Audi takes provisional pole after tyre gamble
Audi took the provisional pole position for the second to last round of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) at Las Vegas. Friday´s thrilling first qualifying session was marked by a tyre gamble as it started to rain when the green flag was waved. The Audi Sport North America Team made the right decision choosing intermediate tires. Allan McNish recorded the fastest time, Frank Biela was third in the companion Audi R8.
The provisional grid for Sunday´s race looks quite unusual. As the track was dry during their first qualifying session, four of the GTS cars qualified in the top ten. The weather forecast predicts further rain for Saturday and Sunday, which is very rare for the state of Nevada.
Quotes after first qualifying
Allan McNish (#77): “This qualifying was very difficult, because the rain started and then it changed all the way through the session. The tyre choice was very important. We decided initially for slicks and then went onto intermediates. I think that was the correct choice, but it was no easy session.”
Frank Biela (#78): “I started with slicks, but the track was too slippery. With the intermediates it went pretty well. I was first for most of the session, but in the last two laps I had bad luck with traffic. But, I hope, it will be dry tomorrow.”
Reinhold Joest, Team Director Audi Sport North America: “What a thriller! The weather conditions were unpredictable, but we made the best out of it. It was decisive that we opted for intermediates which were the right choice.”
Results
1. Capello/McNish (Audi R8) 1m 12.688s
2. Brabham/Magnussen (Panoz) 1m 13.477s
3. Biela/Pirro (Audi R8) 1m 13.710s
4. Fellows/Pilgrim (Chevrolet) 1m 14.864s
5. O´Connell/Katoh (Panoz) 1m 14.909s
6. Beretta/Wendlinger (Chrysler) 1m 15.230s
7. Schiattarella/de Radigues (Lola) 1m 15.689s
8. Donohue/Archer (Chrysler) 1m 15.763s
9. Hezemans/Coronel (Chrysler) 1m 16.053s
10. Lehto/Müller (BMW) 1m 16.472s