American Le Mans Series, round 8 in Mosport, Canada
After five victories so far this season with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the American Le Mans Series, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) are on a steady title course. The Porsche works drivers are eager to make another step towards winning the championship in the GT class, when the race series with the world’s fastest sports cars takes off on the Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville on the outskirts of the Canadian city of Toronto.
Title defender Joerg Bergmeister travels to Canada’s oldest race track with its many fast corners with mixed feelings. On the 4.102 kilometre circuit, he celebrated three victories with Porsche between 2003 and 2005, but still says: ‘There are tracks that suit us better.’ The main priority at the third to last race of the season is to defend the comfortable points’ lead. ‘Our strongest rivals for the title are Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer with the Ferrari. We want to cross the finish line ahead of them. If we can do this, like in Elkhart Lake recently, then we won’t even mind if we don’t win. A podium result should be possible though.’
This confidence approaching the end of the season comes after a great deal of hard work on the part of the clear points’ leaders starting for the Flying Lizard Motorsports team. With five straight wins against strong competition from Ferrari, BMW and the Chevrolet Corvettes they not only equalled the GT record in the American Le Mans Series, but also secured an excellent starting position for the closing stages of the series. Patrick Long: ‘Thanks to the reliability of the 911 GT3 RSR and our team’s perfect work we are in an excellent position. We will do everything to make sure we have something to celebrate after the season finale.
The title favourites receive support from their teammates Darren Law (USA) and Seth Neiman (USA), who share driving duties in the second Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by Flying Lizard Motorsports. For Farnbacher Loles Racing, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Dirk Werner (Germany) will race another 911 GT3 RSR.
The Porsche RS Spyder of the US team Cytosport, which crowned its excitedly anticipated comeback in the LMP2 class with two podium places from two races, will rejoin the action at the ten hour Petit Le Mans classic on the time-honoured Road Atlanta circuit.
The race in Mosport starts on Sunday, 20 August, at 15.00 hours local time (21.00 hour CEST) and runs over 2.45 hours.
- Porsche
