the latest news from around the world, courtesy of press snoop Lynne Huntting
PIERRE KAFFER drove the #2 ADT/Security Systems Champion Racing Audi R8 to victory in the rain at the American Le Mans Series Audi Sports Car Championships Race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday night, in the first-ever night race the track has hosted.
His co-driver, JOHNNY HERBERT, qualified the car on the front row, and turned the fastest race lap in the LMP1 class. The average race speed was 94.221mph.
The sister Champion Audi, driven by JJ LEHTO and MARCO WERNER, finished second overall, 56.832secs behind. They had already clinched the LMP1 championship. Between the two cars, Audi won seven of the nine ALMS races this season, and 13 of the 14 motorsport races this year. Always looking for more, Dr WOLFGANG ULLRICH, the head of Audi Motorsports, said "This year, we did not start as often from pole position as in previous years, but we can be content with the results."
Werner counted himself unlucky for being caught in the pits when a caution occurred. Kaffer, out on track, continued on course and the field lapped Werner during his pit stop. He finished second and Kaffer went on to win. Werner is still trying to figure it out.
The four-hour endurance race was the ALMS season's finale race. It started in fine Indian Summer weather conditions, with blue skies and warm temperatures; and ended under unexpectedly wet conditions. About thirty minutes to the chequered flag, the rain started appearing. There was one brief, but torrential, downpour ten minutes from the finish, and then it eased off to a steady rainfall which lasted all evening and long into the night.
