Sebring, 1° giorno: Castroneves rapidissimo con la Porsche

Si sono aperti a Sebring i test collettivi pre stagione dell'American Le Mans Series che scatterà il 17 marzo con la 12 Ore di Sebring. Lunedì 22 gennaio Helio Castroneves ha debuttato sulla Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 mentre si è ufficialmente visto il motore Acura installato sulle Lola e sulle Courage. Il più veloce è stato proprio il brasiliano Castroneves in 1'47"228 ottenuto nel 2° turno pomeridiano, il quale parteciperà alla 12 Ore come terzo pilota affiancando Romain Dumas e Timo Bernhard. Seconda prestazione della giornata per la Porsche RS Spyder del team Dyson con Chris Dyson e Andy Wallace alla guida. Per questa squadra, si è trattato della primissima volta con la Porsche. A seguire, il motore Acura Honda installato sulla Lola del team Fernandez con Adrian Fernandez e Luis Diaz alla guida, poi l'altro Acura però montato sulla Courage del team Andretti/Green per Herta-Franchitti. Tra le GT2 subito bene la Porsche 997 di Van Overbeek-Bergmeister del team Flying Lizard che ha preceduto la Panoz Esperante.

English
Penske Motorsports and Porsche finished a top the timing sheets after the first day of the American Le Mans Series Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway on Monday, besting last year's qualifying pace by more than a half second. The team's No. 7 Porsche RS Spyder put in 39 laps during the afternoon's four-hour session, the best time a 1:47.228 effort. Penske driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves got most of the work following the announcement that he will join Porsche factory drivers Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard for the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 17. A second Porsche RS Spyder, the No. 16 Dyson Racing entry of Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace, turned in the second-quickest time at 1:49.894. Monday was the first time the team put its new Porsche on the track. Dyson expects to contend with Penske, the three Acura-powered entries and past Series P2 champion Intersport Racing for class wins throughout the season.
The Panoz Esperante GTLM of Panoz Team PTG was the quickest GT2 car Monday. Third on the day was the first of the new Acura cars, the Lowe's Fernandez Racing Lola B05/40. In its first public outing, the car of Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz turned in a best lap of 1:50.461. That was less than 0.3 seconds ahead of the Acura-powered Courage of Andretti Green Racing and another second better than Intersport's AER-powered Lola. In GT2, the new Porsche Type 997 RSR from Flying Lizard Motorsports went fastest. The entry of Johannes van Overbeek and Jorg Bergmeister posted a fast lap of 2:04.924, the only car in the 2:04 bracket.

Nella foto, Castroneves al volante della Porsche RS Spyder

1° turno, lunedì 22 gennaio 2007
1 - Fernandez-Diaz (Lola B05/40-Acura) - Fernandez - 1'50"156
2 - Field-Field-Berry (Lola B05/40-AER) - Intersport - 1'52"331
3 - Lewis-McMurry-Willman (Lola EX257-AER) - Autocon - 2'00"02
4 - Auberlen-Hand (Panoz Esperante) - Panoz - 2'04"423
5 - Van Overbeek (Porsche 997) - Flying Lizard - 2'04"507

2° turno, lunedì 22 gennaio 2007

1 - Castroneves-Dumas-Bernhard (Porsche RS Spyder) - Penske - 1'47"228
2 - Dyson-Wallace (Porsche RS Spyder) - Dyson - 1'49"894
3 - Fernandez-Diaz (Lola B05/40-Acura) - Fernandez - 1'50"461
4 - Herta-Franchitti (Courage LC75-Acura) - Andretti/Green - 1'50"747
5 - Field-Field-Berry (Lola B05/40-AER) - Intersport - 1'51"750
6 - Brabham-Johansson-Dayton (Courage LC75-Acura) - Highcroft - 1'52"472
7 - Lewis-Willman-McMurry (Lola EX257-AER) - Autocon - 1'55"614
8 - Van Overbeek-Bergmeister (Porsche 997) - Flying Lizard - 2'04"924
9 - Auberlen-Hand (Panoz Esperante) - Panoz - 2'05"022
10 - Henzler-Liddell (Porsche 997) - Tafel - 2'05"474