Petersen/ White Lightning - Le Mans Six Hour Report - LM GT2 Class Leader

Petersen/ White Lightning – Le Mans Six Hour Report – LM GT2 Class Leader

 

LE MANS, France, Saturday, June 18, 2005 – With the 24 Hours of Le Mans now
one-quarter done, Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing’s effort to
become the first privately-owned, American team in Le Mans history to win
three-straight GT2 titles, is on the right track. Despite early struggles
through inclement weather in Wednesday’s two, two hour practice/ qualifying
sessions and an accident early in the Thursday’s second session that forced
the team to two late nights of repairs, the team has rallied to take the
race’s early lead. It appeared that the day would be very short as a broken
radiator pipe caused the team to miss the final ten minutes of the morning
warm-up and high water and oil temperatures in the race’s opening hour
hampered movement to the front. However, the 2005 12 Hours of
Sebring-winning entry- which currently leads the GT2 championship chase in
the American Le Mans Series (ALMS)- never gave-up, focused on the task and
now leads it’s class at the world’s most famous sports car race.

 

The No. 90 Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
took the French Tri-Color flag at 4 pm this afternoon signaling the start of
the 73rd Annual 24 Heures Du Mans. Jörg Bergmeister (Langenfeld, Germany)
was lead-off driver for first hour of competition fighting an overheating
race car. Despite temperatures rising inside the Westward Ho Casino/ MMPIE/
PAWS/ Michelin Porsche and in its flat-six boxer engine, Bergmeister brought
the car as high as fourth in the GT2 class from its grid position of sixth.
Bergmeister handed the car over to teammate Patrick Long (Las Vegas, Nev.)
in the fifth position. 

 

With corrections made during the pit stop, Long, who, like Bergmeister drove
this entry to victory last season, moved into the lead in hour-two further
dropping lap times turning a time of four minutes, 10.639 seconds. A second
pit stop cost the young American Porsche factory driver time after he
thought he had punctured a tire. However, the problem was actually a loose,
left rear window. Long would give driving duties over to Timo Bernhard
(Dittweiler, Germany) at 6:35 PM. 

 

Bernhard’s stint had the only full course caution of the race to this point.
The yellow flag lasted roughly 30 minutes before which Bernhard set the
team’s fastest lap of 4:09.569- that also marked the fastest lap the team
has turned since official practice began on Wednesday. Bernhard would then
return the wheel to longtime teammate Bergmeister at 8 PM. Bergmeister kept
the Michael Petersen-owned team in the top position of the class despite
being closely tailed by the No. 71 AJR entry. The No. 90 has maintained the
lead for most of the four hours since taking over the top spot losing it
only during pit stops. Bergmeister would yield to Long at 9 PM for the
American’s second stint as the sun, and hot, 90 degree (Fahrenheit)
conditions, start to fade into the French night. 

 

vital signs

position:         started- 6th in GT2 class

class- 1st (+8 seconds at 9 pm)

overall: 21st

 

stops to this point: 5 

            stop 1- 5:03 PM - fuel, tires, Long In, Bergmeister Out – check
and add oil, check water

stop 2- 5:31 PM - fuel, tires, Long stays in car – concerned about puncture
but there was no puncture.

stop 3- 6:35 PM – fuel, tires, Bernhard In, Long Out

stop 4- 8:00 PM – fuel, tires, Bergmeister In, Bernhard Out

stop 5- 9:00 PM – fuel, tires, check oil, pull tear-off of windshield, Long
In, Bergmeister Out

stints:  Bergmeister – 2                     Bernhard – 1
Long – 2

 

quotes…

Dale White, team manager: “We got a scare at the start with the engine temps
running so high so quickly. However, on the first stop we made some changes
and we’re not that worried about that now. Right now we’re exactly where we
want to be and I know, after the week we’ve had, exactly where a lot of
people didn’t think we would be. The team has been amazing. Unbelievable!
These guys were here until 1:30 AM on Thursday night, 2:30 last night and
were in here at 7 AM this morning. Nothing has rattled them and we’re doing
the best stops we’ve done all season. The drivers are doing a great job
under some tough conditions with the heat and the oil down on the track. I’m
pretty pleased with the first part of the race. Still a long, long way to go
though.” 

 

 

More on Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing can be found at
www.PetersenMotorsports.com <http://www.petersenmotorsports.com/> . Learn
more about Porsche at www.Porsche.com <http://www.porsche.com/> . 

 

### 

Digital images and complete team and driver bios available upon request.

Editors, please do not publish any contact information other than web sites.
Thank you.

 

contact: Tom Moore, Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing, 

615-509-5000 (cell), tom@darkhorsecom.com, Le Mans Garage No. 21