Category: ALMS

Articles, updates, and commentary on the American Le Mans Series

Episode 160 — OpenPaddock.net Podcast

Doug Patterson

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Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIf you missed it last night on ETV Live!, we had the honor of speaking with the newly signed pilot of the #9 Firestone Indy Lights racing machine for Belardi Auto Racing, Mr. Peter Dempsey. Peter shared with us his experiences struggling to find a stable ride through the end of 2011 with Andretti Autosport, racing and coaching in 2012 at Indianapolis and Detroit this past season with Younessi Racing, and ending the 2012 season with Belardi. We also asked him to do some…

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ALMS and USF2000 Photos from the Virginia International Raceway

Doug Patterson

Tom Turk knocked it out of the park again! Tom was at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for the season finale of the USF2000 National Championship Presented by Cooper Tires Powered by Mazda, and the penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series. Joining the USF2000 and ALMS were the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama and the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy MX-5 Cup. Here are Tom’s photo galleries from the weekend. Remember, if you’re anywhere near the Baltimore/DC area and need photography services for your wedding, portraits, or event,…

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ALMS and SCCA Photos from MidOhio

Doug Patterson

In addition to the IZOD IndyCar Series and the USF2000 National Championship, the American Le Mans Series and the SCCA Pro Racing Pirelli World Challenge were at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last weekend. As always, the Cadillac CTS-Vs in the PWC sounded absolutely amazing! Robertson Racing’s FordGT were missed this week, but the new SRT Viper made it’s debut. I must admit that although it looked cool, it’s sound and performance were underwhelming compared to the Corvettes. MidOhio was their first event, however, and given that, I can cut…

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ALMSChicks – Sebring: Race Day Wrap-Up

Mike Shaw

There is just something about watching the sun come up over the track race day at Sebring International Raceway. You have the best technology that Audi, Corvette, Porsche, and Lotus can offer, practicing at speed with bright sun breaking the horizon. It’s breathtaking! We were able to watch the morning warm-up from the Gurney Terrace Pit Box Seats right behind Dyson Racing. If you are planning on attending the morning warm-up, remember to arrive very early. It took us almost 45 minutes to find a parking spot in the infield.…

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ALMSChicks – Sebring: THINGS WE LEARNED AT SEBRING THE DAY BEFORE THE 12 HOURS

Mike Shaw

Beware of traffic in the Paddock between morning practice and the autograph session: And we do mean traffic. Racecars, golf carts, pedestrians, trash trucks, cars, vans, pit carts: you name it, it will be trying to get from Point A to Point B between the hours of 11 am and 12 pm. Our suggestion? Get to a side and stay there! It gets very crowded and frustrating for everyone! Tiki Tea: A new discovery of ours this year. 20 oz of Sweet Tea for $1 – no way you can…

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The Mid-Ohio Weekend in Photos

Doug Patterson

One of the magnificent things about a road course event, and the ALMS/INDYCAR weekend at Mid-Ohio especially, is that there is NEVER a quiet moment on the track. There’s always something buzzing around the circuit. This year was no exception as we has the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship, the SCCA Pro World Challenge, the American LeMans Series, the US F2000 National Championship, and the IZOD IndyCar Series taking to the circuit from 0800 to as late as 1900! That also means that is photog was one busy dude! I…

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LeMans – Lotus to Contest Full North American and International GTE Schedules

Doug Patterson

Lotus (Group Lotus, the car people, not Team Lotus the Tony Fernandez team) released news today that they will compete in a full North American and International schedule in the GT2 classe with the Lotus Evora GTE. They will race in the American Le Mans Series in a factory-backed effort through the newly formed Lotus Sport USA, and will also look toward fielding an LMP2 car by 2013. Heading up the new program are sports car racing veteran Ian Dawson and financial guru John Pritzlaff. “We are very happy to…

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Part IV:New Direction Needed for IMSA-ALMS

Mike Shaw

The 2011 American Le Mans Series season will (likely) widely be remembered as the one with two very successful events, Sebring and Petit Le Mans, a very questionable television/broadcast package with ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com that fans and some media are very critical of and other than the ALMS serious fan, some other races.   What’s this you say?  Have you lost your mind? The season is only two races old, we’re in the Le Mans break, Lime Rock is but a month away, we got bunch a great races leading…

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