Slipstream - January 2006

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American LeMans Ends the Year in the Dark by Bill and Marilyn Stafford (Mazda Raceway at Laguna-Seca) Although this was the end of the year for the ALMS Series, it was also the re-emergence of Porsche into the LeMans Prototype Class. Porsche has been noticeably absent from the top classes of the LMP for years, all the while watching the Audi juggernaut win and win and win. The new car was supposed to have surfaced at Road Atlanta 2 races ago, but was withdrawn without much explanation. While this event was the debut of the new LMP2 car, the pit accessibility was non-existent. We were told in the Photo meeting not to try to get into the pit, because of a FORMAL request by the Team Manager. This was quite a snub to the other Factory Porsche Teams (official and non-official), as they would not let ANYONE in. Danny Sullivan and Dick Barbour were among those turned away. If this would have happened in other venues, some sort of Rules infraction might be suspected. However in this case, we will just believe that the secrecy was due to the “wow factor” and they were trying to stay focused. Roger Penske has always been secretive and his cars have always been yellow. (Did he/ will he buy DHL? Rumors abound.) Any way, the new Porsche is swoopy like the rest and during the race was running 2nd overall for a couple of hours which is quite a feat for being in the “slow” LMP2 class. Oh yeah, for what it's worth, I don't think it looks like an Aardvark. Photo by Bill Stafford Photo by Bill Stafford #31 Peterson Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at speed #6 Porsche (LMP2 Winner) Spyder RS going over the top at the Corkscrew German Engineering With Southern Hospitality. Personal Service. At Nine-Eleven, we’ve built a reputation for understanding our customers’ needs — quality service, convenient location, state-of-the-art diagnostics, and personalized service that is unmatched in the Metroplex. When you trust your car to us, you will have the peace of mind that it will be serviced correctly the first time. Every time. Access. We strongly believe in access to those who will actually work on your car. Our technicians are available in person, by phone, and even by pager if you have questions or need timely information about your car. Facility. Our clean shop, well-stocked parts department, and comfortable waiting room ensure that you and your car will get the kind of service you deserve. Maintained tools and equipment. Clean cars. We are meticulous about details. Parts. Our parts department is also second to none. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you in finding that necessary part or after-market option you require. We are an authorized dealer for high-performance Recaro seating, Yokohama Tires, Bilstein Shocks, Bosch, and many others. This ensures that whether you are a casual driver or an enthusiast who needs race prep assistance, Nine-Eleven has the experience and knowledge to keep your car running at peak performance. Newkirk Crown Rd. Cindy Lane IXXI Royal Lane Joe Field Rd. Emerald I-35 Nine-Eleven Enterprises, Inc. Service, Accessories & Parts for BMW, Mercedes & Porsche 2120 Cindy Lane, Dallas, Texas 75229 972-241-2002 www.nine-eleven.com Convenience. We are conveniently located near the intersection of Stemmons and LBJ Freeways in Dallas. We offer emergency towing service 24 hours a day and have arranged for special rental car rates with area rental agencies. Come by for a visit between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, or call for a service appointment. 22
Photo by Bill Stafford Photo by Bill Stafford #79 J3 Racing 911 GT3 RSR The Race: All four classes broke the track qualifying records and it wasn’t the same old Teams’ involved. LMP1 pole was taken by Tom Chilton in the Zytek 04S. Chilton, fresh from Sedan racing in Great Britain, was brought on board due to his experience in running side by side (bashing?) in large groups of racecars. (Works for me as the Zytek was nearly put out of the Petit LeMans race in Atlanta by a 3 car wreck at turn 1.) The Zytek beat the old Audi R8 qualifying record by 0.9 seconds. The LMP2 pole went to the new Penske DHL Porsche RS Spyder with Sascha Maassen at the wheel. In the GT1 class, the ACEMCO Saleen S7R qualified at the pole for the first time ever. This was fortuitous for Saleen driver Terry Borcheller, because the car has been running for 3 years without a win or a pole and the money people are starting to get anxious (according to the usual sources) and he wants to keep the gig. On the other hand, the Corvette team (who usually beat the Saleen like…well, you know) went out to qualify and only ran 2 laps each to scrub in the tires. Rules say you have to start the race on the qualifying tires and when the flag fell they blew past the Saleen like it was at anchor. The Corvettes finished 1st and 2nd with the New Aston Martin DB9 of Peter Kox/Pedro Lamy getting 3rd. Romain Dumas in the Alex Job Porsche 911 GT3 RSR took the GT2 class pole but was bested by the Petersen White Lightning Porsche 911 GT3 RSR at the finish. The Panoz Esperante GTLM of Bill Auberlen/Robin Liddell led the GT2 field for a long while but had to pit for fuel which doomed them to a 2nd place result. When the flag dropped, all eyes were on the new Porsche LMP2. Chilton and co-driver Hayanari Shimoda did not Our own Maverick Region member, Mark Lopilato, in his 911 Turbo Photo by Bill Stafford disappoint. The Porsche ran like the Energizer Bunny and was actually in second place overall for an hour or so and finished 5th overall 1 lap behind the LMP1 winner and 8 laps ahead of the 2nd place LMP2 Courage C-65. As the race unfolded, it was apparent that the once strong Audi's were showing their age. This was the last race for the R8's in their current configuration as they managed a 2nd and 4th place finish overall. Technology marches on. The Other Race: The SCCA Speed World Challenge Race is always a hard fought one. This time it was a real door banger between the Cadillacs and the Viper of Tommy Archer. "Mad Max" Papis (Cadillac CTS-V) took the win with Max Angelelli (Cadillac CTS-V) second and Archer third. Maverick PCA member Mark LoPilato (Porsche 911 Turbo) started dead last at 28th and finished a hard fought 16th. The Cadillac win gave them the Manufacturer's championship over Porsche and Andy Pilgrim (Cadillac CTS-V) won the Drivers Championship despite not winning a Race in 2005. Next year, the ALMS begins with the 54th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March and kicking off a 10 race ALMS series. Porsche sandwich at the Corkscrew Pit Rat Notes: This was Roger Penske's 1st visit back to Laguna-Seca since 1973 when he was racing a Porsche 917/30 Thunderwagon with Mark Donahue. Porsche and Lola are the only 2 marques to post 2 class wins in the same race. Last time for Porsche was Sebring in 1999. All 4 pole winners were on Michelin tires Maverick PCA member Mark LoPilato just missed getting the "Hard Charger" Award in the Speed World Challenge Race. Chilton (20) and Shimoda (21) became the youngest driver pairing to win overall in the history of the ALMS. Bill has socks that old. It has been since the Grand Prix of Washington in 2002 when David Brabham and Jan Magnussen won in the Panoz LMP02 that a chassis other than Audi or Lola won overall Support your local Racetrack. 23
Page 1: http://mav.pca.org Upcoming Events
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Page 6 and 7: 2005 Maverick Region - Board, Offic
Page 8 and 9: What inspired the design of our new
Page 10 and 11: Maverick Minutes by Michael Wingfie
Page 12 and 13: From The Driver’s Seat by Wendy S
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Page 18 and 19: Rally Trophy Winners Photo Rally pa
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Slipstream - January 2006

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