Dyson Racing’s Lola B01/60 AER claimed third place overall at the famous Sebring 12 hours on Saturday, finishing the race in the wake of the two Champion Audi R8s. James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace moved back to third place overall a little more than an hour from the finish after a long delay having a radiator changed in the eighth hour, a delay that gave the Audis a clear run to the flag after the Lola had hounded them in the first part of the event.
The number 16 Dyson Lola had challenged the Audi’s blow-for-blow up to half distance, splitting them for three hours and taking its turn at leading when the Audis refuelled. But then, in the space of five minutes, track debris spoiled the show, a stone piercing the radiator of Weaver’s car and another entering the turbocharger on the Chris Dyson/Guy Smith Lola-AER, snapping a fan blade and forcing a lengthy visit to the paddock.
Dyson and Smith had already been delayed by two flat tyres, one on the opening lap which damaged the floor, debris from that causing a slow rear puncture, and a broken throttle cable. That delay meant that they could finish no higher than fourth in the LMP1 class.
“Our Lola was 100 per cent reliable all day, in fact all week, but getting that stone through the radiator meant we couldn’t challenge the Audis at the finish, which is a shame” said an unlucky James Weaver after the race. “We kept them honest for six hours, but this wasn’t our best track. We beat the Audis on handling on the high speed tracks, and we have a few coming up this season.”
Guy Smith, the 2003 Le Mans winner in a Bentley, raced an Audi in the Le Mans Endurance Series in 2001, and made a favourable comparison, saying. “This Lola is an awesome car, very much like the Audi in fact, and I just wish we could have had better luck today.”
Intersport Racing’s new Lola B05/40 LMP2 made an impressive qualifying debut, claiming pole position in class and starting in fifth place with Jon Field at the wheel, but after running as high as fourth overall, mixing with the best LMP1s, Field lost time with an electrical glitch and stopped at the side of the track, losing six laps. Despite this, the Lola was consistently lapping over three seconds faster than their closest rival in LMP2 – the Courage’s of Miracle and Kruse Motorsport. Intersport’s best lap of the race was just under two seconds faster than the best Courage registered during the race.
Bill Binnie’s new Lola B05/40 which he shares with Adam Sharpe and Bobby Julien had been troubled all week by low voltage, the result of an alternator installation problem on the Nicholson McLaren V8 engine. The car stopped out on track after just 11 laps with an electrical issue, and was excluded after a pit crew member worked on the stricken car at the track side.
Clint Field put in a gallant opening stint in Intersport Racing’s older Lola B2K/40 Judd, moving from the rear of the field to ninth place after experiencing heat exchanger difficulties in qualifying. Liz Halliday took the second stint but had more electrical problems and lost 10 laps, dropping down to 30th place. Later, the B2K/40 retired with a failed master switch while Gareth Ridpath was at the wheel.
Jon Field, Duncan Dayton and Gregor Fisken made up ground during the day, moving to third in the LMP2 category, but were finally stopped in the 10th hour by a damaged gearbox, possibly cracked by a trip over the kerbs. “We had a turbo problem too, changed a wastegate and dealt with some other gremlin things” said Field, “but make no mistake, it’s a great car. Every time we make a change, the car gets better and we are going to get results this season.”
“We have just scratched the surface,” continued a delighted Field, “and Sebring is a rough track, but this car is really strong, not flimsy at all.”
Six times Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen added another trophy to his collection, fending off a strong challenge from ADT Champion Racing Audi team-mate Allan McNish to win the 12-Hours by a scant 6.365 seconds, the closest finish ever recorded in the 53 year history of the event.
The next round of the American Le Mans series takes place at Road Atlanta on April 17, the same weekend that more of the new Lola B05/40’s will be out at the daunting Spa Francorchamps for the first round of the Le Mans Endurance Series.
