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The most successful driving duo in American Le Mans Series history left their mark again in the 100 minute Tequila Patron ALMS at Long Beach, California. Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta had a trouble free run to victory in Corvette Racing’s final GT1 race in the season.
American Le Mans Series trouble free run to victory for Corvette Racing's No. 4 C6.R on the Streets of Long Beach
Olivier Beretta drove the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R to his 41st ALMS victory in the 100 minute Tequila Patron ALMS at Long Beach California
The two have a total of 73 wins. Beretta extended his record for ALMS victories with his 41st career win and Gavin raced
to his 32nd ALMS victory in the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R.
Corvette Racing's next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France on June 13-14.
Oliver Gavin drove the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C6.R to his 32nd ALMS victory in the 100 minute Tequila Patron ALMS at Long Beach California
The Streets of Long Beach turned mean for the sister No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen. O’Connell passed Beretta on the first lap of green flag racing, but had to make an unscheduled pit stop at 18 minutes into the race. They replaced a punctured tire and surrendered the lead.
“When I woke up, I said I wanted to win the race,” said Beretta. “I wanted to stay out of trouble and I wanted no mechanical problems. All three came true for me.”
“Those opening laps show just how hard we race at Corvette Racing,” said O’Connell. “Olivier had a bit of a bobble and I got by him. I was trying to control the pace. I also knew he was stronger and was just managing things to keep him behind me.”
Gavin had a big moment in the corner and that opened a gap. O’Connell was coming out of the hairpin when something in the driveline broke. “You don’t want to end the last ALMS GT1 race being towed in,” said O’Connell. “But I’d much rather have an issue in Long Beach and then go to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and win that one.
That’s what we’re really thinking about.”
With the No. 3 Corvette on the sidelines, Gavin had an uncontested run to the checkered flag.
Corvette Racing runs a special K&N Engineering air filter. “Dirt is a huge problem in our races,” said Crew Chief Dan Binks. “K&N protects our engines from the debris and is especially helpful in Long Beach as it will be at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
“Although this is our last ALMS GT1 race, it isn’t the last hurrah for the GT1 Corvettes,” said Gavin. “We still have unfinished business in Le Mans.”
Corvette Racing’s next event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France on June 13-14. The 77th running of the classic 24 hour endurance race on the 8.5 mile Circuit des 24 Heures de Mans will be televised live on SPEED TV.
In the Terrible’s Town 250 Race at Primm, Nevada Brad Lovell watched a trail of dust rise ten miles away from where he was standing in Pit No. 2. The 250 is called the Richest Off-Road Race in Nevada because off-roaders consider it the jewel of desert off road racing.
The so called Richest Road Race in Nevada is the Terrible's Town 250 Race, photo by Chad Jock Photography
Brad Lovell and his Torchmate Teammate did not see a boulder buried in silt and knocked out a front suspension link, photo by Chad Jock Photography
“This is my third desert race,” said Lovell. “I am still awestruck by the power, violence and danger of these machines. Anyone other than a fighter pilot would be shocked at the sight of an unlimited desert truck screaming through the terrain.”
Torchmate Desert Truck surrounded by a plume of dust on the 250 mile off road course in Nevada, photo by Chad Jock Photography
Brad Lovell is getting ready for the SCORE Baja 500 and a WE Rock race in Cedar City, Utah, photo by Chad Jock Photography
The 250 mile course is intense. “Our Torchmate Teammates started the race and the 19 starters in our class were spread out over the first few miles,” he said. “We could feel the tension in the pits. I caught sight of the leader as the truck floated over bumps like a hovercraft. The truck lurched sideways suddenly but the driver never let off the throttle. He got it straight again and shot by us at well over 100 mph. The roar of the engine was deafening and the top layer of dirt and rocks pelted our pit trucks over twenty feet away.”
Lovell said he fidgeted for the next three hours waiting for his leg of the race like a little boy at Christmas. “I felt the excitement and all sensibility left,” he said.
Finally they blasted out of the pits into the desert. A mile later they passed by a $400,000 pile of burnt rubble. A few hours before it was a high end race truck. “There were no camera crews, no fire personnel and no tow truck,” said Lovell. “There was just a defeated former off-road truck smoking in the sun, and a reflection of the seriousness of desert racing.”
Lovell and teammate Bill Koontz continued on, weaving through the sand washes and bouncing over the whoops. They reached speeds of more than 101 mph until one huge bolder buried in silt jarred their truck. “We felt a strong vibration and heard the sound of metal on metal,” said Lovell. “We had a broken front suspension link. We went another 55 miles on a loose and clanking wheel and still managed an 8th place finish.”
Brad Lovell believes in K&N products. “These serious courses require the filtration K&N filters provide,” he said. “K&N protects our engines on these tough desert courses.”
The Torchmate Ranger is getting repaired for the upcoming SCORE Baja 500. In the meantime Lovell will head back to the rocks for Round 2 of WE Rock in Cedar City, Utah on May 2.
Andrew Comrie-Picard, “ACP” extended his lead in the Rally America Championship Series. He finished second overall in his NOS Energy Mitsubishi and became points leader in the series.
Andrew Comrie Picard was aggressive enough at the Olympus Rally to put him in first place in points in the Rally America Championship Series
“The Olympus Rally was incredibly tough,” said Comrie-Picard. “The competition between the top teams was intense and we fought hard for this result.” This was his third podium finish in three starts in the series.
Andrew Comrie-Picard will be ready for the Rally America Championship Series when it resumes on the Portland based Oregon Trail in May
Team ACP Rally uses K&N products on their vehicles. “I’ve used K&N since I began Rally racing more than a decade ago,” said Comrie-Picard. “We compete under tough conditions, with dust, mud and water splashes. We do the most extreme things we can do in a car and K&N is the perfect formula for our turbo charged motors. There is no compromise with K&N.”
Comrie-Picard entered the event tied with Rockstar Energy’s Tanner Foust for the championship lead. ACP came out ahead in the points after a two day battle over more than 100 miles of rugged stages. He has 48 points, while Foust and Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana are tied for second place with 45 points apiece.
The Olympus Rally opened with a series of extremely fast stages. Teams were racing at 120 mph on some of the straight-aways. Comrie-Picard and co-driver Robbie Durant finished the first day in third-place.
Day two in South Bend, Washington was more technical. ACP and Pastrana traded seconds all day. They also finished stages in dead-heats. “Andrew prepared to push into the final miles Sunday afternoon, but an ailing transmission began to cost them time,” said Jen Horsey of Team ACP Rally. “They didn’t have the use of third or fourth gear through the final two stages of the event and were unable to catch Travis Pastrana.”
Everyone in the lead had problems, Pastrana and Foust both had to do transmission work overnight after day one and Ken Block blew two motors. Third place went to Foust. He made an early bid for the lead but lost time to the leaders on Sunday while running with a back-up gearbox.
“We’re thrilled to be leading the championship,” said Comrie-Picard. “We’re gunning for top points this year and we plan to battle hard at every round. There’s no doubt this is a tough sport.”
The next round for Team ACP Rally is the Portland-based Oregon Trail Rally in May.
Jake Swanson drove his USAC Midget with K&N products to a podium finish at the I-10 Lucas Oil Speedway in Blythe, California in the Ford Focus Midget Series.
High School Sophomore Jake Swanson at the I-10 Lucas Oil Speedway in Blythe, California
The high school sophomore was really looking forward to the start of the race. “I was excited because I ran the No.88 Ford Focus Midget well the last time I was there,” said Swanson. “This is also my favorite pavement track.”
No.88 Ford Focus Midget driven to a 3rd place finish by teen Jake Swanson of Anaheim, California
The competition was tough in Blythe. Swanson was up against all pavement specialty cars. “My car is a combination dirt and pavement car,” he said. “This means I have a two or three tenths of a second disadvantage.”
Swanson had the second fastest time in the qualifying session. Swanson had to finish in 5th place or better to keep his starting position for the main, and he did.
“I immediately moved up to 4th position,” he said. “I was running with the lead pack the entire race.” During the race there were a few cautions and one red flag. Swanson finished in third place.
“This is my first official year of being supported by K&N, racing in the USAC Focus Midget and USAC Western States Dirt Midget Series,” said Swanson. “Last year I won the Junior Focus Midget Series with the support of K&N. It’s great to be part of the K&N 2009 Family. I’ve never used anything but K&N air filters. They work great and keep the track debris out of our engines.
Team Lovell went to Moab, Utah on top of the rock crawling world. The team won the WE ROCK competition in Tucson, Arizona. Brothers Brad and Roger Lovell were more than ready for the competition. “We ended up in second place,” said Brad Lovell. “It’s not a bad start to the season, first place in Arizona, then second in Utah.”
XRRA Moab Race was set against the backdrop of the La Sal Mountains in Utah, photo by Chad Jock Photography
K&N filters kept debris out of the engine on the Lovell Brothers Ford at the XRRA race in Moab, Utah, photo by Chad Jock Photography
“Racing can be the best job in the world,” said Brad Lovell. “It can also be the worst job in the world.” The Lovell brothers had to fix what they called an electrical phantom on their No. 32 Ford before they hit the land of red rocks and the so-called Mecca of their sport in Utah.
Xtreme Rock Racing Association XRRA second place win for Brad Lovell in Moab, Utah, photo by Jud Leslie
Brad and Roger Lovell had consistent runs in their No. 32 Ford at Moab, Utah, photo by Chad Jock Photography
“As soon as we arrived we went to tear up some rocks,” he said. “I was having a great run on the rocks and in the dirt until flames started shooting out of the tailpipes.”
The team only had one day until the XRRA Moab race and Brad Lovell said he started to stress. “My wife supported me and encouraged me and I tore into the truck and did my best to fix the problem,” he said. “With the deadline for the tech inspecting closing in, we began to accept our fate.” Fortunately they found the solution and the truck roared to life. The problem was a corroded connection in their computer.
“My runs were consistent and went well,” he said. “It was the typical bone jarring, metal shearing punishment that XRRA is known for. Our K&N air filters worked great the whole time. K&N keeps our sensors from clogging up and keeps the debris out of the engine.”
The Lovell’s next race will be in Primm, Nevada for the Terrible’s Town 250.
