Fellows said Saturday's pole position made up for his NASCAR weekend - referring to his poor qualifying time for last month's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Infineon Raceway "where I couldn't get it right." He started last in that race and finished tenth in a field of 43 cars.
TIMO BERNHARD continued his streak this weekend by taking the LMGT2 pole position with a 1min 34.263secs in Alex Job Racing's #23 Hyatt/Bell Micro/Michelin Mobil 1/PUMA Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. His co-driver is ROMAIN DUMAS.
Saturday afternoon the weather was a hot 91 degrees with just the right amount of breeze. The track temperature was a sizzling 120 degrees F.
All 24 entries have been on track all weekend, although the Miracle Motorsports #10 Kumho Tires/slime/Red Line/MB Quart Courage C-65 AER skipped the Saturday afternoon practice session. It has three drivers, JEFF BUCKNUM and CHRIS McMURRY and owner JOHN MACALUSO.
The HANS device is mandatory for all ALMS series, and the only exception is under IMSA Rule 5.14.7.3, for a car whose manufacturer "can demonstrate to IMSA’s satisfaction that the car geometry cannot work with the HANS device. However, if modifications can be safely made to the car, in compliance with the regulations, to accommodate the HANS device, IMSA will require them to be made." IMSA, which sanctions the ALMS races, requires that the manufacturer apply for the exemption. Two teams have been granted the exception because the cockpit surround area cannot accommodate the HANS device - the LMP1 teams of Champion Racing and Dyson Racing.
ROD BYMASTER of Audi North America said that the German Audi factory requested the exception. The current Audi R8 is based on a 1999 design and wasn't built with the HANS design in mind. The surround is very close. Next year there will be a new Audi, which will be designed with the HANS device in mind.
There were no Lola manufacturer representation at Infineon Raceway with whom the subject could be discussed.
The LMGT1 class has six entries this weekend, two which are the factory Corvette team which has won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans four of the last five times, and all nine ALMS GT1 races last year. In other venues, Corvettes are now running
FIA GT and in the Belcar series, with some success. Corvettes have won the last 4-5 major world wide road races. DOUG FEEHAN, Corvette project manager, said "We're taking the image of Corvette forward. It helps sell street cars, and transcends the brand."
