The Corvettes were the fastest GT1 cars so far this weekend, with RON FELLOWS fastest Thursday afternoon, JOHNNY O'CONNELL fastest Thursday night and Friday morning, and OLIVER GAVIN fastest Friday afternoon. Two Corvette drivers will win the 2005 ALMS championship this weekend, but until Saturday night it's up for grabs between current points leaders Gavin and co-driver OLIVIER BERETTA, and O'Connell and Fellows-who has won three consecutive GT1 Championships.
The fastest GT2 driver drove a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, but it was a different car for three of the four sessions. MIKE ROCKENFELLER put the #43 BAM! entry tops in the first Thursday test and Friday afternoon practice. ROMAIN DUMAS (#23 Alex Job Racing Porsche) was quickest in Thursday night practice, and TIM SUGDEN (#79 J3 Motorsport Porsche) was fastest Friday afternoon.
All eyes have been the Penske Porsche Spyder LMP2. The long-awaited debut of the new car and team comes this weekend, the ALMS season's finale. The car was entered but did not run at the recent Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta.
The two drivers in the #6 DHL-backed Penske Motorsports-run Spyder are SASCHA MAASSEN and LUCAS LUHR. The entry list also shows EMMANUEL COLLARD but he is not driving.
There is a cast of thousands, so to speak, on hand to work with and for the new Penske Porsche. At least 30 employees and staff are visible in Penske DHL or Porsche livery, but there are an equal number of factory support folks in stealth mode, unrecognisable without uniforms. Leading it all is ROGER PENSKE in his familiar black and white attire. TIM CINDRIC is president of Penske Racing, and JEFF SWARTOUT is the team manager.
Luhr and Maassen took turns testing the car, and they were fastest overall in all of the LMP2 sessions. Luhr was tops in the first three and Maassen quickest Friday afternoon.
