ANDY WALLACE, racing #20 Thetford/Norcold Lola EX257 AER LMP1 for Dyson Racing, broke the existing track qualifying record for Sunday's American Le Mans Series Infineon Technologies Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway with a 1min 21.688secs lap. Wallace said the car and Michelin tyres were perfect.
Wallace broke the 1min 22.203secs lap record set last year by MARCO WERNER, whose ADT Champion Audi R8 will start second, with JJ LEHTO as the qualifying and starting driver. Wallace's team-mate, BUTCH LEITZINGER was third fastest. Leitzinger's co-driver is JAMES WEAVER. EMANUELE PIRRO, in the other Champion Audi was fourth fastest.
The top three drivers all broke the qualifying track record. In ALMS, the qualifying driver does not have to be the starting driver, but the starting driver has to be designated before the race. The car has to start with three of the four qualifying tyres.
CLINT FIELD was the fastest LMP2 driver with a 1min 25.290secs in Intersport's #37 Very Berry Exotics Marquis Financial Lola B05/40 AER. His co-driver is LIZ HALLIDAY, an American living in England. She is the only female driver this weekend in any of the series.
Late in the afternoon session, the Intersport car had a manifold explode in pit-lane, injuring three crew members - tyre changers WARREN DAY and ELLIOT ROUSE, as well as fueller KEVIN SZE. All three were transported to nearby Queen of the Valley Hospital, where they were treated and released Saturday night.
Sunday the injured crew were replaced by three members of other race crews. The Infineon Raceway-based Racer's Group, which runs sports cars in Grand American races, loaned BILL BOADA and BILL RADER as tyre changers and Team Bucknum loaned BOB WAGER as fueller.
RON FELLOWS has the LMGT1 pole with a 1min 28.528secs lap. It has been a while since he's had the GT1 pole position - "I can't remember my last pole" he joked. He drives the #3 factory Corvette C6-R. He now is tied with Corvette team-mate OLIVIER BERETTA for the most ALMS GT1 poles. Fellows joked afterwards that "we were sandbagging in practice".
