Written by Ryan Smith/American Le Mans Series and Photos by Dan Boyd | 30 August 2010

Klaus Graf and Romain Dumas won Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport on Sunday, taking Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Porsche RS Spyder to victory in a race called after 2:19 running. A heavy accident between Luke Hines and Jonny Cocker on Mosport International Raceway’s Andretti Straight damaged the Armco safety barrier beyond timely repair.

Patrón Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham and Simon Pagenaud finished second and still hold the lead in the LMP championship of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón heading into the final race in a month’s time at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA2. The red flag came following Hines’ hard crash into the safety barrier on the left side of the circuit on Mosport’s fastest section.

Officials from the International Motor Sports Association, the Series’ sanctioning body, estimated more than three hours of repair work to replace the barrier and restart the race. The event finished under yellow.

Muscle Milk’s Porsche was the quickest car in every session at Mosport during the weekend. This despite Dumas joining the team for the first time; the Porsche factory driver and reigning Le Mans 24 Hours winner for Audi subbed for team owner Greg Pickett, who was injured in testing at Mid-Ohio earlier this month.

Autocon Motorsports’ pairing of Johnny Mowlem and Toronto’s Tony Burgess placed third in class with their Lola B06/10-AER.

“This car had a really balanced package,” Graf said. “It has been developed a lot over the years, it's probably one of the best sports cars ever built. With this track you really have to work hard to find the right balance. I think we're learning a lot more with the Porsche engineers and the Michelin engineers. We get closer every race. And then to bring in the factory drivers, and someone like Romain, we get even that much closer.”

It showed. The Porsche never trailed, and Dumas set the track on fire in his opening 65-minute stint. He led by nearly 20 seconds at one point as Patrón Highcroft, Autocon Motorsports and Dyson Racing each swapped the second-place position early and often. Pagenaud had to drive hard to keep from going a lap down, and the final

“It was for sure a good stint,” said Dumas, who also won overall in a Porsche at Mosport in 2007. “I knew at the start I had to push because we were a bit slower on the straight. I was pushing hard for five or six laps, when I got more than a 10-second gap I started saving fuel. We lapped nearly every car. We had a good strategy and Klaus was really good in qualifying. We were confident for the weekend and we walked away with the win.”

And in the process kept CytoSport’s championship hopes alive.

“Obviously Romain had no trouble getting ahead,” Graf said. “The caution came out and I almost had a whole lap on the whole field. Most of the GT cars were fighting for position, so there were a lot of tough corners. I couldn't take too many risks because I had such a good lead. We had a really, really good package and I just wanted to stay close if the opportunity came maybe put Simon down.”

Patrick Long and Jörg Bergmeister were GT winners for the fourth time this year with their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Flying Lizard Motorsports’ ace pairing solidified their hold on the class championship with a hard-fought victory that saw three manufacturers – Porsche, Ferrari and BMW – on the class podium.

“The start was wild. There was oil dry on the front straight down into turns 1 and 2 which made visibility really tough,” Long said. “It was really tense when it came down to the yellows, it made it more about strategy instead of running flat out. If it was any other weekend I might have let Oliver by and raced for points, but as a team we want to go out and go for the wins. We wouldn't want to disappoint anyone – the team, sponsors, friends, family, fans who came out to see us. So week-in and week-out we’re going for the win.”

Risi Competizione’s Toni Vilander and Gimmi Bruni placed second in their Ferrari F430 GT. Vilander started from the rear of the grid due to Jaime Melo being removed from the entry due to an illness. Bill Auberlen and Tommy Milner finished third for BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team.

Milner, Bergmeister and Bruni ran in that order, nose-to-tail for the better part of 20 minutes. Bergmeister made the winning pass at the 1:50 mark and brought Bruni with him past the BMW.

“It took a while to get by the BMW even though they had older tires,” Bergmeister said. “Every time we got close we picked up a bit of understeer. But (Milner’s) tires came off just enough I could get by him in Turn 1. I had just a bit more traction on the last turn; luckily he didn't defend too hard. Once I had no one in front of me, I could open a gap to Gimmi. Even if we went green again I knew we might be able to hold them off.”

Long and Bergmeister lead the class drivers championship by 18 points over Bruni. In the team and manufacturer championships, Flying Lizard and Porsche have only a 1-point lead over BMW Rahal Letterman and BMW.

“It's better to have the 4-point advantage from today,” Bergmeister said. “The outlook (for Petit Le Mans) doesn't change. We still have to finish the last race. We don't want to take too many risks but we still have to stay focused.”

Gunnar Jeannette and Elton Julian were LMP Challenge winners for the fourth time for Green Earth Team Gunnar with their ORECA FLM09. The victory moved Jeannette and Julian into a tie with Level 5 Motorsports’ Scott Tucker for the class championship; Tucker drove to a runner-up finish with Christophe Bouchut.

The G-Oil GETG car led all but nine laps. Julian went around PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports’ Ricardo Gonzalez on the race’s seventh lap

“We had a lot of targets for the day,” Julian said. “I either had to follow somebody all day long, or pass them and open the gap. I got the lead and I got to just putting down fast laps. I opened that gap and put almost 30 seconds against the 52 team, which says a lot because that team has been so quick and so strong. And we didn't have a car that was quick right as we got off the truck. Our team worked all weekend getting us more and more speed.”

Frankie Montecalvo and Christian Zugel placed third in class for Genoa Racing. But for the third time in four races, the day belonged to GETG. Jeannette posted the fastest lap of the race, pretty impressive for a car still on the same motor that was in the car when the team took delivery of it in the winter.

“What a great job the team did today. It stayed green a long time. It made my job really easy,” Jeannette said. “It wasn't like Road America where we really had to fight, but we'll take this win.

“We are up to 83.5 hours on the engine at the completion of this race,” he added. “I was happy we didn't have to do another 29 minutes on it. Just mentioning too, G-Oil and their product is really holding up. Some of our other competitors who aren't running G-Oil have had some engine troubles. We did finally change the oil today though.”

Velox Racing won its first American Le Mans Series race as Shane Lewis and Lawson Aschenbach drove their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to a hard-earned victory. The duo was running second to Hines when the ORBIT/Paul Miller Racing entry crashed.

The Velox duo drove back from a pitstop penalty during the race’s first full-course caution. Lewis and Aschenbach ran second to the ORBIT car the entire way.

“Shane was driving so well; we stayed with the No. 48 the whole time and the two of us had almost lapped the field,” Aschenbach said. “The team was working hard all weekend and we knew we could make it (the penalty) up on the track. We knew it was a big wreck, we didn't know it was going to take so long.”

Class championship leaders Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen placed second for Black Swan Racing. Alex Job Racing’s Bill Sweedler and Mitch Pagerey came home third.

“I knew my job was just to stay on (the No. 48’s) bumper for the solid hour and just keep pushing and pushing,” Lewis said. “I knew we didn't have to take any risks and just wait for him to make a mistake, and he never did. But it made for a great afternoon. I don't tap too many products or talk about them, but we are all Porsches in the GTC and look at this car. There were two bad accidents this weekend and both drivers walked away fine. Plus this motor has 58 hours on it without a rebuild. Now to have a win on that motor. That says a lot.”

The Brabham/Pagenaud pairing won the LMP portion of the MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge, given to the entry that goes the farthest the fastest with the least environmental impact. Corvette Racing’s pairing of Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen were the GT winners.

The final round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA2 at Road Atlanta. The 1,000-mile/10-hour race is set for 11:15 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 2. SPEED will air the race starting at 11 a.m., with live radio coverage available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche – a production of Radio Show Limited – as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242. Americanlemans.com will stream qualifying live starting at 3:15 p.m. ET on Friday, October 1. Visit the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com.

You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes) and on our Facebook page and the official YouTube channel.

Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport

Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

Sunday’s results

1. (1) Romain Dumas, Ales; Klaus Graf, Germany; Porsche RS Spyder (1, LMP), 99.

2. (3) David Brabham, Maidenhead, GB; Simon Pagenaud, Montmorrillon, FR; HPD ARX-01c (2, LMP), 99.

3. (5) Tony Burgess, Toronto; Johnny Mowlem, London; Lola B06 10/AER (3, LMP), 98.

4. (8) Elton Julian, Santa Monica, CA; Gunnar Jeannette, Salt Lake City, UT; Oreca FLM09 (1, LMPC), 95.

5. (10) Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS; Christophe Bouchut, France; Oreca FLM09 (2, LMPC), 95.

6. (4) Paul Drayson, London, GB; Jonny Cocker, Guisborough, GB; Lola B09 60/Judd (4, LMP), 95.

7. (2) Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire; Lola B09 86/Mazda (5, LMP), 94.

8. (7) Christian Zugel, Holmdel, NJ; Frankie Montecalvo, Highlands, NJ; Oreca FLM09 (3, LMPC), 93.

9. (21) Andy Wallace, England; Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS; Oreca FLM09 (4, LMPC), 93.

10. (6) Ricardo Gonzalez, Monterrey; Luis Diaz, Mexico City; Oreca FLM09 (5, LMPC), 92.

11. (11) Patrick Long, Bellaire, FL; Joerg Bergmeister, Langenfield, DE; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (1, GT), 92.

12. (28) Toni Vilander, Finland; Gianmaria Bruni, Rome, IT; Ferrari 430 GT (2, GT), 92.

13. (12) Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, CA; Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA; BMW E92 M3 (3, GT), 92.

14. (13) Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings, GB; Jan Magnussen, Denmark; Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (4, GT), 92.

15. (15) Johnny O`Connell, Flowery Branch, GA; Olivier Beretta, Monaco; Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (5, GT), 92.

16. (14) Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Ferrari 430 GT (6, GT), 91.

17. (9) Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, ON; Chapman Ducote, Miami Beach, FL; Oreca FLM09 (6, LMPC), 91.

18. (17) Bryan Sellers, Braselton, GA; Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen, DE; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (7, GT), 91.

19. (20) Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV; Guy Cosmo, West Palm Beach, FL; Ferrari 430 GT (8, GT), 90.

20. (27) Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (9, GT), 90.

21. (19) Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, MI; Marc Goossens, Huntersville, NC; Jaguar XKRS (10, GT), 87.

22. (24) Shane Lewis, Jupiter, FL; Lawson Aschenbach, West Palm Beach, FL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (1, GTC), 86.

23. (23) Tim Pappas, Boston, MA; Jeroen Bleekemolen, Monte Carlo, Monaco; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (2, GTC), 86.

24. (25) Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT; Mitch Pagery, Deerfield Beach, FL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (3, GTC), 86.

25. (22) Bryce Miller, Summit, NJ; Luke Hines, Essex; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (4, GTC), 78.

26. (16) Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; Dirk Mueller, Monte Carlo, Monaco; BMW E92 M3 (11, GT), 48.

27. (18) David Murry, Atlanta, GA; Andrea Robertson, Ray, MI; David Robertson, Ray, MI; Doran Design Ford GT (12, GT), 48.

28. (26) Jon Field, Dublin, OH; Clint Field, Dublin, OH; Lola B06/10 AER (6, LMP), 43.

29. (29) Henri Richard, Los Altos Hills, CA; Andy Lally, New York, NY; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (5, GTC), 32, Accident.

Written by Perry Iannuzzi/Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship | 30 August 2010

Dave Ciekiewicz repeated his wire- to-wire win on Saturday, by leading every lap to take the checkered flag in Sunday’s feature race in the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires at the Grand Prix of Mosport.

Starting from pole position, Ciekiewicz used a good start to keep his Donington Motorsports Subaru WRX ahead of the fellow front row starter, Gregory Pootmans in the Team Aldo/Northwest BMW 328. The two Super Touring (ST) machines engaged in a race long dice, and while Pootmans never lost contact with Ciekiewicz, he was unable to get by the black Subaru.

Ciekiewicz led all 20 laps and crossed the finish line with a 0.837 advantage over Pootmans.

Sasha Anis started and finished third in ST in a G1 Racing Hyundai Genesis.

“It was pretty much identical to yesterday. I would get a little gap on the straight, but [Pootmans] was all over my butt in 5a, 5b and knocked me around a couple of times, but I was able to get out of 5b usually pretty good and pulled a gap, so it was a good race. I’m just happy to gap the points and move a little bit closer in the overall championship lead,” Ciekiewicz explained.

After starting from the third position, Tom Kwok got by Saturday’s race winner and polesitter, Kurt Langeveldt, late in the race. Kwok’s M&S Racing Honda Civic took the checkered flag ahead of Langeveldt’s Can-Saf Motorsports Mazda Protégé by 0.291 seconds.

“Thank you to my team for giving me a great car,” a happy Kwok said afterwards.

Anthony Rapone rounded out the Touring class podium in a Durabond/Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si.

The NOS Energy Drink Fastest Lap Award went to Dave Ciekiewicz in Super Touring who turned in a 1:30.810. Tom Kwok had the fastest lap in Touring with a best time of 1:36.498.

The MK Technologies Hard Charger Award went to David Bensadoun's BMW 328 of Team Aldo/Northwest, who finished 7^th after starting 29^th.

The ANZE Suspension Hard Luck Award went to Super Touring car driver Michael Delle Donne of RMP Competition who sat out the race because he donated an ECU and an alternator from his BMW 330i to team mate Rocco Marciello’s car. Despite his efforts, Marciello lasted only seven laps in race.

The final stop of the season is the Sundown Enduro at ICAR in Mirabel, Quebec, September 11-12.

The Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Presented By Toyo Tires is Canada's Premiere Touring Car Series and features Canada's Best Drivers Racing Today's Hottest Touring Cars. The Championship is showcased at eight event weekends in Quebec and Ontario with marquee events at Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres and Honda Indy Toronto.

Written by Diane Swintal/Cooper Tires Prototype Lites | 30 August 2010

Last week, it was Antonio Downs who lamented that his brothers had not joined him on the Lites 1 victory podium. Today, it was Lucas and Matt Downs holding up their end of the bargain, finishing first and second in Round 13 of the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship.

Instead of the usual 45-minute event, the race was a 75-minute, 48-lap endurance event that included a mandatory four-minute pit stop – simulating a degree of what the drivers in the American Le Mans Series by Tequila Patrón experience. The pit stop added an entirely new realm of strategy and chance to the equation, as Lucas Downs, driving the #79 Eurosport Racing/Sam’s Club Élan DP02, used the pit stop to gain the lead. During the first full course caution after the pit window opened, Downs waited an extra lap after the leaders came in, came out with the lead and kept it until the end.

“We got lucky,” said Downs. “I stayed out an extra lap and one way or another, it worked. Charlie and Matt were faster than me when Gary wrecked – I appreciate the opening, but we were fortunate. I have to say, 75 minutes was just long enough! I didn’t need it any longer with those guys going that fast.”

Matt Downs (#12 Eurosport Racing/Hormel Bacon Bits) was happy with his second place finish, but noted the missing family member, with Antonio Downs (#4 Eurosport Racing/Lamex Foods) just off the podium in fourth.

“It was close racing,” said Downs. “After the pit stops, the car really came in, but I’m happy with second place behind my brother – we’re close to this podium deal with all three of us!”

It was a tough day for CORE autosport, as pole sitter Gary Gibson (#13 Perfect Pedal) crashed avoiding a car returning to the track after a spin and #54 Jonathan Bennett (Composite Resources) spun out of the last corner and was hit by another car on lap 46. But championship leader Charlie Shears (#21 US Builders) was the one positive note, finishing third.

In Lites 2, John Weisberg (#75 BERG Racing/Redcom) and Lee Alexander (#23 Factory 48 Motorsports/ APE Raceparts) battled back and forth all day, with Weisberg coming out on top and happy to see the finish.

“75 minutes is really long!” said Weisberg. “We made a strategic mistake on the stop and ended up pitting under green, but luckily I was able to lay down some really fast laps. The last yellow let me catch up to the field – I caught Lee (Alexander, #23 Factory 48 Motorsports/APE Raceparts), then he got caught up with a Lites 1 car and I was able to get by. I owe this all to my crew, they did a fantastic job.”

The Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship features racing between two sports racer prototype classes, Lites 1 and Lites 2, presenting a dimension of competition as drivers must be aware of classes with distinctly different speeds as they navigate the race track. This is the same challenge faced by the drivers of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

The Championship concludes with Rounds 14 and 15 at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, September 29 through October 2. Follow along on the race weekend at www.litestiming.com, on Facebook and Twitter and visit www.prototypelites.com for the latest schedule and updates.

 

Written by Reece White/SCCA and Photo by Al Merion | 30 August 2010

Brad Rampelberg, of San Jose, Calif., earned a wild SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup win Sunday at Mosport International Raceway, part of the Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport weekend, in a battle with Lyonel Kent, of Knoxville, Tenn., and Russell Walker, of Dallas, Texas, that wasn’t decided until the final corner.

At the finish of the 28-lap, 68.852-mile race that averaged 90.361 mph flag-to-flag, Rampelberg had grabbed a 0.255-second victory, his fifth of the season in the No. 4 AMG Racing/Mazda/Cobalt Brakes Mazda MX-5. The path to the checkered flag in round nine of 11 in the season, however, was anything but pretty.

Rampelberg, who entered the weekend third in the championship and locked in a season-long fight with leader Justin Piscitell and teammate Michael Cooper, had struggled through the practice and qualifying sessions early in the weekend at the 10-turn, 2.459-mile circuit east of Toronto.

“Mosport is an old-school track,” Rampelberg said at the finish. “I’ve raced here before, and I have to be honest, this track is faster than I am. It’s a great win here – there are a few classic tracks in North America, and winning at Road America and winning at Mosport is just amazing. You don’t get much better than that.”

While Rampelberg fell from his seventh starting spot to ninth on the first lap, polesitter Nick Evans, in the No. 28 Team MER/Mazda/Sparco Mazda MX-5, and Cooper, in the No. 84 AMG Racing/Bromante Landscaping & Design MX-5, set the pace up front.

By lap two, Piscitell, who had started sixth in the No. 89 Team MER/DAMG Worldwide/Merchant Services MX-5, had joined the two leaders up front. Trying to slip past Cooper for third through the left-hand turn nine, Piscitell nosed ahead of Cooper. The two made contact, moving Piscitell off the racing surface at the entrance of turn 10 and into the tire barrier.

The contact moved both racers to the end of the field, with Piscitell suffering the heaviest damage. He would finish 13th, eight laps down. Cooper finished 11^th.

Cooper was penalized 10 points and placed on two-race probation for his role in the incident.

Back at the front, Evans led a six-car breakaway for the lead that became a five-car train on lap eight when Jesse Combs lost control of his No. 77 ALARA Racing/coolgas.com MX-5 and made contact with the tire barriers, also in the final turn. Combs would rejoin the race, but a trip down pit lane to check the damage left him running 12^th at the finish.

Evans continued to lead through lap 13, but transmission troubles relegated the driver who had topped both practice and qualifying to a sixth-place finish.

Ara Malkhassian, driving the No. 11 ALARA Racing/Bulldog Productions MX-5, took the point on lap 14, and then relinquished the lead to Rampelberg on lap 15. After turning the race’s fastest lap of 1:36.711 (91.534 mph), Malkhassian fell off the pace, leaving Rampelberg, Walker and Kent to battle for the lead.

Rampelberg led the final 13 laps, with Kent and Russell swapping the second position on lap 22. On the final lap, Kent actually moved into the lead through turn seven, but the right hand final turns left Rampelberg on the inside and just ahead at the finish line.

“Nick Evans and Michael Cooper were the two guys to beat this weekend, and I was just hoping to be a part of that train,” Rampelberg said. “I had to race smart, and there was a bunch of attrition. The AMG guys gave me a great car, and I’m just happy to be here. I got raced really clean by Russell Walker and Lyonel Kent at the end, and it was another great racing finish. I don’t like to work this hard, but we needed this win.”

For Kent, it was his best finish since a win at Road Atlanta in round two.

“I had my work cut out for me today, starting back in eighth,” Kent said. “ALARA Racing gave me a good car. The qualifying strategy didn’t work out the way we had planned. The first couple of laps were pretty crazy, and I just wanted to keep my nose clean and make sure the Bulldog Productions car was there at the end. That’s what paid off was patience, and I slowly picked cars off one-by-one.

“It came down to Brad, Russell and myself. I got a good draft on Brad coming down the back straight and we went side-by-side through eight, nine and 10. It was a close race and it’s great to be back on the podium.”

Walker’s third-place finish was by far his best of the season in MX-5 Cup. Driving a partial schedule, Walker had yet to finish in the top-10 in four previous races but qualified third and was able to run in the lead back for the entire race at Mosport.

“I’ve been here twice with Star Mazda, and it helped me get up to speed quickly,” Walker said. “The Team MER guys really helped me get up to speed this weekend. For all the open-wheel guys who think this is easy, they’re in for a shock. It’s been a big challenge to adapt to these cars, only running four races this weekend, but the work paid off this weekend. It’s been an amazing experience, but we’re getting there finally and it’s good to get my first pro podium.”

Jeff Mosing drove the No. 30 Team MER/Frank’s International/RaceNowForAutism MX-5 to a career-best fourth place finish, one day after his best-ever qualifying effort left him starting fifth. Mosing fell back early, but continued to turn laps approaching the times of the leaders.

Alfred Caiola also earned his top career finish, finishing fifth in the No. 09 AMG/B&L Management MX-5 after qualifying 11. Caiola passed the struggling Evans on lap 23 to move into the top-five.

The weekend gives Rampelberg the edge in the Championship battle with two races remaining both during a doubleheader weekend at Miller Motorsports Park. In third place and trailing Piscitell by 12 entering the weekend, Rampelberg now leads Piscitell by 16 points (482 – 466) after earning 61 points with the round nine win. Cooper trails Rampelberg by 28 points in the championship hunt. Evans (413 points) and Combs (404 points) complete the top five.

Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup rules allow each driver to drop the lowest point-scoring race from their final tally. With the excluded race, Rampelberg leads by 21 points over Piscitell, with Cooper 28 points in arrears of Rampelberg.

The SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup finishes the season with a doubleheader weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, Sept. 10-12. For more information and results, visit www.mx-5cup.com.

Follow the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup on Twitter @ MazdaMX5Cup.

Written by Perry Iannuzzi/Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship | 29 August 2010

Saturday’s race winner, Dave Ciekiewicz, paced the field again during the Sunday morning warm-up session for the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires at the Grand Prix of Mosport.

Ciekiewicz, driving the Donington Motorsports Subaru WRX STi, put in a quick lap of 1:31.272 to lead the Super Touring (ST) class, which was more than six tenths of a second (0.644) faster than the G1 Racing Hyundai Genesis of Sasha Anis (1.31.916). Mathieu Audette was third in ST with a time of 1:32.930 in the Audette Racing Acura RSX.

In the Touring class, Michel Sallenbach of Octane Motorsports set the pace in his Mini Cooper with a time of 1:36.000. Not far behind Sallenbach was the M&S Racing Honda Civic of Tom Kwok (1:36.566). Karl Thomson posted the third fastest time in a Durabond/Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si (1:37.198).

Sunday’s 30-minute feature race will get underway at 11:30 a.m.

Follow all the action from Mosport, including session reports, live timing and scoring and the latest championship news at www.touringcar.ca

The Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Presented By Toyo Tires is Canada's Premiere Touring Car Series and features Canada's Best Drivers Racing Today's Hottest Touring Cars. The Championship is showcased at seven event weekends in Quebec and Ontario with marquee events at Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres and Honda Indy Toronto.

Written by Amy Konrath/Indycar.com | 28 August 2010

Dario Franchitti used a clever bit of strategy to win the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway and close the gap on IZOD IndyCar Series championship points leader Will Power.

Franchitti picked up the lead out of the final pit stop on Lap 173 -- relying on a double stint of the Firestone Firehawks (62 laps) - and held off Dan Wheldon by 0.0423 of a second for his third win of the season.

Power's No. 12 Verizon Team Penske crew had a fueling equipment issue on the same pit stop and he had to duck onto pit lane with five laps left for a splash. He was running fourth at the time but finished a season-low 16th.

Franchitti closed to 23 points of Power with three oval races left.

Marco Andretti led an Andretti Autosport trio in the top five with a season-best-tying third place. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan followed. Helio Castroneves finished sixth and Justin Wilson advanced 16 positions to finish seventh.

Franchitti posted his 26th Indy car racing victory, tying Rodger Ward for 11th on the all-time list (USAC, CART, Indy Racing league sanction). Johnny Rutherford (27) is next.

Also on Aug. 28, James Hinchcliffe held off Pippa Mann by 0.0159 of a second - the third-closest margin of victory in Firestone Indy Lights history - to win the Chicagoland 100.

Mann, who led her first laps of the season in the No. 11 Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, recorded a career-best finish and led three Sam Schmidt Motorsports drivers across the line. Philip Major also posted a career best to finish third and series championship points leader J.R. Vernay was fourth.

Hinchcliffe, who started 13th, was driving the high line and caught Mann on Lap 66 following a Lap 63 restart. It was his third victory of the season (first on an oval).

Written by Ryan Smith/American Le Mans Series and Photos by Dan Boyd | 28 August 2010

A wild season of qualifying in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón continued Saturday. Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Klaus Graf grabbed pole position, the seventh driver in eight races to earn those honors. He set a best lap of 1:06.956 (132.212 mph) in the Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder that he will drive with factory pilot Romain Dumas.

Graf outpaced Dyson Racing’s Chris Dyson – driving the Mazda-powered Lola coupe he will share with Guy Smith – by 0.186 seconds in another incredibly close qualifying battle. Patrón Highcroft Racing’s Simon Pagenaud was third in the HPD ARX-01c he will drive with David Brabham at 1:07.228 (131.677 mph).

The top four cars were within 0.526 seconds. Needless to say, the margin for error was razor-thin.

“This is very special to be (on pole),” Graf said following his first career Fast Qualifier honor. “Congrats to all the guys. In any class driving at this place is quite challenging and difficult. In the LMP cars, it’s unbelievable. Some of the corners you go through - it’s like a roller coaster. To put it all together and get a good lap and be overall pole here at Mosport is unbelievable.”

The Muscle Milk squad remains in the thick of the LMP championship despite missing the Mid-Ohio round. Team owner Greg Pickett was injured in a testing crash earlier that week and is out for the rest of the season. Graf and Pickett were winners at Lime Rock, and Timo Bernhard joined Graf with the two finishing second last weekend at Road America.

“It's a fantastic car, not just at this place, but everywhere,” Graf said. “So we are happy right now and we'll get a good sleep tonight, but the big thing will be tomorrow. We had a good pace setup right away. We weren't always happy; we tried a lot of things. We were trying for the sweet spot. We didn't make any big steps this morning, but we did in the second practice. Those things were crucial.”

Given how close race finishes have been the last few weekends, any adjustment the right way is critical. The last two Series races – at Mid-Ohio and Road America – have been nail-biters with a combined winning margin of 0.779 seconds. There have been three finishes of less than a second in overall races and a total of seven finishes of less than two seconds in all classes.

Risi Competizione’s drama-filled day ended on a high thanks to Gianmaria Bruni’s third career GT pole position. The Italian turned a lap of 1:17.160 (114.728 mph) on his third of five laps in the Ferrari F430 GT that he will drive with Toni Vilander. Bruni was to team with full-season partner Jaime Melo but he was pulled from the lineup with a stomach virus Saturday afternoon.

Vilander originally was in a second Risi entry but it was withdrawn following a vicious crash with Pierre Kaffer at the wheel Saturday morning. Kaffer went hard into the outside wall between turns 1 and 2 with heavy impact on the front end. He was transported to a local hospital but released a few hours later. Because Vilander was moved to Bruni’s car following the first practice, the car will start Sunday’s race from the back of the field.

“Wherever we finish – first, second or third – it will come from a clean good race,” said Bruni, the pole-winner at Utah. “Right now I’m not thinking points or championships. I'm just thinking how I can get by all the cars tomorrow. We'll see how it ends up tomorrow and see how it goes.”

“When the accident happened this morning, although I was fast I was not on the limit,” Kaffer said. “Everything was under control.  At the exit from the corner which enters the little short straight between Turns 1 and 2, the rear floor of the car hit the ground and the car got upset and snapped into the barriers. It was quite harsh and very sudden. I didn’t expect it at that point as the car was really good as our lap times would have showed.”

Bruni’s best qualifying lap was 0.301 seconds better than Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Jörg Bergmeister in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR he will drive with Patrick Long. He turned a lap of 1:17.461 (114.282 mph) in the class championship-leading Porsche. Four manufacturers and five entrants filled the top-five with BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team’s Tommy Milner third at 1:17.491 (114.238 mph). Those two cars will start on the front row in class.

As has been the case all year, more than half the field were bunched insanely close. Only 0.681 seconds separated the top-seven in GT. The championship standings reflect the class’ competitiveness. Risi is third in the team standings and only 14 points behind Flying Lizard.

“We are fighting for the championship with the (Flying Lizard) Porsche so we made the change to keep going,” said Bruni, a runner-up in class in 2007 at Mosport. “I enjoy this track here. It’s more of a driver track than any parts of America. You have to have a good car and a good setup more than anything. It's a great job for the team; they’ve worked so hard this weekend.”

In LMP Challenge, Luis Diaz claimed his second straight class pole with a lap of 1:11.455 (123.888 mph). He will make his third start with Ricardo Gonzalez in PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports’ ORECA FLM09.

Diaz was 0.558 seconds clear of Genoa Racing’s Frankie Montecalvo, who put in an impressive effort for 1:12.013 (122.928 mph).

“For us it’s been a dream really. Ricardo and I fit perfectly in this team,” Diaz said. “The car has been fantastic since we got here Wednesday. It was kind of weird but boring. I didn't know what to ask the engineers. To have the pole is nice, we love it. But Mosport is Mosport. The race is going to be very, very tough tomorrow. We know we have the speed but it will come with strategy too.”

The Mexican star won the LMP2 class last year at Mosport and shared the Series’ class championship with Adrian Fernandez. So he has some prototype experience and data to share.

“Basically in the P2, we had a lot more downforce through turns 1 and 2, and in Turn 8 we were flat out,” Diaz said. “It’s really a pleasure with the LMPC because you have to really think about corners and braking and driving the car. I remember last year when I was driving I told Adrian, ‘You will get to drive lots tomorrow. This is too dangerous!’ But the LMPC is perfect for this track. It’s just a great challenge to keep it fun but advanced too. “

Gunnar Jeannette qualified third at 1:12.073 (122.825 mph) in the Green Earth Team Gunnar entry he will drive with Elton Julian. The top four cars in the class were within 0.805 seconds.

Bryce Miller broke Jeroen Bleekemolen’s stranglehold on GT Challenge pole positions with his first career Fast Qualifier in the ORBIT/Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry. The young American set a lap of 1:22.495 (107.308 mph) in the car he will share with Luke Hines, good enough for a 0.103-second gap back to Bleekemolen in the Black Swan Racing entry.

“I really enjoy this circuit. It’s a great circuit with a lot of character,” said Miller, a GT2 race-winner with Farnbacher Loles Racing at Road America in 2008. “It's exciting to be in the qualifying position at this track and pull a great lap here. It can be an unforgiving track. It’s great for the team; the car has been technically sound but we just really had the luck come our way.”

Bleekemolen, who posted a lap of 1:22.598 (107.175 mph) and Tim Pappas lead the class championship after four wins in five races. But Miller has been one of the few drivers in class to match the speed of Bleekemolen. Like Risi in GT, the ORBIT squad had to overcome a little weekend drama of its own; the Porsche’s engine let go early in Friday’s test session.

Shane Lewis was next in class for Velox Motorsports at 1:22.911 (106.770 mph). He will drive with Lawson Aschenbach, the duo seeking Velox’s third podium finish in four races.

Miller has raced a variety of cars at Mosport, and his father Paul was a Trans-Am winner at the circuit in 1985. So the younger Miller knows Mosport’s risks and rewards.

“It’s incredible to look at the data and realize the speed you’re carrying around here. All the corners are really fast, which is a strength for me. I like fast corners. It's really exciting, the laps really count a lot here because the track can be unforgiving. You have to have a lot of confidence here. Hopefully I can also finish up with a result.”

Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport is set for 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 29 from Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. SPEED will air the race in its entirety starting at 4 p.m. ET with live radio coverage available on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche – a production of Radio Show Limited – as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242. Visit the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com.

You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes) and on our Facebook page and the official YouTube channel.

Mobil 1 presents Grand Prix of Mosport
Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
Saturday’s Qualifying

1. Romain Dumas, Ales (FR); Klaus Graf, Germany (DE); Porsche RS Spyder (LMP), 1:06.956, 132.212
2. Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY (US); Guy Smith, Bracken, Yorkshire (GB); Lola B09 86/Mazda (LMP), 1:07.142, 131.846
3. David Brabham, Maidenhead, GB (GB); Simon Pagenaud, Montmorrillon, FR (FR); HPD ARX-01c (LMP), 1:07.228, 131.677
4. Paul Drayson, London, GB (GB); Jonny Cocker, Guisborough, GB (GB); Lola B09 60/Judd (LMP), 1:07.482, 131.182
5. Tony Burgess, Toronto (CA); Johnny Mowlem, London (GB); Lola B06 10/AER (LMP), 1:08.117, 129.959
6. Ricardo Gonzalez, Monterrey (MX); Luis Diaz, Mexico City (MX); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:11.455, 123.888
7. Christian Zugel, Holmdel, NJ (US); Frankie Montecalvo, Highlands, NJ (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.013, 122.928
8. Elton Julian, Santa Monica, CA (Spa); Gunnar Jeannette, Salt Lake City, UT (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.073, 122.825
9. Kyle Marcelli, Barrie, ON (CA); Chapman Ducote, Miami Beach, FL (US); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.239, 122.543
10. Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS (US); Christophe Bouchut, France (FR); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:12.260, 122.508
11. Jaime Melo, Milan, IT (BR); Gianmaria Bruni, Rome, IT (Ita); Ferrari 430 GT (GT), 1:17.160, 114.728
12. Joerg Bergmeister, Langenfield, DE (DE); Patrick Long, Bellaire, FL (US); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:17.461, 114.282
13. Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, CA (US); Tommy Milner, Leesburg, VA (US); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 1:17.491, 114.238
14. Jan Magnussen, Denmark (DEN); Oliver Gavin, Yardley Hastings, GB (GB); Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (GT), 1:17.668, 113.977
15. Scott Sharp, Jupiter, FL (US); Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA (US); Ferrari 430 GT (GT), 1:17.726, 113.892
16. Olivier Beretta, Monaco (MON); Johnny O`Connell, Flowery Branch, GA (US); Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (GT), 1:17.794, 113.793
17. Dirk Mueller, Monte Carlo, Monaco (DE); Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA (US); BMW E92 M3 (GT), 1:17.841, 113.724
18. Bryan Sellers, Braselton, GA (US); Wolf Henzler, Nuertingen, DE (DE); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:18.469, 112.814
19. David Robertson, Ray, MI (US); David Murry, Atlanta, GA (US); Andrea Robertson, Ray, MI (US); Doran Design Ford GT (GT), 1:18.502, 112.767
20. Marc Goossens, Huntersville, NC (Bel); Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, MI (USA); Jaguar XKRS (GT), 1:19.099, 111.915
21. Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV (US); Guy Cosmo, West Palm Beach, FL (US); Ferrari 430 GT (GT), 1:21.771, 108.258
22. Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ (US); Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA (US); Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT), 1:21.798, 108.223
23. Scott Tucker, Leawood, KS (US); Andy Wallace, England (ENG); Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:22.081, 107.850
24. Bryce Miller, Summit, NJ (US); Luke Hines, Essex (Eng); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:22.495, 107.308
25. Tim Pappas, Boston, MA (US); Jeroen Bleekemolen, Monte Carlo, Monaco (Net); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:22.598, 107.175
26. Shane Lewis, Jupiter, FL (US); Lawson Aschenbach, West Palm Beach, FL (US); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:22.911, 106.770
27. Henri Richard, Los Altos Hills, CA (FR); Andy Lally, New York, NY (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:23.211, 106.385
28. Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT (US); Mitch Pagery, Deerfield Beach, FL (USA); Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 1:23.324, 106.241
29. Jon Field, Dublin, OH (US); Clint Field, Dublin, OH (US); Lola B06/10 AER (LMP), No Time.

Written by Perry Iannuzzi/Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship | 28 August 2010

Dave Ciekiewicz took advantage of his pole position and avoided trouble on the opening lap to secure his first Super Touring win of the season on Saturday at the Grand Prix of Mosport.

Starting from the pole position, the Donington Motorsports driver survived a chaotic start that saw four cars drop out of the race on the first lap due to contact sustained as the field funnelled into turn one.

As a result of the number of cars damaged by contact, the field was red-flagged for about 20 minutes to allow for track clean-up. Because no laps were completed, the field was reset to the qualifying order minus the retired cars.

Once the race was restarted, Ciekiewicz took command of the race early and led all 13 laps of the shortened 20-minute event.

By the time the checkered flag fell, his Subaru WRX STi was 0.553 seconds ahead of the second-place Team Aldo/Northwest BMW 328 of Gregory Pootmans who started on the outside of the front row. Sasha Anis started and finished third in Super Touring in a G1 Racing Hyundai Genesis.

Ciekiewicz turned in the fastest lap of the race (1:30.772).

“It was a good race, it was a little frustrating because, while we do have the power and was duking it out with Pootmans the whole race, what I have in power over Greg he has double over me in braking and handling,” Ciekiewicz said of his race long battle for the victory.

“I could [gap] him on the straights, but when it comes down to braking, he’s gobbling me up on the brakes and [getting] back everything I’m able to pick up,” he said.

In the Touring class, Kurt Langeveldt won from the third spot on the grid after contact took out polesitter Michel Sallenbach on the opening lap.

Langeveldt’s Can-Saf Motorsports Mazda Protégé was pursued closely by the Durabond/Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si of Anthony Rapone throughout the race, but Langeveldt held him off to take the win by 0.597 seconds. Tom Kwok of M&S Racing completed the Touring Car podium in his Honda Civic.

“Actually I was pretty excited, I was having a blast. I was like, ‘come on tires, hold together, hold together’, but I was just happy that the car held together in one piece,” a relieved Langeveldt said when asked about his race-long dice with Rapone.

The action continues on Sunday, with a 30-minute feature race, scheduled to run from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Follow all the action from the Honda Indy Toronto, including session reports, live timing and scoring and the latest championship news at www.touringcar.ca.

The Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Presented By Toyo Tires is Canada's Premiere Touring Car Series and features Canada's Best Drivers Racing Today's Hottest Touring Cars. The Championship is showcased at seven event weekends in Quebec and Ontario with marquee events at Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres and Honda Indy Toronto.