AUDI FINISH ON A HIGH AT LAGUNA SECA

Another stunning come from behind win has given Audi its seventh win in the 2008 American Le Mans Series.  Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner celebrated a narrow victory in front of their team mates Christijan Albers and Emanuele Pirro. It was Pirro's final race for the team. Starting from row five of the grid, the Audi drivers were able to take advantage from the enormous torque of their TDI engine  at the many  restarts brought about after the Safety Car was deployed no less than twelve times – the most occasions all season.    Werner crossed the finish line the eventual winner only 1.941 seconds ahead of an emotional Pirro who had tears in eyes following his last race in the Audi R10 TDI.  It was the seventh outright victory for Audi in the eleven-round American Le Mans Series. Acura/Honda and Porsche each scored two victories. Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner celebrated their eighth win of the season in the LM P1 class. The two Germans had already secured the title in the LM P1 Drivers Championship. Pirro finished third in the Championship while Christijan Albers finished his first sportscar race on the podium.

BRABHAM TAKES POLE FOR ALMS CLOSER

Australian driver David Brabham clinched his third overall American Le Mans series pole position of the season in what was his last qualifying session in the LMP2 Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Brabham set a blistering fastest time of 1:10.103, taking pole position by 0.099 seconds and setting a new Laguna Seca ALMS lap record in the process.

SPEED TV PETIT LE MANS WRAP

PEUGEOT ON POLE FOR PETIT LE MANS

Puegeot's single car entry will start from pole for the 2008 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Stephane Sarrazin's time of 1:06.242 (138.039 mph) just edged out the Audi Sport North America's R10 of  Allan McNish by 0.085 seconds to set up another classic confrontation between the two giants of international sports prototype racing. “We are very happy,“ said Sarrazin, who also captured pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the last two years for Peugeot. “It is very good for us and the team. We will focus now on a good start and a long race for tomorrow. It is a different target now than Sebring (in March). We were a newer car then and we did not finish. Then we advanced at Le Mans, so now we have even more time with the car.“ The rapid improvement in Le Mans racing was clearly evident as in the  top 15 qualifiers were all under Marco Werner's pole-winning time of 1:08.906 (132.703 mph) from 2006, with Sarrazin 2.564 seconds under. Werner, himself qualified third in the second of the Audi R10 TDIs at 1:06.818 (136.849 mph). Penske Racing's Ryan Briscoe led a Porsche sweep of the top three qualifying positions in LMP2. Briscoe made a triumphant return to Road Atlanta with a class-record pole run of 1:07.061 (136.353 mph) in one of Penske's three Porsche RS Spyders that he will share with two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

The final round of the Le Mans Series at Silverstone has taken it's toll on Peugeot's campaign for the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The company have been forced to scale back their assault on the race to only one-car following accidents at the Silverstone race two weeks ago. Peugeot Sport Director Michel Barge said that despite running only the one car that it was still important for Peugeot to take part in order for the team and the technical department to gain even more experience.