Planet 9

Are any Inter-Mountain West Cayman owners planning on attending the inaugural Utah Grand Prix? This will be a great opportunity to see the RS Spyders, Audi A-10s and numerous GT2 Porsches in action on a beautiful new track.



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image1Caption">Patrick Long has visited Salt Lake City and Miller Motorsports Park several times.[/quote]</div>
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<span id="introduction">The Utah Grand Prix marks the American Le Mans Series' first visit to the spectacular new Miller Motorsports Park, already being hailed as one of the finest road courses in North America. At 4.5-miles and with 24 turns, the track will present a new challenge to the world-class field of sports car racing's best. How do drivers and their teams prepare for such a challenge? Here's what they had to say:[/quote]



<span id="section1Text">Patrick Long, Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing

'I think it's pure excitement. This has got to be their headline event for the year. Every time I've been there &ndash; three times &ndash; I've seen the place progress. It's an awesome facility. They are so welcoming and so appreciative of the American Le Mans Series and the teams and drivers coming that it really presents a good vibe.'



'The first thing that comes to mind about the track is that it is smooth and flowing and fast. It's very challenging because it's so long with so many corners. But it's flat with not a lot of visual references so it's going to be tough. The drivers who learn the quickest will have a real advantage. As the weekend progresses, everyone will be closer together.'[/quote]



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image2Caption">Timo Bernhard and Penske Racing recently tested for the first time at Miller Motorsports Park.[/quote]</div>
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<span id="section2Text">'The track should change a lot, and not just because it is new. Not a lot of rubber has been laid down. Plus it's out in the desert and will be sandy and dusty. That's something that you have to be mindful of. '



Timo Bernhard, Penske Racing

'The facility was pretty amazing. It was really great to drive there. The track is so long and has everything &ndash; ups and downs, long corners and short corners. It is very technical. The facility is just huge, and it's a compliment to the people who built it up.'



'For a driver, it's very nice because you have to get a feel for the car at high-speed, and you get fifth-gear and six-gear corners. That's something special. What I like about the American Le Mans Series is you have different kinds of circuits. It's a good mixture for every driver.'



Joey Hand, BMW Team PTG

'It's going to be a pretty big deal to be the driver who learns the track first. I think you'll see the fastest laps from many of the drivers will be their last race lap.'[/quote]



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image3Caption">BMW Team PTG's Joey Hand believes Salt Lake City will embrace motorsports, specifically the American Le Mans Series.[/quote]</div>
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'I've heard it's a great facility and a world-class facility. It's one that matches the positioning of the American Le Mans Series, which we're very excited about. I'm hoping the corners are long enough and extreme enough that what we lose on the straights we can gain back in there.'



'I raced go-karts in Provo and Salt Lake City from 1992-95. When I raced karts there, it wasn't that far from downtown. They still have a couple of big kart races there, so I think the city is very much into motorsports.'



Oliver Gavin, Corvette Racing

'For a driver, it looks to me from watching a little video that it's a busy circuit. You'll be hard on the brakes and the throttle, and hard on the gearbox and using a lot of energy. The heart rate will be quite high, so you'll consume a lot of oxygen. It is a little fortunate that the race is toward the end of Saturday. It can be extremely hot, and one of the things that hurts us in the car is when it is really humid. But hopefully it shouldn't be too bad.'



The next race for the American Le Mans Series is the Grand Prix of Utah, set for 6 p.m. MDT on Saturday, July 15 at the new Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City. CBS will broadcast the race from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 16. MotorsTV will broadcast the race in Europe from 6:30 to 9:30 CET on Sunday, July 16. American Le Mans Radio will provide live coverage on americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA Live Timing &amp; Scoring.

Miller Motor Sports Park


Salt Lake City Weather Forecast for July 13-15



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Mostly clear. Highs in the mid 90s. Lows in the upper 60s.


Wear a hat and sunscreen
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<p align="left">23 June 2006
<p align="center">Porscheplatz
<p align="center">at
<p align="center">Miller Motorsports Park
<p align="center">Utah Grand Prix
<p align="center">SCCA World Challenge and American Le Mans Series Weekend
<p align="center">July 13-15, 2006
<p align="left">Miller Motorsports Park is proud to work with IMSA, to host a Porscheplatz during the 2006 Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park.
<p align="left">Porsche owners are invited to participate in the weekend’s activities as race spectators and parade-drive participants. Parking is available in an exclusive owners-only Porscheplatz. Space is limited to 150 Porsches.
<p align="left">Two packages are available: General Admission and Grand Weekend.

<p align="center">The Porscheplatz General Admission Weekend Package

<p align="center">$75/person &ndash; (available as space permits- additional General Admission ticket $50)
<p align="left">Includes the following:

1. <p align="left">
2. �� Parking in the Porscheplatz
   
   
   
   <p align="left">
   
3. �� General admission for the Utah Grand Prix throughout the weekend
   
   
   
   

<p align="center">Porscheplatz Grand Weekend Package

<p align="center">$125/person &ndash; (additional Platz pass &amp; grandstand ticket $100 each)

<p align="center">Available only until July 7^{th, or as space permits.}

<p align="left">Includes the following:

1. <p align="left">
2. �� Parking in the Porscheplatz
   
   
   
   <p align="left">
   
3. �� Reserved grandstand seating throughout the weekend
   
   
   
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4. �� Catered lunch (race day only)
   
   
   
   

<p align="center">For Miller Motorsports Park’s Club House Members

<p align="left">Utah Grand Prix ticketholders and Miller Motorsports Park’s Club House Members may purchase the Platz Parking Pass for $25, and can add lunch in the Porscheplatz for $30. Platz Parking Passes and Lunch Vouchers are available while quantities last, and after July 7th can only be purchased at Miller Motorsports Park’s Welcome Center.
<p align="center">To reserve your space please contact Miller Motorsports Park at 801.563.4250
<p align="center">ask for the Welcome Center
<p align="center">

Edited by - mpollard on 07/08/2006 10:26:42 PM

<div align="left">UTAH GRAND PRIX</div>
<div align="left">Miller Motorsports Park / Tooele, Utah</div>
<div align="left">July 13 - 15, 2006</div>

<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Thursday, July 13, 2006</div>
<div align="left">10:00 am - 8:30 pm Porscheplatz parking “open” for parking</div>

<div align="left">10:30 am - 11:00 am Practice - IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Presented by Michelin</div>
<div align="left">11:15 am - 11:45 am Practice - Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear</div>
<div align="left">12:00 pm - 12:30 pm Practice - SPEED World Challenge Touring</div>
<div align="left">12:45 pm - 1:15 pm Practice - SPEED World Challenge GT</div>
<div align="left">2:15 pm - 2:45 pm Practice - IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Presented by Michelin</div>
<div align="left">3:00 pm - 3:30 pm Practice - Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear</div>
<div align="left">3:45 pm - 4:15 pm Practice - SPEED World Challenge Touring</div>
<div align="left">4:30 pm - 5:00 pm Practice - SPEED World Challenge GT</div>
<div align="left">5:00 pm - 6:30 pm AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES PADDOCK OPEN HOUSE &amp; PIT WALK (Open to Public)
<div align="left">5:15 pm - 5:45 pm American Le Mans Series Sponsor Rides by Invitation Only</div>
<div align="left">6:30 pm - 7:00 pm Test Session - American Le Mans Series (LM P1 and LM P2)</div>
<div align="left">7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Test Session - American Le Mans Series (All Classes)</div>
<div align="left">8:00 pm - 8:30 pm Test Session - American Le Mans Series (GT1 and GT2)</div>
<div align="left"></div>

<div align="left">Friday, July 14, 2006</div>
<div align="left">8:00 am - 10:00 am Porscheplatz set-up</div>
<div align="left">10:00 am - 5:00 pm Porscheplatz registration, PCA Membership Station and Porscheplatz Parking “open” for parking</div>
<div align="left">Sign-up for first 100 Porsche IMSA facilitated Porscheplatz Parade Laps (Parade Laps scheduled for Saturday morning)</div>

<div align="left">10:15 am - 10:45 am Practice - Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear</div>
<div align="left">11:00 am - 12:00 pm Practice - American Le Mans Series (All Classes)</div>
<div align="left">12:15 pm - 12:45 pm Qualifying - SPEED World Challenge Touring</div>
<div align="left">12:50 pm - 1:20 pm Qualifying - SPEED World Challenge GT</div>
<div align="left">1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Qualifying - IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Presented by Michelin</div>

<div align="left">2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Walk-around presentation by Kirt Wightman, Technical Director, IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Tech Area (IMSA Paddock)</div>

<div align="left">3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Practice - American Le Mans Series (All Classes)</div>
<div align="left">4:10 pm - 4:30 pm Qualifying - American Le Mans Series (GT1 and GT2)</div>
<div align="left">4:40 pm - 5:00 pm Qualifying - American Le Mans Series (LM P1 and LM P2)</div>
<div align="left">5:15 pm - 6:00 pm Qualifying - Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear</div>
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<div align="left">Saturday, July 15, 2006</div>
<div align="left">8:00 am - 6:00 pm Porscheplatz registration, PCA Membership Station and Porscheplatz Parking “open” for parking</div>
<div align="left">9:00 am Mandatory Safety Briefing for all registered Porscheplatz Parade Laps participants</div>
<div align="left">10:00 am Stage registered Porsches for Porscheplatz Parade Laps</div>
<div align="left">10:10 am - 10:40 am Porscheplatz Parade Laps (100 cars maximum)</div>

<div align="left">11:00 am - 11:30 am Warm up - American Le Mans Series (All Classes)</div>
<div align="left">11:45 am - 12:45 pm SPEED World Challenge GT Race - 50 Minutes</div>

<div align="left">12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Catered lunch by Miller Motorsports Park (must have lunch ticket purchased from MMP)</div>

<div align="left">1:00 pm - 1:45 pm IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Presented by Michelin Race - 45 minutes</div>

<div align="left">1:45 pm - 2:15 pm Porsche New Model walk-around presentation by Dave Strong’s Porsche</div>
<div align="left">2:15 pm - 2:30 pm Porsche Club of America presentation by Ruben Ledesma, National Historian PCA</div>
<div align="left">Distance Award recognition</div>
<div align="left">Drawings for escorted “hot pit” tour and honorary American Le Mans Series GT2 Porsche race team crewmember</div>
<div align="left">(must be 18 years or older to qualify and present to win)</div>

<div align="left">2:45 pm - 3:30 pm Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear Race - 45 Minutes</div>

<div align="left">3:15 pm - 3:45 pm Porsche Motorsport round-table with Porsche Motorsport Executive; team members - Penske Racing; Alex Job Racing;</div>
<div align="left">Flying Lizards Motorsports and Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing (time permitting &ndash; autograph session)</div>

<div align="left">3:45 pm - 4:45 pm SPEED World Challenge Touring Race - 50 Minutes</div>
<div align="left">5:00 pm - 6:00 pm American Le Mans Series Pre-Race On-Track Activities</div>
<div align="left">6:00 pm - 8:45 pm Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix Race for the American Le Mans Series (Round 5) - 2 Hours 45 Minutes</div>

<div align="left">Notes:</div>

<div align="left">&middot; Schedule subject to change. Please check back often.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; Porscheplatz parking exclusive to credentialed Porsches only.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; Must have Porscheplatz credentials to access amenities, such as parade lap, cold non-alcoholic beverages, raffle drawings, etc.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; Cold refreshments and snacks provided by Porsche Cars North America and Dave Strong’s Porsche to registered Porscheplatz participants.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; Catered lunch on race day (12:00 pm &ndash; 1:00 pm) will be served to lunch ticket holders only. Lunch tickets for catered lunch purchased from MMP.</div>
<div align="left">Lunch to be served in Porscheplatz hospitality tent to Porscheplatz credentialed participants.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; Porscheplatz Parade Laps registration begins at 10:00 am, Friday, July 14th. Registration is on first-come-first-serve, limited to 100 Porsches.</div>
<div align="left">Mandatory drivers/participants safety meeting at 9:00 am, Saturday, July 15th. Porscheplatz Parade Laps at 10:10 am. Drivers and passengers</div>
<div align="left">must be credentialed to participate.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; Race day “hot pit” escorted tour winner must be 18 years or older to qualify.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; Distance Award must have driven to the event in a Porsche (subject to verification).</div>
<div align="left">&middot; All raffle drawings provided by Porsche are “free” to all registered participants. Must be present to win.</div>
<div align="left">&middot; For Porscheplatz tickets information and purchase, please contact Miller Motorsports Park at (866) 297-2636.</div>
</div>

<div align="left">American Le Mans Series</div>
<div align="left">Larry H. Miller Dealerships</div>
<div align="left">Utah Grand Prix</div>
<div align="left">Miller Motorsports Park / Tooele, Utah</div>
<div align="left">July 13 - 15, 2006</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Entry List as of 07/07/2006</div>

<div align="left">P1</div>

<div align="left">Frank Biela / Monte Carlo</div>
<div align="left">Emanuele Pirro / Monaco</div>
<div align="left">Audi Sport North America Audi R10 1</div>
<div align="left">TDI Power</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Rinaldo Capello / Canelli, Italy</div>
<div align="left">Allan McNish / Monaco</div>
<div align="left">Audi Sport North America Audi R10 2</div>
<div align="left">TDI Power</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Duncan Dayton / Danbury, CT</div>
<div align="left">Andy Wallace / Oxford, UK</div>
<div align="left">Highcroft Racing Highcroft Racing Lola EX257 9</div>
<div align="left">AER</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Bryan Willman / Seattle, WA</div>
<div align="left">Mike Lewis / San Diego, CA</div>
<div align="left">Autocon Motorsports Redline Oil/Cyclo Lola EX257 12</div>
<div align="left">AER</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">James Weaver / Wiltshire, UK</div>
<div align="left">Butch Leitzinger / Rebersburg, PA</div>
<div align="left">Dyson Racing Team Thetford/Norcold Lola B06/10 16</div>
<div align="left">AER</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Chris Dyson / Pleasant Valley, NY</div>
<div align="left">Guy Smith / East Yorkshire, UK</div>
<div align="left">Dyson Racing Team Thetford/Norcold Lola B06/10 20</div>
<div align="left">AER</div>

<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">P2</div>

<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Sascha Maassen / Raeren, Belgium</div>
<div align="left">Lucas Luhr / Monaco</div>
<div align="left">Penske Motorsports DHL Global Mail Porsche RS Spyder 6</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Timo Bernhard / Dittweiler, Germany</div>
<div align="left">Romain Dumas / Basel, Switzerland</div>
<div align="left">Penske Motorsports DHL Global Mail Porsche RS Spyder 7</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Clint Field / Dublin, OH</div>
<div align="left">Jon Field / Dublin, OH</div>
<div align="left">Liz Halliday / Farnham, UK</div>
<div align="left">Intersport Racing Rehearsals.com/Very Berry</div>
<div align="left">Exotics/Goodyear/West Over</div>
<div align="left">Management/Oakfields/</div>
<div align="left">LizHalliday.com/Klein Tools</div>
<div align="left">Lola B05/40 37</div>
<div align="left">AER</div>

<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">GT1</div>

<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Ron Fellows / Mississauga, Ontario</div>
<div align="left">Johnny O'Connell / Flowery Branch, GA</div>
<div align="left">Corvette Racing Compuware Corvette C6-R 3</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Oliver Gavin / Northhampton, UK</div>
<div align="left">Olivier Beretta / Monaco</div>
<div align="left">Corvette Racing Compuware Corvette C6-R 4</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Tomas Enge / Liberec, Czech Republic</div>
<div align="left">Darren Turner / Banbury, UK</div>
<div align="left">Aston Martin Racing Hackett/Pirelli/JLC/Pokerstars Aston Martin DBR9 007</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Pedro Lamy / Lisbon, Portugal</div>
<div align="left">Stephane Sarrazin / Barjac, France</div>
<div align="left">Aston Martin Racing Hackett/Pirelli/JLC/Pokerstars Aston Martin DBR9 009</div>

<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">GT2</div>

<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Bill Auberlen / Redondo Beach, CA</div>
<div align="left">Joey Hand / Sacramento, CA</div>
<div align="left">BMW Team PTG Yokohama BMW E46 M3 21</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Justin Marks / Sacramento, CA</div>
<div align="left">Bryan Sellers / Springboro, OH</div>
<div align="left">BMW Team PTG Yokohama BMW E46 M3 22</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Mike Rockenfeller / Monaco</div>
<div align="left">Klaus Graf / Dornhan, Germany</div>
<div align="left">Alex Job Racing Bell Micro/Hirewise Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 23</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Jorg Bergmeister / Langenfield, Germany</div>
<div align="left">Michael Petersen / Las Vegas, NV</div>
<div align="left">Patrick Long / Las Vegas, NV</div>
<div align="left">Petersen White Lightning MMPIE/PAWS/Petersen Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 31</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Darren Law / Phoenix, AZ</div>
<div align="left">Seth Nieman / Burlingame, CA</div>
<div align="left">Flying Lizard Motorsports PortalPlayer/iPass/ShoreTel Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 44</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Johannes van Overbeek / San Francisco, CA</div>
<div align="left">Wolf Henzler / Nuertingen, Germany</div>
<div align="left">Flying Lizard Motorsports PortalPlayer/iPass/ShoreTel Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 45</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Scott Maxwell / Toronto, Canada</div>
<div align="left">David Brabham / Henley-on-Themes, UK</div>
<div align="left">Multimatic Motorsports</div>
<div align="left">Team Panoz</div>
<div align="left">Panoz Esperante GTLM 50</div>
<div align="left">Ford</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Gunnar Jeannette / West Palm Beach, FL</div>
<div align="left">Tom Milner / Leesburg, VA</div>
<div align="left">Multimatic Motorsports</div>
<div align="left">Team Panoz</div>
<div align="left">Panoz Esperante GTLM 51</div>
<div align="left">Ford</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">Jaime Melo / Cascavel, Brazil</div>
<div align="left">Mika Salo / Helsinki, Finland</div>
<div align="left">Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT Berlinetta 62</div>
<div align="left"></div>
<div align="left">P1 = 6 P2 = 3 GT1 = 4 GT2 = 9 Total = 22</div>

I'm originally from Utah but not living there now. I've been following the progress of this track for a couple years. I wish I could run my car on it as well as go to this event. But......I can't. One day.


Shane

__________________
Shane

2006 Carrera White Cayman S
2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

The Rocky Mountain PCA region has a DE there later this year - I'm really looking forward to that.

__________________
P-nut
2007 911 Carrera S - For Sale
-------------------

P-Nut, I'll be at that DE in September. Say hello if you see a Seal Gray Cayman S.

<p class="story_page_headline" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span id="title">UTAH GRAND PRIX PRESENTS UNIQUE CHALLENGE TO SERIES TELEVISION CREW[/quote]


<span id="introduction">Tooele, Utah &ndash; This weekend's Utah Grand Prix presents a new challenge not just for the world-class drivers of the American Le Mans Series, but also the television broadcast crew, as well.[/quote]



<span id="section1Text">The expansive new Miller Motorsports Park facility is requiring a record number of cameras for Sunday's 2 p.m. EDT broadcast on CBS Sports. Across the 4.5-mile, 24-turn facility, 20 coverage cameras will be in place to capture all of the action for Round Five of the 2006 American Le Mans Series.



That number is far and away the most positions ever put in place for a Series venue. Road America sees 13 coverage cameras and Sebring 12. Two weeks ago at Lime Rock Park, TV crews used nine coverage cameras.



In addition this weekend, there will be two cameras in pit lane, three for 'speed shots' along the fastest parts of the track, six in-car cameras, one for helicopter coverage and one in the broadcast booth.[/quote]


<span id="section2Text">HELLO, MY NAME IS&hellip;: Every turn at Miller Motorsports Park has been christened with a name &ndash; some more than one! The highlights include:



&middot; Turn 1: Sunset Bend

&middot; Turn 6: Right Hook (entry) and Knock Out (exit)

&middot; Turn 7: Demon (entry), Devil (apex) and Diablo (exit)

&middot; Turn 8: Indecision

&middot; Turn 9: Precision

&middot; Turn 13: Mabey Y'll Makit

&middot; Turn 15: Agony (entry) and Extacy (exit)

&middot; Turn 19: Tooele Turn



A full track map is available here.[/quote]

<p class="story_page_headline" style="PADDING-LEFT: 0px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span id="title">AUDI DIESEL POWER ON POLE IN NORTH AMERICAN RETURN[/quote]



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image1Caption">A pair of diesel-powered Audi R10 TDIs will start on the front row for the Utah Grand Prix.[/quote]</div>
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<span id="introduction">Tooele, Utah &ndash; Frank Biela certainly knows how to make a dramatic return. In his first American Le Mans Series race since Sebring, Biela put this Audi R10 TDI on the pole for the Utah Grand Prix, knocking teammate Allan McNish from the top spot on his final lap.[/quote]



<span id="section1Text">The reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans champion posted a lap of 2:21.554, good enough for the pole by 0.209 seconds. Audi diesel power will fill the front row with McNish and Dindo Capello starting second for the first Series race at the new Miller Motorsports Park.



'It feels good putting the R10 on the pole after missing a couple of rounds,' said Biela, who will drive with Emanuele Pirro. 'The guys did a great job here. It's the same crew we had last year, so they know what they are doing. We are very happy to be together again and put it on pole.'



Third in class and overall was the first of Dyson Racing's AER-powered Lola B06/10s. Butch Leitzinger was less than a second arrears of the Audis, the closest a Dyson prototype has been to the top all weekend.



Friday afternoon's practice session was the first time the two Audi diesels sat atop of the time sheets, taking over from Penske Racing and its Porsche RS Spyders. Biela apparently was a very quick study, bettering McNish's time in the afternoon practice by nearly a full second.



'It's a challenge out here, very difficult to get used to,' Biela said. 'You'll find something every time you go around. I think you have to concentrate more every lap than usual. It might be easy for the young guns but you can still learn more every time you go out. It's going to be a tough race, no doubt.'



Penske's two Porsches qualified fourth and fifth overall with Lucas Luhr taking the P2 pole. His best lap of 2:23.387 nipped Timo Bernhard by 0.073 seconds. Saturday will be the fourth time in five races that the two RS Spyders will start 1-2 in class. Luhr and Sascha Maassen, however, are looking for their first win since Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca at the end of 2005.



Starting third in class will be the championship-leading Intersport Racing Lola of Clint Field and Liz Halliday. The pairing started the season with wins at Sebring and Houston and has earned points at each race this season. But Luhr and Maassen are only 5 points back, and a victory would cut the deficit to at least 1 point.



'We tested for two days and it helped, but when we tested here we had so many problems and we were scared for the race weekend,' Luhr said. 'But we showed up and all the problems we had had disappeared. So that's good we got the problems out for the race weekend.[/quote]



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image2Caption">Tomas Enge won the GT1 pole in his Aston Martin DBR9 for the second time this season.[/quote]</div>
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<span id="section2Text">'It's a new track; really challenging for us drivers,' he added. 'There are a lot of quick corners and slow corners, all in combinations. It's not easy. It takes a little bit more laps than normal to get the tires up to temp, but once you're set it's really enjoyable.'



Tomas Enge captured his second GT1 pole position of the season in Aston Martin Racing's No. 007 Aston Martin DBR9 with a time of 2:34.953, the lowest time of the weekend in GT1 by a fairly impressive margin. Enge had posted the quickest time of the one-hour practice session immediately before qualifying, and he obviously has come to grips with the new venue.



'I said in the first session that I would need a co-driver,' Enge said. 'It took five laps to know exactly how the lines are and where you should brake. The track has improved so much that you have seen the track times go down three seconds. Today, I didn't make as many mistakes.'



Stephane Sarrazin, the quickest driver in the first two track sessions Thursday and Friday, qualified second in class at 2:35.330. It gave Aston Martin the top two positions for the first time since the season-opener at Sebring. Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy won two weeks ago at Lime Rock Park in the No. 009. That's something Enge, who hasn't won in the Series since 2003, is eager to experience once again.



'There were some small mistakes and you can always go faster,' he said. 'We wanted to do one lap and save the tires for the race. It's hard to put down anything special when the track is so hot. I have to knock on my watches or the wood. It looks very, very positive for the race.'



They still will have to deal with Corvette Racing's two Corvette C6.Rs, which will start right behind their rivals. The No. 3 of Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell was the first of the yellow Corvettes on Friday, just 0.2 seconds ahead of the sister entry of Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin.[/quote]



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image3Caption">Jamie Melo won his second GT2 pole of 2006 in the Risi Competizione Ferrari F430GT.[/quote]</div>
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<span id="section3Text">In GT2, Jamie Melo won his second class pole of the season for Risi Competizione. The Ferrari F430GT turned in a lap of 2:44.024 to beat out the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing Porsche of Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister by more than a second.



'I like the track very much. For our car, it is very good,' said Melo, who will team with Mika Salo. 'We are fast in the slower parts. We found a very good setup from the first session, and we have kept improving. The team has done a very good job after Lime Rock. I'm very happy to have done this. Tomorrow should be a very good race.'



The Ferrari has been the quickest GT2 car all week at Miller, and Friday is no different. The bright red entry has shown similar speed at each Series round but continues to look for its first win of the season.



'The Porsches are quicker on acceleration,' Melo said. 'We just have to be careful at the beginning. For sure it will be a very difficult race. If you go off the line, it will be difficult to keep the line. It should be very, very exciting. '



The Utah Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2006 American Le Mans Series, is set for 6 p.m. MDT on Saturday, July 15 at the new Miller Motorsports Park just outside of Salt Lake City. CBS will broadcast the race from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 16. MotorsTV will broadcast the race in Europe from 6:30 to 9:30 CET on Sunday, July 16. American Le Mans Radio will provide live coverage on americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA Live Timing &amp; Scoring.



1. Frank Biela, Germany; Emanuele Pirro, Italy; Audi R10 TDI Power (P1), 2:21.553

2. Rinaldo Capello, Italy; Allan McNish, Scotland; Audi R10 TDI Power (P1), 2:21.762

3. Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA; James Weaver, England; Lola B06/10 AER (P1), 2:22.535

4. Sascha Maassen, Germany; Lucas Luhr, Germany; Porsche RS Spyder (P2), 2:23.387

5. Romain Dumas, France; Timo Bernhard, Germany; Porsche RS Spyder (P2), 2:23.460

6. Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, England; Lola B06/10 AER (P1), 2:24.291

7. Duncan Dayton, North Salem, NY; Andy Wallace, England; Lola EX257 AER (P1), 2:25.866

8. Liz Halliday, Rancho Santa Fe, CA; Clint Field, Dublin, OH; Jon Field, Dublin, OH; Lola B05/40 AER (P2), 2:30.043

9. Bryan Willman, Kirkland, WA; Michael Lewis, San Diego, CA; Lola EX257 AER (P1), 2:30.949

10. Darren Turner, England; Tomas Enge, Czech Republic; Aston Martin DB9 (GT1), 2:34.953

11. Stephane Sarrazin, France; Andrea Piccini, Italy; Aston Martin DB9 (GT1), 2:35.330

12. Ron Fellows, Canada; Johnny O`Connell, Flowery Branch, GA; Corvette C6.R (GT1), 2:37.414

13. Olivier Beretta, Monaco; Oliver Gavin, England; Corvette C6.R (GT1), 2:37.626

14. Jaime Melo, Brazil; Mika Salo, Finland; Ferrari 430 GT Berlinetta (GT2), 2:44.024

15. Jorg Bergmeister, Germany; Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2), 2:45.161

16. Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Wolf Henzler, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2), 2:45.904

17. Tom Milner, Leesburg, VA; Gunnar Jeannette, Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Panoz Esperante GTLM (GT2), 2:46.322

18. Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2), 2:46.855

19. David Brabham, Australia; Scott Maxwell, Canada; Panoz Esperante GTLM (GT2), 2:47.594

20. Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA; BMW E46 M3 (GT2), 2:48.759

21. Justin Marks, Sacramento, CA; Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH; BMW E46 M3 (GT2), 2:50.414

22. Klaus Graf, Germany; Mike Rockenfeller, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2), 2:44.797[/quote]
<center>Grand Prix of Utah

Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah

Saturday's lineup</center>

Forecastfor:Salt Lake City,UT84101
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<td class="forecastTableHeader" width="100%">Updated:7/15/2006 3:44:00 AM</td>
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<td class="dayDesc" width="375">Sunny and hot. Highs around 103.</td>
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[img]/UserFiles/716200615249843_FeaturedImage.jpg[/img]


<span id="title">PIRRO, BIELA TRIUMPH IN SERIES RETURN[/quote]


<span id="introduction">Tooele, Utah &ndash; Emanuele Pirro withstood a furious charge from Lucas Luhr in the final 20 minutes as
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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image1Caption">Emanuele Pirro celebrates his and Frank Biela's win Saturday in the Utah Grand Prix.[/quote]</div>
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the Audi R10 TDI claimed victory its first American Le Mans Series race since March by winning the Utah Grand Prix on Saturday at Miller Motorsports Park.[/quote]



<span id="section1Text">Pirro and the diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI crossed the finish line 0.314 seconds ahead of Luhr's Penske Racing Porsche RS Spyder. The difference turned out to be a fuel-only change with just more than an hour left for the Audi. The Porsche took on fuel and tires and changed drivers one minute later, hoping fresher tires would allow Luhr to catch the Audi. In the end, it didn't.



'This was a great race,' said an exhausted Pirro, who won with Frank Biela on Saturday and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. 'I thank God I have 27 years of experience because the last few laps were so difficult.'



Biela began on pole position but went off track in Turn 3 of the first lap. He then also was involved in a final-turn incident with a slower GT2 car. Chances looked pretty bleak, but typical Audi pit strategy and the torque of the V12 diesel won out.



'The first thing I have to say is this guy won the race despite the other car having problems,' Biela said of Pirro. 'I was struggling at the beginning. I don't know why. The first turn maybe because there wasn't enough heat in the tire. Our aim was to stay close as possible to the Dysons and our sister car, but unfortunately it was not like that. Then after the pit stop and this old fart got in, I was just giving him motivation. It shouldn't be so easy for him all the time.'



The Dyson Racing Lola of James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger finished second in class, about a half minute in front of the other Audi R10 TDI of championship leader Allan McNish and Dindo Capello.



'The cars seem to be coming around a little bit,' Dyson Racing owner Rob Dyson said. 'We have been working on reliability. We have a lot of work to do, but I'm cautiously optimistic.'[/quote]



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image2Caption">Lucas Luhr and Sascha Maassen won for the first time in LMP2 this season.[/quote]</div>
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<span id="section2Text">Penske Racing earned its third straight victory as Luhr and Sascha Maassen cruised after the sister car of Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas stopped at the pit exit with throttle problems. The victory propelled the two Germans to within 1 point of the class championship lead, held by Intersport Racing's Clint Field and Liz Halliday, who finished second in class together in their Lola B05/40-AER.



'We were looking forward to our first win (of 2006),' Maassen said. 'It took a little bit and now we're there.'



Everyone associated with Penske and Porsche weren't disappointed the team didn't their second overall race of the season. The P2 class championship has been the goal from the beginning and will continue to be through the season finale. Still, the chance was there to pull off one of the biggest stunners in recent sports car racing history.



'We put on a good show. I really didn't have a chance to pass (Pirro) by myself,' Luhr said. 'Because the way the tires were (double stinted), I think they had more troubles getting rid of the pickup than I did. You could see after the first laps after the safety lap I was closer because I could clean my tires better. Once he got cleaner he pulled away.'



Aston Martin Racing won for the second straight race in GT1 as Tomas Enge and Darren Turner won for the first time this year. Their Aston Martin DBR9 finished a lap ahead of their sister car, driven by Andrea Piccini and Stephane Sarrazin. The two Aston Martins also finished 1-2 in class for the first time since making their Series debut at Sebring last year.



The British marque's third win in North America wasn't without a little late drama, though. The team had planned to pit with about 15 minutes remaining while leading by nearly a full lap. Fortune smiled when Enge pitted under yellow for tires and fuel, only for the crew to find that the battery was losing voltage and that they had to replace the alternator belt.



Quick work combined with the full course caution meant Enge retained his lead, which he held comfortably for the remainder.



'The change was pretty short,' Enge said, bragging on his team. 'We were already a lap ahead, and that was actually a scheduled pit stop. It took half a minute to repair that, and we didn't lose anything. We were cruising at the end.'[/quote]



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<div class="story_photocaption" align="center"><span id="image3Caption">Mika Salo and Jamie Melo led Ferrari and Risi Competizione to its first win in the Series since Lime Rock Park in 2004.[/quote]</div>
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<span id="section3Text">Risi Competizione gave Ferrari its first victory in the Series since the 2004 season with a GT2 class victory. Jamie Melo and Mika Salo came from the back of the grid after changing tires prior to the start for their first win in the Series and the first for the Ferrari F430GT. They also are the fifth pairing to win a Series race in as many events.



They finished 11 seconds ahead of the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing Porsche of Patrick Long and Jorg Bergmeister.



'I just tried to be safe in the first three or four laps,' Melo said. 'After that, I just pushed to get the lead. The car was working very well, and the tires were good too. I overtook the leader just trying to keep the pace and conserving the tires.'



At each of the previous four events, the new Ferrari has posted the fastest class time in at least one session. That made Saturday's result feel a bit more rewarding for Salo and Melo.



'We've been leading every race so far and have had some problems,' Salo said. 'We had power steering at Houston and got taken out at Mid-Ohio. This is the first time we've finished the race. We still are a little slow in a straight line, but in the corners and in the turns, the car is unbelievable.'



Johannes van Overbeek and Wolf Henzler finished third in the Porsche of Flying Lizard Motorsports. It allowed the team and van Overbeek to retain their season championship leads.



The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Les Schwab Tires Presents Portland Grand Prix. The sixth race of the 2006 American Le Mans Series season is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT on Saturday, July 22. CBS Sports will broadcast the race from 3 to 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 23. American Le Mans Radio will have live coverage at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA Live Timing &amp; Scoring.



1. (1) Frank Biela, Germany; Emanuele Pirro, Italy; Audi R10 TDI Power (1, P1), 65.

2. (4) Sascha Maassen, Germany; Lucas Luhr, Germany; Porsche RS Spyder (2, P2), 65.

3. (3) James Weaver, England; Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA; Lola B06/10 AER (3, P1), 65.

4. (2) Allan McNish, Scotland; Rinaldo Capello, Italy; Audi R10 TDI Power (4, P1), 65.

5. (6) Guy Smith, England; Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Lola B06/10 AER (5, P1), 64.

6. (7) Duncan Dayton, North Salem, NY; Andy Wallace, England; Lola EX257 AER (6, P1), 62.

7. (10) Darren Turner, England; Tomas Enge, Czech Republic; Aston Martin DB9 (7, GT1), 62.

8. (11) Stephane Sarrazin, France; Andrea Piccini, Italy; Aston Martin DB9 (8, GT1), 61.

9. (8) Liz Halliday, Rancho Santa Fe, CA; Clint Field, Dublin, OH; Jon Field, Dublin, OH; Lola B05/40 AER (9, P2), 61.

10. (12) Ron Fellows, Canada; Johnny O`Connell, Flowery Branch, GA; Corvette C6.R (10, GT1), 61.

11. (13) Oliver Gavin, England; Olivier Beretta, Monaco; Corvette C6.R (11, GT1), 61.

12. (14) Jaime Melo, Brazil; Mika Salo, Finland; Ferrari 430 GT Berlinetta (12, GT2), 59.

13. (15) Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Jorg Bergmeister, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (13, GT2), 59.

14. (16) Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Wolf Henzler, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (14, GT2), 59.

15. (22) Mike Rockenfeller, Germany; Klaus Graf, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (15, GT2), 59.

16. (5) Romain Dumas, France; Timo Bernhard, Germany; Porsche RS Spyder (16, P2), 58.

17. (19) Scott Maxwell, Canada; David Brabham, Australia; Panoz Esperante GTLM (17, GT2), 58.

18. (20) Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA; Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; BMW E46 M3 (18, GT2), 58.

19. (17) Gunnar Jeannette, Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Tom Milner, Leesburg, VA; Panoz Esperante GTLM (19, GT2), 58.

20. (18) Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (20, GT2), 57.

21. (21) Justin Marks, Sacramento, CA; Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH; BMW E46 M3 (21, GT2), 56.

22. (9) Bryan Willman, Kirkland, WA; Michael Lewis, San Diego, CA; Lola EX257 AER (22, P1), 47.





Allan McNish 99

Rinaldo Capello 99

James Weaver 70

Butch Leitzinger 70

Michael Lewis 35

Andy Wallace 30

Chris McMurry 29

Tom Kristensen 26

Chris Dyson 23

Guy Smith 23

Emanuele Pirro 20

Frank Biela 20

Duncan Dayton 8

Bryan Willman 6



LMP2

Liz Halliday 88

Clint Field 88

Sascha Maassen 87

Lucas Luhr 87

Romain Dumas 61

Timo Bernhard 61

Jamie Bach 40

Guy Cosmo 40

Jon Field 26

Emmanuel Collard 22

Alan Timpany 19

William Binnie 19

Rick Sutherland 19

Gunnar van der Steur 18

Ben Devlin 18

Elton Julian 16

Michael Vergers 16

Juan Barazi 16

Raphael Matos 14



GT1

Olivier Beretta 86

Oliver Gavin 86

Stephane Sarrazin 78

Darren Turner 78

Tomas Enge 78

Ron Fellows 77

Johnny O`Connell 77

Pedro Lamy 62

Jan Magnussen 26

Jason Bright 22

Nicolas Kiesa 19

Andrea Piccini 16

Max Papis 16

Jean-Philippe Belloc 14

Terry Borcheller 14

Tom Weickardt 14



GT2

Johannes van Overbeek 87

Wolf Henzler 73

Scott Maxwell 62

David Brabham 62

Jorg Bergmeister 60

Jamie Melo 58

Patrick Long 50

Mike Rockenfeller 44

Klaus Graf 44

Seth Neiman 43

Mika Salo 39

Darren Law 32

Joey Hand 29

Bill Auberlen 29

Lonnie Pechnik 27

Sebastien Bourdais 26

Jon Fogarty 22

Marc Lieb 22

Justin Marks 20

Bryan Sellers 20

Ralf Kelleners 19

Anthony Lazzaro 19

Richard Dean 14

Tom Kimber-Smith 14

Lawrence Tomlinson 14

Graham Rahal 12

Tim Bergmeister 10

Nic Jonsson 10

Jeroen Bleekemolen 9

Mike Hezemans 9

Marc Gene 8

Tom Milner 8

Tim Sugden 8

M Dominguez 8

Jim Matthews 8

Gunnar Jeannette 8

Jep Thornton 7

Mark Patterson 7

Spencer Pumpelly 7[/quote]
<center>Grand Prix of Utah

Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah

Saturday's results</center>



<center>Unofficial Points Standings</center>


LMP1

A couple of points:


1) I could not find this on TV, yes I know it said above that it was on CBS sports, but CBS was not showing this race in my area, neither was any other channel I could find, not Speedvision, not ESPN, not Fox sports, nothing, nad zip, zilch so I missed seeing what sounds like a great race. I think CBS was showing eurasian badmitton or something like that, anyone know why this didn't get national CBS coverage???


2) Kudos to the LMP2 team for almost beating the 'untouchable' Audi R-10, they certainly proved that it is possible and will end up beating the Audi at some point.


3) Looks like the GT2 teams will be clammoring for those 997 cars even louder now after Ferrari takes the checkered flag. I'm assuming there were no 997 GT3's running correct?


4) What happened to the Corvettes? I mean the Aston Martins are sexy cars but I thought the Corvettes were supposed to have this class sewn up? Not 1 but 2 Astons finished ahead of them!


Thanks for the info mpollard!

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The race is tape delayed on CBS and has been for the last three or four races. It is on today at 2pm-4pm EST time. You can find the schedule and TV schedule right here: http://www.americanlemans.com/Schedu...nSchedule.aspx



Yep, great job by the Penske Spyders. The higher altitude of Salt Lake City was much harder on their naturally aspirated engines, then on the turbo diesel.



The debut of the 997 RSRs in competition willbe at the Proximus 24hrs of SPA on July 29th -30th with Lucus Luhr, Marcel Tieman, Timo Bernhard, Marc Lieb, Sascha Maasssen, and Pedro Lamy behind the wheels of the two cars. That is rumored to be the only race for the new 997 RSR in 2006.


Nope, no 997 RSRs running in the ALMS as of yet. Probably not this year. Here is a quote from Porsche Motorsport: 'With wider rear fenders and rear track, the new 911 has been designed to improve its performance capabilities, while the car has also been developed to fit into the 1,225 kg class, which allows for two inch-wider rear wheels to 14 inches, and part of the added weight has been used to lower the centre of gravity. The new 911 GT3 RSR will also improve aerodynamic efficiency by seven percent and body stiffness has been increased by ten per cent.



Employing a 3.8-litre, flat six-cylinder boxer engine, the 911 GT3 RSR delivers 485 hp at 8,400 revs per minute, while maximum torque is now an impressive 435 Nm at 7,250 rpm.'





They are severly restricted and user smaller fuel cells. The ALMS is giving these breaks to the Aston Martins just to keep them in the series. If they weren't there, you'd have two C6R running around by theirselves. Not fair, but I guess that is the decision of the ALMS. You can see right here:


http://www.imsaracing.net/2006/competitors/cb06-07.pdf


http://www.imsaracing.net/2006/competitors/cb06-05.pdf


http://www.imsaracing.net/imsaNS2.cf...dexnewalms.htm

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