Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Sonoma Presented by Foster's Lager, in effect "competing
against themselves" as the Audi factory team takes over Champion's "spare"
R8 (chassis 405) - at least for one race - whilst Champion races their newer,
2001-spec R8.
The Audi factory team, Joest Racing, had planned on missing the second
ALMS
round at Sears Point, preferring to commit their 2002-spec R8's to Le
Mans in
June. But at Sebring Audi Sport North America approached Champion
founder and
team owner Dave Maraj with the idea of "borrowing" chassis 405 to
race as a single factory entry at Sears Point. Chassis 405 is an
ex-factory,
2000-spec Audi R8, which has recently been utilized for show car
duties in its
hugely popular "Stars and Stripes" livery, and was on display for
the fans in Champion's paddock at the Sebring 12 Hours.
The Audi factory's plan would keep LMP900 points-leader Rinaldo
Capello in
contention for the ALMS Drivers Championship, but with four drivers
the factory
team would be forced to leave at least one driver out. Adding to the
unusual
circumstance, 2001-regular Johnny Herbert returns to the Champion R8
in California
just one point off the Drivers' Championship points lead after winning
the Sebring
12 Hours for Joest Racing. If the factory team missed Sears Point,
Herbert could
have gained a significant points lead over the factory drivers.
"We are a privateer team, and we are in the ALMS to win races and
championships",
said Maraj. "But we want to support the total Audi effort, so we're
going
to help all four factory drivers remain in points contention and we're
letting
them use our car to do it. We have leased 405 to the factory team for
Sears
Point, and painted it silver for them. We have also agreed to run
factory driver
Tom Kristensen in our car in California, along with Johnny Herbert and
Andy
Wallace, and we believe 405 will be shared by the remaining three
factory drivers."
The Joest team, who are preparing the car for Sears Point at their
Atlanta
facility, has already collected chassis 405. It had been a factory car
during
Audi's 2000 ALMS run, finishing second (as red #78) at the Sears Point
round
the same year. In 2000 it was driven by Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro,
who
will again share the car at Sears Point with current points leader
Capello.
Mike Peters, Champion team manager, comments, "At Sears Point some
may
think the tables will be turned because the factory will have the
older car.
But we are quite sure that Audi Sport will use their considerable
technical
resources to create a very competitive car, and we won't be taking
them lightly.
We are assisting the factory team, but we'll be pulling out all the
stops to
beat them on the race track."
Sears Point was Johnny Herbert's first American Le Mans Series race
just one
year ago; he and Andy Wallace struggled with tires and set-up issues
throughout
the weekend, ultimately finishing fourth. Champion's current R8,
chassis 505,
did not see service with the factory team until Mid-Ohio last season,
so this
will be its first trip to the demanding northern California circuit.
"I'm looking forward to Sears Point", said Champion regular Andy
Wallace "It's a bit like a mini Spa (Francorchamps), an undulating
course
with some very quick corners. It will be nice to drive with Johnny
again too
after him doing his impression of a 'defector'! I haven't driven with
Tom before,
but we did some testing together in January; he's very quick, so it
will be
nice to work with him instead of against him."
Johnny Herbert agrees with Andy " It'll be a good race, and it's a
very
good opportunity for me personally and Champion to come away from
Sears Point
with a win, which in turn would also be good for the championship.
Audi will
be back with two cars and will once again be a force to be reckoned
with at
Mid Ohio so we need to take an advantage into the next round. Like
Andy I have
never driven with Tom before although we have known each other for
many years.
Tom did the F1 testing for Michelin whilst I was at Jaguar; we get on
very well
- it should be good fun!"
In spite of the various changes taking place for Sears Point, Dave
Maraj is
happy for Champion Racing to assist in any way it can to help
facilitate the
factory team's appearance at Sears and summarized it all in saying "I
have
no doubt the Audi factory would the same for us given a similar set of
circumstances".
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