Pirelli Wins ALMS Tire Championship

Intersport Racing and ACEMCO Racing Earn 2004 IMSA Cup Points Championships on Pirellis Laguna Seca, Calif., October 16, 2004 The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season-ending race, the Audi Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, had a little bit of everything. It was a longer event4 hours instead of the previous 2 hour 45 minute format, it was a race that finished in darkness for the first time, and it offered up a smattering of rain during the last hour just to keep the teams on their toes and tires. But through it all, the consistent driving of Clint Field, Robin Liddell and Rick Sutherland resulted in another P2 class victory for the Pirelli-sponsored Intersport Racing Lola/Judd, the sixth in the nine race series for Intersport, the 7th overall P2 class win for Pirelli and a first place for Pirelli in the coveted ALMS Tire Manufacturers Championship in P2. The Intersport trio dominated the race, coming home 19 laps in front of the third-place Courage of Miracle Motorsports. Intersport Racing also took a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year for Pirelli with lead driver Clint Field having the distinction of becoming the youngest driver ever to win a class at this most famous of all endurance races. The win also gave Intersport Racing the P2 IMSA Cup Points Championship by 10 points over Miracle Motorsports. The IMSA Cup is presented to the top independent team in each of the four ALMS classes. But because of two DNFs during the season, the Intersport duo of Clint Field and Robin Liddell were not able to overcome Miracles lead in ALMS P2 Team and Drivers Championships. The dominant factory Corvettes won the 2004 GTS Championship but Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem earned their seventh podium of the year in GTS in the Pirelli-sponsored ACEMCO Saleen S7R at Laguna Seca. This consistent performance by ACEMCO Motorsports also has earned the team the IMSA up in GTS and a 2nd place for Pirelli in Tire Manufacturers Championship in GTS. In the GT class the Pirelli-sponsored Risi Competizione Ferrari 360 Modena GTC piloted by Ralf Kelleners, Anthony Lazzaro and Fabrizio De Simone, Italy, took a hard-fought 4th place. Three spots behind the Ferrari in GT was the Pirelli-shod Panoz Motor Sports Esperante GT-LM of Gunnar Jeannette and arino Franchitti. Once again, Porsche entries dominated the GT class as they have in previous years, but watching the Ferrari and Panoz mix it up with the Porsches made for some exciting racing this year and you can expect both teams to be even more competitive next season. With the Laguna Seca race now in the record books, Pirelli, along with every other tire company, every race team and every driver, will have its attention squarely focused on the season-opening Sebring 12 Hour race in March 2005. It might be five months on the calendar, but its a mere blink of the eye in the competitive world of ALMS sports car racing. NBC Sports will have coverage of the Audi Sports Car Championships event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca event on a one-day tape delay from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, October 17.