by Chris Hayes
Audi Sport North America's performance continues to yo-yo around this season after the German team suffered a trouncing from the LMP2 class runners in Saturday's qualifying session at Long Beach.
The LMP1 prototype contenders, fresh from victory at St. Petersburg a fortnight ago, will line up sixth and seventh on the grid - crucially, behind the less powerful LMP2 class runners - despite pushing the car to its absolute limit and lapping over a second quicker than they did in 2007.
Despite the best efforts of Lucas Luhr to hustle his #2 Audi R10 TDI into a front-running position the best the three times ALMS champion could manage at the close was sixth fastest, some four tenths adrift of pole sitter Timo Bernhard in the LMP2 classed Porsche RS Spyder.
Luhr was initially engaged in a fierce battle with the LMP2 cars for the top-spot but was unable to improve on his times once the 25-minute session had been interrupted by a red flag.
"It was a tough qualifying," the German agonised afterwards, "but the times were closer than expected.
"Before qualifying, I thought if I could do a 1m 12s time I'd be happy. Now we did a lap of 1m 11.765s. I pushed as hard as I could and even slightly touched the wall. I was a little bit unlucky as there was traffic twice."
The 29-year-old is pinning all his hopes on the race where the TDI powered Audi R10 should have a power advantage over its rivals.
"Now it's all about the race. There are some places where we can pass other cars."
Emanuele Pirro in the sister Audi lapped seventh quickest a tenth of a second shy of his German team-mate. The Italian catapulted his Audi R10 TDI up to the seventh spot in the first fifteen minutes.
"I think we can be very happy with qualifying, although we are only sixth and seventh on the grid," reflected the 46-year-old.
"Compared to last year, we are a lot closer to the leaders. Last year I started sixth and before the end of my stint, I was in the lead."
Pirro echoed Luhr's prediction that the Audi would be stronger in the race.
"Our car is a lot better in race trim than in qualifying trim. The power of the TDI engine gives us the chance to overtake on the straights.
