ALMS
Road Atlanta II: Orbit Racing qualifying report
firsts Orbit Racing will start the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans from third and 17th on the GT grid. Â Rookie Mike Rockenfeller qualified the No. 43 YES Network Porsche 911 GT3 RS third in class, with a time of one minute 30.376 seconds on the wet ...
Published: Oct 18, 2003, 3:50 PM
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Orbit Racing will start the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans from third and 17th on the GT grid. Rookie Mike Rockenfeller qualified the No. 43 YES Network Porsche 911 GT3 RS third in class, with a time of one minute 30.376 seconds on the wet 2.54-mile Road Atlanta road course. He will share driving duty with Leo Hindery and Peter Baron.
"It was exciting qualifying!" Rockenfeller said. "I was really scared for the team; it was a bit of a risk because it was my first time in the rain in this car. At the beginning I tried to be really calm and get used to the conditions and the car - without ABS, it's different, you don't see when you have a locked-up wheel. We changed to intermediates [tires] one or two laps too late, but it was my decision. I think it was a great result for the team and now I am really looking forward to the race tomorrow."
Rockenfeller will experience 15 firsts this week - first race in North America, first time at Road Atlanta, first time with Orbit Racing, first race in a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, first time to drive a Porsche 911 GT3 RS in the rain, first American Le Mans Series race, first qualifying in an ALMS race, first time driving on intermediate tires, first endurance race in a car, first race with pit stops, first race with driver changes, first time with a helmet radio, first time with a cool suit, first time with a helmet drink tube and first time to drive a golf cart.
prudent play
Jay Policastro qualified 17th in class in the No. 43 Classic Industries Porsche he shares with Joe Policastro and Randy Pobst.
"Qualifying was a little eventful," Jay Policastro reported. "Unfortunately, it rained about 10 minutes before we went out and got the track in a misty stage. We went out on full wets [tires], but we probably could have gone out on intermediates. I just went around and made a few laps. I don't have a lot of experience in the rain so it was prudent to just keep the car in one piece. We're on the grid for tomorrow and that's what really counts. Randy will start [the race] and he'll make up for the weather indiscretions."
YES!
Orbit driver Leo Hindery is ecstatic after the New York Yankees won the American League Championship Series on Thursday night. The team now moves on to the World Series, with the first game in Yankee Stadium Saturday evening. Hindery is the founder and CEO of the Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network. "It's a good omen for the race," Hindery said. "Life feels good, baby!"
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