EMANUELE PIRRO and FRANK BIELA won the American Le Mans Infineon Technologies Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway Sunday. The pole-sitting Dyson Racing Lola EX257-AER finished 1min 24.572secs behind with ANDY WALLACE and CHRIS DYSON, but still on the same lap. They were the only two cars to finish on the lead lap.
Audi team-mates JJ LEHTO and MARCO WERNER finished third, one lap down. Werner set the overall fastest race lap with a record-breaking 1min 22.041secs. Earlier, he survived a contact with ALEX FIGGE, coming out of the pits and not in Figge's line of sight. Werner sustained front damage, pitted for repairs and continued on. Figge went careening across the grass, continued to the pits and retired. The Pacific Motorsports Corvette finished 21st, sixth in LMGT1. Their contact brought out the second of the two cautions during the race.
The Audis led all but two laps of the 111-lap race. Pole sitter Wallace was beaten on the starting post by Lehto, who led the first 41 laps. He again led for another 38 laps, giving him the most laps led in the race. Pirro and Biela led 28 laps.
Dyson Racing driver BUTCH LEITZINGER took over the lead for two laps after Pirro pitted. Leitzinger and JAMES WEAVER finished third in class, fourth overall. They had power steering problems, with an extra pit-stop and then Weaver stalling on course. He restarted, pitted and switched to manual shifting.
The LMP2 Intersport Racing Lola of CLINT FIELD and LIZ HALLIDAY finished first in class and fourth overall in #37 Very Berry Exotics/Marquis Financial Lola B05/40 AER. They were six laps down. Field also turned the fastest LMP2 race lap of 1min 26.349secs.
Second in P2 were Miracle Motorsports #10 Kuhmo Tires/Slime/Red Line Oil/MB Quart Courage C-65 AER, with JEFF BUCKNUM, owner JOHN MACALUSO and CHRIS McMURRY. They finished sixth overall. Third in class was the only other entry, B-K Motorsports with JAMIE BACH and GUY COSMO in #8 Sportsbook.com Courage Mazda. They finished tenth overall, nine laps down.
