The American Le Mans Series has a busy timetable over the summer. In just one month, the teams faced each other on three of the most redoubtable circuits in North America. Christophe Bouchut was victorious in Lime Rock and in Mid-Ohio, alongside Scott Tucker, while the crew of the nr 55 Level 5 Motorsports Honda-ARX 03b came close to success at Mosport. The Frenchman and the American are still in the lead of the LM P2 category, as they have been since the start of the season, but nothing is yet decided, with four races remaining!
American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park, 4th round of the American Le Mans Series, July 6th & 7th 2012
Lime Rock Park is an exceptional circuit in many ways. There are no grandstands, unlike all other circuits in the United States, which however does not stop the crowds from flocking there for the big meetings. The track is barely two and a half kilometers long, meaning that a lap for the LM P2 Prototypes is less than 47 seconds. The hilly circuit, winding and narrow, gives constant traffic problems to the drivers, who are all aware that the walls are never far away…
The starting grid for this 4th round of the ALMS had 29 cars in five separate categories, so many races within the race. In such a context, it is not good to start from the back! This was nevertheless the challenge faced by Christophe Bouchut in Lime Rock. “I set the best time among the P2 competitors in qualifying, and we should have started third, behind the P1 cars. But we were penalized because my team-mate Scott Tucker, entered on both of the team’s cars, had not driven sufficiently in practice with the 055. The other consequence was that I had to take the start, unlike our usual strategy. I was fighting against our ‘non-pro’ rivals, and vice-versa for Scott at the end of the race.”
These starting conditions did nothing to spoil the show throughout the two hours and 45 minutes of the race. The TV commentators spent quite some time discussing the fight for victory in the P2 category. We would suggest that you watch the onboard sequence where Christophe is cutting through the traffic amongst a group of the top GT cars, who were involved in their own fight . “I managed to get into the lead, then I got a lap on the Conquest car. It lost a second further to a penalty, but they made the most of the safety-car interventions to come back, so that Martin Plowman was only 10 seconds behind Scott with thirty minutes remaining.” Level 5 Motorsport’s owner-driver was not about to be overtaken by his young rival, and the end of his stint is also well worth.
The tension was high in the final moments of the race, but the safety car neutralized the suspense with nine minutes to go. “It was a fine win for the team, we really had to push to get it! Well done to Scott, who never lost his concentration despite what was at stake. He was both fast and consistent, he managed the traffic well and did not give Plowman any opportunities while remaining fair.”
Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, 5th round of the American Le Mans Series, July 20th – 22nd 2012
The variety and extreme difficulties of the circuits on the calendar is one of the charms of the ALMS, which makes it a special championship in the world of endurance motorsport. The Canadian round really illustrated this fact. Each year, it takes place at a track which hosted several unforgettable Formula One Grand Prix between 1967 and 1977. Except for some widening in 2001, the track has remained the same. Today, the prototypes set average speeds over 200 km/h. “Mosport is the most difficult and most dangerous circuit of the season. A number of corner combinations are taken flat out in fifth, and you rarely touch the brake pedal!”
Unusually, set-up problems in qualifying meant that Christophe did not start from pole. The black Honda, carrying the number 055, started from fourth place on the grid with Scott Tucker behind the wheel, just behind the Conquest Morgan-Nissan. Once again, there was a thrilling battle between the two contenders for the title, with some rather… camera-worthy fights. Two penalties, for speeding in the pit lane and crossing a white line, decided the outcome. Scott and Christophe had to be content with second place. “We are still hungry, as victory was within our grasp,” Christophe said regretfully. However, he only had to wait two weeks before tasting victory once more…
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, 6th round of the American Le Mans Series, August 2nd – 4th 2012
The Mid-Ohio circuit, which is celebrating its 50 years this year, is another circuit that demands bravery. Christophe took pole position and his 100th career win there in 2010. “This has become an iconic place for me, far from anywhere but with a hilly track that I enjoy, where a driver can make a difference. The first part is very fast, the second is as well, but with walls close to the circuit almost like on a street circuit. You must not go off at the end of the straight as there is a sort of dip, and the cars that leave the track have no time to even touch the ground before hitting the barriers!”
Christophe was fastest of the P2 cars in all free practice sessions, and set the 89th pole position of his career with a lead of more than half a second over Martin Plowman. The race looked like being hot in all meanings of the word, without any wind, high humidity and the thermometer rarely under 40° Celsius ! “Everyone was suffering,” Christophe admitted. “Scott did a good stint, and we were around ten seconds from the Morgan-Conquest when I took over. Like in practice, the car was going perfectly, and I caught up with Plowman. I attacked, he did not leave me much space, but I got through! I had a lead of seven seconds when we stopped for a final splash and dash, 25 minutes from the chequered flag. After that, I had to fight through the traffic, and Gavin’s Corvette hit me at the rear. We had some bodywork damage, and I lost some of the downforce, and Plowman closed on me. But he also lost time overtaking the GT cars, and by the end, I was once again 7 seconds in the lead.”
In the provisional classification of the ALMS, the Level 5 Motorsports duo of Tucker and Bouchut are leading Heinemeier-Hansson/Plowman by 12 points. All thoughts are now on the seventh round, which will take place at Road America, with a four-hour sprint on August 19th.
Source : Christophe Bouchut