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| German champions in the U.S. |
The season began in March with the traditional twelve hours of Sebring, Florida in conjunction with the World Endurance Championship WEC. Against the overwhelming power of Audi factory teams in the ALMS but had no chance. LMP2 Level 5 finished behind the R18 TDI of Kristensen / Capello / McNish and Bernhard / Dumas / Duval and the Starworks car from the WEC fourth, Dyson came in eighth place out of over 60 cars registered to the finish. Muscle Milk Pickett Racing had been with the new HPD long way on landing course, up to the end the damage discovered on the tank system. The exciting race the GT class, BMW was able to decide for themselves, Dirk Muller, Joey Hand and Jonathan Summerton distanced the Corvettes in the closing stages of the race. Alex Job Racing won in the GT Challenge.
In the second race, the German duo won for the first time in the HPD and indeed in the streets of Long Beach in front of Dyson / Smith. Graf and Luhr were started from the second position and took the lead about 30 minutes before the race. Until the finish line they built from the lead to over 40 seconds. In the LMP2 is brought Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut winning the car from Level 5, they benefited from a drive-through penalty for Martin Plowman and David Heinemeier Meier Hansson, the lying went on their last stop in the lead too fast through the pits. In a tight battle in the GT category, Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner put in a Corvette through against the persecutors. Second place went to Dirk Müller and Joey Hand in the fastest BMW M3.
Dyson slips up at Laguna Seca
On the breathtaking route Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey repeated Luhr and Graf's triumph of Long Beach, followed by Level-5-LMP2. Dyson finished the race with 20 laps to rank 23rd After two wins of the sister cars at Sebring and Long Beach, the winners of the LMP Challenge Monterey CORE Autosport hot again, but this time the driver duo Jon Bennett and Colin Braun. Corvette celebrated a double victory in the GT class.
An incredible victory Luhr and Graf celebrated at Lime Rock Park, the HPD of Muscle Milk fell early in the race for four laps, but Luhr and Graf fought feature several safety car phases round and went back for round half an hour before closing in leadership. Dyson had beaten back and Smith and the third in the overall standings, Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut, who won the LMP2. In the GT cars continued the Flying Lizard Porsche of Joerg Bergmeister and Pat Long through against the Corvettes. The CORE Autosport duo of Jon Bennett and Colin Braun won the second consecutive victory in the LMPC category, the GTC class went to the team of Alex Job Racing.
Muscle Milk can not be stopped
Virtually unchallenged, Klaus Graf the HPD ARX-03a before the two Dyson Lolas at Mosport to the finish only a pit stop penalty caused a brief interruption of the triumphal procession. In a regular stop for many mechanics had worked on the LMP1. Second place in the highest class went to Dyson, before last year's car of the team that was in the overall standings even beaten by the LMP2. Were the only two vehicles full LMP2 class secure Martin Plowman and David Heinemeier Hansson Meier. For Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker was only second place, although Bouchut until just before the end of the tail sticking Plowman. In the LMPC included the start-up phase Kyle Marcelli, who got away quickly from Alex Popov and Tomy Drissi, but his race was destroyed in Leh Keen Alex Job GTC, which sent Marcelli 25 minutes before the end of the limit. Drissi inherited the victory and his partner Bruno Junqueira. The winning Porsche RSR of Bergmeister and Long passed the technical inspection following the race in Canada and was not removed from the GT championship. First place Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek inherited from Extreme Speed Motorsports.
Luhr and Graf have won the Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio and wrestle after the triumph of the Lola Aston Martin 2011 also with the HPD competition from Dyson. The two championship leaders from Germany were the fifth win in a row to extend its lead in the overall standings. Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker picked third in Mid-Ohio, and thus the victory in the LMP2 class. In the "small" prototype P2 went to the Conquest-Morgan, who finished third in the second HPD of Level 5
Chris Dyson and Guy Smith won the four-hour ALMS race at Road America after a dramatic finish in the duo from Muscle Milk was nearly defeated. For the Dyson team it was only the second victory for the season opener at Sebring. Without trouble Klaus Graf defended the race start yet his pole against the persecutors could take second place in the meantime the Morgan LMP2 of Conquest, which snapped the previous year's car of Dyson at the start. After a gearbox failure before qualifying had the new Lola-Mazda of Dyson team go from the back of the grid. Muscle Milk was thrown back in the lead four laps because a water leak at the HPD was sought. Until the fall of the checkered flag was Lucas Luhr catch the four laps down and but only to Eric Lux, even at the last corner pass by Guy Smith, whose him Mazda engine uphill but still a victory for Dyson accelerated. Conquest and Core won in the other prototype classes, BMW in the GTs.
On the questionable route in Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, benefited the two cars from level 5 of problems with Muscle Milk and Dyson as well as the narrow street circuit. At the beginning of the race but everything had looked like another triumph ride for Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr, who could break away from the poles of the field. The HPD ARX-03a of the team had to but for eight laps with gearbox problems in the box before an accident ended the race completely. Dyson also had to deal with problems in Baltimore and lost due to damaged bodywork at Lola much time. The previous car slammed by Dyson in the first curve in the limit and ended up in 13th best LMP1. While CORE Autosport celebrated their second win in a row, were the GT class, and of course the unit GTC class at Porsche
Muscle Milk wins again
At the Virginia International Raceway Luhr and Graf were back at the series and were able to defeat the first race of the series on the VIR Dyson. In the LMP2 Scott Tucker and Christophe Bouchut won for the fifth time this season. The Level-5-duo started from last place in the race, but could not even be held by a penalty in victory. CORE Autosport for the sixth LMPC victory was the culmination of a dominant season. Jon Bennett and Colin Braun won with a lap ahead of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports with Rudy Junco and Marino Franchitti. Corvette was on the VIR decide the team and the constructors' championship for themselves and go against Flying Lizard and Extreme Speed to the finish. Fourth place went to the second M3 with Jörg Müller and Bill Auberlen.
Andrea Belicchi, Neel Jani and Nicolas Prost have the guest start in the United States for rebellion won the Petit Le Mans, and thus the second season highlight of the ALMS. For the Swiss team, it was a start-to-finish victory ungefährdeter because the HPD of Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr had been involved in an accident early and Dyson had problems with the hybrid system on the Lola-Mazda. Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Steven Kane had to admit defeat in the championship, the Muscle Milk Pickett duo, which was supported by Romain Dumas in Braselton and only had to reach the goal. For the team of Greg Pickett was there. The lost Cup in 2011, the first ALMS title and a successful revenge on Dyson Second place in the race and the victory in the LMP2 championship celebrated the team of level 5. Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut and Luis Diaz benefited from a puncture on Morgan of Conquest at the repair Martin Plowman also drove too fast through the pits
The LMPC class unity Alex Popov, Ryan Dalziel and Mark Wilkins won with two laps to Bruno Junqueira, Tomy Drissi and Ricardo Vera. Popov was unassailable before the race in the championship in front. Extreme Speed won with the Ferrari F458 Italia and a long final stint, the GT class by itself. Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Toni Vilander benefited to a failure of the leading Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook on the other of a punishment for the BMW driver Jörg Müller, Bill Auberlen and Jonathan Summerton. The trio finished third behind the second Corvette of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor and before the sister car. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner stood as Cooper MacNeil in the GTC fixed before the race as a champion. In the second session class Giermaziak Cuba and Mario Farnbacher together with Henrique Cisneros won at Road Atlanta before Emilio Di Guida, Spencer Pumpelly and Nelson ganache.
The 2013 season will be the last time being the independent ALMS and a transitional year. With Rise of the PLM winner has already confirmed participation, BMW launches a new Z4GTE at the start. Uncertain is the commitment of the Flying Lizard, received no new Porsche. In 2014, then starts a new American sports car series from ALMS and Grand-Am, whose structure will be announced.
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