American Le Mans Series

Porsche RS Spyders one-two in LMP2 at Peit Le Mans

© Planetlemans

Lucas Luhr, the German sports car driver now living in Monaco, was the only American Le Mans Series driver to set a new qualifying record on Friday as his put his #7 Porsche RS Spyder on the LMP2 class pole for tomorrow’s 1000-mile petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta.

Luhr, who earned his fourth pole of the season and 15th of his American Le Mans Series career, was asked why the pole position means anything at an endurance event.
"“Yes, it’s true that it is a long race, and the starting position is not so important, but at the front of the field, you can get ahead start on traffic, which promises to be difficult on race day. And, by the time you reach the slower cars again, you are one lap ahead of them,"” said Luhr, who is tied with teammate Sascha Maassen atop the LMP2 driver points.

With six extra points awarded to each of the finishing teams for the Petit Le Mans event, Luhr indicated that he and co-drivers Romain Dumas Mike Rockenfeller would concentrate on the a solid finish for maximum driver and team points.

The other Porsche RS Spyder, driven by Sascha Maassen/Timo Bernhard/Emmanuel Collard, was second in LMP2, with their rivals Field/Halliday in a Lola in third.

In the GT2 class, Jorg Bergmeister put his Petersen/White Lightning Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in second position behind the leading Ferrari 430. The points-leading Johannes van Overbeek/Wolf Henzler/Marc Lieb Flying Lizard Porsche qualified seventh. Bergmeister and co-drivers Patrick Long/Nic Jonsson are trying to help Jorg catch van Overbeekfor the points lead.