McNish bids for 3rd LeMans win in new Audi coupe

  Audi R18 V6 TDI
Audi has unveiled its latest sportscar which Britain’s Allan McNish hopes will enable him to score his third and the German manufacturer’s 10^th McNish and his Audi Sport team-mates attended an unveiling of the Audi R18 at the Audi Sportpark in Ingolstadt, Germany, last night (Friday 10 December). 

Scenes from Petit LeMans - Saturday

  by Adriano Manocchia
Peugeot claimed an historic one-two in the 13th running of the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Highcroft Acura won the LMP2 class and Corvette squeaked out a close win in GT2, but some luck was involved. Our Adriano Manocchia was there to capture all the day’s action in these 200 photos.

Peugeot wins 2nd straight Petit LeMans

  Crushes rival Audi team by 2 laps
Peugeot won Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA 2 on Saturday, this time running the full 1,000 miles. A year after winning a rain-shortened race at Road Atlanta, the trio of Franck Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy scored a 61-second victory in their diesel-powered Peugeot 908 HDI. They led a second straight 1-2 finish for the French manufacturer in the cornerstone event for the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron.

Scenes from Petit LeMans - Friday

  by Adriano Manocchia
Friday was qualifying day for the Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta.  The powerful Peugeot team locked up the front row but the Audis were close behind.  Today's race looks to be a real fight.  Our Adriano Manocchia was to capture all the day’s action in these 105 photos.  The Peugeot team stayed fastest with Sarrazin turning the fastest lap.

Davison leads Peugeot pole sweep for Petit LeMans

  Second straight year with 908s on Atlanta front row
Peugeot swept the front row for Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA 2 on Friday with Anthony Davidson taking pole position with a lap of 1:07.187 (136.098 mph) at Road Atlanta. The British pilot put his Peugeot 908 HDi ahead of Pedro Lamy in the sister car by 0.222 seconds.  Peugeot was on the front row at the start of last year’s race and won the rain-shortened event. The French diesels also finished 1-2 two weeks ago at the Silverstone 1,000 km, besting diesel rival Audi in the process.

Scenes from Petit LeMans - Thursday

  by Adriano Manocchia
Thursday was the official day of practice for the Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta.  Part of the day was wet but later it cleared up.  Our Adriano Manocchia was to capture all the day’s action in these 130 photos.  The Peugeot team stayed fastest with Sarrazin turning the fastest lap.

Atherton says State of ALMS Series is strong

  ALMS
“Strength and new growth” are on tap for the 2011 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n. That is the forecast Series President and CEO Scott Atherton delivered today in the annual State of the Series address at Road Atlanta. The Series is closing an incredibly tight 2010 championship with Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA 2. “Our brand is healthy, strong and poised for growth,” proclaimed Atherton.  “Our product is well-positioned to meet our customers’ needs and business objectives.”

Sarrazin's Peugeot leads practice 2 at Road Atlanta

  Petit LeMans qualifying on Friday
Stephane Sarrazin turned the fastest lap in his Peugeot 908 HDI to lead a turbo diesel 1-2-3-4 in the 2nd practice session for Saturday's Petit LeMans ALMS race. Sarrazin was followed closely by the two Audi R15's of Andre Lotterer and Tom Kristensen. Former F1 driver Alex Wurz was 4th in the sister Peugeot to Sarrazin. David Brabham was fastest in the Honda HPD ARX-01c LMP2 car while Guy Cosmo was fastest in GT2 class in his Ferrari 430 GT.

Scenes from Petit LeMans - Wednesday

  by Adriano Manocchia
The American LeMans Series signature event Petit LeMans weekend got underway at Road Atlanta Wednesday with an open test session.  Our Adriano Manocchia was to capture all the days action in these 130 photos.  The Peugeot team drew first blood with Frenchman Franck Montagny turning the fastest lap.

Montagny and Peugeot fire first shot at Road Atlanta

  Opening test session for Petit LeMans
Franck Montagny and Peugeot fired the first shots of Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA 2 with the fastest lap in Wednesday’s official test session at Road Atlanta. The fast Frenchman turned a lap of 1:07.652 (135.162 mph) in the Peugeot 908 HDi factory prototype that he will share with Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy.

Large field entered for 13th annual Petit LeMans

  ALMS
The largest field for a race in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n in more than seven years is coming to Road Atlanta. The 13th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA2 features 45 of the best and most innovative sports cars in the world. Only once has the Series’ cornerstone event featured more cars on its grid.

Scenes from ALMS at Mosport - Sunday

  by Adriano Manocchia
The ALMS ran their feature race on Sunday at Mosport, in Ontario, Canada.  However, the race was cut short to just over 2 hours when an accident knocked down the guiderail and the repairs crews could not fix it.  Our Adriano Manocchia was there to capture all the action in these 185 photographs.

Dumas and Graf win shortened ALMS race at Mosport

  Damaged Armco could not be repaired
Klaus Graf and Romain Dumas won Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport on Sunday, taking Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Porsche RS Spyder to victory in a race called after 2:19 running. A heavy accident between Luke Hines and Jonny Cocker on Mosport International Raceway’s Andretti Straight damaged the Armco safety barrier beyond reasonable repair.

Scenes from ALMS at Mosport - Saturday

  by Adriano Manocchia
Another picture perfect day north of the border, and Klaus Graf drove his Porsche Spyder RS to pole position at Mosport in Ontario, Canada.  Graf outpaced Dyson Racing’s Chris Dyson – driving the Mazda-powered Lola coupe he will share with Guy Smith – by 0.186 seconds in another incredibly close qualifying battle.  Our Adriano Manocchia was there to capture all the action in these 120 photographs.

Graf gives Muscle Milk car pole in Mosport

  ALMS
A wild season of qualifying in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n continued Saturday. Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Klaus Graf grabbed pole position, the seventh driver in eight races to earn those honors. He set a best lap of 1:06.956 (132.212 mph) in the Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder that he will drive with factory pilot Romain Dumas.

Scenes from ALMS at Mosport - Friday

  by Adriano Manocchia
On a picture perfect day north of the border, the ALMS ran opening practice Friday at Mosport in Ontario, Canada.  Our Adriano Manocchia was there to capture all the action in these 170 photographs.

Cocker goes 4th to 1st to win at Road America

  As Bernhard runs out of fuel 2 corners from end
Jonny Cocker went from fourth to first in the last four laps Sunday as Drayson Racing won its first race in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n. Cocker passed Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Klaus Graf with two turns left at Road America and won the American Le Mans Series powered by eStar by 1.051 seconds in the Lola-Judd coupe that he shares with Paul Drayson.

Jonny Crocker leads Lola 1-2 in ALMS qualifying

  ALMS at Road America
Drayson Racing’s Jonny Cocker picked up his second straight pole position in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n with the fastest lap in qualifying Saturday for the American Le Mans Series powered by eStar. The young British star turned a lap of 1:49.554 (133.019 mph) around Road America in the Lola-Judd coupe that he will share with Paul Drayson.  He did it in dominating fashion with a 1.321-second gap over Dyson Racing’s Guy Smith in another Lola coupe, this one powered by a Mazda engine.

Scenes from Monterey Motorsports Pre-Reunion

  by Bob Heathcote
The event everyone waits for at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca each year is the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion event.  This weekend the drivers were practicing and our Bob Heathcote was there to capture all the action in these 120 photos.

Scenes from IndyCar and ALMS at Mid-Ohio - Saturday

  by Mark Scheuern
Will Power won his 7th 2010 IndyCar pole to tie an IndyCar record and in ALMS the Dyson team won a stirring duel on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit.  Our Mark Scheuern was there Saturday to capture all the action.

Dyson wins Mid-Ohio duel

  ALMS
Dyson Racing won an absolute classic race Saturday in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n as Chris Dyson held off Patr¢n Highcroft Racing’s Simon Pagenaud by 0.506 seconds in the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge. Dyson and Guy Smith each won overall in the Series for the first time, as did their Castrol-liveried, Mazda-powered Lola B09/86 coupe. After Intersport Racing’s Clint Field dominated for the first two hours, Dyson led the final 24 laps in one of the best races the Series has seen.

Scenes from IndyCar and ALMS at Mid-Ohio - Friday

  by Mark Scheuern
Ohio native Graham Rahal topped the time chart in the No. 02 National Tire & Battery entry for the initial IZOD IndyCar Series practice session for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance. In ALMS the Drayson team put their Lola on pole on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit.  Our Mark Scheuern was there Friday to capture all the action.

Cocker puts Drayson Lola on pole in Mid-Ohio

  ALMS
Ask and ye shall receive. The old saying held true for Drayson Racing’s Jonny Cocker, who parlayed a clean windscreen into his first overall pole position in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n. The young English driver turned a lap of 1:10.034 (116.069 mph) Friday in qualifying for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge.

Scenes from ALMS at Lime Rock - Saturday

  by Adriano Manocchia
The American LeMans Series raced at the picturesque Lime Rock Park in Connecticut Saturday and Adriano Manocchia captured all the action as it happened with these photos.

Milk beats Tequila at Lime Rock

  ALMS
Klaus Graf, Greg Pickett and Muscle Milk Team CytoSport earned their first overall victory in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n with a stunning victory Saturday in the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. Graf outdueled Patr¢n Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham in the final half-hour that saw the PHR HPD ARX-01c pushed off track as the two leaders went past the start-finish line in heavy traffic.

Scenes from ALMS at Lime Rock - Friday Qualifying

  by Adriano Manocchia
David Brabham took his first pole position of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season in style during a thrilling qualifying session in challenging conditions for round five at Lime Rock Park.  Brabham’s lightening performance not only secured his 13th career class American Le Mans Series pole position.  Adriano Manocchia captured the wet session as it happened with these photos.

Scenes from ALMS at Lime Rock - Friday

  by Adriano Manocchia
David Brabham took his first pole position of the 2010 American Le Mans Series season in style during a thrilling qualifying session in challenging conditions for round five at Lime Rock Park.  Brabham’s lightening performance not only secured his 13th career class American Le Mans Series pole position, but also the best possible starting position for his Danbury, Connecticut-based team, Patr¢n Highcroft Racing’s home circuit.

Another Lime Rock pole for Brabham

  ALMS
Patr¢n Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham won a stunning wet qualifying session Friday at Lime Rock Park for his second overall pole position in the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix. Brabham turned in a best lap of 58.106 (92.934 mph) in the HPD ARX-01c that he will drive with Simon Pagenaud. He outpaced Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Klaus Graf by 0.64 seconds.

Patron Highcroft wins Utah GP in a shootout

  ALMS
Patr¢n Highcroft Racing scored its third consecutive victory in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n on Sunday with a hard-fought victory in the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix. Simon Pagenaud drove the final 1:45 in the team’s HPD ARX-01c, and the Patr¢n Highcroft crew took advantage of a quick final pit stop to beat Drayson Racing’s Emanuele Pirro to the line by 19.116 seconds at Miller Motorsports Park.

Pagenaud snares pole in Utah

  ALMS
Simon Pagenaud captured his second straight pole position at the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix on Saturday. The sterling Frenchman set a best lap of 1:34.350 (116.229 mph) in Patr¢n Highcroft Racing’s HPD ARX-01c that he will drive with David Brabham. Pagenaud, who won the race last year with Gil de Ferran, outpaced Drayson Racing’s Jonny Cocker and his Lola B09/60-Judd coupe by 0.536 seconds.

ALMS boss Atherton looking ahead

  Rest of 2010 and beyond
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n kicks off the second half of the 2010 championship this weekend for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix. Before the action gets hot (literally!) and heavy at Miller Motorsports Park, Series President and CEO Scott Atherton gives us a little insight to how he sees the rest of 2010 and the 2011 season unfolding.

Rolex 24 Hour races at Daytona and LeMans

  Building anticipation for 2012 50th Running at Daytona
Anticipated by drivers, auto manufacturers and race fans everywhere, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona is the first major race of the world’s motor sport season. Every January, the Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Florida, USA) comes to life in celebration of this incredible endurance race, known by drivers as one of the most difficult in the world to win.

Scenes from the 24 Hours of LeMans

  by Gary Parravani
Our Gary Parravani brings you all the action from this year's 24 Hours of LeMans like only he knows how.

Audi in 1-2-3 sweep of 24 Hours of LeMans

  Win French classic after all 4 Peugeots fail
After a fierce battle between the Peugeot and Audi works teams, the German manufacturer has won its ninth victory with a 1-2-3 sweep after all four Peugeots either blew up or had chassis failures.  It was a major embarrassment for the French team in front of their French fans. The three drivers sharing car 9 – Dumas (FRA), Bernhard (DEU) and Rockenfeller (DEU) –  won here for the first time.

Peugeot retains pole for 24 Hours of LeMans

  Audi has little chance to beat the French Quartet
With four Peugeot 908s HDi FAP on the entry list, the French car-manufacturer takes no chances in its quest of the Holy Grail! The official team has topped the time-sheets since the beginning. Changing track conditions made things tricky for competitors throughout the race second qualifying on Thursday evening.

Peugeot on LeMans pole - Track changes from the 70s

  40 Years after record setting time by Vic Elford
For the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, French driver Sébastien Bourdais has provisionally set the fastest qualifying time of 3 minutes 19.711 seconds. Exactly forty years ago, Porsche driver Vic Elford qualified fastest for that year’s race by setting a time of 3 minutes 19.80 seconds. Even today the English driver’s time is still one of the fastest ever at the Sarthe track.

Bourdais and Peugeot top opening LeMans Qualifying

  24 Hour Classic
Peugeot led the opening session of qualifying on Wednesday night at France's Circuit de la Sarthe for this weekend's 24 Hours of LeMans. Four-time Champ Car title winner Sebastien Bourdais scored the provisional pole position during the two-hour session with a time of 3 minutes, 19.711 seconds. That was nearly four seconds quicker than the best Audi R15 TDI.

Andretti heads for LeMans classic with Rebellion Racing

  LeMans 24 Hour Classic
American Michael Andretti and the REBELLION Racing team is heading to France for the 78th edition of the world famous 24 Heures du Mans.  With two LMP1 Lola coupé - Rebellions entered for the race, REBELLION Racing will face new challenges in la Sarthe. The team will compete at Le Mans with two LMP1 cars for their first time under the REBELLION Racing name.

Tom Kristensen’s exclusive Le Mans Countdown

  Part 14
In a weekly column Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen gives some exclusive insights behind the scenes of the world’s most famous endurance race and the preparation by Audi Sport Team Joest.  "The time has come: on Sunday afternoon I’ll meet up with my team colleagues Dindo and Allan in Paris and we’ll travel together to Le Mans from there. During the whole week we’ll be driving to the track and back together.

Third generation Andretti at LeMans next weekend

  24 Hours of Le Mans
23-year old Marco Andretti, grandson of famous multiple champion Mario Andretti, will participate in the 78th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans which will start on Saturday, 12 June at 15.00. Grandson Andretti’s father, Michael, as well as his uncle John Andretti, also ran in this ultimate endurance sports car race.

Marco Andretti: Third generation Lola racer!

  Prepares for LeMans 24 Hour race
Marco Andretti will become the third generation from his famous family to grace the famous La Sarthe track next weekend. The 24 year old will just have had time to draw breath after hot footing it from the Texas IRL race, itself held just one weekend after the Indy 500, to France to make his race debut for the Rebellion Racing team in the number 12 Lola-Rebellion.

Blundell's Lola beast

  For the first time, Blundell speaks in detail
With just ten days to go until the 78th running of the world's toughest and greatest motor race, we count down to the big day with a series of past and present Le Mans features. 20 years ago Mark Blundell and the Lola built Nissan R90C stunned the sports car world by claiming pole position at Le Mans with an astonishing lap of 3m27.020s, some six seconds faster than the next car.

Oliver Gavin: Will this be the toughest 24 yet?

  LeMans 24 Hour Race
He may have competed there nine times before, and he may do marathon running as a hobby, but all this will pale into relative insignificance on the 12-13th June when 37-year-old Oliver Gavin takes on the legendary 24 Hour race in the large industrial town of Le Mans in North West France.  The British racing driver, along with team mates Olivier Beretta from Monaco and Frenchman Emmanuel Collard, will be pitting their talent, race craft and stamina against the cream of international sports car racing in the most prestigious event of their racing year.

Exclusive Le Mans Countdown – Part 13

  by Tom Kristensen
In a weekly column Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen gives some exclusive insights behind the scenes of the world’s most famous endurance race and the preparation by Audi Sport Team Joest.  "Today I’d like to tell you a few things about the track where the fastest 24-hour race of the world is held. Although the layout of this circuit has been repeatedly modified with new elements since 1923, the length of the track and all of its fascination has remained the same. Just once a year a race is held here."

Scenes from Laguna Seca - Saturday Race

  by Bob Heathcote

Patron Highcroft scores 6-hour win in Monterey

  ALMS at Laguna Seca
Patr¢n Highcroft Racing scored an exhausting victory Saturday in the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patr¢n. The HPD ARX-01c of David Brabham, Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti won an epic six-hour race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the second straight victory for PHR.  Franchitti took the checkered flag in Round 3 of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n.

Scenes from Laguna Seca - Saturday Morning

  by Bob Heathcote

Tom Kristensen’s exclusive Le Mans Countdown

  by Tom Kristensen
In a weekly column Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen gives some exclusive insights behind the scenes of the world’s most famous endurance race and the preparation by Audi Sport Team Joest.  "Just two more weeks and I’ll have to pack my suitcases for Le Mans. The race of the year is coming closer with giant steps.  I clearly remember my first Le Mans race in 1997. At that time, I received a call from Ralf Jüttner just a few days before the event."

Scenes from Laguna Seca - Friday

  by Bob Heathcote

Guy Smith puts Mazda on pole at Mazda Raceway

  ALMS
Guy Smith gave Mazda power its first overall pole position on its home track Friday. Dyson Racing’s popular Brit set a fast lap of 1:12.338 (111.377 mph) in qualifying for the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Tequila Patr¢n. Smith outpaced Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Klaus Graf by 1.517 seconds for his first career pole position in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n.

Scenes from Laguna Seca - Thursday

  by Bob Heathcote

Porsche LMP2 team fastest Thursday at Laguna Seca

  ALMS test session for Sunday's race
Seeing a Porsche out front at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is nothing new. Klaus Graf set the fastest time in Thursday’s test session for the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patr¢n. He set his best lap of 1:15.444 in the Muscle Milk Team CytoSport Porsche RS Spyder, a car that has had tremendous success at the circuit on the Monterey Peninsula.

Scenes from Long Beach Saturday - 3

  by Adriano Manocchia

Scenes from Long Beach Saturday - 2

  by Bob Heathcote

Scenes from Long Beach Saturday - 1

  Aaron Rommel

Pagenaud scores dramatic last-lap win in Long Beach

  ALMS
Simon Pagenaud and Patr¢n Highcroft Racing won a titanic battle with Aston Martin Racing’s Adrian Fernandez to win the Tequila Patr¢n American Le Mans Series at Long Beach on Saturday with a last-lap pass in his HPD ARX-01c. The young Frenchman beat Fernandez across the line by 0.353 seconds.

Scenes from Long Beach Friday - 4

  by Adriano Manocchia

Scenes from Long Beach Friday - 3

  by Adriano Manocchia

Fernandez wins pole for Aston Martin

  In Long Beach ALMS qualifying
Adrian Fernandez made himself quite at home – again – at the historic Long Beach circuit Friday. The Mexican racing legend captured his first overall pole position in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n with a lap of 1:13.213 (96.770 mph) in Aston Martin Racing’s Lola-Aston Martin prototype coupe for the Tequila Patr¢n American Le Mans Series at Long Beach.

Scenes from Long Beach Friday - 2

  by Bob Heathcote

Scenes from Long Beach Friday - 1

  Aaron Rommel

2010 Audi 2015 'Plus' details released

  ALMS and LMES
Audi has officially revealed details and photos of the all-new design and race livery of the 2010 Audi R15 'plus.' Whereas silver was the Audi R15 TDI's dominate color last year, large areas of the new Audi R15 'plus' will be draped in red and "carbon fiber look" black. Look for the new 2010 Audi R15 TDI to debut at the Le Castellet 8 hours on April 11th.

Scenes from 12 Hours of Sebring - 2

  by Scott Morris

Peugeot 1-2 in 12 Hours of Sebring

  Bourdais Peugeot gets beat by team car of Alex Wurz
Alexander Wurz's outlap after his final stop was quick enough for an overall victory for himself and Team Peugeot Total teammates Marc Gene and Anthony Davidson. Wurz drove his diesel-powered Peugeot 908 HDi FAP to a 13.817-second win at the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, a first in the event for the famed French marque.

Scenes from 12 Hours of Sebring - 1

  by Scott Morris

Marc Gene puts Peugeot on pole at Sebring

  Classic 12-hour event runs Saturday
With no real competition to speak of, Peugeot completed a front row sweep in qualifying for the Sebring 12 Hours, with Marc Gene beating teammate Nicolas Minassian by 0.3 sec. Stefan Mucke briefly put Aston Martin Racing on provisional pole before the Peugeots buried his time. He held on to third place, 0.8s from Gene's time, but most think the Peugeots were not even trying hard.

Scenes Sebring Testing - Wednesday

  by Adriano Manocchia

Scenes Sebring Testing - Monday and Tuesday

  by Adriano Manocchia

Peugeot opens strong in Sebring testing

  Lamy/Bourdais/Minassian car quickest in Tuesday testing
Peugeot seems eager to continue its run of endurance success with the fastest time unofficially Tuesday in testing for the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. The No. 08 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP of Pedro Lamy, Sebastien Bourdais and Nic Minassian posted a fastest lap of 1:46.232 (125.386 mph) around the 3.7-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway.

Aston Martin tops Tuesday test times in Sebring

  ALMS
Aston Martin Racing ended the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patr¢n’s annual Winter Test at the top of the time sheets but with a lot of work to do for the 2010 season opener. The factory Aston Martin-powered Lola B09/60 set the fastest time Tuesday with a lap of 1:46.894 (124.609 mph) at Sebring International Raceway.

Porsche Makes a GT3R Hybrid!

  by Scott Morris
The 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of LeMans, the Rolex 24...endurance racing prizes that task the endurance of man and machine.  Porsche executives have continually stated that a hybrid Porsche sports car was a long shot.

Well, it is here...