Lime Rock

LAKEVILLE, CT June 30, 2006 – The rain has receded here on the east coast and no water wings were required in today’s American Le Mans qualifying at Lime Rock Park. James Weaver won the LMP1 pole, setting a class record in the process. The Dyson team did a good job of maximizing the single day of practice and qualifying. “This was the best qualifying car I have had in a long time,” commented Weaver. “The car was running fantastic. It’s the best it’s been all year. The new chicane is different. It will make overtaking a little more difficult. I just wish that foxy Porsche was a little slower!”

The five weeks since the Mid-Ohio race have been spent maximizing development time of the car. There is new front suspension geometry on the Lola B06/10, different front suspension mounting points and better drivability from the AER engine. The # 16 Thetford/Norold car came off the truck quick with only minor set up tweaking needed. “The car feels quite good,” said Butch Leitzinger. “There is a little bounciness in the rear yet and a little understeer but it is all manageable.”

The #20 sister machine missed qualifying with mechanical issues that sidelined the car less than an hour before qualifying and could not be repaired in time. The Chris Dyson/Guy Smith car will start from the rear of the field in tomorrow’s two hour and forty five minute race. “A shorter track like this with lots of traffic promotes aggressive driving and we will be able to bring the car to the front quickly,” noted Chris Dyson. “This should be an interesting race. We always look forward to Lime Rock as it is our home race. We always do our best to put on a good show for our fans, and running up through the field will just add to that.”

This weekend is the 21st birthday of Rob Dyson’s debut of his Porsche 962 in the International Motorsports Association’s top echelon GTP ranks here at Lime Rock in 1985. They won that first race and have accrued an additional fifty-one wins in the last two decades.

Tomorrow’s race will be broadcast on CBS on Sunday, July 2nd: 4:00 – 6:00 PM EST.