| Date/Time: | 2006-07-17 12:58 |
| Race: | Grand Prix of Utah |
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Mike Lewis and Bryan Willman encountered a host of obstacles at their debut at the ultra modern Miller Motorsports Park Saturday evening, but let none of them stop a valuable points finish at the Utah Grand Prix. Lining up in the 6th position in the top P1 Class, Willman took control of the #12 Autocon JeanRichard Lola EX257 AER at the drop of the green. It did not take long to discover the first challenge to face their effort. “There were tons of marbles (tire debris) on the track and I picked up more than my fair share during the pace laps,” stated Willman. “I could not seem to shake them loose during my stint and, unfortunately, they really slowed me down. It caused me to fall back in the overall. Then I started to sense a gearbox issue and we went into a survival mode to save the transmission. It made it tough to enjoy this wonderful circuit. I can’t wait to get back here next year.” At the one hour mark Willman pitted for fuel, fresh tires and a driver change. With Lewis at the helm, on new rubber, one problem was solved but the gearbox was a deep concern. “My stint felt longer than it was in reality,” according to Lewis. “The tire issue was better and I picked up a few positions overall. By this time we were not in touch with anyone in our class and there was no attrition. Our goal became to finish enough laps to score points and try to avoid further damage to the transmission. We did accomplish that objective and as soon as we hit the 70% mark I pulled it in. This was just not our day.” “To take points away from Utah was about the only positive from this weekend for the Autocon group. It is a shame we were unable to mount a more serious effort to get our third podium but it was just not in the cards. This facility is world class in all respects. The crowd was very receptive to our brand of racing. We look forward to a return visit with more representative results.” “Now our task is to get this car repaired and ready for another tough venue at Portlant this coming weekend where Bryan and Chris McMurry will handle the driving chores.” The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Les Schwab Tires Presents Portland Grand Prix. The sixth race of the 2006 American Le Mans Series season is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT on Saturday, July 22. CBS Sports will broadcast the race from 3 to 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 23. American Le Mans Radio will have live coverage at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA Live Timing & Scoring. |
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