PDA

View Full Version : Champion Racing aims for win



Erik
March 7th, 2003, 10:09
CHAMPION RACING AIMS FOR ELUSIVE MAIDEN ALMS WIN
IN OWN “BACKYARD”

Team ADT Champion Racing has an added incentive for winning the opening
round of the American Le Mans Series at Sebring on Saturday (15 March).
Champion Racing, of Pompano Beach, began its motorsport activities at the
3.77-mile Florida track almost 10 years ago and a maiden ALMS victory,
achieved on “home soil” in one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious
endurance sportscar races, would be sweet reward for the burgeoning South
Florida team.

Former Sebring race winners Stefan Johansson, JJ Lehto and Emanuele Pirro
will bid for glory in the 51st 12 Hours of Sebring at the wheel of Champion
Racing’s updated 2002-specification Audi R8 - a type of car that has won the
corresponding Sebring race for the past three years.

The ADT Champion Audi finished second in last year’s gruelling Sebring race,
one of seven top-three placings the well-drilled outfit achieved in the
10-race ALMS series, which comfortably earned them the IMSA Cup for
“Privateer” teams.

For Team Owner Dave Maraj, victory in the historic Sebring race would taste
sweet and justly reward his hard-working race team that has quickly gained
worldwide recognition in motorsport circles.

“Champion Racing entered its first races at Daytona and Sebring in 1994 and
so to achieve a top result would be a thrill,” commented Mr Maraj. “We want
to win every race but obviously a victory at Sebring would be very special.

“We’ve an excellent driver line-up and the Audi has been ultra-successful
over the past three years but in a race lasting 12 hours, with a field of 60
cars including two similar Audis and two new Bentleys, means it’s going to
be very tough.”

Monaco-based Lehto (37), of Finland, won the Sebring race outright in 1999,
and will drive for Team ADT Champion Racing in all 10-rounds of this year’s
ALMS. Having raced for BMW and Cadillac in recent seasons, JJ is relishing
the prospect of his first season with Champion and of driving an Audi.

“We’re up against two other Audi R8s, both in a similar 2002-specification
configuration, so we’re level in terms of Audi equipment,” confirmed Lehto.
“I was really impressed with the Audi R8 when I drove it for the first time
last month. The grip level is amazing, the engine strong and responsive -
it’s the total package. I’ve spent the last couple of years trying to chase
the Audis but now I’m in one, the others will have to do the chasing!”

Italy’s 2000 Sebring winner Pirro (41) has driven for the “factory” Audi
Sport team at Sebring since 1999 but with no “works” Audi team racing in
2003, the 2001 ALMS champion joins Champion for Sebring and the Le Mans 24
hours in June.

Emanuele commented: “I didn’t get to test the car at Moroso with Stefan and
JJ last month because I had to get back to Italy but having looked around
Champion’s raceshop, I returned to Europe knowing that the team’s commitment
is total. I won the Sebring race in 2000 and have finished second and fifth
over the past two years but feel very confident we can be on the podium
again.”

Johansson (46) raced most of last season with Team ADT Champion Racing but
as Team Principal of the new American Spirit Champcar team, the Swedish
veteran will limit his Champion race program to Sebring, Le Mans and
Atlanta.

“I think we’ve a great chance of victory especially now that all of the Audi
R8s competing will start off on an equal footing in terms of specification,”
said Johansson, a Sebring winner in 1984 and ‘97. “Champion’s driver
combination is very strong and I’m really looking forward to Sebring which
is one of my all-time favorite races.”

Over 60 cars have entered the race which starts at 10.30am on Saturday with
drivers from North and South America plus Europe. Like the Michelin-shod
Champion Audi R8, sponsored for a second consecutive year by security
service company ADT, most cars will have three drivers who will rotate
stints during the grinding 12-hour endurance event.

Erik
March 12th, 2003, 10:52
The 51st 12 Hours of Sebring meet officially starts tomorrow (WED) with Team
ADT Champion Racing in excellent form.

For the second consecutive day, 2001 American Le Mans Series champion
Emanuele Pirro topped the time sheets in preparation for the annual
endurance sportscar race.

Pirro set a fastest time of 1min 49.819secs in the Florida team’s 2002-spec
Audi R8 the Italian shares with JJ Lehto and Stefan Johansson.

“We experimented with various things today but I’m really happy to have set
the fastest time again,” said Emanuele. “I’m feeling really good in the
team.”

Lehto was also setting consistently fast times. He remarked: “The track
conditions have been changing daily but I’m generally happy with
everything.”

Champion Racing’s Technical Director Brad Kettler confirmed: “This is the
first time I’ve worked with Emanuele and JJ but we have already got a good
understanding of each other.”

Tuesday times:
1 Pirro (ADT Champion Audi R8), 1min 48.818secs
2 Biela (Canon Team Infineon Joest Audi R8), 1:49.824
3 Weaver (Lola-MG), 1:50.823
4 Herbert (Bentley), 1:51.000

Wednesday Practice:
0930-1030 / 1440-1540

Benman
March 12th, 2003, 16:33
it will be a great thing to see if champion can do it without the
official backing of audi:cheers:

:addict:
RS6 NUT

Erik
March 19th, 2003, 20:22
Pretty good facts on the series

http://www.world-challenge.com/seriesfacts.html

Benman
March 19th, 2003, 21:53
nice posts:0:

interesting facts on weight penalties and point scoring:cheers:
:addict: