Audi Again; Despite hiccups, Le Mans winners keep rolling.(American Le Mans Series weekend)(Brief Article)

Perhaps the biggest surprise during the American Le Mans Series weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was the normally infallible Audi factory team stumbled. Less surprising was the result: Another 1-2 for the Joest-prepared R8s with drivers Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro picking up where they (along with Tom Kristensen) left off after winning Le Mans.

Qualifying saw Biela put the Le Mans-winning car on pole, with the surprising Panoz of Jan Magnussen and David Brabham lining up second. The second Audi factory entry experienced gearbox trouble, limiting Rinaldo Capello to one lap. It hardly mattered. Audi's domination is such that Capello's out-lap was good enough for fifth on the grid.

When the green flag fell, Biela led the Panoz of Brabham, with Johnny Herbert, driving the Champion R8, in third after passing Bryan Herta in the second Panoz. Jon Field, the highest qualifying LMP675 driver, gave the Mid-Ohio faithful something to cheer for by knifing his MG-Lola past Capello for fifth. Field's glory would be short-lived, as alternator trouble and penalties for working on the car during fueling and a fueler visor infraction eliminated him and son Clint from contention. Jeff Bucknum would eventually take the class win in his Team Bucknum Pilbeam.

The real race started to take shape just after one hour, when Biela pitted from the lead. Capello, who was now running second after Brabham and Herbert made their first fuel stops, took over the point. Capello made his stop a few laps later, although it was not yet apparent how crucial this would be to the outcome of the race.

Meanwhile the battle raged among a large Porsche ...