There was drama right up until the final half lap in Sunday's American Le Mans Series race at Mid Ohio as factory Audi driver Tom Kristensen ran out of fuel on the last lap to hand victory to his teammate Emanuele Pirro following almost three hours of close fought action.
Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello's brave bid to make just one fuel stop in Sunday's American Le Mans series outing at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course failed by a matter of a few hundred yards as the Danish driver watched a seven second lead over factory Audi teammates Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela evaporate in the final two laps.
After starting fifth following a spin in qualifying, Capello and Kristensen moved their way up the order steadily in an action packed race that included several full course caution periods and led by a seemingly secure six seconds when the green flag fell for the final time with little more than 20 minutes of racing left on the clock.
However after passing the factory Panoz of Jan Magnussen for second spot, Pirro bravely chased his teammate all the way, forcing Kristensen to run faster than he wanted to as both cars dipped into the 1:14 bracket and towards Biela's pole time from qualifying yesterday.
As the race entered its 11th and final lap the gap between the leaders was down to just two seconds and as the two silver Audi's made their way down Mid Ohio's dog-leg back straight, Kristensen began to splutter and as quick as a flash Pirro was through to score a dramatic win.
Kristensen's worries weren't over there as the Magnussen/David Brabham Panoz was also on the same lap but the Danish driver was suffering with the effects of some slight contact with the charging Pirro in the brutish LMP-1 Roadster and would be unable to challenge. The former Honda British Touring Car driver crawled home six seconds behind Pirro and 18 ahead of Magnussen after another exceptional outing for Don Panoz' Series.
