18.07.2008 vici racing - mid ohio Friday (qualifying) report
 

Lexington, Ohio - VICI Racing and development partner Kumho Tire are looking forward to tomorrow’s Acura Sports Car Challenge of Mid Ohio after a very solid qualifying performance this afternoon which focused on tactical preparations for the 2 hour 45 minute race, the sixth round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series. With preserving tires on the #18 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for the opening stint of the race the key consideration for the team, Nicky Pastorelli turned in three laps early in the 20 minute qualifying session; however his laps were compromised after encountering traffic. With the #18 car safely onto the fifth row of the grid the team is satisfied with the progress that has been made over the last two days and prepare to start the race in excellent shape.

The action on track today though got underway at 12:25 PM with a 60 minute free practice session and for VICI Racing this would present the opportunity to put into action the set up changes evolved as a result of yesterday’s opening practice sessions on this 2.258-mile 13-turn classic sports car track which the ALMS is visiting for the seventh time. Set in the rolling countryside of Lexington, Ohio, 60 miles north of Columbus and 70 miles south of Cleveland, this is one of America’s classic tracks. Crew Chief Alex Zaric reported that everything was going like clockwork today and the team was ready for the lunchtime session.

The blue-and-white #18 car, supported by Hughes Telematics, Hughes Network Systems, LuxuryMotors.com and Wempe, was the first car onto the track when the session went green, with Nicky undertaking driving duties to focus on set up. His first full lap after 3 minutes was a 1:25.264, which he followed up with a 1:25.264 (5 mins); and with system checks ok he turned in a 1:25.137 lap next time around to put him in a provisional 5th place and take 2 seconds off yesterday’s pace. This would turn out to the ex-F3000 champion’s best of the session, with the track being at its fastest early on. His next was another low-1:23 lap (1:23.282) before he pitted with 9:25 mins of the session having been counted down. Some slightly adjustments and fresh tires and Nicky was back out after 15 mins. The 25 year old Dutchman was able to continue running in the 1:23 second bracket, turning in a 1:23.378, and next time round, with a third of the session completed, a 1:23.590. He came in on 23 mins and went back out on 27 mins as the focus now shifted to the tire development program. After 43 mins Nicky came in to hand over to his 21 year old brother Francesco who would use the session to acquaint himself with the car. Highly regarded, Francesco hadn’t seen the Mid Ohio track before and has little track time in the RSR; however he dialled himself in very well in the half a dozen laps he was in the cockpit for, setting a best of 1:26.293.

The day’s second hour-long practice session, again open to all four ALMS classes, kicked off at 4:25 PM; scheduled to finish at 5:25 PM with a 15 min break before the 20 min qualifying session got underway. Nicky kicked off proceedings posting four laps in the 1:24 bracket, and a 1:23.436, before a first pit visit after 9 minutes. Back out on track he turned in another four laps before heading for the pits after 20 minutes. Six minutes later and he was in back in the action setting more consistent times before handing over to Francesco after 33 minutes. Using tires that were now run in to keep the development focus of the session running the youngster turned in 13 laps as he learnt more about the track and the car, setting a solid pace with his last 11 laps being in the 1:26 bracket.

The qualifying session followed after a very brief break. Technical Director & Chief Engineer Roland Wall evolved a strategy that would prioritize on optimizing the opening stint of the race. With care of the tires deemed a priority, Nicky as scheduled to run three laps. These he ran off in 1:23.905, 1:23.619 and 1:23.378. With traffic from the faster prototypes causing issues, the team was happy to be in all-round great shape for the race tomorrow.

Race day tomorrow (Saturday, July 19) will get underway bright and early with a 30 minute warm up session (8:00-8:30AM) before the Acura Sports Car Challenge American Le Mans Series Race, the fifth round of the series, gets underway at 2:10PM. The race is scheduled to last 2 hours and 45 minutes with the checkered flag expected to drop at 4:55PM. With perfect weather conditions predicted a big crowd is expected tomorrow.

Nicky Pastorelli (Holland): “We’ve learnt a lot during the practice sessions today and yesterday and got a lot of running in. We’re not there yet, but we’re going in the right direction for sure. The new engine is very driveable and we have plenty of power to use. I haven’t been to this track before but it’s quite easy to learn; now I’m sure we can have a good race tomorrow and get the car to the checkered flag.”

Francesco Pastorelli (Holland): “I haven’t had as much track time as I would have liked this week but the track is nice to drive, for my first time on it, and the car feels good. I’m getting more comfortable with the RSR now and the tire development is improving.”
 

Roland Wall, Technical Director & Chief Engineer VICI Racing: “We wanted to focus today on a set up for the race and I think we have a good strategy in place. Kumho are putting a lot of effort into the tire program and we are evaluating new tire compounds here. The new Porsche engine step has improved all round driveability and our aero set up is working well here. I’m confident Nicky and Francesco can run a good race pace and keep out of trouble so everything is in good shape.”

About VICI Racing

VICI Racing is a Miami, Florida-and Munich, Germany-based racing team with more than 20 years of experience competing at the topmost levels of international sportscar racing, in both GT and prototype categories, in Europe and the United States. VICI Racing is a wholly owned subsidiary of the VICI Group, which is comprised of technology-led companies. VICI Racing roll call of wins includes GT victory in the Daytona 24 Hours. For more information visit www.viciracing.com

About Hughes Telematics

Hughes Telematics (www.HUGHEStelematics.com) is a leader in developing the next generation of telematics solutions. The company designs, engineers and manages vehicle- and driver-centric solutions to increase vehicle value, ownership experience, convenience, efficiency and safety and security. Headquartered in Atlanta, HUGHES Telematics offers a portfolio of proprietary consumer, manufacturer, fleet and dealer services designed to set industry standards for intelligent vehicle interaction and information exchange.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet® encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 1.5 million systems to customers in over 100 countries. Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUGH). For additional information, please visit www.hughes.com

About Kumho Tire

Established in 1960, Kumho Tire Co., Inc., of Seoul, South Korea, had 2007 sales of $2.4 billion. Kumho manufactures and distributes a complete line of tires for passenger cars, light trucks and heavy-duty trucks. The company has manufacturing facilities in Korea and China, and operates technical centers in Birmingham, England, and Akron, Ohio.  Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Kumho Tire U.S.A is the U.S. distribution arm of Kumho Tire Co.  In addition to its 830,000 square foot headquarters and central distribution facility in Rancho Cucamonga, the company operates four additional distribution facilities in Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus and Dallas. For more information, visit the Kumho Web site at www.kumhotire.com

About Wempe 

Established in 1878, Wempe is a family owned company that has been in business for over 125 years. Wempe is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany where Mrs Kim-Eva Wempe took over the reigns from her father, Mr Hellmut Wempe, in 2003. She owns and operates 25 stores worldwide in 6 countries, with global sales of over $300 million. Opened in 1980, the New York Flagship Store – the only Wempe location in the U.S. – is located on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street. The boutique is an elegant European style salon at the base of the Peninsula Hotel. Carrying 18 of the world’s finest watch brands along with its own line of exquisite jewelry, Wempe is known not only for its commitment to quality, but also for exceptional service. For more information visit www.wempe.com

About LuxuryMotors.com

As the world largest e-commerce automobile retailer, LuxuryMotors.com strives to provide customers with the best selection of new and pre-owned luxury cars through a unique and convenient online buying experience. Our website provides the largest selection from our inventory on the market today. A team of car experts constantly searches the web to guarantee the lowest possible price and the best value for our customers. Purchased vehicles can be conveniently delivered to any location worldwide. Our selection of over 2000 luxury cars are being showcased at different locations and can be test driven at your convenience in a customer friendly atmosphere. Financing and Leasing are also available online or at any our retailer locations. For further information please visit www.luxurymotors.com
 

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