Alex
Job Racing Finishes 1st and 2nd at Sebring
Sebring,
Florida -- Alex Job Racing over came driver illness, a last place
starting position and the rigors of the airport circuit to finish
first and second
in today's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
As
a result of a 1 millimeter front splitter infraction the number
24 McKenna/
mail2web/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR was sent to the back
of the
field to start 44th. Despite this set back, Lucas Luhr was able
to catch his
teammate, Timo Bernhard, on the 28th lap where they ran together
in second
and third.
On
lap 28 Romain Dumas took over from Luhr and was able to put the
number
24 car into the lead five laps later. Between laps 92 and 211 the
AJR drivers
swapped the lead of the ALMS GT class three times among themselves.
On lap
211 a yellow flag was brought out and the leader of the race ended
up between
Luhr and Bernhard, allowing Bernhard to get a wave-bye giving the
number 23
AJR Porsche a one lap gift over the companion car. The pair finished
the race
separated by one-lap, six laps ahead of the third place GT class
finisher.
For
the AJR crew, the race was as somewhat routine. The pit stops were
excellent coming into fuel, change drivers and put on a fresh set
of Michelin
tires was all that was needed all day. The only stumble of the team's
once
around the clock event was when Saascha Massen ran with the wrong
engine
map allowing him to be passed for the lead, but the German duo were
able to
make-up for the mistake.
Jorg
Bergmeister and Marc Lieb have been suffering from the flu most
of the
week. Lieb was able to get into the car at nightfall to take advantage
of the
cool air temperature and complete the requisite 25-laps for a share
of the
points. Bergmeister was not cleared by the Porsche Doctor to drive
and did
not turn a lap in the race.
This
win gives Alex Job Racing their sixth Sebring 12-hour victory, adding
to
those in 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Timo Bernhard was awarded
the
Century Mortgage Fast Lap award.
Timo
Bernhard, #23 McKenna/mail2web/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR:
"Too bad for Jorg, I wish he could have been well enough to
join us today. We
had very good team strategy today and a little luck with the pace
car was the
difference. The biggest competition came from our teammates so you
have to
race hard on the track as well as in the pits. The cars ran great,
we didn't need
anything except gas and tires all day."
Saascha
Massen, #23 McKenna/mail2web/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR:
"I am sorry for Jorg, but this is a nice win for me and Timo.
I made a mistake with
the engine map and almost gave it away, but combined with excellent
pit work,
some luck with the pace car and Timo pushing, we were able to win.
The AJR
team prepared excellent cars and the Porsche engineers should be
very proud of
their work as well."
Romain
Dumas, #24 McKenna/mail2web/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR:
"I had a good race with our teammates, we were able to lead
a number of laps
and were able to score points toward the championship. The cars
were great,
we were really close to them, but then we were just unlucky with
the yellow
flag. We never had a problem all race, Lucas and I had to do a lot
of work, but
I am looking forward to running the rest of the season with Marc."
Marc
Lieb, #24 McKenna/mail2web/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR:
"I am feeling worse than I did this morning. Thanks to Lucas
and Romain, they
really worked hard today; I am glad I was able to get my laps in
as we look to
the championship. I really wanted to race, especially the way the
cars and the
team was performing, I don't if I was sick of illness or just that
I could not be
on the track."
Lucas
Luhr, #24 McKenna/mail2web/Alex Job Racing/Porsche 911 GT3 RSR:
"Saascha and Timo ran a good race. It is a shame to lose it
the way we did
with the pace car and some pit lane issues, but second is a good
finish. I think
we were as strong as they were, but in the end we were just unlucky.
I was
hit by the TVR, but the Porsche was barley scratched, it really
didn't figure
into our race."
Alex
Job, team owner: "This place has been good to us. We had a
bunch of
new guys on the team and the pit stops went really well. We had
a full day
playing the strategy game, but that is what really separated us
from the field
today. The drivers didn't put a wheel wrong all day. We had to call
on Lucas
and Saascha to help carry the load with Marc and Jorg sick, but
they were
equal to the task. This positions us nicely for the rest of the
season."
ALMS GT Top
Ten Finishers:
1. Bernhard/Bergmeister/Maassen
Porsche 317 laps
2. Lieb/Dumas/Luhr Porsche 316
3. Murry/Stanton/Peterson Porsche 311
4. van Overbeek/Law/Fogarty Porsche 311
5. Barron/Hindery/Rockenfeller Porsche 309
6. Jackson/Sugden/B. Cunningham Porsche 307
7. Kelleners/Lazzaro/Bobbi Ferrari 304
8. Wagner/Long/Collins Porsche 302
9. Donaldson/Fisken/Masarati Porsche 299
10. Ahlers/N. Cunningham/Sharpe Porsche 281
The
next race for the American Le Mans Series will be June 27 at the
Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course.
AJR
thanks team sponsors McKenna Porsche, mail2web.com, and partners
Mobil 1, Michelin, Puma and ZF Sachs.
For
more information contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com.
|