Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland) have achieved another LM P1 class victory but came so close to an overall win. The reigning American Le Mans Series champions drove their diesel-engined Audi R10 TDI home in to third position overall – first in LM P1 – in the fourth round of this year’s series in Houston (US State of Texas), the top-three covered by a mere 1.341secs. The reigning ALMS LM P1 champions started the #1 Audi from the front row for the fourth round – the third consecutive "street” race – after missing pole by 0.006secs to the lighter LM P2 #9 Acura. Organisers dictated a "single file” start but McNish swept ahead entering Turn 1 – handing to Capello with a 14secs lead after 54mins.
Capello resumed still on the lead lap in fifth but pitted on 66mins with a punctured front left tyre, the Italian resuming in third, 31secs behind the two LM P2 Penske Porsches. Capello closed to 14secs of the leading Porsche but contacted a backmarker after overshooting and dropped to fourth overall on two hours moments before a full course yellow brought the top-four to within 10secs of each other ensuring a final 30mins "spint” to the finish. The #2 Audi of Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany), both making their débuts on the extremely bumpy 1.7-mile, 10-corner track, started the 165-minute race sixth (2nd LM P1) and went on to finish 2nd in class – 12th overall. Werner pitted on 45mins requiring rear body repairs after spinning when fifth, losing eight laps, having 4mins earlier dropped from third after a trip down the escape road.
Note to the editors: A complete Houston race report with quotes of all Audi drivers will follow.
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