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ALMS (MOSPORT) - CLOSE CALLS FOR CAPELLO, McNISH AT MOSPORT

Allan McNish watches Dindo Capello take the checkered flag by 0.148 seconds at Mosport in 2000. Photo: Audi Communication

Dindo Capello and Allan McNish may be 2-for-2 together at Mosport International Raceway but it hasn't been easy. The American Le Mans Series' reigning LMP1 champions will go for their third overall win and second in a row this weekend in the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, the Series' annual stop in Canada and a race that has held numerous thrills for the Audi duo.

The two wins have been two of the closest and tensest in the nine-year history of the Series. Last year's race saw McNish beat Dyson Racing's Guy Smith to the checkered flag by a scant 2.794 seconds to clinch the class championship for Audi and its two factory pilots. It also marked the Series' second-closest Mosport finish.

"The race was a fight with the Dysons, initially with car 16 until they had a bad pit stop," McNish said. "And then I was hanging on, right on the limit of fuel mileage and a quickly reducing gap to Guy Smith. We needed to win to make sure we won the title that day, and personally I think there is no better way to state your claim to that trophy than by a close, hard-fought win."

Capello and McNish have won each of their two starts together at Mosport.

Coincidentally, the tightest finish at Mosport also happens to be the closest overall finish ever in a Series event: 0.148 seconds in 2000. And it involves - surprise - McNish and Capello. The latter held off a hard charge in the final minutes from Jörg Muller in a BMW V12 LMR to win on a rapidly drying surface.

Heavy rains had pelted the track during the early afternoon, and the Audi crew pitted with an hour left for fuel, wet tires and a driver change to Capello. The BMW pitted 45 minutes later and took on slicks. By the final corner, the two were side-by-side with Capello struggling and getting grip from the front Michelins for the final drag down the straight and to the line.

"What I remember is that we did not change the tires and BMW did," Capello said. "Therefore I was on rain tires when the track was already fully dry. It was a nightmare but at the end it worked! When I started the last lap I was sure that Mueller would have won the race."

"I was not sure of the result until Dindo popped out of the last corner scrabbling for grip on old wets on a dry track just an Audi R8 nose ahead to win by the closest margin ever," McNish reminisced. "The last laps of that race took 10 years off my life as I paced the pit lane hoping our gamble to stay on wets was enough to fend of Jörg on his fresh slicks."

The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Mobil 1 presents Grand Prix of Mosport from Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The race will start at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 26 and will be broadcast live on SPEED. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA's Live Timing and Scoring will be available at americanlemans.com.