Road Atlanta Petit Le Mans Track Report Hour One

PETIT LEMANS

ROAD ATLANTA BRASELTON, GEORGIA

Yellow Flag

Yellow Flag drops as cars leave pits for first of two pace laps because of oil on the track on the front straightaway caused by the #23 SC3 Porsche RSR which is oushed into the pits from pit out...#21 LMP Ford R&S MK III withdraws because of engine failure in the morning warm-up...the difference between WSC and LMP cars is the fact LMP cars have an air restrictor, they use carbon brakes, WSC cars use steel brakes, in LMP cars the muffler can't extent beyond the booster...there is no difference on fuel restirctor size and LMP cars use 18 inch wheels vs. WSC which uses 17 inch brakes.

The laps completed under the yellow flag are not being scored...#86 SC3 Porsche RSR enters pits on second yellow lap...start will be two-by-two...Green Flag drops at 11:17 am with all cars completing the first lap cleanly...reports of moisture from rear of #29 WSC Ford R&S MK III ...#28 Ford R&S MK III pits on lap #7 with leakage from center rear...#38 pits on lap 7 with radiator problems, takes on fuel, changes left rear tire, Boutsen takes car back on circuit...reports of #75 SC2 Mazda RZ-7 TKT has lost rear windshield driver's left near old pit entrance road...#23 SC3 Porsche RSR team will change engine and attempt to enter race within one hour time limit ( from the time the clock started)...at 21 minute mark #26 GT1 ACO Porsche 911 GT (McNish)leading by 1.328 seconds over#27 WSC Ferrari 333SP of Didier They's...#7 LMP Ferrari 333SP is third, 14.800 seconds behind leader...#88 WSC Ferrari 333Sp is fifth, giving Ferrari three of the first places.

At the 25 minute mark Theyas has cut McNish's lead to 0.700 seconds and both are almost 18 seconds of the third place car...#88 WSC (Lazzaro)passes #7 LMP Ferrari 333SP and the #77 LMP Porsche LMP- 1 98 (Alboreto) passes #7 going into Turn #9 om ;ap 15 by going over the curbs on the inside of the circuit...#4 Panoz GTR-1 (Pruett) is the first car in SC1, seventh overall on lap #16... faster cars are already lapping slower traffic by the 30 minute mark...#39 WSC Ford R&S MKII passes #7 LMP Ferrari 333SP on lap 25, moving into fourth overall...#28 WSC Ford R&S MK III pits, fuel, tires,driver change, Field out, Schroeder in ...#27 makes contact with anither car in esses on lap 27, damage to left front tire, limps back to pits, changes tires, takes on fuel, Theys stays in...#7 LMP Ferrari 333SP pits on lap 28, fuel, tires change, Van de Poele out, Taylor in (42minutes)

Race Leader at 45 minutes (lap30) #28 GT-ACO Porsche continues to lead but has extended difference to 40.225 seconds over second place #77 LMP-ACO Porsche...reports that #75 Mazda RX-7 TKT has flat on right rear, limping back to the pits on lap #31...#23 SC3 Porsche RSR returns from garage area..... ____________________________________________________________________________

Richard Sloop Motorsport News International Atlanta, Georgia