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AUDI TAKES AN ENCORE ONE-TWO

© Bonnie Quick

The Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta, September 30, was won by Audi once again and it was a near perfect day for Audi Sport North America. The 1000 miles race, run on a 2.54 mile 12 turn course, was won by #77 driven by Alan McNish, Rinaldo Capello and Michele Alboreto,followed by #78, Emanuele Pirro,Frank Biela and Tom Kristensen. Third after just over nine hours, was the LMP-1 Panoz #1 piloted by David Brabham and Jan Magnussen.

A vailiant effort was made by J.J. Lehto in the #42 BMW which he and Jorge Muller drove in second place for the majority of the race. Unfortunately, once again, towards the end of the contest, like in the 1999 race, Lehto spun the car and was unable to keep the podium finish. He came in fifth.

For Alan McNish and the rest of the Audi team, it was an overwhelming victory, leaving the Prototype championship a difficult shot for any other team to make this season. McNish is number one in point and his lead seems solid. But, anything can happen in racing.

Earlier in the contest, the other BMW #43-P V12 LMR took a wild ride with Bill Auberlen at the wheel. "I was coming up over the rise with the Olive Garden car, which we'd done for many laps and I always put my nose in," said Auberlen."But this time I think there was a third car, and as I got to the bump, I could feel the air was different. When I got to the right, all of a sudden, my visor opened up and I knew this was going to be a different deal. The car took off and I thought, 'Oh no, I'm going to make the Great Crashes (video).'It's really sad because the team worked so hard and Jean Marc did a great job in the first stint."

The Corvette Team in a CR-5, with drivers Andy Pilgrim, Kelly Collins and Frank Freon won the GTS class, once again shutting out the Dodge Viper Oreca group, after a long season or near misses.The team finished ninth overall for a fabulous showing.Team mates Ron Fellows, Chris Kneifel, and Justin Bell came in eleventh overall, taking third.

The GT class was taken by Bob Wolleck and Sasha Maassen in a Porsche 911 GT3R and Randy Pobst, Bruno Lambert, and Anthony Lazzaro drove #23 of Alex Job Racing into second.

Crashing a GT car, actor Paul Newman was out of the race in the third hour. While being lapped by Intersport Racing Lola car, driven by Oliver Gavin, the two cars touched, and Newman's car was heavily damaged when it impacted with a retaining wall after sliding off the track. He was not injured.