ALMS: McKenna, Porsche earn third straight one-two ALMS finish at Donnington Park

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

April 15, 2001

Donington, England - For the third time in three races this year, Alex Job Racing and Team McKenna swept the top two podium spots in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT class.

The two 911 GT3 RS Porsches of Alex Job Racing (AJR) started the race from the second and third position on the grid. The #22 Porsche of Randy Pobst and Christen Menzel in second, and the #23 of Lucas Luhr and Sasha Maassen in third. The factory V8 BMW GTR of Fredrik Ekblom and Dirk Muller started from the pole, just three tenths of a second faster in qualifying.

At the start of the 2 hour, 45 minute race, Luhr in the #23 AJR McKenna Porsche got a great start and was able to leap into the lead. When Luhr pitted the car for fuel and a driver change, he had built up a 20 second lead over the other AJR in second place , the #22 of Randy Pobst.

"The pole sitting BMW was quite fast here this weekend, but we came in with a game plan and stuck with it," said a very pleased team owner, Alex Job "We are happy that while the conditions were cold and damp, it didn't rain during the race", added Job. "Th e track here at Donington can become quite slick in the rain."

The plan was to make sure neither of the McKenna Porsches would have to make more than one pit stop. While the new V8 BMW's were fast, they were also much less fuel efficient. They would need to make at least one more pitstop for fuel than the relatively s tingy Porsches. This strategy would soon prove not necessary as both BMWs suffered mechanical problems almost from the start.

"We made sure to run our cars for maximum fuel economy today," said Sasha Maassen. "But we almost made it too close. I ran out of fuel on the cool down lap after the race was over, bad for my heart," he quipped. "But obviously, we are very happy."

Now in its 13th year of competition, Alex Job Racing (AJR) is one of the premier independent Porsche teams in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Based in a brand new 16,000 sq. ft. facility in Tavares, Florida, AJR entries have tallied two victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring, one win in the 24 Hours of Daytona, eight ALMS wins (prior to the 2001 season) and captured the 1999 ALMS GT Team Championship.

Text provided by Alex Job Racing

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