Porsche Race Notes:
Preview
German Porsche factory driver Mike Rockenfeller capture
the GT2 pole last night in the Florida-based Alex Job Racing
Porsche sponsored by BAM!, giving a lift to his co-drivers German
Marc Lieb and American Leo Hindery. Second on the grid
will be the Sonoma, Calif.-based Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche,
with Johannes van Overbeek/Seth Neiman/Lonnie Pechnik - all from
Northern California - at the helm, just ahead of the Panoz Esperante
factory car of Bill Auberlen/Scott Maxwell Robin Liddell.
Rockenfeller's pole on Yokohama tires provided a scenario in
GT2 not seen at Le Mans in some time, where three different tire
companies (Flying Lizards on Michelin and Panoz on Pirelli) have
the top three positions.
Hour 5
The Florida-based Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
sponsored by BAM! has taken the lead back from the Las Vegas-based
Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Porsche in the GT2 class
as the French classic heads into the evening hours at the 24
Hours of Le Mans.
With Porsche
factory drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Marc Lieb joining with
American TV executive Leo Hindery, the Alex Job/Bam! Porsche
started the race on the pole, but has relinquished the lead
several times to the Panoz, one of the European Ferraris, and
the Petersen/White Lightning Porsche before taking the lead
again just before the five hour mark. They are currently
one lap up on the Petersen car, being driven by Jorg Bergmeister
and factory drivers Patrick Long and Timo Bernhard. It
has not been an easy week for that team as Bergmeister was involved
in a qualifying crash which sent the car to the frame shop on
Thursday, and a loose back window set them back while Long was
at the helm in hour three.
Hour 13
ATLANTA - June 19 - As the 24 Hours of Le Mans passes
the halfway mark, the Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR sponsored
by BAM! continues to lead the Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning
Porsche in the GT2 class by one lap.
With Mike Rockenfeller and Marc Lieb handling the majority of
the driving chores since they are significantly faster than the
third driver, Leo Hindery, the Alex Job/BAM! entry has had very
few problems so far, keeping ahead of the Petersen/White Lightning
Porsche piloted by Jorg Bergmeister/Patrick Long/Timo Bernhard.
Hour 19
ATLANTA - June 19 - With temperatures in France reaching
the mid-90's F by late morning already, the Alex Job Racing Porsche
911 GT3 RSR sponsored by BAM! (Rockenfeller/Lieb/Hindery) has
maintained its one-lap lead over the Petersen Motorsports/White
Lightning Porsche (Bernhard/Bergmeister/Long) in the GT2 class
at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Final
The Florida-based Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
sponsored by BAM!, with Mike Rockenfeller/Marc Lieb/Leo Hindery
at the helm, took the GT2 class lead early in the 24 Hours of Le
Mans, and fought off the charge of the defending champion Petersen
Motorsports/White Lightning Porsche of Timo Bernhard/Jorg Bergmeister/Patrick
Long to score a two-minute win in the 73rd running of the French
classic.
"The kids - Rockenfeller and Lieb - did the majority of the driving in the hottest
weather I have ever experienced," said team owner Alex Job, whose entry won the
race in conjunction with Petersen in 2003.
"Their performance is a testimony to Porsche's physical and mental training program
for these two factory drivers, and the drivers' will to win despite pain and
fatigue," said Job.
And for Leo Hindery, the American cable TV executive whose dream it was to win
Le Mans in his final appearance there, it was kudos to everyone else.
"I've never been associated with such dedicated young men as Mike Rockenfeller
and Marc Lieb. Despite the fact my lap times were much slower than theirs, they
supported me and cheered me on, and then worked extra hard to bring the win home
to this team," said Hindery, who shaved a full 14 seconds off his previous fast
lap times for the 2005 event.
