ALMS

Laguna Seca: Porsche race report

Timo Bernhard Wins ALMS GT Title for Porsche --Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR driver Timo Bernhard gave up the lead late in the race with a green flag pit stop to change to rain tires, but he and co-driver Jorg Bergmeister finished second, ...

Published: Oct 17, 2004, 8:04 AM

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Timo Bernhard Wins ALMS GT Title for Porsche

--Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR driver Timo Bernhard gave up the lead late in the race with a green flag pit stop to change to rain tires, but he and co-driver Jorg Bergmeister finished second, scoring enough points for Bernhard to win his first American Le Mans Series drivers championship -

MONTEREY, California - October 16, 2004 - German Porsche driver Timo Bernhard, along with co-driver Jorg Bergmeister, led the four-hour Audi Sports Car Championships GT class for three hours and 47 minutes before giving up the race lead, but their second-place finish was enough to give Bernhard the 2005 American Le Mans Series GT Drivers Championship.

Bernhard, who would have shared the title with Bergmeister if Jorg hadn't been ill at the first event of the year (Sebring), won the title in front of his mother, who was visiting the United States for the first time.

"The car was perfect all day, which it had to be to stay ahead of the Flying Lizard Porsche, which, with its third place finish, would have won the title if we had broken," said Bernhard, who won five races and finished second twice in the nine- race ALMS season en route to the title.

"We came into the pits during the late rain shower to change tires under the green flag, giving up the lead to our team car - Dumas/Lieb, but it was the right thing to do to preserve our chance for the championship," said Bernhard, who was the Porsche Carrera Cup champion in Germany as part of the Porsche UPS Junior team before joining Alex Job Racing.

"Jorg and Timo were faster in the dry conditions, but we stayed close and took advantage of their green flag pit stop to take the win. We are pleased for the #24 Alex Job pit crew, who worked so hard all year to get us into the winners circle," said Lieb.

With their victory, Dumas and Lieb vaulted into fourth placed in the final point standings. It was their second victory of the season, as they topped the GT field at Portland as well. Third was the #45 Flying Lizard Porsche of Johannes van Overbeek and Darren Law, which had an outside chance to win the title, but fell short by 18 points. Still, Law was pleased with the season-long success the team achieved.

"With the third place finish today, we finished on the podium in eight of the nine ALMS events, and Johannes and I are very proud of everyone on the Flying Lizard Motorsport team," said Law.

"We gave the Alex Job team, with its four factory drivers, good competition right to the last lap, and second place in the final standings is rewarding for everyone," said Law.

Fourth was the Kelleners/Lazarro/De Simone Ferrari, followed by the Cort Wagner/Patrick Long The Racer's Group Porsche and the David Murry/Craig Stanton Petersen/White Lightning Porsche.

The top ten drivers in the final ALMS GT standings were all Porsche 911 GT3 RSR competitors.

Alex Job Racing - ALMS Summary

--Only team to run the entire ALMS schedule every year since the inception of the series.

--Alex Job driver Cort Wagner won the drivers title in 1999, but Job lost the team championship to BMW's Tom Milner. In 2000, with Randy Pobst and Bruno Lambert at the helm, Alex Job Porsche won two ALMS races, with Pobst in contention for the drivers title until the last event.

--Alex Job Racing has now won the 2002, 2003, and 2004 GT Team Championships. Alex and wife Holly Job started the team in 1990 after Alex decided to end his driving career. His best finish as a driver was second in class at the 1990 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Most well known for thorough preparation and innovative endurance racing strategy.

--For the five of the six years ALMS has been running, Job has been the team chosen by the Porsche factory and Porsche Motorsport North America to utilize its contract drivers for the ALMS series. Dick Barbour Racing had the factory drivers in 2000, and Alex Job Racing hosted them in 1999.

-porsche-

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