The American Spirit Racing team took a surprise victory in the new Prototype 2 category at the Sebring 12-hours at the weekend when John Macaluso, Ian James and Mike Borkowski raced to a 16-lap victory over the similar Rand Racing Lola B2K/40 of Bill Rand, Mike Fitzgerald and James Gue.
The ASR team, founded just two weeks before the big race, nursed an ailing gearbox from early on. "The gearbox started acting up real early in the race, and we didn't think that we would make it," said Macaluso. "We just paced ourselves. It wasn't a pretty win, but we were there at the end."
Clint Field, William Binnie and Rick Sutherland made it a Lola 1-2-3 when they took the final step of the podium in their Judd-powered Lola B2K/40 to round out an impressive day for Lola, as this car was undertaking its first ever race with a Judd engine.
James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace took sixth position overall, fifth in the Prototype 1 class after losing time first with a loose fuel line which caused a small fire in the pits, and then the team lost a further 30 minutes changing the alternator. That dropped the car away from the leaders but they were still the first Lola home after a long and hot race.
Their sister car, of Chris Dyson, Jan Lammers and Didier de Radigues, retired in the fourth hour when Dyson lost fuel pressure out on the circuit and was unable to bring the car home.
Jon Field, Duncan Dayton and Larry Connor ran into engine problems in the final hour and were classified 17th overall in their Intersport Racing Lola B160. The team had also lost time changing a starter motor, and then Dayton received a stop-and-go penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Team Taurus drivers Milka Duno, Justin Wilson and Phil Andrews were on course for a competitive overall finish in their Lola B2K/10 before a part broke in their gearbox in 11th hour of the race, leaving Andrews wanting for gears on the pit straight. Wilson had led a comeback from 15th on the grid after having qualified while stuck in fifth gear. The car was up to sixth at one point before dropping back.
"We knew that one of our weaknesses would be the transmission, but it is a real pity that it happened at this stage of the race," said team manager Ian Dawson.
The race was won by the Audi of Allan McNish, Frank Biela and Pierre Kaffer, who finished five laps clear of the field after a trouble-free run.
Results, American Le Mans SeriesRound 1, Sebring
1. Frank Biela/Pierre Kaffer/Allan McNish, Audi Sport Veloqx, Audi R8, 350 laps in 12 hours, 01 minutes 22.576 seconds2. JJ Lehto/Marco Werner/Emanuele Pirro, Champion Racing, Audi R8, at 5 laps3. Jamie Davies/Johnny Herbert/Guy Smith, Audi Sport Veloqx, Audi R8, at 12 laps4. Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis, Corvette Racing, Corvette C5-R, at 21 laps5. Martin Short/Rob Barff/Joao Barbosa, Rollcentre Racing, Dallara Judd, at 24 laps6. James Weaver/Andy Wallace/Butch Leitzinger, Dyson Racing, Lola B160 AER, at 27 laps7. Michael Lewis/Tomy Drissi/Vic Rice, Autocon Motorsports, R&S MkIIIC, at 29 laps8. Timo Bernhard/Sascha Maassen, Alex Job Racing, Porsche GT3RS, at 33 laps9. Christophe Bouchut/Jean-Luc Blanchimain/Roland Berville, Larbre Competition, Panoz GTP, at 33 laps10. Romain Dumas/Marc Lieb/Lucas Luhr, Alex Job Racing, Porsche GT3RS, at 33 laps
17. Jon Field/Duncan Dayton/Larry Connor, Intersport, Lola B160 Judd, at 302 laps
22. Phil Andrews/Milka Duno/Justin Wilson, Taurus Sports, Lola B2K/10 Judd, at 270 laps
23. Ian James/John Macaluso/Mike Borkowski, American Spirit, Lola B2K/40 Nissan, at 264 laps
26. James Gue/Bill Rand/Mike Fitzgerald, Rand Racing, Lola B2K/40 Nissan, at 248 laps
27. Clint Field/Bill Binnie/Rick Sutherland, Intersport, Lola B2K/40 Judd, at 232 laps
34. Jason Workman/Bobby Sak/Scott Bradley, American Spirit, Lola B2K/40 Nissan, at 108 laps
42. Marino Franchitti/Derek Hill/Andy Lally, Rand Racing, Lola B2K/40 Nissan, at 12 laps
44. Eric Van Der Steur/Gunnar Van Der Steur/Spencer Pumpelly, VDS Lola Nissan, at 2 laps
