AUDI BEATS AUGUST HEAT
In the GT class the #23 Cranium Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, piloted by Randy Pobst and Bruno Lambert, outlasted the BMWs and the other Porsches to win its second straight American Le Mans Series GT event at Texas Motor Speedway. The victory was especially sweet for the Alex Job Racing team as rival Dick Barbour Racing had three cars entered in the event, and the #5 Dirk Muller/Lucas Luhr Porsche 911 GT3 R had lead the race until 30 minutes before the end. Luhr came into contact with one of the Panoz LMP cars, spun, and was forced to pit with a flat tire. Pobst took the lead and came in for the win.
As with all the competitors, the intense August heat in Texas was a major factor for the Job team in running the race. "We came in early - 54 minutes into the race - for a pit stop thinking our tires were wearing out. It turns out the tires were okay, but I was hot as the cool suit had failed, "said Pobst, who started and finished the event in the car.
"Our crew chief had told us to stay on the road and stay out of trouble, and we could win this endurance event," said Lambert, who told the gathering in the winner's circle that the Alex Job Racing team continued to believe in its drivers even after a poor start to the season.
In all, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS took the top five GT spots, with the BMW E46 M3 of Brian Cunningham/Niclas Jonnson finishing sixth. Second and third in class were the #51 and #5 Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Rs of Bob Wollek/Sascha Maassen and Dirk Muller/Lucas Luhr respectively, with the second Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Mike Conte/Anthony Lazzaro fourth.
Many of the cars had flat tires from debris on the new road course. Others had to change drivers more frequently than usual due to failed cool suits or overheated drivers. Even for the evening race, the temperature remained in the mid-90s. Dick Barbour Racing Porsche driver Jennifer Tumminelli's cool suit was blowing hot air and she was forced to stop and be taken to the infield medical care center where she was rehydrated intravenously. BMW Team PTG was upset about the race, and the onslaught of bad luck for the team. "Obviously, it was
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