LONG BEACH, CA April 14, 2007 – Butch Leitzinger and Andy Wallace made it an all-Porsche podium at today’s American Le Mans Long Beach Grand Prix, finishing third, also making it the first overall P2 podium sweep in ALMS history. Leitzinger made the podium pass less than two minutes from the end, capping off a strong charge the last quarter of the race.
“Both cars were competitive this weekend,” said Chris Dyson. “We were able to run a very strong race pace and the cars were much improved from qualifying. It was a solid result for the team, especially given how short these last two weekends have been. Butch and Andy had ten minutes each in the car before qualifying yesterday. We’ve shown now that our race pace is very good relative to everyone else. The team did a great job and it’s a terrific result for the Porsche RS Spyder program. We are scoring valuable points and learning every weekend.”
Chris Dyson and Guy Smith finished fifth after a strong run in which they matched the leaders’ pace. This was Dyson Racing’s best finish of the year to date. “We are learning about the Porsche every time we go out and it is getting better and better,” noted Guy Smith.
The race was also the shortest of the year – an hour and forty minutes vs. the normal two hours and forty-five minutes. “You drive differently because it is a street track,” observed Andy Wallace. “With walls everywhere, if you make a mistake it is all over. With a shorter race you push even harder and the margin for threading the needle is smaller still.”
Wallace started the race in the #16 Therford/Norcold Porsche RS Spyder and Guy Smith in the #20. Thirty minutes into the race, they both pitted under the race’s first yellow for fuel, tires and driver change. Dyson and Leitzinger drove the final hour and ten minute stint. “Long Beach is the grand- daddy of street racing in America – one of our more iconic racing events,” Butch Leitzinger said afterwards. “It is very gratifying to have the team’s name added to its history.”
The ALMS travels to Houston for its next race in a week’s time, on April 21.
Pos | Car# | Class | Drivers | Diff | Car Make |
1. | 7 | P2 | Dumas/Bernhard | 0 | Porsche RS Spyder |
2. | 6 | P2 | Maassen/Briscoe | 0.760 | Porsche RS Spyder |
3. | 16 | P2 | Leitzinger/Wallace | 13.467 | Porsche RS Spyder |
4. | 9 | P1 | Brabham/Johansson/Dayton | 35.111 | Acura ARX |
5. | 20 | P2 | Dyson/Smith | 48.381 | Porsche RS Spyder |
6. | 26 | P2 | Herta/Franchitti | 59.441 | Acura ARX |
7. | 1 | P1 | Capello/McNish | 1:04.304 | Audi R10 |
8. | 15 | P2 | Fernandez/Diaz | 1 lap | Lola B06 |
9. | 2 | P1 | Piro/Werner | 1 lap | Audi R10 |
10. | 4 | GT1 | Beretta/Gavin | 3 laps | Corvette C6 |