Today was qualifying (and some practice) for all classes running in
Saturday's "Utah Grand Prix." There are a lotta cars entered!
I took a lotta pics but many of them are of lower quality than I'd
like because of the zoom needed to get a reasonable sized image in
the frame. If I was gonna do a lot more of this, I'd go buy me a
better camera. Oh, well. Only tomorrow left (and then maybe the
Grand Am race in August....and Speed Week and WoS and.....)
Anyway, the qualifying was just about as strategically manipulated as
Formula 1 in all of the ALMS classes (LMP1, LMP2, GT1, GT2.) Some
drivers would make a fast lap, then cruise around just fast enough to
keep the tires up to temperature in case someone else ran faster,
then they'd put in another hot lap...and so on. Or they'd sit in the
pits until they could go out and run a real hot lap. The LMP1 battle
between the Audi R10s and the Dyson Lolas was pretty kool, the Penske
Porsche Spyders blew away the LMP2 class, as usual...but they were
more adversely affected by the 4600 ft altitude (they're normally
aspirated) than the turbocharged Audis and Lolas. So it's an all
Audi Diesel R10 front row.
In the GT1 class the Astons and Corvettes traded top spot back and
forth and I think it ended up Aston, Corvette, Aston, Corvette for
the first 4 places in that class. And the GT2 pole was stolen at the
last minute by a screaming lap from the Ferarri 430 that shocked the
Porsches, BMWs and Panoz's socks off. It was a lot of fun to watch.
The other classes qualified, but there wasn't as much hoopla
associated with them as with the ALMS cars.
Anyway, the pics can be reached from here:
http://www.chevyasylum.com/cruisin06/Welcome.html along with all the
other stuff that's happened this summer.
I'm on my way to bed so that I don't sleep thru the races tomorrow.
Ray the rat
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