Klaus Graf inherited the lead from teammate Lucas Luhr midway in the ALMS race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, but he also inherited the contract to handle the rain that slowly turned into a downpour.
Graf says he used all of his European racing experience to keep his lead in these increasingly difficult track conditions. He and Luhr were nevertheless grateful to race officials that red flagged the race with 10 minutes left to go.
"We had to come in to change to rain tires. Then the rain came in too hard and I told the guys in was un-drivable. Sometimes in these cars we hydroplane, and even under yellow, 60 (mph) could be too fast," Graf said.
"I'm 100 percent behind race control that they stopped the race," added Luhr. "It was dreadful. You could see the best of the best of the GT class guys spinning off everywhere. There was nothing you could have done."
Chris Dyson and co-driver Guy Smith finished in second after a good battle for the lead in the first 70 minutes of the race. There were only 0.5 to 2 seconds of gap between Smith and Luhr as they struggled through traffic.
Chris McMurray and Tony Burgess completed the LMP1 podium while it was Tomy Drissi and Kyle Marcelli that completed the overall podium of this race (LMPCÂ victory).
In GT class, the all BMW Team RLL front row didn't last long with Dirk Werner and Dirk Mueller quickly losing the lead to Jan Magnussen's No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C6 R. That was until the rain hit.
Jamie Melo took the lead briefly as he managed to stay on slicks longer than his rivals. When Melo damaged his Ferrari F458, Patrick Long took the lead only to let it go to race winner Wolf Henzler's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
"The team really made the right call," Henzler said of the quick switch to rain tires. "Everyone was going on the inside and it was so slippery they were having a difficult time but I was not really. That's how I could pass everyone."
It was a first series' win for Henzler who shared the wheel with Ohio native Bryan Sellers for whom it was also a first victory. Magnussen and Oliver Gavin finished 2nd for Corvette with Werner and Bill Auberlen taking 3rd for BMW.
Race Results, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:
1. (2) Lucas Luhr, Monte Carlo Monaco; Klaus Graf, Dornham, Germany; AMR/ Lola Coupe B08 62 (1, LMP1), 96.
2. (1) Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire, UK; Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, New York; Lola B09 86/Mazda (2, LMP1), 96.
3. (6) Tomy Drissi, Los Angeles, Calif.; Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, Ontario, Canada; Oreca FLM09 (1, LMPC), 93.
4. (7) Clint Field, Dublin, Ohio; Jon Field, Dublin, Ohio; Oreca FLM09 (2, LMPC), 93.
5. (9) David Cheng, Sammamish, Wash.; Javier Echeverria, Mexico City, Mexico; Oreca FLM09 (3, LMPC), 93.
6. (20) Bryan Sellers, Braselton, Ga.; Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (1, GT), 92.
7. (16) Jan Magnussen, Roskilde, Denmark; Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings, UK; Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 (2, GT), 92.
8. (13) Dirk Werner, Kissenbruck, Germany; Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, Calif.; BMW M3 GT (3, GT), 92.
...22. (27) Duncan Ende, Los Angeles, Calif.; Spencer Pumpelly, Mason Neck, Va.; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, GTC), 87.
23. (29) Tim Pappas, Boston, Mass.; Jeroen Bleekemolen, Monte Carlo, Monaco; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, GTC), 87.
24. (30) John Potter, Salt Lake City, Utah; Craig Stanton, Long Beach, Calif.; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, GTC), 87.
Etc.
Graf says he used all of his European racing experience to keep his lead in these increasingly difficult track conditions. He and Luhr were nevertheless grateful to race officials that red flagged the race with 10 minutes left to go.
"We had to come in to change to rain tires. Then the rain came in too hard and I told the guys in was un-drivable. Sometimes in these cars we hydroplane, and even under yellow, 60 (mph) could be too fast," Graf said.
"I'm 100 percent behind race control that they stopped the race," added Luhr. "It was dreadful. You could see the best of the best of the GT class guys spinning off everywhere. There was nothing you could have done."
Chris Dyson and co-driver Guy Smith finished in second after a good battle for the lead in the first 70 minutes of the race. There were only 0.5 to 2 seconds of gap between Smith and Luhr as they struggled through traffic.
Chris McMurray and Tony Burgess completed the LMP1 podium while it was Tomy Drissi and Kyle Marcelli that completed the overall podium of this race (LMPCÂ victory).
In GT class, the all BMW Team RLL front row didn't last long with Dirk Werner and Dirk Mueller quickly losing the lead to Jan Magnussen's No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C6 R. That was until the rain hit.
Jamie Melo took the lead briefly as he managed to stay on slicks longer than his rivals. When Melo damaged his Ferrari F458, Patrick Long took the lead only to let it go to race winner Wolf Henzler's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
"The team really made the right call," Henzler said of the quick switch to rain tires. "Everyone was going on the inside and it was so slippery they were having a difficult time but I was not really. That's how I could pass everyone."
It was a first series' win for Henzler who shared the wheel with Ohio native Bryan Sellers for whom it was also a first victory. Magnussen and Oliver Gavin finished 2nd for Corvette with Werner and Bill Auberlen taking 3rd for BMW.
Race Results, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:
1. (2) Lucas Luhr, Monte Carlo Monaco; Klaus Graf, Dornham, Germany; AMR/ Lola Coupe B08 62 (1, LMP1), 96.
2. (1) Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire, UK; Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, New York; Lola B09 86/Mazda (2, LMP1), 96.
3. (6) Tomy Drissi, Los Angeles, Calif.; Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, Ontario, Canada; Oreca FLM09 (1, LMPC), 93.
4. (7) Clint Field, Dublin, Ohio; Jon Field, Dublin, Ohio; Oreca FLM09 (2, LMPC), 93.
5. (9) David Cheng, Sammamish, Wash.; Javier Echeverria, Mexico City, Mexico; Oreca FLM09 (3, LMPC), 93.
6. (20) Bryan Sellers, Braselton, Ga.; Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (1, GT), 92.
7. (16) Jan Magnussen, Roskilde, Denmark; Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings, UK; Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 (2, GT), 92.
8. (13) Dirk Werner, Kissenbruck, Germany; Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, Calif.; BMW M3 GT (3, GT), 92.
...22. (27) Duncan Ende, Los Angeles, Calif.; Spencer Pumpelly, Mason Neck, Va.; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, GTC), 87.
23. (29) Tim Pappas, Boston, Mass.; Jeroen Bleekemolen, Monte Carlo, Monaco; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, GTC), 87.
24. (30) John Potter, Salt Lake City, Utah; Craig Stanton, Long Beach, Calif.; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, GTC), 87.
Etc.