American Le Mans Series
Fernandez clinches Long Beach pole position
© Aston Martin Racing
Aston Martin Racing, Level 5 Motorsports, Risi Competizione and TRG took pole positions for the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. Only a short red flag situation interrupted the LMP qualifying, whereas the GT qualifying took place without any problems.
First out were the GT and GTC classes. Shortly after the green flag was waved at 5.40 pm it was Jaime Melo’s Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT that was fastest around the Californian circuit.
Patrick Long, Olivier Beretta and Johnny O’Connell managed quicker lap times in the opening minutes but the Brazilian driver was able to find more speed and set an even faster lap time five minutes into the session. None of his rivals was able to beat that time and when Melo managed to post a 1:19.581 it was clear that Risi would start from pole position. Team Falken Tires’ Wolf Henzler was second fastest in 1:20.179, with the Corvette of O’Connell in third place (1:20.308).
In the GTC class various drivers were on provisional pole position throughout the session. Andy Lally was the first to set a fast time, 1:25.271, but soon after James Sofronas went quicker. At 5.47 pm the number 32 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup driver posted a 1:24.256, but it wasn’t enough for pole. Jeroen Bleekemolen set a 1:23.857, with Andy Lally ¼ seconds behind in 1:24.098.
Top three in GT:
#62-GT Jaime Melo (Ferrari 430 GT) 1:19.581
#17-GT Wolf Henzler (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) 1:20.179
#3-GT Johnny O’Connell (Chevrolet Corvette ZR1) 1:20.308
Top three in GTC:
#54-GTC Jeroen Bleekemolen (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 1:23.857
#63-GTC Andy Lally (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 1:24.098
#32-GTC James Sofronas (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) 1:24.256
Unfortunately for Bleekemolen and Black Swan Racing their car was excluded in post-qualifying inspections for a fuel infraction; the Black Swan Porsche had used improper fuel in qualifying. Therefore TRG will start from pole.
Ten minutes after the GT cars were given the checkered flag the LMP and LMPC classes were out for their qualifying session.
At the front the battle started with Jonny Cocker, Chris Dyson and Jon Field improving times lap by lap. Five minutes into the session Dyson had posted the fastest time (1:15.071) and just at that point Jonny Cocker went straight at turn 1 and stopped his car. Field and Dyson continued setting lap times of 1:15, but they were far from the front when Fernandez and Pagenaud went out. The Mexican posted a 1:13.768, followed by a 1:13.641 from the French driver.
A red flag was shown at 6.19 for debris at turn 1, also enabling the officials to tow away the Drayson Racing Lola. When the session was restarted three minutes later Pagenaud was the first to improve, setting a 1:13.285 as provisional pole time. It was Aston Martin Racing’s Adrian Fernandez however who would take pole position, beating the HPD ARX-01c by just a fraction of a second, 1:13.213.
In the LMPC category Intersport Racing’s Brian Wong had a terrible start of the session, putting his car into the tires between turns 2 and 3. Fortunately for the American driver he was able to continue after being pushed clear.
Gunnar Jeannette was the first of the LMPC drivers to go quicker than 1:20, the American posting a 1:19.376 five minutes into the session. From there the times would quickly improve. JR Hildebrand was seven tenths of a second quicker on the same lap, only to be beaten by Jeannette again less than a minute later. As the red flag was shown Jeannette had improved even further by posting a 1:17.743.
After the restart Jeannette immediately took another bite from his time, 1:17.581, but it was Christophe Bouchut who eventually set the fastest time. The French driver in his Level 5 Motorsports car posted a 1:17.318 less than three minutes before the end of the session and followed that up with a 1:17.273.
Top three in LMP:
#007-LMP Adrian Fernandez (Lola B09 60/Aston Martin) 1:13.213
#1-LMP Simon Pagenaud (HPD ARX-01c) 1:13.285
#16-LMP Chris Dyson (Lola B09 86/Mazda) 1:14.191
Top three in LMPC:
#55-LMPC Christophe Bouchut (Oreca FLM09) 1:17.273
#99-LMPC Gunnar Jeannette (Oreca FLM09) 1:17.520
#36-LMPC JR Hildebrand (Oreca FLM09) 1:18.186
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The situation with Scott Tucker is really getting out of hand. In Grand Am they allow a driver to be entered in more than one car, but the ALMS should keep the integrity of the series by sticking by the book.
I remember in Sebring he didn’t spend enough time in the winning FLM car but since he had done enough time in the other car they allowed him to also claim the win of the winning car. The reasoning was they would transfer his driving time from the non-winning car to the winning car .
Sure the guy is flush with cash and can afford any stud driver he wants, but we already have well heeled folks in the series that do not require special privileges, they follow the rules, and enter top of the line cars.
Scott Ticker on the other hand is a new comer, if he want to contribute he should follow the regulations.
What’s next for the ALMS…allowing underweight cars to win big races like the 2009 Rolex 24??
Someone in the race stewards crew needs to straighten their back bone and enforce the rules.
i might be mistaken but how i understood it, the driver could chose whatever car he wanted to score points in. and it had nothing to due with the drive time. plus, as i understand it,the series is at fault because shoouldnt be able to change the rules in the middle of the season. i dont like the situation with the 1 driver for 2 cars either, but i dont think the series can change the rules after ONE round becuase Level 5 won the first. Tucker said that the ONLY reason he entered 2 cars in the series was because the series told them he could chose whatever car he wanted to on any given weekend to score points in.
Apparently they might have. I wonder how many of those officials he has wined and dined.
I’m all for increasing the number of entrants but not at the cost of throwing out the integrity of the series.
This can open the door to everyone. Flying Lizard could have just switched Pt long and Jorg to the 44 car when Falken’s tire took out the 45 car.
Or what if at lemans teams switched the best drivers from a retired car to one that was still running…All you would have to do is enter the drivers in different cars, but it doesn’t happen.
Keep Grand am in Grand am