10/21/2005, 4:20:31 PM cet
Fosti con me nel pericolo e nella vittoria
Top of page
Results Results
Results
Schedule Schedule
Schedule
Gallery Gallery
Gallery
Career Career
Career
Fitness Fitness
Fitness
Culinaria Culinaria
Culinaria
Hobby Hobby
Hobby
Info Info
Info
Home Home
Home
Family Family
Family
Contact Contact
Contact
Copyright Copyright
Copyright
News News
News
Created with StudioLine
Previous page
Next page
Up

Bowmanville, 6 August, 2000

Round six of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was nothing for weak
nerves: Changing weather conditions and a total of five safety car periods made
it one of the most exciting races in the history which ended with a photo finish
after the 2:45 hour distance: Rinaldo Capello in the winning Audi R8 and Joerg
Mueller (BMW) crossed the finish line side by side. Half a car length decided

the race in favor of Audi.

This close finish, however, does not reflect the performance of the Audis during
the race. From the beginning the two Audi R8s were the fastest cars on the
demanding track, which became increasingly slippery shortly after the start
due to heavy rain. In these difficult conditions the Audi drivers, especially Allan
McNish and Emanuele Pirro, were able to showcase the superior quality of the

Audi Sport racer from Ingolstadt.

Segments of the race saw the Le Mans winner lapping some five seconds a lap

faster than the rest of the competitors.

Despite the drying track, Rinaldo Capello decided to finish the race on rain
tyres. Joerg Mueller in the BMW pitted for slicks and was able to chase down
the leading Audi very quickly. On the last lap Mueller caught Capello and was
trying to pass through the last curves. Despite the almost dry track Mueller
was not able to pass. “I was very aggressive in the last lap and took the last
corners almost as fast as if I was on slicks”, said an exuberant Capello after

the exciting finish.

While Rinaldo Capello and Allan McNish celebrated the third victory of the Audi
R8 in the American Le Mans Series, the unpredictable race ended in
disappointment for Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela: Pirro, who had been
pursuing his teammate, collided with a slower GT car, pulling on the Mario
Andretti straight to the right and where Emanuele Pirro came on flying without
any chances to avoid driving under the Porsche, spinning the second placed

Audi out of the race. Biela/Pirro were classified 6th in the prototype category.

With his second victory in a row Allan McNish (126) is now in 3rd place, Jan
Magnussen (124) 5th, Rinaldo Capello (123)  and Frank Biela in 5th and

Emanuele Pirro (121) in 7th in the ALMS point standings.

Joerg Muell leads with 146 points followed by his team mate JJ lehto with 143

points.

Sebring Silverstone Searspoint Total
Charlotte Nuerburgring Mosport
1 Jörg Müller 25 L  27 LM  26 L  27 L  19 22 L 146
2 JJ Lehto 25 L  26 L  25   27 L  19 21 143
3 Allan McNish 27 L  12   21 LM  11   28 LMF 27 LF 126
4 Jan Magnussen 19 L  23 LF  22 L  31 L  15 14 L 124
5 Frank Biela 32 LM 14   15   25 LF  21 15 L 123
  Rinaldo Capello 27 L  12   20 L  11 26 L 27 LM 123
7 Emanuele Pirro 32 LF  14   15   24   22 L 15 121
8 David Brabham 18   22 L  22 L  32 LM  15 - 109
9 Bill Auberlen 22   17   9   16   17 19 100
10 Hiroki Katoh 12   15   17   22   12 15 93
11 Jean-Marc Gounon 22   17      17 L  15 19 92
12 Johnny O'Connell 15   17   22   12 16 L 82
David Brabham & Emanuele Pirro
ALMS Mosport one of the starts
Audi GT (ALMS Saftey Car ;-)) in front of BMW GT
Joerg Mueller & Charly Lamm talking strategy
EP and his partner Frank Biela
McNish & Rinaldo Capello
Emanuele Pirro in his Audi R8

Rinaldo Capello (#77)

“The end of the race was incredible. When I saw Joerg in my mirrors during the
final lap, I thought, he would be able to get by. It was clear, that he would be
faster with the slicks on the dry track. But I gave everything and took the inside
line on the final corner. I feared that he would be able to pass me when we

accelerated. But I belive it was still a little bit wet on his side.”

Allan McNish (#77)

“This was a nerve wracking race! Everytime we built a lead we lost it with full
course yellows. We were a little bit concerned about the wet conditions. The
track was very slippery, but the car was very stable - even if it is not a

quattro...”

Frank Biela (#78)

“We started the race on a different rain tyre compound than Allan and they
didn’t work at all. I had no grip and even in higher gears the car had wheel spin.
Because of that we lost a lot of time. If that would not have happened

Emanuele would have had it easier towards the end of the race.”

Emanuele Pirro (#78)

“It was going really well, I was able to make up almost a whole lap. We had a
very good pit strategy and changed the tyres at the right time. I was in a
position to win the race. Unfortunately there was a misunderstanding with a
backmarker. This was an accident, which was very difficult to avoid. It was after

a hump, there is very poor visibility and the difference in speed was very high.”

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Sport

“That was one of the most exciting sportscar races of history. The pace car
cost us a lot of time and we just cannot understand the stop-and go-penalty for
Allan. The No. 78 car today had bad luck, we could have had a chance for a

double victory.”

Reinhold Joest, Team Director Audi Sport North America: “That was a real tyre
gamble, but I think over all we made the right decisions although it was very
close at the end. But this time we were a little more lucky than we were under

the same conditions at the Nürburgring race.”