BRING ON THE DIESEL; Audi's R8 hands ALMS reins to the R10.(News)

Byline: STEVEN COLE SMITH

With four separate classes, the overall car count in the American Le Mans Series has been healthy enough, but competition has been spotty in the top class thanks largely to the legendary domination of the Audi R8. The R8 ended its ALMS career with the overall win at the New England Grand Prix at Lime Rock, its 50th class win and 48th overall, in a dominating performance by drivers Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello.

The R8 is of course being replaced by the R10 beginning with the upcoming race at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City. Already the R10 has won the Sebring 12 Hour and Le Mans, so competitors who began the season hoping for teething problems with the revolutionary diesel are disappointed. That's unfortunate for the competition in the premier LMP1 class, as it has been the factory Audis against privateers such as Dyson Racing's AER-Lolas.

On paper you would think the LMP2 class would be a similar mismatch, as the Roger Penske-run pair of Porsche RS Spyders are the lone factory entries. But those cars have had all the bad luck the Audis have avoided, and the LMP2 points are led by Sebring winners Clint Field and Liz Halliday in their Intersports-AER-powered Lola. The Porsches not only challenged the R8 for the overall win at Lime Rock, they dominated LMP2 and ...