Acura Sports Car  Challenge of St. Petersburg - Live reporting from the VICI Racing pits

5:05 PM Ruben is being helped dealing with the influx of race fans during the autograph session by our Kumho girl, Jaycelle; who is with our team for the season. And, not the least, she provides a perfectly big helping of motor racing glamour. Ruben is certainly very popular with the fans, but it's quite difficult to say who is more popular...

4:50 PM The team is busy working like clockwork on the #5 car under the awning, but outside the truck, in the hot Florida sunshine, the fans are streaming into the paddock to get a real close-up taste of the ALMS atmosphere. These are some of the most knowledgeable racing fans around; and the atmosphere is second to none. Ruben's performance on track on his ALMS debut has caught the eye, and many want to know more about this young Brazilian and his plans. During the hour long autograph session he's kept very busy signing everything from hero cards to crash helmets and T-shirts. Ruben is being helped dealing with the fans by our Kumho girl, Jaycelle; and its often difficult to say who is more popular with the crowd...

4:00 PM Back at the paddock, and after an exhaustive examination, the #5 car has been deemed to be unrepairable at the circuit, and the decision has been made to withdraw the car. It's a bitter blow for everyone. But hardly has this been decided and the team are thinking ahead towards Long Beach, the switch is smooth and instantaneous; and so the car starts to be stripped down as a new engine and gearbox rebuild are required due to their running time, before the next race. The whole team is now looking forward to the next round of the 2008 ALMS in California in a fortnight’s time, and we will be targeting a good result.

1:55 PM With fuel and a new set of Kumho Tires Nathan was set out after 38 minutes of the session, and he was quickly into the groove, turning in similarly consistent times to Ruben, before on 47 min a slide saw him make light contact with the barriers. Unfortunately an LMP2 car then made contact with the stranded car which appears to have resulted in more serious damage being inflicted.

1:35 PM Ruben is now explaining his run to team owner Ron C. Meixner. As a former top-level driver, who includes racing for the Porsche factory supported Joest team on both sides of the Atlantic as part of his impressive CV, Ron is perfectly in tune with the drivers and how they think. As a winner he also demands 110% all the time, and not just from the drivers, but every member of the team.

1:26 PM Ruben has impressed in the car. Within a couple of laps he's posted a solid 1:17.083, before yellow flags are waved after 7 mins 43 secs after an Acura spins. The Brazilian is back out as the course goes green at 10:42 and after the car has been checked, and he's turning in consistent lap times: 1:16.253, 1:15.799, 1:16.513 and 1:15.861. After 20 mins and 58 secs he's in the pit for another routine stop.

1:20 PM A welcome - and familiar - face in the VICI Racing 'hot pit' this week is Dutch youngster Nicky Pastorelli. A former F3000 Champion, F1 Test & Reserve Driver and ChampCar pilot, Nicky is one of a new generation of smooth, fast young sports car stars who have effortlessly made the switch from single seaters. He drove for VICI Racing during the Rolex 24 at Daytona last year, and was behind the wheel during the shakedown tests of our new 911 GT3 RSR last month. A modern, consummate professional, Nicky is a key and popular member of our operation.

1:10 PM We're delighted to have Makes & Models magazine (www.makesandmodels.com) supporting us this weekend. Makes & Models is a premium lifestyle publication that combines a smooth blend of fast, luxurious cars and the most glamorous models, its a perfect fit with top-level sports car racing; while their professional, upper echelon ideals go hand in hand with VICI Racing's philosophies. We pleased to have them with us here.

1:00 PM Jody Coenen is one of two English staff working at VICI Racing. Another experienced, focused professional in the team, Jody, who originates from Leicester, moved from the UK to Florida in 1985 and now works full time in VICI Racing's workshops. His role seems to be pretty varied, he's been setting up the paddock, and is now busy on the pitwall as the session winds on. He also drives the truck.

12:55 AM The afternoon kicks off with a second hour long practice session (1:05 – 2:05 PM), again it will combine all the classes, before the 20 minute final qualifying session (2:15 – 2:35 PM), which is reserved for the GT1/GT2 classes, and which will decide the starting grid. The #5 Porsche is now in the pit ready for the green flag. Ruben will take the car out for the first half of the hour long session before handing over to Nathan.

9:50 AM Ruben has been debriefed by Roland. "The Porsche is a very easy car to drive," he says, "I was enjoying it out there, the circuit is very interesting. I could go about 2 seconds a lap faster as I was in traffic the whole time I was out. The track is very dirty and slippy, but it's great fun; it's just a pity I clipped the wall."

9:35 AM The team decide to skip the remainder of the opening practice session so that the car can be thoroughly checked back in the paddock. The next practice session is at 1:05 PM, with qualifying straight after at 2:05 PM, so it's plenty of time to give the #5 car a detailed examination.

9:28 AM Ruben arrives in the pits, he's clipped the wall in Turn 11, and the car races into the pits for inspection. The concrete barriers at St. Petersburg are unforgiving and the high-speed chicane at Turn 11/12 can catch drivers out.

9:20 AM Ruben is out on track, and seems to be settling into the #5 car pretty well. Very early on he posts a solid lap in 1:19.648. And as the times quickly drops he follows this up with a 1:16.503 which puts him in a respectable position for what is his first time out in the RSR, at St. Petersburg and in ALMS.

9:15 AM Jason Myers is lead Kumho Tire Technician on the #5 VICI Racing car and he's looking to make further progress with the tire development program today. "We have two compounds to evaluate today, we didn't get a chance to try them at Sebring, so we're slotting them in here. We expect to get a lot of useful feedback this week on a what is very different surface, so we expect to continue pushing the program forward."

9:10 AM Ruben is out on track as the session gets underway. Open to all four classes (LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2) its going to be busy out there. "We have a lot to get through in this session," says Roland Wall, Technical Director & Chief Engineer, from his familiar spot on the pit wall. "I want Ruben to get acclimatised to the car, we will also be looking at new tire compounds and working on set up ahead of qualifying this afternoon."

9:00 AM The sun is still low in the sky as the team's new Brazilian signing Ruben Carrapatoso is strapped in the car for the start of the session. It will be his first drive in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, his first time in GT2 and his debut on this track, so he will have a steep learning curve. "I have never driven the RSR before, but it’s regarded as a superb car and the guys have told me it’s very driveable," he says. "I haven’t seen the St. Petersburg track either but I have been watching lots of videos to memorise the layout and the corners, and I love racing on street circuits, they’re a great challenge. I can’t wait to get out on the track."

6:12 AM The team's first appointment is breakfast, there won't be much time today so an early 'fuelling' is important. It's still dark, but the skyline of downtown St. Petersburg towers about the paddock. City street tracks can throw up a majestic scene and St. Petersburg is no different, the track winds around the sea front, round the marina and alongside of the city's office block hub.

6:05 AM Today is going to be a long one at St. Petersburg, we're out of bed at 4AM and leave for the track at twenty minute drive-about 5:30AM. By six the team are preparing for the day's schedule which will start with an hour long free practice session from 8:05-9:05 AM.