| Portland, September 5, 2000 |
| Just |
one |
week |
after |
the |
searing |
heat |
of |
the |
Texas |
Motor |
Speedway |
race |
in |
| Dallas/Fort Worth, the |
American Le |
Mans Series (ALMS) |
moves on |
to round |
8 |
| in |
the |
US |
state |
of |
Oregon. |
Temperatures |
in |
Oregon |
at |
this |
time |
of |
year |
| normally |
reach |
slightly |
over |
20 |
degrees |
celcius, |
just |
half |
that |
of |
Texas. |
Furthermore, rain in the Portland region is not uncommon. |
| For |
the |
Team |
Audi |
Sport |
North |
America, |
the |
3.12 |
kilometre |
circuit |
is |
not |
| completely |
foreign. |
"In |
preparation |
for |
Mosport |
we |
spent |
a |
day |
testing |
at |
| Portland |
and |
worked |
on |
a |
basic |
set-up |
for |
transmission |
ratios |
and |
the |
tyre |
compound," explains Audi pilot Frank Biela. |
| It |
is |
not |
only |
for |
this |
reason |
that |
the |
Audi |
team |
travels |
to |
Portland |
with |
| optimism. |
In |
previous |
races, |
the |
Audi |
R8 |
gave |
ample |
proof |
of |
its |
excellent |
| qualities |
by |
bringing |
home |
three |
consecutive |
victories |
under |
extreme |
| conditions. |
Whether |
on |
the |
rollercoster |
track |
of |
Sears |
Point, |
a |
rain |
race |
in |
| Mosport, |
or |
facing |
sweltering |
temperatures |
in |
Texas: |
"The |
Audi |
R8 |
is |
a |
notch |
| above the |
rest - |
it´s |
currently the |
sportscar |
to beat," |
says |
Head of |
Audi |
Sport, |
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. |
| After capturing a double victory at the stadium-like Texas Motor Speedway, |
the |
| Audi |
drivers |
look |
forward |
to |
the |
2.45 |
hour |
race |
on |
the |
road |
track |
in |
Portland. |
| "This track is very interesting but it´s not easy," asserts Emanuele Pirro. "Most |
| decisive |
is |
the |
long |
snaking |
combination |
of |
corners |
that |
tolerates |
different |
| lines. |
I´m |
convinced |
that |
only |
one |
line |
can |
be |
really |
fast. |
It´s |
undoubtedly |
an |
advantage to be familiar with this circuit." |
| By |
securing |
their |
second |
win |
of |
the |
season |
in |
the |
American |
Le |
Mans |
Series |
| last |
Saturday, |
Frank |
Biela |
and |
Emanuele |
Pirro |
have |
added |
valuable |
points |
| towards |
the |
drivers´ |
championship. |
"Now |
we |
have |
four |
irons |
in |
the |
fire," |
says |
| the delighted |
team |
director |
Reinhold Joest |
about |
the |
equality of |
his |
driver |
line- |
| up. |
"Again |
in |
Dallas |
everyone |
saw |
that |
both |
teams |
are |
extremely |
competitive |
and are capable of victory at any time." |
| Following |
victory |
in |
Dallas, |
the |
main |
objectives |
in |
Portland |
for |
the |
Team |
Audi |
| Sport North America is to increase its lead in the manufacturers´ championship |
| of |
the |
American |
Le |
Mans |
Series |
(ALMS) |
and |
to |
gain |
ground |
in |
the |
drivers´ |
championship. |
Points Standings Driver 1. Jörg Müller (BMW) 163 2. JJ Lehto (BMW) 160 3. Allan McNish (Audi R8) 150 4. Frank Biela (Audi R8) 149 5. Emanuele Pirro (Audi R8) 146 6. Rinaldo Capello (Audi R8) 145 7. Jan Magnussen (Panoz) 143 8. David Brabham (Panoz) 128 9. Bill Auberlen (BMW) 115 10. Hiroki Katoh (Panoz) 107 Manufacturers 1. Audi 162 2. BMW 157 3. Panoz 139 4. Reynard 80 5. Lola 73 6. Cadillac 53 Portland Timetable Saturday, 9 September 10.30 - 11.30 1st practice 13.15 - 14.15 2nd practice 16.35 - 16.55 qualifying Sunday, 10 September 10.40 - 11.00 warm-up 12.00 start All times are local times. |
