ALMS Baltimore Race Preview
Level 5 seeks a repeat victory on the Harbor Street Circuit while SRT looks for two in a row. Two is a good number to keep in mind as the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón takes the green flag in Saturday’s Baltimore Grand Prix presented by SRT on the 2.02-mile, 12-turn Inner Harbor Street Circuit. Level 5 Motorsports, which a year ago swept overall and P2 class honors – as well as a one-two finish – will attempt to recreate that success.
“We are looking forward to going back,” said Level 5’s team principal Scott Tucker, who shared the winning No. 055 HPD ARX-03b with Christophe Bouchut. “We have a lot of great memories.”
With history made, the SRT Viper team seeks embellishment in the form of a second-straight ALMS victory. The No. 91 SRT Viper GTS-R, driven by Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goosens, captured GT honors at Road America, giving the SRT Viper its first factory-backed series victory since New Year’s Eve 2000.
“Last year at Baltimore was one of our better runs,” said Goosens, whose Viper ran a solid eighth before a late-race accident. “”But it’s a different game this year and I’m looking forward to going back there stronger than we were last year.”
Additionally, four red-hot championship battles are set to resume in the two-hour event. Crunch time is definitely here with just four races remaining on the 2013 schedule.
In P2, Scott Tucker holds a four-point lead over Marino Franchitti. Colin Braun is five points up on Mike Cuasch in PC Class. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner share the top spot in GT rankings, five points ahead of Dirk Muller, Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goosens. Nelson Canache Jr. and Spencer Pumpelly top GTC Class rankings by a four-point margin over Jeroen Bleekemolen and Cooper MacNeil.
Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr head P1 class standings as the pair pursue a sixth consecutive victory in the No. 6 Pickett Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03a. Dyson Racing, however, posted P1 victories in 2011 and 2012 at Baltimore. Chris Dyson and Guy Smith return to the wheel of the No. 16 Mazda/Thetford/Norcold Lola B12/60 for Saturday’s event.
Dyson celebrated his 100th ALMS start in the No. 20 entry a year ago and finished second to Smith.
“The circuit is challenging and really showcases the cars and precision driving,” he said. “There is zero margin for error and that’s what makes a good lap and race results there so rewarding.”
Saturday’s race will feature a number of local connections. Marc Bunting of Monkton, Md., lead driver for the No. 67 Team Baltimore Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, will carry the black- and- orange colors of the Baltimore Orioles. The TRG-prepared team will race to benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake and Cool Kids campaign.
“I’m proud of my city – it’s a great venue for a great show,” Bunting said. “It’s awesome to be able to race around the city streets legally.”
Al Carter, Baltimore’s reigning GTC winner, gets the opportunity again to race near his hometown of Greenville, Del., driving the No. 68 Horizon Services Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for TRG with Frenchman Kevin Estre.
Pumpelly also returns home. The Atlanta resident, who drives the No. 45 Venezuela/eSilicon Porsche for Flying Lizard Motorsports with Canache, was born in the Washington D.C. suburb of Mason Neck, Va. and lived in Baltimore for one year finishing college.
Finally, Milner, who lives in Leesburg, Va., drives the No. 4 Corvette Racing Compuware Corvette C6 ZR1 with Gavin.
Qualifying will be streamed live on ESPN3 Friday, August 30th, at 4:20 p.m. ET with the race streamed live on Saturday, August 31st at 3:30 p.m. ET. The race will also be rebroadcast on ABC Sunday, September 1st at 12 p.m. ET.
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