SEBRING: Audi Scores Michelin's Third Consecutive Sebring Victory

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

March 18, 2001

* Audi Scores Michelin's Third Consecutive Sebring Victory - Michelin-shod Audi R8s swept the top four positions and scored Michelin's third consecutive 12 Hours at Sebring victory today. Rinaldo Capello, Michele Alboreto and Laurent Aiello finished .482 seconds ahead of second-place finishers Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Tom Kristensen. Ralf Kelleners, Dorsey Schroeder and Andy Wallace finished third while Stefan Johansson and Guy Smith finished fourth.

* McKenna Porsche Wins GT Category For Michelin - Lucas Luhr, Sascha Maassen and Emmanuel Collard, driving a Michelin-shod Porsche GT3 RS, won a race-long battle with their Alex Job Racing teammates Randy Pobst, Christian Menzel and Timo Bernhard as well as J.J. Lehto and Jörg Müller in the all-new V-8 BMW equipped with Michelin tires.

* 24 Double-Stints - The top four finishers overall, all on Michelin tires, double stinted their tires (changed tires every other pit stop) on 24 occasions, rather than changing them on every pit stop. "Normally, most drivers like to change tires every pit stop because new tires are typically faster than used ones. But we didn't need to do that today...we were able to double stint throughout the race without a significant drop-off in performance," said Jerry Rinaldo, Michelin Racing Manager. "Because the Sebring track is so rough, being able to double stint on so many occasions is the best possible testimony for the durability of Michelin tires."

* Statistically Speaking

* Michelin cars led at each of the 12 one-hour marks in both the overall (LMP900) and GT categories.

* Michelin cars led all 370 of the laps in today's race. Since the inception of the ALMS in 1999, Michelin cars have led 3,828 of 4,026 laps (95.1%)

* Michelin cars recorded the fastest qualifying and race laps this weekend. Michelin cars have now accomplished that feat in the LMP900 category in the past 20 consecutive ALMS races.

* With the victory, Michelin has extended its ALMS consecutive winning streak to 20, winning every ALMS race dating back to June 1999, at Mosport.

* ALMS Tire Championship Update - With its victories in the overall (LMP900) and GT categories today, Michelin extended its early lead in the ALMS Tire Championship. Michelin has 55 points while Goodyear has 26 points in the LMP900 category. Michelin has 55 points in the GT category, ahead of Yokohama with 47, Goodyear with 41 and Dunlop with 24. Michelin is the defending ALMS Tire Champion in the LMP900, GTS and GT categories.

* Sports Car Domination - Michelin has dominated sports car racing the past few seasons, now having won 21 of 22 ALMS races since the series' inception in 1999 as well as the last four 24 Hour of Le Mans races, the three most recent 12 Hours at Sebring and last two Petit Le Mans events.

Text provided by Bob Andrew

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.