BAM! - Portland preview
traction! BAM! (British American Motorsport) is ready if track conditions change during the American Le Mans Series race in Portland, Ore., on July 25. Armed with traction control, the team's No. 43 YES Network Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will adapt to changing conditions from rain to bumps on the 1.944-mile Portland International Raceway road course. Uwe Brettel, president of Porsche Motorsport North America, said the traction control was introduced this year as part of the new RSR package. "We appreciate that our Porsche teams more and more use this technology to improve their traction, especially with tough conditions like rain or bumpy tracks. The car is designed for this," he said. "It shows how sophisticated the Porsche customer teams are." BAM! will field the YES Network Porsche for Leo Hindery, Jr. of New York and Porsche factory driver Lucas Luhr of Monaco. Leo's laps Leo Hindery, Jr. is new to the Portland road course, but he enjoyed many races on the nearby Portland Speedway half-mile clay oval track when he competed in the NASCAR Winston West Series. He offered this take on the ALMS race: "I have never raced the road course in Portland, but I did enough NASCAR Winston West races at the small oval there to know that the fans are incredible, and incredibly informed," he recalled. "Portland in July will be lovely, and our ALMS race there will make the 1980 Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption look tame by comparison." fearless Lucas Luhr probably wouldn't be fazed by a volcanic eruption. He believes fear impedes performance, so he is fearless on track. His approach has contributed to his sports-car success, including two ALMS GT co-championships. "Of course, I take it seriously," he said. "But I don't put myself under too much pressure so I get completely nervous or freak out and make a mistake. I just go on the track, drive and try to the best I can do. I have no fear at all. If you have fear in racing, you shouldn't do it." ### Sylvia Proudfoot spur07@cs.com 403 287 3945