|
It was a fine
third placed finish in the GT1 class for the Maserati MC12
in the second round of the American Le Mans series on
Sunday. The race was held at Road Atlanta (Braselton,
Georgia) on 17 April and Andrea Bertolini and Fabrizio De
Simone were the men in the driving seat.
The car carried 30kg of ballast compared to the 58kg on
board at Sebring. It had made notable progress and more than
held its own against the fearful competition, especially in
the form of the official Chevrolet Corvette C6R and the
Saleen S7R from the ACEMCO team. The race lasted for two
hours and forty five minutes, and
confirmed the high levels of competitivity of the LMP and GT
class cars.
The Maserati MC12 maintained a consistent tempo on a winding
circuit (12 curves along its 2.54 length) where overtaking
is always a risk. The flow of the race was interrupted by
the frequent entry of the safety car following a series of
accidents.
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Having qualified tenth overall on the grid, and third in the GT1
category, after half an hour of the race, and on lap 23, the Maserati MC12
was occupying a strong third spot behind the two factory Corvettes
C6-R racers of
Ron Fellows and Olivier Beretta.
Just after an hour Fabrizio De Simone was forced to slow
with a gearbox problem but the MC12 was able to continue
racing. De Simone was in second place in the GT1 class after
an hour and a half and with 61 laps covered. He was a lap
down on the leading car and being tracked by Mowlem and
Borcheller's Saleen.
A routine refuelling and tyre change pit stop and it was
into the final hour and a quarter. Maserati maintained its
form in this part of the race to cross the line seventh
overall and third in the GT1 class. The crew finished just
11.075 down on the second placed Gavin/Beretta.
Victory in the GT1 category at Road Atlanta went to the
Chevrolet Corvette driven by
Fellows/O'Connell. The winners in the other categories were:
LMP1 Lehto/Werner (Audi R8, first overall); LMP2: C.Field/J.Field
(Lola-AER B05/40); GT2: Auberlen/Liddel (Panoz Esperante GT-LM).
The next event of the 2005 American Le Mans Series is be held on 22nd
May at Lexington, in Mid-Ohio, and will witness another two
hour and forty five minute 'sprint' race format.
|
|
|
|
