the latest news from around the world, courtesy of press snoop Lynne Huntting
NICOLAS MINASSIAN put the #27 Asset Backed Securities Reynard DBA 035 Zytek LMP1 in the overall pole position for Saturday night's Audi Sports Car Championship American Le Mans Race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, with a time of 1min 15.893secs. It was his first ALMS pole in his second try, and the car's second race.
Minassian set his fast time on lap seven of ten qualifying laps. His team-mate is JAMIE CAMPBELL-WALTER. They race for Creation Autosportif in the prototype category, of which there are six this weekend.
The LMP1 qualifying track record is still held by RINALDO CAPELLO with a lap of 1min 15.028secs set in October 2000.
Second overall and in LMP1 was JJ LEHTO in the ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 he co-drives with MARCO WERNER. The Audi and Reynard took turns being fastest in the four sessions so far this weekend. If Lehto and Werner win - as they have six times already this ALMS season - they will set a new ALMS record for the most overall race wins and LMP1 wins in a single season. That record is currently held by ALLAN McNISH and RINALDO CAPELLO, who were the Audi factory drivers in 2000.
Third overall and in class was JOHNNY HERBERT in the sister Champion Audi, with co-driver PIERRE KAFFER. Five of the six prototypes are fastest overall, and the sixth one is seventh overall.
The LMP2 filling between a sandwich of two LMP1 cars is IAN JAMES, who is on the LMP1 2 pole and sixth overall, with a time of 1min 19.994secs, set on lap six of nine. If James does well and earns at least four points this weekend, he can win the LMP2 drivers' championship. His co-drivers in the #10 Yokohama/ADVAN Courage C65 AER run by Miracle Motorsports are JAMES GUE and team owner JOHN MACALUSO. There are four cars in this category, sometimes described as 'prototypes lite'.
