PETIT LE MANS - 2015

CRUNCH TIME

GTLM TITLE BATTLE

Pilet, Garcia and Magnussen or Auberlen and Werner - who will take the title?

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GTLMFAB

FIVEReady for the

championship showdown

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And then there were five. Five drivers remain in the battle for the GT Le Mans (GTLM) TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and they represent five different countries, three manufacturers and three teams.

Ranging in age from 33 to 46, the five are a mix of prospective and past champions.

Porsche North America team’s Patrick Pilet of France leads the championship on the strength of three consecutive victories at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Road America and VIRginia International Raceway.

Pilet and co-driver Nick Tandy appeared on the verge of a fourth consecutive victory at Circuit of The Americas but needed to stop for a splash of fuel in the final moments and fell to third place.

Despite that success, Pilet holds a mere three point lead over BMW Team RLL’s Bill Auberlen and Dirk Werner. Auberlen, of Redondo Beach, California, is a former IMSA champion, and at age 46, is enjoying one of his best seasons.

His co-driver, Dirk Werner of Germany, 34, noted at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca that he actually hadn’t won a race in nearly five years.

But, he and Auberlen have victories at both Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Circuit of The Americas and expect a strong run at Road Atlanta.

Longer races, like the 10 hours of Petit Le Mans, tend to bring out the best at Corvette Racing, where Spain’s Antonio Garcia, 35, and Denmark’s Jan Magnussen, 42, have teamed with Ryan Briscoe for big 2015 wins at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on their scorecards. Magnussen is a three-time class winner at Petit Le Mans.

Garcia and Magnussen, the 2013 series champions, have struggled in the second half of the season. They are, however, just 10 points adrift and ready to seize the slightest opportunities.

A victory at Petit Le Mans by Werner and Auberlen would swing the team and driver titles to BMW Team RLL no matter where Pilet finishes.

One wild card may be the Risi Competizione Ferrari team with Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer.

The pair have posted five podium finishes in 2015, including the past three races and both have class wins at Petit Le Mans.

GTD CLIFFHANGER

Featuring a Pro-Am format, the GTD class championship fight is also a three way battle.

Christina Nielsen of TRG Aston Martin clings to a one point lead in the GTD standings over Paul Miller Racing Audi’s Christopher Haase and Dion von Moltke heading into the TUDOR Championship season finale.

Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell of Scuderia Corsa Ferrari are just an additional three points back and very much in the championship mix.

The Dodge Viper GT3R of Jeroen Bleekemolen and Ben Keating and the Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America of Mario Farnbacher and Ian James round out the top five.

Bolstering Nielsen’s championship bid is 2014 TUDOR Championships GTLM driver champion Kuno Wittmer, who joined the TRG team as her co-driver mid-season.

GTLM POINTS

Drivers: Pilet 279 Auberlen/Werner 276 Garcia/Magnussen 269 Fisichella/Kaffer 266

Teams: 911 Porsche North America 27925 BMW Team RLL 2763 Corvette Racing 26962 Risi Competizione Ferrari 266

Manufacturers: Porsche 290BMW 287Chevrolet 274Ferrari 274

CORE Looks to add another Score

Jon Bennett and Colin Braun of CORE autosport have had a virtual hammerlock on the Prototype Challenge Class championships since the early days of the single specification Pro-Am class. The pair have combined for four consecutive titles and appear poised to add another in 2015.

The CORE shoes hold a big 12-point lead over Mike Guasch and Tom Kimber-Smith of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports. Chris Cumming and Bruno Junqueira have Paul Gentilozzi’s RSR team just an additional two points back.

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2015 PROTOTYPE BATTLE

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It is fitting that the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Champion will be determined in the final minutes of the 10 hour season-ending Petit Le Mans race here at Road Atlanta. After nine races and 56 hours of competition, a Prototype cage match is expected to play out here at Road Atlanta.

With victories at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen International, the Troy Flis led VisitFlorida.com Racing Corvette DP squad with Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook hold a six point lead over a potent pair of Action Express entries heading into the 10 hour fight.

The defending champion Action Express Corvette DP team, featuring Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, took the win at the Twelve Hours of Sebring and have four additional podium finishes.

Meanwhile, the rapidly rising Whelen Engineering Action Express combination of Eric Curran and Dane Cameron are tied with their AXR teammates Barbosa and Fittipaldi and enjoying every minute of their newfound Prototype success that includes wins at Belle Isle (Detroit) and Road America.

Two past champions that have already posted wins in 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship competition are ready to play the spoiler role here at Petit Le Mans. The 2013 champion Wayne Taylor Racing team with Jordan Taylor and Ricky Taylor are in a ‘nothing to lose’ mode.

They took the victories at Long Beach and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and could well be leading the championship if not for an early season drive time miscalculation.

To keep the fearsome Chevrolet Corvette DP foursome on their toes, Scott Pruett and Joey Hand are fresh from their first victory of the season for their Chip Ganassi Racing Ford EcoBoost Riley DP prototype at the most recent TUDOR Championship stop at Circuit of The Americas.

Add in the Chip Ganassi Racing victory for Scott Dixon, Jamie McMurray, Tony Kanaan and Kyle Larson in the season opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Prototype season has had six different winning cars in nine races.

GOOD NEWSAndrew Craig, the former head of CART and now the permanent North American representative for the FIA World Endurance championship, says his doctor recently gave him the proverbial good news/bad news report. The bad, he needs surgery to rebuild his ankle. The good, “I get ‘Big Red’, the permanent handicapped parking pass,” said Craig, who is also the consultant for the Paris 2024 Olympics bid. If he succeeds with that, as he did with London and Vancouver bids, one presumes he will have a suitable parking pass there, too.

Farewell to FalkenNews that the Derrick Walker led Falken Porsche team will likely disband at the end of the 2015 season brought notes and messages from all corners, including Michelin. “We have a lot of respect for the entire Walker Racing team, Falken and the drivers - Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers,” said Chris Baker, director of motorsports for Michelin North America. “We are saddened to see them leave. We have enjoyed the competition and hope that some tire companies that currently hide in spec series and classes will step forward to take on the challenges of open competition.”

FASTFACTSJORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING

Watch us now on FOXDon’t miss the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship as the series competes at the season ending Petit Le Mans.

Friday, October 2 (All times EDT)Qualifying: 3:20 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. IMSA.com (Live) (IMSA App)

Saturday, October 3 (Live)11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. FOX Sports 212:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. IMSA.com + App2:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. FOX Sports 27:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. IMSA.com + App8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. FOX Sports 2

Sunday, October 41:30 – 4:30 p.m. FOX Sports 1 (Highlights)

2016 Schedule

Jan. 30-31: Daytona International Speedway – All classes

March 19: Sebring International Raceway – All classes

April 16: Long Beach Street Circuit – P/GTLM/PC

May 1: Mazda Raceway – All classes

June 4: The Raceway at Belle Isle Park – P/PC/GTD

July 3: Watkins Glen International – All classes

July 10: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – All classes

July 23: Lime Rock Park – GTLM/PC/GTD

Aug. 7: Road America – All classes

Aug. 21: VIRginia International Raceway – GTLM/GTD

Sept. 17: Circuit of The Americas – All classes

Oct. 1: Road Atlanta – All classes

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GOING LIKE 60Scott Pruett and Joey Hand took the most recent TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Prototype victory at Circuit of The Americas aboard Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 01 Ford EcoBoost Riley DP. It was the first victory of the year for Pruett and Hand. For Pruett, the victory marked his 60th major North American sports car triumph.

NEW LOOKBMW recently unveiled the new BMW M6 GT3 which is expected to debut in GTLM class form at Daytona in January. The BMW Team RLL squad has posted three class wins in 2015 TUDOR Championship competition with the venerable BMW Z4 GTE model.

Corvette Racing heads to Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans with a chance to complete an unprecedented sweep of all four major endurance races in 2015. Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Their teammates Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Jordan Taylor were victorious at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Corvette Racing team has eight previous victories at Petit Le Mans.

FACTS“I always feel bad when I see a bug in an airplane. He’ll never see his family

again and won’t have any friends when he lands.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 10 WAYNE TAYLOR RACING

Thursday, October 1, 20158:00 am - 8:30 am Qualifying - MX-5

8:45 am - 9:15 am Qualifying - Lamborghini

9:30 am - 9:50 am Qualifying - IMSA Lites

10:05 am - 10:50 am Practice #2 - CTSC

11:10 am -12:10 pm Practice #1 - TUDOR (All Classes)

1:20 pm - 1:50 pm Race #1 - IMSA Lites

2:15 pm - 3:05 pm Race #1 - Lamborghini

3:25 pm - 4:25 pm Practice #2 - TUDOR (All Classes)

4:45 pm - 5:00 pm Qualifying - CTSC ST

5:15 pm - 5:30 pm Qualifying - CTSC GS

5:45 pm - 6:30 pm Race #1 - MX-5 - 45 Minutes

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Practice #3 - TUDOR (All Classes)

FRIDAY, October 2, 20158:00 am - 8:45 am Race #2 - IMSA Lites

9:00 am - 9:45 am Race #2 - MX-5

10:05 am -11:05 am Practice #4 - TUDOR (All Classes)

12:15 pm - 2:45 pm Race - CTSC

12:30 pm - 1:15 pm TUDOR Driver Autograph Session

3:20 pm - 3:35 pm Qualifying - TUDOR (GTD)

3:45 pm - 4:00 pm Qualifying - TUDOR (GTLM)

4:10 pm - 4:25 pm Qualifying - TUDOR (PC)

4:35 pm - 4:50 pm Qualifying - TUDOR (P)

5:10 pm - 6:00 pm Race #2 - Lamborghini

SATURDAY, October 3, 20159:00 am - 9:20 am Warm Up - TUDOR (All Classes)

11:10 am - 9:10 pm Race - Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda

Grand Slam?

FAN FAVORITES

62Fisichella/KafferRisi CompetizioneFerrari F458 ItaliaGT Le Mans Michelin

5 490Fittipaldi/BarbosaAction Express Racing • Corvette DPPrototype Continental

Westbrook/Valiante VisitFlorida.com Racing • Corvette DPPrototype Continental

Gavin/MilnerCorvette Racing • Chevrolet Corvette C7.RGT Le Mans Michelin

01 2510R. Taylor/J. Taylor Wayne Taylor Racing • Corvette DPPrototype Continental

Pruett/HandChip Ganassi Racing • Ford Riley DP Prototype Continental

Auberlen/Werner BMW Team RLL • BMW Z4 GTEGT Le Mans Michelin

9110760Pew/Negri Jr. Michael Shank Racing • Ligier Honda JS P2 Prototype Continental

Long/MillerMazda Motorsports • Mazda Prototype Continental

Tandy/PiletPorsche North America • Porsche 911 RSRGT Le Mans Michelin

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Michelin North America, Inc • One Parkway South, • Greenville, SC 29615 • TEL: 1-800-458-5000 • www.michelin.com Copyright © 2015 Michelin North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Printed in USA, September 30, 2015 • Volume 9, Issue 10No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the publisher.

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