The Maserati MC 12, in the hands of Andrea Bertolini and Fabrizio De Simone, qualified third in the GT1 class and tenth overall this afternoon for tomorrow's ALMS Grand Prix of Atlanta.

During the final practice session, just prior to qualifying, the Maserati team, which is being supported on its US debut year by Risi Competizione, concentrated on fine tuning the car into race trim, centering their efforts on tyre compound choice and suspension set-up. The team was able to find improvements throughout the session, making possible the strong grid position.

The Sportsbook.com Grand Prix of Atlanta, round two of the 2005 American Le Mans Series, will start tomorrow, Sunday April 16, at 12:00 noon local time, with the chequered flag being waved three hours later at 3pm.

While overall pole position was taken by James Weaver in the LMP1 class Dyson Lola/AER, in the GT1 class, Corvette pilot Johnny O'Connell picked up his first career ALMS pole, a remarkable achievement for the resident of nearby Flowery Branch, Georgia. What's more, O'Connell did it in style, shattering the track's qualifying class record with a lap of 1:17.034 in the new Corvette Racing C6-R he will share with Ron Fellows.

"We show up here, and, yes, it's a brand new race car, but it's close to how we're going to race it," O'Connell said. "So for the guys, this is a good one. We've got as nice a race car as we've had. The fact that it's seven miles from my house is even better."

In fact, the top five GT1 cars, including the third placed Maserati MC 12, all broke the record which was previously held by Fellows, a 1:18.632 effort in qualifying for the Petit Le Mans. The other Corvette Racing C6-R, of Olivier Beretta and Oliver Gavin, will start second in class, just ahead of the MC 12.

Maserati are competing in ALMS this year with an MC12, driven by Italians Andrea Bertolini and Fabrizio De Simone, that runs in compliance with the rules of IMSA. The car matches FIA GT1 specification and this weekend carries a ballast load of 30 kilos (down 20kg from the 50kg which the MC 12 was forced to carry at Sebring). The team will not be eligible to score points for the Championship.

"This morning we worked on the set up of the car for the race, directed mostly toward choice of springs and anti-roll bars," reported Bertolini after qualifying. "My best lap was clear and this course rewards momentum, so I was able to achieve a good result.
 

"The team has made good progress in finding the proper set up, given how we must run our car. The goal tomorrow is steadiness, as it is race by race, from this we hope to find success."

Meanwhile De Simone reported: "The team really worked hard to find the optimal balance for the car, and it showed on the track. Andrea put in an exceptional lap while our times were consistently strong. We hope to continue our progress and are looking forward to the race tomorrow."

The participation of Maserati Reparto Corse in the ALMS series this year has been made possible thanks to the fundamental co-operation of several important partners, including Pirelli and team Risi Competizione, which are supporting Maserati logistically.

Houston-based Risi Competizione have a long and fruitful record in racing Italian sportscars stateside, most recently with the GT-class Ferrari 360 Modena they have campaigned very successfully in the ALMS over the past few seasons, in fact the only car which has proved capable of breaking the GT-class stranglehold of the factory-backed Porsche hordes. Risi are providing logistical support, as well as supplying pit crew members, drawing on their wealth of experience to have strong input into the race strategy, and assisting with mechanical work as and when required.

The MC12 is using Pirelli Racing P Zero tires, developed in 2004, and currently used on an exclusive basis in the FIA GT Championship. The successful co-operation between Maserati and Pirelli continues in the American Le Mans Series.

GT1 Qualifying Times: 1st GT1 (7th overall) Ron Fellows, Canada; Johnny O'Connell, Flowery Branch, GA; Corvette C6-R, 1:17.034, 118.70mph, 2nd GT1 (8th overall) Oliver Gavin, England; Olivier Beretta, Monaco; Corvette C6-R, 1:17.323, 118.26mph, 3rd GT1 (10th overall) Fabrizio De Simone, Italy; Andrea Bertolini, Italy; Maserati MC12, 1:17.658, 117.75mph, 4th GT1 (11th overall) Terry Borcheller, Gainesville, GA; Johnny Mowlem, England; Saleen S7R, 1:18.133, 117.03mph, 5th GT1 (12th overall) Ryan Dalziel, Scotland; Alex Figgie, Hollywood, CA; Corvette C5-R, 1:18.365, 116.68mph, 6th GT1 (14th overall) Michele Rugulo, Italy; Tom Weickardt, Whitefish Bay, WI; Dodge Viper, 1:21.987, 111.53mph.