ALMS

Laguna Seca: JML Team Panoz qualifying report

JML Team Panoz struck by Laguna Seca crash. The JML Team Panoz assault on the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca round of the American Le Mans Series has been cut in half following a qualifying crash by Benjamin Leuenberger today. While Olivier Beretta ...

Published: Sep 7, 2003, 3:50 PM

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JML Team Panoz struck by Laguna Seca crash.

The JML Team Panoz assault on the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca round of the American Le Mans Series has been cut in half following a qualifying crash by Benjamin Leuenberger today.

While Olivier Beretta and David Saelens will start from position six on the grid tomorrow, Leuenberger and Gunnar Jeannette will be forced to watch from the sidelines.

After turning in a faultless performance during practice, Leuenberger spun the #11 Panoz exiting the corkscrew in the early minutes of qualifying - backing the car into wall.

The car struck the wall with the left rear corner, causing extensive damage.

Leuenberger was checked out by the ALMS medical team but was uninjured in the crash.

The incident is a set-back for the two 21-year-old stars who had made significant gains during the morning practice after switching to a similar car set-up to the #10 Panoz.

The damage will force the team to miss tomorrow's event with the #11 car, leaving the #10 machine to fly the flag for the JML squad.

The single qualifying session was shortened by the crash, but Beretta was able to post a time of 1 minute, 18.267 seconds - putting he and Saelens 6th on the grid for tomorrow's 2 hour, 45 minute race.

Starting at 12.00noon (local time), tomorrow's seventh round of the 2003 American Le Mans Series will be broadcast on NBC.

OLIVIER BERETTA
"The car has been getting and better all weekend and we probably could have gone a little quicker in qualifying if the session hadn't been shortened.

"The race tomorrow is going to be really interesting because I think our race package is quite strong.

"It is tough for us to squeeze a single flying lap in qualifying, but our race speed over the past few weeks has been pretty good.

"Michelin gave us a few different tire combinations to try yesterday and we have been able to do some longer runs in prepartion for the race tomorrow."

GUNNAR JEANNETTE
"Today is a bit of blow for the points but we now have to turn our attention to the next round of the championship in Miami.

"We actually made some great improvements this morning - the car was a lot better than yesterday and we were really making progress.

"Ben is pretty disappointed but he is OK - that is the main thing.

"Both of us were pretty keen to take a shot for the podium tomorrow but we will be back to fight again another day."

DAVID SAELENS
"We improved the car quite a lot during the practice sessions and Oli did a very good job in qualifying.

"Our main goal was to work on a car that would be very strong for the race and I think we are in a pretty good position for tomorrow.

"Improving the understeer has been the key target and the car is now a lot better balanced.

"It was really unfortunate what happened to the #11 - I am sure Ben and Gunnar are pretty disappointed.

"Oli and I will have to fly solo tomorrow but both of us are very keen to continue our run of podium finishes."

BEN LEUENBERGER
"I am really disappointed - this is not the way we wanted to finish the weekend.

"The car got loose coming out of the corkscrew and came around on me.

"It was a pretty hard hit. My head is spinning a bit at the moment and I have a headache but other than that, I am OK.

"I really feel for Gunnar and the crew. Everybody has worked so hard and now we have a lot more work to do when we get back to the workshop.

"I was really looking forward to racing here tomorrow but now I will have to watch from the sidelines.

"Doing my first qualifying was going to be a big thrill, but it certainly didn't turn out as I had hoped."

-pmg-

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