Klaus Graf was under huge pressure from Guy Smith in the closing laps of the four-hour American Le Mans race held Saturday afternoon, in Road America, and crossed the start-finish line only 0.112 seconds ahead of his rival.
ALMS rookie driver Steven Kane led the first hour of the event, passing Graf, who started from pole, on the opening lap of the race. His teammate Humaid Al Masaood's inexperience had the best of the duo however and their race ended on a crash.
Graf and teammate Lucas Luhr's win pushes them closer to the championship lead still property of Smith and teammate Chris Dyson. Third in this race were LMPC drivers Butch Leitzinger and Rudy Junco.
The GT win went to Toni Vilander and Jaime Melo, who had started from third on their Ferrari F458 Italia. It is a a first class win for the team who finished ahead of the BMW car of Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen.
Werner overtook BMW teammate Dirk Müller and Flying Lizard' Porsche driver Bergmeister late in the race. Müller and co-driver Joey hand completed the class' podium, ahead of Bergmeister and co-driver Long. Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen completed the top-5 on a Corvette.
Results of Road America (4 hours / 107 laps):
1. P1 Luhr/Graf Muscle Milk Lola-Aston 4h01m47.255s
2. P1 Dyson/Smith Dyson Lola-Mazda + 0.112s
3. PC Junco/Leitzinger PR1 Mathiasen FLM + 3 laps
4. PC Lux/Zugel/Julian Genoa FLM + 3 laps
5. P2 Tucker/Bouchut/Diaz Level 5 Lola-Honda + 4 laps
6. PC Bennett/Montecalvo CORE FLM + 4 laps
7. P1 Burgess/McMurry Autocon Lola-AER + 4 laps
8. PC Field/Ducote/Ducote Intersport FLM + 5 laps
9. PC Jeannette/Gonzalez CORE FLM + 5 laps
10. GT Melo/Vilander Risi Ferrari + 6 laps
11. GT Auberlen/Werner BMW + 6 laps
12. GT Muller/Hand BMW + 6 laps
13. GT Bergmeister/Long Flying Lizard Porsche + 6 laps
14. GT Gavin/Magnussen Corvette + 6 laps
15. GT Henzler/Sellers Falken Porsche + 6 laps
16. PC Nicolosi/Boon/Marcelli Performance Tech FLM + 6 laps
17. GT Miller/Maassen Miller Porsche + 6 laps
18. GT Sharp/van Overbeek Extreme Speed Ferrari + 6 laps
19. GT Neiman/Holzer Flying Lizard Porsche + 7 laps
20. GT Murry/Lazzaro Robertson Doran Ford + 7 laps
21. GT Brown/Cosmo Extreme Speed Ferrari + 7 laps
22. GT Robertson/Snow Robertson Doran Ford + 10 laps
23. GTC Pappas/Bleekemolen Black Swan Porsche + 11 laps
24. GTC Ende/Pumpelly TRG Porsche + 11 laps
25. GTC Edwards/Kauffmann/Cisneros NGT Porsche + 11 laps
26. GTC Sofronas/Welch GMG Porsche + 12 laps
27. GTC LeSaffre/van Lagen Black Swan Porsche + 14 laps
28. GTC von Moltke/di Guida TRG Porsche + 15 laps
29. GTC Hansson/Farnbacher Napleton Porsche + 16 laps
Retirements:
PC Field/French/Marsal Intersport FLM 89 laps
GT Jones/Moran RSR Jaguar 83 laps
GT Beretta/Milner Corvette 77 laps
P1 Al Masaood/Kane Dyson Lola-Mazda 62 laps
GTC Ham/Thompson Porsche 60 laps
GT Junqueira/Wilden RSR Jaguar 9 laps
GTC Sweedler/Wong Porsche 2 laps
ALMS rookie driver Steven Kane led the first hour of the event, passing Graf, who started from pole, on the opening lap of the race. His teammate Humaid Al Masaood's inexperience had the best of the duo however and their race ended on a crash.
Graf and teammate Lucas Luhr's win pushes them closer to the championship lead still property of Smith and teammate Chris Dyson. Third in this race were LMPC drivers Butch Leitzinger and Rudy Junco.
The GT win went to Toni Vilander and Jaime Melo, who had started from third on their Ferrari F458 Italia. It is a a first class win for the team who finished ahead of the BMW car of Dirk Werner and Bill Auberlen.
Werner overtook BMW teammate Dirk Müller and Flying Lizard' Porsche driver Bergmeister late in the race. Müller and co-driver Joey hand completed the class' podium, ahead of Bergmeister and co-driver Long. Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen completed the top-5 on a Corvette.
Results of Road America (4 hours / 107 laps):
1. P1 Luhr/Graf Muscle Milk Lola-Aston 4h01m47.255s
2. P1 Dyson/Smith Dyson Lola-Mazda + 0.112s
3. PC Junco/Leitzinger PR1 Mathiasen FLM + 3 laps
4. PC Lux/Zugel/Julian Genoa FLM + 3 laps
5. P2 Tucker/Bouchut/Diaz Level 5 Lola-Honda + 4 laps
6. PC Bennett/Montecalvo CORE FLM + 4 laps
7. P1 Burgess/McMurry Autocon Lola-AER + 4 laps
8. PC Field/Ducote/Ducote Intersport FLM + 5 laps
9. PC Jeannette/Gonzalez CORE FLM + 5 laps
10. GT Melo/Vilander Risi Ferrari + 6 laps
11. GT Auberlen/Werner BMW + 6 laps
12. GT Muller/Hand BMW + 6 laps
13. GT Bergmeister/Long Flying Lizard Porsche + 6 laps
14. GT Gavin/Magnussen Corvette + 6 laps
15. GT Henzler/Sellers Falken Porsche + 6 laps
16. PC Nicolosi/Boon/Marcelli Performance Tech FLM + 6 laps
17. GT Miller/Maassen Miller Porsche + 6 laps
18. GT Sharp/van Overbeek Extreme Speed Ferrari + 6 laps
19. GT Neiman/Holzer Flying Lizard Porsche + 7 laps
20. GT Murry/Lazzaro Robertson Doran Ford + 7 laps
21. GT Brown/Cosmo Extreme Speed Ferrari + 7 laps
22. GT Robertson/Snow Robertson Doran Ford + 10 laps
23. GTC Pappas/Bleekemolen Black Swan Porsche + 11 laps
24. GTC Ende/Pumpelly TRG Porsche + 11 laps
25. GTC Edwards/Kauffmann/Cisneros NGT Porsche + 11 laps
26. GTC Sofronas/Welch GMG Porsche + 12 laps
27. GTC LeSaffre/van Lagen Black Swan Porsche + 14 laps
28. GTC von Moltke/di Guida TRG Porsche + 15 laps
29. GTC Hansson/Farnbacher Napleton Porsche + 16 laps
Retirements:
PC Field/French/Marsal Intersport FLM 89 laps
GT Jones/Moran RSR Jaguar 83 laps
GT Beretta/Milner Corvette 77 laps
P1 Al Masaood/Kane Dyson Lola-Mazda 62 laps
GTC Ham/Thompson Porsche 60 laps
GT Junqueira/Wilden RSR Jaguar 9 laps
GTC Sweedler/Wong Porsche 2 laps