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ALMS: Reynard 2KQ-LM races at the front at Mosport

10 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Johansson Matthews Racing took their two Reynard 2KQ-LM sports racing cars to Canada for the first time this weekend to compete at Mosport International Speedway which played host to this weekend's round of the American Le Mans Series. The No.36 car of Stefan Johansson and Guy Smith was a front running car throughout the weekend, finally finishing fourth in class, seventh overall in the race.

The Reynard featured in the top group of cars alongside the manufacturer, Audi and BMW entrants, during practice and qualifying, starting in 6th place for the event. In the race, the Reynard ran well from the start, lying in 2nd place after the first hour when the rain was at its worst and 3rd place after two hours. In the closing stages of the race, the second BMW of Jean-Marc Gounon and Bill Auberlen managed to slip past the No.36 car, to put the Reynard down to fourth place. Staying in touch with the lead group, the Johansson Matthews Racing Reynard with Guy Smith driving looked set for a solid finish just outside the podium, but a mechanical problem just two minutes from the end, sent the Reynard off the track, resulting in a seventh place finish in the final classifications.

Kieron Salter, Project Manager, Reynard 2KQ-LM, commented after the race, "It was great to see Johansson Matthews Racing having such a strong race at Mosport. They were up with the manufacturer entrants throughout the weekend and in the race itself, showing how much the car has improved as the developments have come through and the team has gained experience with the still relatively new, Reynard 2KQ-LM. It's a shame the final result doesn't reflect the performance of the car, but that's motor racing.. I hope that this weekend's efforts by Johansson Matthews Racing have impressed - we've believed in the potential of the car since its inception and everyone has worked hard to make the progress that we needed to be competitive at the highest level. We will continue on this path, working with our customers, and I'm sure we'll be seeing them on the podium in the not too distant future."

The race was won by Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello in the Audi R8, with JJ Lehto and Jorg Muller second in the BMW V12 LMR , and the sister car of Bill Auberlen and Jean-Marc Gounon in third place.

Text provided by Alison Hill

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