder with a pole winning time of 01:18.351. Second was Roy Fuller driving the # 33 Fuller Racing Mazda-powered Pecarolo C60 with a time of 01:18.498. Third was Terry Fisher driving the # 59 ILMS Porsche RS Spyder with a time of 01:18.963. Fourth was Luiz De Boni driving the # 77 Brazil Racing Team Judd-powered Lola EX257 with a time of 01:19.038. Rounding out the top five was Brice Ambrecht driving the # 21 Rival Motorsports Acura ARX-01B with a time of 01:19.398.
Following a delightful buffet lunch provided for the press corps by the track, I waited excitedly for Championship Series GTs to pull on the track for their official qualifying Session. The first driver to post an official qualifying lap was Butch Stone driving the # 32 Phoenix Motorsports Corvette C6.R was timed in 01:29.904 to take the provisional pole position. His lap held up until Daniel Parsons driving the # 30 Propeller Race Works BMW M3 GTR had the fastest lap of 01:29.367 on his second timed lap. Also on his second lap, James Walker driving the # 42 Flying Squirrel Racing Corvette C6.R produced the third fastest lap with a time of 01:31.168. Rounding out the top four in GT was Alex Winston driving the # 823 Walker Racing Corvette C6.R whose second lap was timed in 01:30.811.
The Championship P2 prototype cars were the next group to qualify and their session had the heart beats of every spectator beating excitedly. Garth Buchanan led the P2s onto the track and recorded the first official lap time with a time of 01:18.239 which held up until JT Tami completed his lap with a time of 01:17.510 in his # 97 Champion Racing Acura ARX-01B. JT must have thought it would take a faster time to secure the first spot in class because on his next lap he came back with 01:17.171. Even that time wasn't fast enough. Mike Hirsch driving the # 39 Hirsch Racing Mazda-powered Pescarolo C60 used his fourth lap to take the spot away from Tami with a time of 01:17.035. But it was Pawel Korbel who was saving the best time until his final lap in the # 11 Happy Days Racing Porsche RS Spyder when he cranked of the P2 lap of the day with a time of 01:16.999. I haven't seen that much action in such a short period of time for a long time. WOW! They were the heartbeat of Mexico during qualifying.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats when the P1 prototypes pulled out onto the track for the final qualifying session and everyone must have been wondering whether the P1 session would be as exciting as the one they had just seen. Andreas Eriksson in his # 87 Privateer Acura ARX-02A was the first car out and he wasted no time getting down to the business at hand. On his first timed lap, Eriksson turned 01:13.787 which was faster than any lap turned by any other driver. Eriksson ran two more laps grabbing the pole with a time of 01:13.589 on his final lap. Alexander Lugones driving the # 34 Feint Motion Motorsports Acura ARX-02A took the second spot with a time of 01:14.723 on his third of four laps. Drew McLean used his second lap to launch his # 82 Judd-powered Pescarolo into the third spot on the grid. Rounding out the second row on his second lap was Chuck Penfield driving the # 16 Scuderia Bollesnegro Acura ARX-02A with his best lap of 01:15.543.
As the P1 cars pulled into the pits, fans headed for the exits believing they had seen something special during the afternoon P2 session. With the grid set for the 75 minute races that would run the following day, Teams pushed their race cars into their garages and began putting their race setups back into their cars. No cars had suffered failures or accidents during qualifying so full grids were expected for the morning Support Series Race and the afternoon feature.
On Monday, the largest crowds of the weekend filled the track infield and grandstands to watch the two warm-up sessions which were the first two events on the schedule. Drivers simply brought their cars on the track and ran a couple of moderate speed laps just to warm the various fluids up to operating temperatures and to make sure there were no leaks. Following the two warm-up session circuit the crowd watched anxiously as the Support Series cars were pushed out onto the starting grid. Team managers and their drivers had their final briefings together and then the drivers climbed into their cars and crew members helped the connect their seat belt harness, their radio which connected them to the crew in the pits, their coolsuits which each driver prayed would not fail during the race. In the summer heat, every driver had some kind auxiliary system to keep them cool and hydrated.
The race marshal ordered the drivers to fire up their engines and pole sitter Ivan Langham led them off the grid on their formation lap and the rolling start. Pole sitter Ivan Langham in the # 801 Langham-Olympus RS Spyder got the jump at the start and pulled into the lead which he held for the first 33 laps of the race. When he made his pit stop on that lap, Terry Fisher driving the # 59 ILMS Porsche RS Spyder took the lead for the next four laps until Langham reclaimed the led which he held until the checkered flag fell at the end of lap 54. Langham had a great setup under his car and he certainly knows how to drive it as he grabbed the top podium step. Second place went to Roy Fuller driving the # 33 Fuller Racing Mazda-powered Pescarolo C60. And the final step on the podium went to Terry Fisher driving the # 59 ILMS Porsche RS Spyder.
The Support Series GT division race was won by Jos Freidmann driving the # 125 GT World Racing Ferrari F430GT. Freidmann finished and won his first race and could be on his way to several more before the season ends. Finishing second was Paul Miller driving the ILMS Porsche 997 GT3 RSR and taking the final podium spot was Maximark Bradshaw driving the #221 CanUsa Race Team Ford GT.
The support series race was followed by the lunch break and many fans watched as the Feature race cars were pushed out onto the starting grid. The starting grid was opened up for spectators during the noon break and fans were able to greet their favorite drivers or get a picture taken with them. All too quickly the time passed and the PA announcer was asking fans to return to the safety of the infield so the Feature race could get underway.
Drivers climbed into their cars and crew members helped each driver get all of the connections hooked up for communications and comfort. Crews removed the shaded chairs that each driver had been sitting on and the drivers and team managers were left alone on the grid. After a brief final conversation with their drivers, the team managers returned to their pits. The order to fire up their engines was given and Andreas Eriksson led the field on the formation lap in his # 87 Privateer Acura ARX-02A and brought them around to the starting point.
With the flash of the green, the drivers accelerated and headed for the first turn. Eriksson got a jump and led the field at the end of the first lap. Pawel Korbel driving the # 11 Happy Days Racing Porsche RS Spyder jumped into the P2 lead and was leading that class when the cars flashed over the start-finish line. Back in the GT ranks, Daniel Parsons driving the # 30 Propeller Race Works BMW M3 GTR got a good start and was leading when they completed their first lap.
Scott Berube, driving the # 28 Feint Motion Motorsports Porsche RS Spyder, encountered trouble on lap one that forced him to make a early pit stop for repairs. He returned to the course one lap down to the field. But soon was picking his way through the GT Field. Chuck Penfield driving the # 16 Scuderia Bollesnegro Acura ARX-02A suffered mechanical failure that put him on the sidelines after 5 laps and on the following lap, JT Tami also suffered a mechanical failure that forced him out of the race.
After Eriksson had completed ten laps, he led Drew McLean, driving the # 82 Judd-powered Pescarolo by 14.177 seconds. Korbel and Parsons continued to lead the P2 and GT classes respectively. Ten laps later, Eriksson had extended his lead 27.139 over McLean. Korbel and Parsons continued to lead their respective classes.
Paul Schuman, driving the # 2 Doug Henson Racing Judd-powered Dome S101 was involved in a race ending accident after completing 19 laps. Rob Janca, driving the # 426 Doug Henson Racing Peugeot 908 HDi, had an unknown mechanical failure that parked his race after completing 21 laps.
Pit stops started about this time in the race and Jake Witcher, driving the # 9 Talon Racing Judd-powered Lola EX257 was the first driver to make his regular planned pit stop. Race leader, Andreas Eriksson, stops on lap 29 having led the entire distance at this point. He returns in third place. Drew McLean pits on lap 31 after leading the race for two laps while Eriksson was making his stop. McLean returns in third place. Eriksson resumed the lead on lap 31 when McLean made his stop.
Teammates TJ Halsema and John Jogan are the final two drivers to make their pit stop. Both of them are driving Doug Henson Racing diesel-powered Peugeot 908HDi's and as the laps clicked away, I began to wonder once again whether this was the race when one of the Peugeot drivers decides to roll the dice with the better fuel mileage of the diesels and tries to complete the entire 75 minutes without making a stop for fuel. Jogan suffers a suspension failure on lap 35 and retires from the race as Halsema continues to motor along toward the finish. When Halsema makes his stop for fuel, there are only five minutes remaining in the race and he returns in second place. During the final two or three laps, I notice a real battle developing between Halsema and McLean for the right to claim the second step on the podium which Halsema wins by the shortest of margins.
In P1, Andreas Eriksson, driving the # 87 Privateer Acura ARX-02A, dominates the class leading all but two laps of the race. Obviously, Eriksson has figured how to get the maximum performance out of the P1 Acura. Finishing second in P1 is the # 51 Doug Henson Racing Peugeot 908HDi and completing the podium was Drew McLean driving the # 82 Judd-powered Pescarolo. Finishing fourth in P1 was Alexander Lugones, driving the # 34 Feint Motion Motorsports Acura ARX-02A.
Finishing fifth overall and first in P2 was Pawel Korbel driving the # 11 Happy Days Racing Porsche RS Spyder who had this to say about his race during his post-race press conference. "A splendid evening for me, stole pole from Mike. Started first and finished first, that's the first one for me in P2. All night long I had an epic battle with Mike Hirsch. We changed places couple of times. Nicely balanced cars lap wise. I was faster in esses, Mike was faster on straights and really stable beast in slow corners. Mike you dialed your car perfectly, my hat's off. I was surprised you were catching me in these two slow right-handers with your lower wing! I was disappointed you lost it 3 laps to go, even considered waiting for you to battle to the end, lol. Better luck next time, dude! Sorry for the tap in T1, I was trying to draft you last moment and didn't pull out on time. I'm glad your car was rock solid and you didn't lose it. Great battle Mike, loved it." [Mike finished 9th in P2. He retired on lap 51 when his # 39 Hirsch Racing Mazda-powered Pescarolo C60 suffered suspension failure.
Finishing second in P2 was John Basara driving the # 76 Big Oly Racing Acura ARX-01B. The final podium spot in P2 was captured by Bruce Fisher driving the # 19 Talon Racing Judd-powered Dome S101. Rounding out the top five in P2 were Gregg Mulgrew driving the # 5 Talon Racing Porsche RS Spyder and Garth Buchanan driving the # 23 Feint Motion Motorsports Porsche RS Spyder.
Finishing 15th overall and winning the GT battle was Daniel Parsons in his rock stable BMW M3 GTR. Finishing second was James Walker driving the # #42 Flying Squirrel Racing Corvette C6.R and taking the final spot on the podium was Alex Winston driving the # 823 Winston Racing Corvette C6.R. Rounding out the top five in GT were Tom De Libero driving the # 22 Disaronno Racing Ferrari F430GT and Jon Backof driving the # 4 Doug Henson Racing C6.R.
Both the VOR Grand Touring Series and the VOR LeMans Championship series have next week off. The next race for the GTS teams is July 12th when they will race on the famed corkscrew at Luguna Seca, CA. The LMC teams return to action on July 19 at Hockingheim. I look forward to seeing all of at these locations. Until then please drive safely, wear your seatbelts and don't talk or text on your cell phone while behind the wheel of your vehicle.
