Long Beach - Race - Lizards 2nd, 3rd and 7th

Checkered flag - Wolf did everything he could without risking the car to pass the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari, but couldn't make it past, although it looked like an extremely close finish at the end. We'll wait for final results, but it looks like the No. 71 takes the win, the No. 45 settles for second, with the No. 46 in third. It was an exciting finish to the race, with the leading GT2 cars neck and neck for the last 10 minutes. With just a few minutes to go, the No. 87 Farnbacher Porsche, in fourth place, bumped the No. 46 in the hairpin turn, causing a chain reaction and pushing Patrick into Wolf in the No.45. Luckily neither of the Lizard cars were damaged, although the No. 87 may have damaged a radiator.

Happily, Long Beach did not see the rate of attrition that we saw at St. Pete a few weeks ago, and 12 of the 14 GT2 entries finished the race.

Congratulations to the entire Lizard team for their third podium in a row. We will see you all in a few weeks in Salt Lake City! ** Jennifer **

** Six minutes remain ** Wolf in P2, Patrick in P3.

5:50 - Wolf is putting tremendous pressure on the No. 71 Ferrai, looking for an opp to pass. Patrick is right behind Wolf.

5:45 - The No. 62 was assessed a stop and go penalty. They are now in P 9, following the penalty. Nine minutes left.

** 12 mintues lef tin the race **
5:38 pm - The No. 21 Panoz is stopped on the front straight - course is now yellow. No. 37 is still sideways in exit of Turn 11. This yellow could work to our advantage, allowing No. 45 to close the 5 second gap between him and the leader, the No. 71 Tafel RAcing Ferrari. However it will also allow the other GT2 cars on the lead lap (the No. 46, and No. 48) to close their gap.

Positions: P 1 No. 71; P2 No. 45; P 3 No. 46; P 4. No 48; P 5 No. 61.

5:37 pm - The No. 37 Intersport prototype sideways on course in exit of Turn 11.

** 25 minutes left in the race **

5:29 - The No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari did not change tires during its pit stop, taking that gamble to be able to get out of the pits ahead of the No. 45 and No. 46, who did take new tires. The No. 62 continued to have some issues in the pits and had a lengthy pit stop. So new positions: P1 No. 71; P 2. No 45; P 3. No 46; P 4 No. 48; P 5 No. 62; P 6 No. 61; P 7 No. 5; P 8 No. 62. Lonnie is in p 11.

5:27 - No. 46 is out with Patrick Pilet in the car. No. 45 is out with Wolf Henzler in the car. Both cars changed all four tires and fuel. Both cars exited the pits under green. The No. 62 is in the pits and is apparently having trouble starting.

5:24 - No. 46 and No. 45 are both called into the pits. 31 minutes left in the race

5:20 - The No. 46 and No. 45 crew are working to determine the optimal time to pit during the yellow. The field has now bunched up under yellow and positions are: P1 No. 45; P2 No. 46; P 3 No. 62; P 4. No 71; P 5 No. 48 Corsa Ferrari. The No. 87 Tafel Porsche had a long pit stop, and has falled down to 12th. No. 44 is in P 13.

5:17 - Yellow flag and pits are closed. Cause of yellow is to remove debris from Turn 11. Race control notifies that it should be a short yellow. Both the No. 46 and the No. 45 crew call their drivers in for driver change, tires and fuel.

5:15 - Debris reported in Turn 11. The crew gets ready for a possible yellow. Air temperatures are starting to drop off significantly now and we should see the track start to cool down quickly.

5:10 - The No. 87 was slow on course but I'm not sure of the reason. He continued and is now back on pace.

5:02- Joerg passes the No. 45 to take the lead. Johannes is in P2 in the No.46. Lonnie Pechnik in the No. 44 is in P 13, 1 lap down on the next closest car, the Aston Martin.

**Just under one hour left in the race. **

4:51 - Lonnie Pechnik is out in the No. 44. The No. 44 was the first of the GT2 cars to pit. Positions are: P1 No. 46; P 2 No. 45; P3 No. 62; P 4 No. 71; P 5 No. 87; P 6 No. 61. No. 44 is out in P 13 after a fast pit stop for fuel and tires, with no need for repairs. We should start to see the rest of the GT2 field begin to pit.

4:49 pm - The No. 44 gets ready to pit and driver change to Lonnie Pechnik. The car chief notifies the crew to inspect the car after fueling to determine if there is any damage. The cars are starting to enter the driver/fuel window.

4:43 - Seth in the No. 44 impacted the tire wall, but has continued. He asked the crew to have a look at the rear of the car as he goes by on the front straight to visually inspect it.

4:39 - The strategist of the No.46 Porsche has asked Johannes to let Joerg pass if possible but it's a tough situation because all of the cars are so close together. Prorotype traffic is also starting to thread through the GT2 field. The prototype traffic has widened the gap between the GT2 cars - giving Joerg some breathing room in front of the No. 62 and also putting some distance between the No. 62 Ferrari and the No. 71 Tafel Ferrari in P4. Positions: P1 No. 46; P2 No. 45; P 3 No. 62; P 4 No. 71.


4:33 - The top seven GT2 cars are nose to tail. The No. 62 Ferrari is looking for opportunities to pass Joerg. Joerg in turn, is putting pressure on Johannes, but doesn't want to get too close and risk a problem that could take them both out. The top five cars are within three tenths of a second of one another on their lap times.

4:30 pm - Green flag. Looks like the No. 37 prototype went off line to avoid traffic in front of him. He was able to continue without incident. The GT2 field maintained positiosn on the restart. Johannes in the No. 46 in P1; Joerg in the No. 45 in P2; Seth in the No. 44 in P11.

4;22 pm - The course is yellow and the pits are closed. The No. 11 will need to be removed from the course.

4:21 pm - The race today is just 1 hour and 40 minutes - our shortest race of the season. The No. 11 Viperis slow on the front straight and appears to have pulled off course and stopped.

4:18 pm PT - Green Flag - a clean start for the field. Johannes retained top position at the start, and Joerg is P2. Jaime Melo in No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari is in P 3, with Dominik Farnbacher in the No. 71 Tafel Racing Ferrari in P4. The No. 87 Farnbacher Porsche is P5.

4:11 pm PT - Engine start for the 2 pace laps.

4:00 pm PT - The cars are on the grid. Lizards are starting first (No.46), second (No.45) and eighth (No.44) on the 14-car GT2 grid.

3:51 pm PT - The cars are out on their recon lap. Reminder that we are broadcasting our radio live during the race. See the follow the race tab on the home page for details. The race is tape delayed and will be broadcast on Sunday April 20 on ABC. Check your local listings for broadcast times as it may vary in your market.

3:43 pm PT - We are getting ready for the recon lap (the laps(s) which precede the lining up of the cars on the grid.) Starting drivers will be: Seth Neiman in the No.44 Porsche, Joerg Bergmeister in the No.45 and Johannes van Overbeek in the No.46. We have a short hold to clean some oil off the track.

Morning Warmup
7:30 - Checker is out and the warmup session is over. Joerg was P1 in the No.45, Johannes was P2 in the No.46, and Seth was P 7 in the No. 44. Once the cars are in the pits, the crew will practice driver changes, then head back to the paddock to finish prep for the race.

Race begins at 4:10 pm PT today. ABC will broadcast the race tape delayed starting on Sunday. So - live during the race, please join us on the radio - see the "Follow the Race" tab on the home page for details.


7:27 - 3 minutes left to go. Joerg is P1 in the No. 45. Johannes reports flowers, dirt and bushes on the track - someone evidently went through the planted beds on the side of the course.


7:19 am - Red flag just two minutes into the session after an Acura prototype collided with the Mazda prototype on course, sending the Mazda into the tire wall. Looks like some damage to both cars, although both were able to continue back to the pits.

7:10 am PT - Good morning from Long Beach. It's cool and cloudy this morning, with a chance of rain. We have a 15 minute warmup this morning, our last chance to do any setup changes prior to the race. Unfortunately, with the cool temperatures, it will take most of the session to get the tires up to temp, so we could definitely use a longer session. The cars are lining up at pit out, with Joerg in the No. 45, Seth in the No.44, and Johannes in the No. 45.

Reminder that we are broadasting our radio live during morning warmup and the race tonight- for details, see the follow the race tab on the home page, or directly here
http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00324/live2.asx.

The race starts at 4:10 pm PT today, and will be broadcast tape-delayed on Sunday, April 10 starting at 9:30 am PT.

Long Beach Qual - Pilet takes the Pole!

Patrick Pilet takes the pole! Patrick's first pole in the ALMS and the Lizard's second pole in a row, following Wolf's pole at St. Petersburg. Joerg is second in the No. 45 and Lonnie is eighth in the No. 44. 14 cars qualified today in GT2.

4:05 pm - Patrick Pilet in the No. 46 just took P1 with a 1:19.953, then bested that in the next lap with a 1.19.705. Joerg is in P 2 in the No. 45 and Lonnie in P 6 with the No. 44. No. 71 is P3. Other GT2 cars are just getting up to speed so we'll see what happens.

4:03 - No. 44 spun in turn 5 and made impact with the tire wall. Appears to be little or no damage.

4:00 pm PT - Qualifying has started and all three cars are out. All three cars are running together at the moment, hopefully they will be able to space out a bit.

3:45 pm PT, Friday April 18 - Greetings from Long Beach, California. The weather is spectacular this weekend - sunny skies, light breeze -perfect Southern California weather. So far, things have gone smoothly for the Lizards this week - all three cars had a successful test day on Thursday, and so far, everything today has gone well.

We are in the pits, waiting for the start of qualifying and for the cars to arrive from our paddock ,which is about 1 mile from the pits.

Qualifying drivers are:
Lonne Pechnik: No. 44
Joerg Bergmeister: No. 45
Patrick Pilet: No. 46

Qualifying session will start at 3:55 PT, although we've been notified by race control that there may be a delay to clean up some debris from the previous session.

St. Pete Race - No. 46 2nd, No. 44 7th

Final race finish: No. 46 P2, No. 44 P 7, No. 45 P 9. The No. 71 Tafel Ferrari won in GT2. Congrats to Johannes, Patrick, and the No. 46 team for their first podium this year!!!

5:21 pm - Checkered flag. No. 46 finishes second and No. 44 seventh. We'll know in a few minutes how the No. 45 will end up - the car did not cross the finish line.

5:14 pm - Joerg reports the car is starting to smoke and strategist Thomas Blam calls him into the pits. They are going to do a fast review of the car to determine if they can send him back out or if they need to do a radiator replacement. No - it's clear - the No.45 is done and will not be able to continue. It is in the pits, and Joerg is out of the car. The No. 46 has moved to P2 and the No. 44 in P 8.

5:08 pm - Positions: P1 No. 71; P 2 No 45; P 3 No. 46. No. 44 is P 8. Course is still yellow.

5:05 - The No. 20 Dyson prototype impacted the tire wall and the No. 45 hit him as he was going by (No. 20 was going counter race). Joerg reports that the left front radiator is is damaged and he is losing fluid. Double yellow. Crew tells Joerg to stay out until they are ready for the radiator replacement. AT the time, Joerg was in P2.

5:00 - P1. No 71; P 2 No. 45; P 3 No 46. No. 44 is now P 9.

4:57 - One of the Audis and one of the Acuras collided on course. Both cars have sustained damage.

4:55 - the No. 71 Tafel Ferrari has passed Joerg in the No. 45 to take the lead. Joerg is now P2. It appears that Johannes will retain P3. He is one lap back from the No. 45.

4:52 - No. 46 Porsche has collided on course with another car - the GT2 28 Corvette. Johannes is having trouble restarting he is sideways in 5. He has restarted and rejoined. At the time of the incident, he was in P3. Will report positions in a minute.

2:52 - Green flag. No. 62 is in the pits.

2:48 - Something may be going on with the No. 62 Ferrari (which was in the lead) - it's unclear, but from timing and scoring, it appears to be slow on course. Could be just a timing and scoring issue - we'll now more in a minute. Still yellow. TV shows him on course in front of the No. 45 but he is going slow, and appears to have a problem.

2:47 - the rain that had been predicted has not materialized - thankfully. Still clear skies. 33 minutes left.

2:40 - Still yellow. Positions: P1 No 62; P 2 No. 45; P 3 No. 71; P 4 No. 46. No. 44 is P 11. The 62, 45, 71, and 46 are on the same lap. The other GT2 cars are one or more lap back.

2:30 - the No. 11 Viper and the No. 008 Aston Martin collided on course - major damage and debris on track. Double yellow. We do not have any info on the drivers' status.

2:26 pm - Unfortunately, under the yellow, the No. 62 in a short pit stop, was able to get in and out of the pits ahead of the No. 45 to regain the lead. The yellow worked to their advantage, allowing them to pit again for fuel and regain the lead. Positions: P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 45; P 3 No. 71; P 4 No. 46; P 5 No. 61. No. 44 is P 11. The Lizard Porsches should be good on fuel through the end of the race, assuming that there are no lengthy yellows.

2:23 pm - No. 45 is out with Joerg Bergmeister; No. 44 has Darren Law and No. 46 has Johannes van Overbeek. Green flag. I will report positions in a minute when things sort out.

2:22 pm - No. 45 and No. 46 are called in and head into the pits. course still yellow. No. 71, 62, 61, 28 all pit.

2:21 - Just under one hour left to go. No. 44 is called into the pits for driver change, tires and fuel.

2:14 - Course still yellow to remove debris. Lizard cars will all pit at some point during this yellow. Because they have not yet pitted, they are hoping for the yellow to last as long as possible. At the one-hour mark, a one-stop race could still a possibility for the Lizard Porsches. If the cars have to pit before the 1-hour mark, it may not be possible. as the cars will need to refuel and have new tires. 1 hour and 6 minutes left.

2:08 - It appears that the early Risi pit stop was to get Salo out of the car - it appears to be a heat-related issue.

2:05 pm - No. 6 Penske spun on course and the No. 37 impacted the tire wall - they appear to be unrelated but happened at the same time on course so there may hav ea been a problem. Both cars are continuing, the No. 37 has damage. Course is double yellow. Drivers are readying for an earlier than planned change.

2:04 - GT2 positions: P1 No. 45; P 2 No. 71; P 3 No 46; P 4 No 48; P 5 No. 21. After the early pit stop, No. 62 is now in P7. No. 44 in P 11.

2:02 - No. 62 pitted early, ceding the lead back to Wolf, and moving Patrick to P3 in the No. 46. It was a short stop - fuel and tires and driver change to Melo.

1:58 - The race so far has been happily fairly uneventful for the field. No. 45 is P2; No. 46 P 4, and No. 44 P 11. We are entering our windows for driver changes and fuel/tires. With no incidents, the cars will most likely stop around 2:30 to 2:45. If there are no additional yellows, this could still be a one stop race for the Lizard Porsches,even with the yellow on the restart.

1:53 - Race control radios to display the sporstmanship flag (to the No. 62 for his earlier pass/contact with Wolf.

1:51 GT2 Positions: P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 45; P 3. No 71; P 4. No 46; P 5 No. 48; P 6 No. 21; P 7 No. 87; P 8 No. 61; P 9 No. 28; P 10 No. 40; P 11 No. 44.

1:49 - The No. 62 passed Wolf on the outside, it appears that they made contact and Wolf was forced to left and brake to avoid colliding with the inside wall.

1:44 - Wolf is still P1, with the No. 62 just behind him. Both GT2 cars have had to navigate signicant traffic as the faster cars move past them. In the No. 46, Patrick is just behind the No. 71 Tafel Ferrari but has been unable to pass.
Wolf has been able to hold off the Ferrari so far, but they are nose to tail now.


1:35 pm - GT2 positions: P 1 No. 45; P 2. No 62; P 3 No. 71; P 4 No. 46; P 5 No. 21; P 6 No. 48; P 7 No. 61; P 8 No. 28. P 9. No 40. P 10 No. 87. P 11 No. 44.

1:33 - No. 26 Acura has continued.

1:30 - All cars have made it successfully through the restart, although there was some tussling among the prototypes in the first few turns. No. 46 is now in P4 and No. 44 in P8. Wolf held the lead on the start, although Salo in the No. 62 is just a 3 tenths behind him. The No. 26 Acura spun on course, but appears to be continuing. He is stuck again, on track on the outside of turn 8. They have not yet called a yellow.

1:29 - Green flag.

1:27 - It's a bit confusing right now - the race was actually started at the planned time, although it started under yellow. So the start will be a single car start not a double car start - a standard race restart.

1:24 pm - The 007 Aston Martin (a GT2 entry) is stopped on course so the course is double yellow - there will be at least one more pace lap while they sort it out. If they cannot continue, it will be a 12-car GT2 field.

1:20 - We are just getting started on the two pace laps. This is a rolling start, 2 cars side by side. Race will start at 1:25. Lizard Porsches are first (No. 45), fifth (No. 46) and sixth (No. 44) on the grid. There are 13 GT2 cars in the field. The No. 5 Porsche was damaged in yesterday's practice session and has withdrawn.

12:53 - Recon laps have started. Cars are heading out for one lap.

12:50 pm ET - Good afternoon from St. Pete. Recon laps are just about to start - teams will do one lap, then return to pit lane. The grid at St. Pete will be on pit lane (normally ALMS races grid on the front straight).

Starting drivers are: Seth Neiman in No. 44; Wolf Henzler in No. 45; and Patrick Pilet in No. 46. Race will begin at 1:25 pm ET.

Lizards are broadcasting team radio. You can access it through the home page or here

http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00324/live2.asx

St. Pete - Raceday! Morning Warmup

9:50 am - We have the checker on the session and are heading back to the paddock for our final race prep. We'll be back on the blog and the radio before race start - around 1:00 pm ET.


9:43 am - Johannes reports a flat spot and may need to pit. Seth pits in No. 44 for driver change to Darren.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for midday today - which would put the heaviest of the rain right during the race. We are planning for a wet race, but hope that things will hold off until post race.

9:37 - Wolf pits in the No. 45 for driver change to Joerg Bergmeister.

9:35 - Patrick pits in the No. 46 for driver change to Johannes van Overbeek.

9:31 - Wolf Henzler in the No. 45 has the fastest time of the session so far in the first few minutes, Patrick Pilet in No. 46 is second. 20 minutes to go in the session.

9:25 am - Green flag on the morning warmup. Seth is in the No. 44, Wolf Henzler is in the No. 45; and Patrick is in the No. 46. All three Lizard cars are heading out.

9:14 am ET - Good morning from St. Pete. It's a beautiful day here in St. Petersburg, Florida. Although there is a chance of rain later today, it is clear this morning, warm and humid. We have a short warmup this morning (9:25-9:50) before the race which starts at 1:25 this afternoon (Eastern Time).

We are broadcasting our team radio this morning and during the race - you can listen in here
http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00324/live2.asx

St. Pete Qualifying: No. 45 on the Pole!!

2:35 pm - No. 45 Wolf Henzler on the pole!!! Lizards qualify 1st, 5th, and sixth in GT2. Wolf had the fastest session time of 1:11:745. Johannes in the No. 46 is fifth, and Darren in the No. 44 is sixth.

2:27 - Wolf is still in P1, and is heading out again for a cool down lap. Melo in No. 62 is just 1/10th of a second behind Wolf now in P2.

2:24 pm - 10 minutes into qualifying, Wolf Henzler in the No. 45 is in P1, with a 1:11.745. Melo is in P2 in No. 62 Risi Ferrari. No. 46 with Johannes van Overbeek behind the wheel is in P 6. Darren Law in the No. 44 is P 6.

St. Pete - Friday April 5 Afternoon Practice

2:00 pm - Race control has notified us that the session will not restart and so we are done until qualifying. The cars remain in pit lane, and the drivers are getting out in search of some shade to stay cool before qualifying.

** Reminder - radio broadcast on Race Day. Lizards will be broadcasting our team radio live on raceday during on track sessions. For details, click on the "Follow the Race" tab on the home page.

1:52 pm - Red flag. Looks like the Penske No. 7 and a GT2 Porsche (not a Lizard Porsche) collided on course with significant damage to both cars. Unclear exactly what happened, but appears that the Porsche impacted the tire wall, and the Penske was unable to avoid him on course. Both cars will need to be removed from the course so this will most likely be the end of the practice session.

Up next is qualifying - which, assuming that it is not delayed due to this incident, will be at 2:15 pm

1:48 - Based on weather reports it looks like rain may be possible for tomorrow's race. In the rain, teams will switch from slick tires to grooved rain tires as soon as the track becomes too wet to hold traction on slicks.

1:42 - 20 minutes left - Lizards are 1, 2, and 9 in the session out of 14 GT2 cars.

1:39 - No. 46 pits for driver change from Patrick to Johannes.

1:38 - Darren Law takes over for Seth in the No. 44 and Wolf for Joerg in the No. 45

1:28 - No. 45 is currently P1, No. 46 P 2; and No. 44 13th in the session.

1:15 - Green flag - Stefan Pfeiffer, No. 45 Engineer, has identified the shifting issue (broken shift sensor) - they will run out the practice with it, and repair it prior to qualifying.

1:11 - Red flag. A Dyson prototype has spun on course, managing to avoid impacting the tire barrier wall. Patrick reports a traction issue. All three cars are in the pits.

1:04 - Joerg reports a shifting problem

1:05 pm - Green flag on the session and Seth Neiman (no. 44), Joerg Bergmeister (No. 45) ,and Patrick Pilet (No. 46) are heading out for the session. It's hot and humid here at St. Pete and cloudy skies are threatening rain.

1:00 pm ET - Good afternoon from St. Petersburg, Florida. We are installed in our pits here at the temporary race circuit, readying for our second (and final) practice session of the race weekend. It's a compressed schedule here, and unlike most of our standard races, we have only 2 hours of practice time and a short race day warmup before Saturday's race.

The drivers have been focused this morning on refreshing on the track circuit, and for Seth and Patrick, learning it for the first time. All three cars were out for this morning's session.

This afternoon's practice begins at 1:05 pm and lasts one hour. GT qualifying begins at 2:15 and lasts 30 minutes.

Qualifying is important at every race, and even more so here because the race is very short (1 hour, 55 minutes) compared to our other events. Starting position is key because there are so few passing opportunities on this track.

Lizards Win Sebring in GT2! No. 45 is P1; No. 44 P2

*** Lizards win in GT2: the No. 45 takes the checkered and the No. 44 follows for second. It's the first Sebring win and the first ever 1/2 finish in the team's history. The No. 46 came through a challenging race to finish eighth. All three cars finished in a race of attrition in which 50% of the GT2 field did not complete the race.

Congratulations to the entire team and all nine drivers- Darren, Seth, Alex, Joerg, Wolf, Marc, Johannes, Patrick, and Richard. Well done!!! ****

See you all in St. Petersburg!

9:52 - No. 45 pits for fuel. Marc stays in the car and is out quickly, still in P1.

9:50 - ** 15 minutes to go **.

9:44 - Darren calls in that he's losing control - he thought he might have a flat fire. The crew replies that there appears to be water on the track.

9:24 - 40 minutes left in the race. Positions: P1 No. 45; P 2 No 44; P 3 No 61; P 4 No 73; P 5 No. 5. No. 46 is P 8.

9:22 - The No. 44 is in the pits for fuel only. Darren stayed in the car.

9:16 - The No. 44 and the No. 46 are both getting ready to pit. No. 44 will have just fuel, no tires or driver change. The No. 46 will have full fuel, tires, and driver change to Patrick Pilet. No. 46 is in and Patrick is out of the pits after some trouble restarting. The No. 46 is in P 8, with the No. 71 Ferrari back in P 7.

9:08 pm - Richard in the No. 46 just did the second fastest GT2 lap of the race - 2:02:721. Positions: P 2. No 45; P 2 No. 44; P 3 No. 61. P 4 No. 73. P5 No. 5.

No. 5 is still out for repairs. No. 11 in P 6 has pitted. No. 45 is in P 7. The No. 71 Tafel Ferrari is still right on Richard's tail.

9:05 pm - *** 1 hour remains ***

8:56 pm - No. 45 Porsche is in the pits for a lengthy pit stop. The No. 45 Porsche, in the lead, pits for driver change to Marc Lieb, tires, and fuel. The No. 45 is out still in the lead. No. 44 is in P 2. No. 46, with Richard Lietz at the wheel, has moved to P 7, but the No. 71 Ferrari, which was in front of him, is behind after a pit stop but very close on his tail.

8:41 - Positions: P1 No. 45; P 2 No. 44; P3 No. 61; P4 No. 5; P5 No. 73. No. 46 is P 8. No. 45 is 3 laps ahead of the No. 44. No. 45 is 2 laps ahead of the No. 44. The No. 44 is 2 laps ahead of the P3 No. 61 Ferrari.

** 90 minutes remain **

8:29 - No. 44 is in the pits now. Darren takes over for Alex and he is out back on track. He will retain his P2 position.

8:27 - Positions: P1 No. 45; P 2 No. 44; P3 No. 61; P4 No. 5; P5 No. 73. No. 46 is P 8.

8:25 pm - No. 46 pits for tires and fuel - Richard Lietz will stay in the car. Once this stop is complete, the No. 46 plans for one more fuel stop through the end of the race. No 44 will also pit shortly for tires, fuel and driver change to Darren Law.

** 2 hours to go **

8:02 pm - Even with the pit stop, No. 45 remains in P1, 2 laps ahead of the No. 44, which is 1 lap ahead of the No. 61 Ferrari.

8:00 - Positions are: P1 No. 45; P 2 No. 44; P 3 No. 61; P 4 No. 5; P 5 No. 73. No. 46 is P8, now 26 seconds behind the No. 71 Ferrari - he was able to narrow the gap after the No. 71's long stop. No. 61 is in the pits. No. 45 pits for fuel and tires, driver change from Wolf to Joerg.

7:57 - The No. 71 had a lengthy pit stop - looks like a wheel gun problem.

7:46 - Alex in the No. 44 reports a vibration like something is flapping. The crew thinks it is just pickup from the track. The No. 61 Krohn Ferrari spun and is off track but is able to continue.

7:43 pm - The No. 71 Tafel Ferrari hit the tire wall, but he is continuing. He was in P 7, 1 lap ahead of the No. 46. If he pits, it would give the No. 46 a chance to retake that position and move to P 7.

7:40 pm - Positions: P1 No. 45; P 2 No. 44; P 3 No. 61; P 4 No. 5; P 5 No. 73. The No. 46 is P8. The No. 61 is 1 lap back from the No. 44, which is 3 laps back from the No. 45. The No. 5 is 1 lap back from the No. 61.

7:36 pm - The No. 44 pits for tires, fuel, and driver change from Darren to Alex. They will bleed the clutch. The No. 46 will be right behind him for tires and fuel, driver change to Richard Lietz. The No. 2 Audi spun on track and impacted the tire wall, but was able to continue into the pits.

The No. 45 pits for tires and fuel. Wolf will stay in the car.

** 2 hours and 45 minutes to go - the length of a standard ALMS race **

7:15 pm - The No. 5 Porsche has a flat, but he was able to get into the pits quickly before too much damage. Positions remain unchanged. P1 No. 45; P2 No. 44; P3 No. 61; P 4 No. 5; P 5 No. 73

7:06 pm - the No. 61 had a speeding violation in pit lane, and will have to serve a stop and go penalty. Both the No. 61 and the No. 5 (which were P3 and P4) pitted for driver change. With the No. 61's penalty, the No. 5 will most likely regain P3.

Positions: P1 No. 45; P2 No. 44; P3 No. 61; P4 No 5; P5 No. 73.

7:03 pm - The No. 45 pits for fuel. Wolf stays in the car. They are checking the car out carefully to make sure that there is no problem.

6:54 - The No. 45 crew decides to bring the car in under yellow for fuel and to check the undertray to make sure nothing is loose (Wolf reported some "banging" sounds earlier).

6:46 pm - The No. 40 Ford is in the tire wall in Turn 13. Double yellow. Safety crew is assisting the driver. A caution at this point will most likely not help the Lizards - it could allow some of the field to gain a lap back on the No. 45 and/or 44 during the wave by. The No. 45 is 2 laps ahead of the No. 44. The No. 44 is 2 laps ahead of the No. 5, with the No. 61 close behind him. The No. 46 is P 8.

6:33 - The No. 46 is out quickly with a clean pit stop. Both Lizard Porsches will retain their lead positions, even after the pit stops. Positions: P1 No. 45; P 2 No. 44; P 3 No. 5; P 4. No 61; P 5 No. 73. No. 46 is P8. In the No. 45 in P1, Wolf is 4 laps ahead of the No. 5 Porsche in P3. He is 2 laps ahead of the No. 44 Lizard Porsche.

6:33 - No. 46 pits just behind the No. 44 for driver change to Johannes, tires and fuel.

6:30 - No. 44 pits for driver change to Darren, tires and fuel.

6:25 - Wolf radios in again that there is definitely something banging under the car. The crew thinks it may be a portion of the undertray that may have come loose and tell him to stay out.

6:23 - Wolf reports that he drove over something and asks the crew to visually check it out as he goes by on the front straight.

6:16 pm - The No. 45 crew decides to wait on bleeding the clutch and sends Wolf out with tires and fuel.

6:13 pm - The No. 45 pits for driver change to Wolf, tires and fuel. The clutch is getting very soft. The crew is working to make the call if they will bleed the clutch on this stop or wait until a caution. The No. 46 has moved into P 8, surpassing the laps completed so far by the 77, which has not yet returned to the track.

6:01 pm - We are heading in to hour nine of the race. Four hours left to go! No. 45 is in P1 with Marc Lieb well through his second stint of the race. No. 44 is in P2 with Alex Davison in the car - this is his 3rd stint. The No. 46, which has been dogged by problems throughout the race, has managed to hold on to P 9, after being out of the race for more than an hour early on after an accident significantly damaged the suspension. Patrick Pilet is currently in the No. 46.

The No. 45 crew is getting ready for a driver change to Wolf, tires and fuel.

Positions are: P1 No. 45; P2 No. 44; P 3 No. 5; P 4 No. 61; P5 No. 73; P 6 No. 11; P 7 No. 77; P 8 No 71; No. 9 No. 46. The No. 77, in P 7, is having a lengthy pit stop/repair, which may allow the No. 46 to overtake it in a few laps and move up one position to P 8.

Sebring Hours 6-8

5:57 - The No. 5 Porshe is in the pits to serve a 25 second stop and go penalty for speeding in pit lane. The No. 5 is in P3, behind the No. 44 in P2 and the No. 45 in P1. This gives the No. 44 back a bit of breathing room. These penalties have to be served on a separate, dedicated trip to the pits - so they are as significant penalty for a team.

5:45 - No. 46 repair is complete and Patrick is out again. Although it has been more than 20 minutes since the problem occurred on track, he has only lost two positions. He is now in P10, 2 laps down from the No. 71 Tafel Ferrari. He is 40 seconds behind the No. 40 Ford which is in P 9, but he is running at a much faster pace.

5:39 pm - No. 46 still under repair in the pits. Mo. 44 has pitted and Alex Davison has taken over for Darren.

5:34 - No. 44 crew is readying for a pit stop. Because they still don't have any radio communication with Darren (at least not from driver to crew) they have to rely on the manual stop board

5:31 - No. 77 was black flagged - I assume because they are not able to keep the pace of the field. They are currently in P7.

5:24 - 46 is slow in 10. WE are not sure of the reason. Patrick is working to get the car back to the pits. The car has been on track most of the race without a rear bumper so there is little protection in the rear of the car. It may be an axle. Confirmed - a rear axle is broken. The crew will replace the axle in the pits - it will be a 5-10 minute repair. The 46 is 4 laps ahead of the No. 40 Ford. No. 45 is still P1 and No. 44 is P2.

5:22 pm - Joerg is in the pits, driver change to Marc Lieb.

5:16 PM - No. 46 is called into the pits for tires and fuel. 2 more laps before the No. 45 pits. Joerg radios in that his toe is hurting and asks for a driver change, which was already planned.

** Five hours to go **

4:57 - We have lost radio contact with Darren in the No. 44. The crew is using the sign board - a manual sign that they hold over pit wall - to tell the driver whether to stay out or come into the pits. the crew needs to be ready for the car to come into the pits unexpectedly.

4:50 - Seth spun on course in the No. 44, but luckily was able to avoid impacting the wall and quickly continued. He has flat spotted the tires and is pitting for tires, fuel and driver change to Darren. Darren is now in the car, and they are out again. With the stop, No. 73 Ferrari has closed the gap between him and the No. 44 to 1 lap. No. 45 continues in P1; No. 46 in P 8.

4:38 pm - The No. 46 moves to P8 as it surpasses the number of laps completed by the No. 62 and No. 87 before they were retired. Lizards now P1 (45), P2(44) and P8 (46)

** 5.5 hours left to go - twice the length of the standard ALMS races **

4:30 - The No. 40 Ford has lost a wheel and is attempting to return to the pits. The No. 46 is on the same lap as the No. 40 so this will put the No. 46 into P 10. Richard Lietz is currently in the No. 46.

4:26 - No. 45 pits for driver change, fuel and tires. Joerg takes over and heads out. All three cars retain their positions after the pit stops. P1 No. 45; P2 No. 44; P11 No. 46.

4:23 - No. 44 is back out. No. 46 is now in the pits - Johannes reports that he is very close on fuel. No. 45 is pitting next.

4:19 - No. 44 and No. 45 will pit shortly, then the No. 46. All three cars will do driver changes. Getting in the cars will be: Seth Neiman (44), Joerg Bergmeister (5), Richard Lietz (46).

4:10 pm - Top 5 GT2 positions are: P1 No. 45; P2 No. 44; P 3 No. 61; P 4 No. 73; P5 No. 5. No. 46 is P 11. Wolf, Alex, and Johannes are in the Lizard Porsches right now. 4 of the starting 15 GT2 cars have been retired.

4:06 pm - Car 5 is assessed a penalty for exceeding the pit lane speed. They are in P 3 right now.

4:01 pm - Alex in the No. 44 reports that the Ferrari in front of him is leaking oil.
Wolf in the No. 45 lets the No. 46 (which is many laps down on the top of the field) pass as Johannes continues to work to regain some time. Strategist Thomas Blam has asked Wolf to back off on times a bit to help conserve tires. Wolf has a 1 lap lead on the No. 44. The No. 44 has about a one lap lead on the No. 5 in P3. The No. 61 Ferrari is in P 4.

Sebring Race Hours 2 through 6

3:36 - The two GT2 leaders - the No. 62 Ferrari and the No. 87 Farnbacher Porsche - impacted on course - taking both off track. Both cars have significant damage and it looks like both are out of the race. This will put the No. 45 in P1 and the No. 44 in P2.

3:35 - Positions on restart will be: P1 No. 62; P2 No. 87; P3 No. 45; P4 No. 44. No. 46 now P 11.

3:32 - No. 77 has a flat, cars have been notified that they may pass him, even though it's still yellow.

3:29 - No 45 pits for a very short fuel.

3:27 pm - No. 44 pits for fuel, still under yellow.

3:14 pm - Course still yellow as the officials finish their review of what happened during the wavebys to make sure that starting order is correct.

3:06 pm - Strategist Eric Ingraham makes the call on the No. 46 Porsche to bring the car in under yellow and fix the driver-side mirror and a splash of fuel.

2:57 - Johannes reports a water temp alarm. course still yellow. The officials have had to run multiple wave bys because they had the wrong overall leader. They now have the correct lineup and the course will go green shortly.

2:44 pm - The No. 77 Porsche has a flat and is slow on course - holding up all of the cars. Race control gave the OK for cars to pass, which is normally not allowed under yellow.

2:38 - The Lista Prototype spun and impacted the wall at turn 11. He continued. With the latest pit stops, the No. 61 is P1, the No. 45 is P2, the No. 87 is P3, the No. 44 is P4. The No. 62 just pitted for tires and fuel.

2:32 - Marc Lieb radioed in that he was out of fuel. The car was slowing and he thought he would not make it back to the pits. By changing maps and switching to reserve, he was able to continue and make it to the pits. There may be another issue which caused the loss of power. No. 45, 46, and 44 are all in pits. New drivers will be: Johannes in the No. 46, Wolf in the 45, and Alex in the No. 44

2:31 pm - with the No. 87 pitting for driver change, the No. 44 moves to P2. No. 62 remains in the lead, with No. 45 in P2. Marc Lieb and Darren Law are still in the cars but are pitting shortly for driver change.

2:25 pm - P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 45; P 3 No. 87; P 4 No. 44. No 46 is P 12. Next round of pit stops should be in about 5 minutes.

2:00 - P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 45; P 3 No. 87; P 4 NO. 44.

1:42 pm - Green flag. P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 87; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No. 5; P 5 No. 44. No 46 in P 14.

1:37 pm - GT2 leader No. 62 Ferrari is in the pits. course is still yellow. Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam believes they may be replacing brake pads. Looks like the 62 was able to get out in front of the overall leader, which means that he will retain his one lap advantage over the No. 87 Farnbacher Porsche in P2 and the No. 45 in P3.

1:33 - Course still under yellow. Positions on restart will be: P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 87; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No. 5; P 5 No. 44.

1:30 - All three Lizard cars pit for tires and fuel. In the No. 45, Marc will stay in the car. In the No. 44 Darren also stays in the car. The No. 46 pitted again so that the crew could check out a possible problem reported by Patrick. All seems OK.

1:25 pm - The No. 46 pits for tires and fuel. In the No. 46, Patrick will double stint and continue driving.

1:23 - Positions: P 1 No. 62; P 2 No. 87; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No. 44. The No. 44 is minus one lap to the 45. The 45 is minus one lap to the GT2 leader, No. 62. The No. 46 and No. 45 are both called into the pits for tires and fuel.

1:15 - The No. 32 prototype is in the wall and the course is double yellow. It was a hard hit - the driver is awake and talking to safety officials who are assisting him.

1:10 - P1. No 62; P 2 No 87; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No. 5; P 5 No. 44.

1:09 - The No. 21 Panoz just went by being pushed down pit lane - heading behind the wall I assume. The No. 44 pits for stop and go penalty. It looks like the No. 44 will only lose one position. Green flag.

1:03 - The No. 62 (GT2 leader) pitted for driver change

1:00 - Marc Lieb in the No. 45 is in P 3, behind the No. 87 Farnbacher Porsche and the No. 62 Ferrari in P1. Course is still yellow.

12:55 - No. 44 back in the pits for driver change to Darren Law. It looks like the 44 was assessed a penalty for speeding coming into pit lane, so Darren will have to serve a stop and go. Darren radios in that his cool suit is not working - the crew makes the call to bring him back in under yellow to fix it with the hope that they will not lose any positions.

12:50 - The crew calls the No. 44 in under yellow for a splash of fuel. They had some bad luck on this yellow - running too low on fuel to continue until their planned stop. The car will pit again shortly for driver change to Darren. They were able to still remain in P4, ahead of the No. 21 which is in P5. The course is still yellow. Positions: P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 87; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No. 44. No. 46 is P 14 with Patrick Pilet at the wheel.

12:45 - 007 Aston Martin is in the tire wall - it looks like it was a very hard hit. The course is double yellow. The car is continuing and returning to the pits. Positions are P 1 No. 87 (which has not yet done its 3rd pit stop); P 2 No 62; P3 No. 45; and P 4 No. 44. Course is still yellow. For some reason, the Aston Martin did not pit.

12:42 - No. 45 pits for tires, fuel and driver change to Marc Lieb, tires and fuel. This will be Marc's first stint. The No. 45 is currently P1 after leader No. 62 pitted for their driver change. Seth Neiman in the No. 44 is P4. No. 46 is P 14.

** Reminder ** Radio broadcasting live at
http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00324/live2.asx

12:31 - Eric Ingraham, strategist for the No. 46 Porsche, calls Richard Lietz in for driver change to Patrick Pilet. The No. 62 Ferrari in P1 had a slow lap and appears to have gone off track, allowing Joerg to catch 10 plus seconds on him. Joerg in the No. 45 is now just 18 seconds behind the No. 62 Ferrari.

12:24 - The No. 71 Tafel Ferrari returned to the track for a short few laps, and is now back in the pits again.

12:00 - Joerg has been able to get around the No. 87 Porsche and is now P 2 in the No. 45. Seth is P 4 in the No. 44. Positions: P 1 No. 62; P 2 No. 45; P 3 No 87; P 4 No. 44. No. 46 still in last place after its hour long pit stop to repair significant suspension damage after being hit on track by the No. 1 Audi early in the race. No. 71 Tafel Ferrari is still being repaired - they have alsy been out about an hour. the No. 40 Ford is out for repairs, but all of the other GT2 cars are still running.

Sebring Race Hours 1 & 2

11:52 am - Positions: P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 87; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No. 44; P 5 No. 5. Joerg in the No. 45 is right behind the No. 87 and putting pressure on him.

11:44 - Wolf pits in the No. 45 for driver change to Joerg. Joerg reports that he still has clutch so the crew makes the call not to do any work on it. No. 44 pits for driver change to Neiman, tires and fuel. After the pit stops, positions are P 1. No 87; P1 No. 62; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No. 44. No. 46 is in 15th position.

11:41 - No. 45 in P 2 after the No. 62 pitted. No.44 in P 3. No. 45 will pit shortly. No. 46 is pitting also - probably for some adjustments after the significant amount of work done on the car.

11:35 - Richard is out on track in the No. 46.

11:32 am - The No. 45 will pit in about 4 laps. Richard Lietz is in the No. 46 which is ready to leave the pits. The car is now 27 laps down on the leader after its hour-long repair to repair the major suspension damage suffered when the No. 1 Audi impacted the Porsche on track during Johannes' first stint.

11:22 am - The No. 45 Porsche appears to have clutch issues. The crew is discussing what repairs they can make during the scheduled pit stop. No. 46 is still in the pits. They are now 26 laps down on the overall leader. The No. 45 crew is dicussing strategies for bleeding the clutch during the next pit stop.

11:17 am - The No. 71 Tafel Ferrari has been out for a lengthy stop. They have fallen to P 14. Positions: No. 61 P 1; No. 87 P 2; No. 45 P3; No. 44 P 4. Only the No. 62, No. 87, No. 45 and No.44 are on the lead lap.

11:14 - Alex in the No. 44 now in P4. Lizards now P3/P4. No. 46 still in the pits.

11:09 am - Wolf in the No.45 has passed the No. 5 Porsche and is now P 3.

11:07 am - One hour into the race, positions: P 1 No. 62; P 2 No. 87; P 3 No. 45; P 4No. 5; P 5 No. 44; P 6 No. 73; P 7 No. 21. Looks like one of the Penskes is going behind the wall for repairs.

11:00 - Wolf now P 4 after passing the No. 71 Ferrari on track. The No. 71 Tafel Ferrari pits after receiving a mechanical black flag for oil. The No. 46 is still in the pits as the crew works to repair it after the early incident with the No. 1 Audi. The No. 46 is currently 13 laps on the GT2 leader.

10:56 - Wolf reports that the No. 71 Tafel Car is spraying oil.

10:52 - Positions: P 1 No. 62; P 2 No. 5; P 3 No. 87; P 4 No. 71; P 5 No. 45; P 6 No. 21; P 7 No. 44.

10:46 - Green flag. At restart, positions are: P 1 No. 62; P 2 No. 5; P 3 No. 87; P 4 No. 71; P 5 No. 45; P 6 No. 21; P 7 No. 44., P 8 No. 61; P 9 No. 73; P 10 No. 11.

Stop and go penalty assesed on the No. 1 Audi for contact with the No. 46 earlier in the race.

10:44 - No. 44 and No. 45 both pit simultaneously for tires and fuel. Driver change from Darren Law to Alex Davison. The 46 crew is still working on their car in the pits.

10:43 - Wolf radios in that the cooling hose that cools his helmet has fallen behind the seat - so he will be without cooling for the remainder of his stint.

10:37 am - In the pits, the crew reports the rear axle and control arm are broken.

10:30 am - Johannes in the No. 46 was hit hard by the Audi which sent him spinning into the tire wall. It was a significant hit with major suspension damage. Lizards report pass (45) under yellow by an Audi. Johannes is working his way extremely slowly around the course - the crew is directing him into the pits. The crew will look at the car, then direct it into the paddock for repairs. Full course yellow. Positions: P1 No. 62; P 2 No. 71; P 3 No 45; P 4 No. 87; P 5 No. 73; P 6 No. 44; P 7 No. 28; P 9 No. 61; P 10 No. 21. The No. 62 is one lap up on the rest of the field.

10:26 am - Darren made contact with a car on course and reports a strong vibration in the left front. The crew made the call for him to stay out. He is still P 7.

10:18 am - No. 37 Lola spins on track, luckily the multiple prototypes surrounding him avoided him and he was able to continue. Johannes (45) back in P4. Wolf (46) in P 3; Darren (44) P7.

10:15 - Johannes reports briefly stuck in 3rd gear - but all seems OK now. He is now P5. Wolf continues to look for a passing opportunity and has been side by side with the Tafel 71 Ferrari several times but has not been able to pass. Top 10: P 1 No. 62; P 2 No. 71; P 3 No. 45; P 4 No 87; P 5 No. 46; P 6 No. 73; P 7 No. 44; P 8 No. 28; P 9 No. 5; P 10 No. 21.

10:11 am - Darren as passed the No. 28 and is now P 7. Johannes P4; Wolf P 3.

10:09 am - Darren (44) has moved through the field to P8. Johannes (46) is in P4. Wolf (45) is in P3 and is close on the tail of No. 71 Tafel Ferrari in P2 and looking for a clean pass.

10:05 am ET - Green flag, it looks like a clean start although one of the prototypes went off on turn 1 but was able to rejoin.

Reminder that we are broadcasting our radio during the race. Direct link is here:
http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00324/live2.asx
or you can join in from the Follow the Race tab on our home page.

Sebring Race - Pre-race

10:04 am - We are just minutes from race start and the cars are on their pace lap (single lap for this race.) Darren is in the No. 44, Wolf in the No. 45 and Johannes in the No. 46. The cars are lining up two by two for green flag.

9:00 am - The cars are getting ready on the grid for the recon laps. We are just one hour to race start. All went well this morning in warmup. During the very short break between warmup and recon, the No. 44 crew had a last minute scramble replacing the water pump in the No. 44 after some issues surfaced during warmup. They were able to get the car out in time to make the recon laps and Darren is now leaving pit lane. They will be able to use the recon lap to make sure that all is OK prior to race start. Starting drivers will be Darren Law (No. 44), and Wolf Henzler (No. 45), Johannes van Overbeek (No.46).

Starting positions will be: No. 45 P3; No. 46 P 5; and No. 44 P 10. There are 15 cars starting in GT2. The Corsa Ferrari pulled out earlier this week, leaving four Ferraris, six Porsches, 1 Panoz, 1 Corvette, 1 Dodge Viper, 1 Aston-Martin and 1 Ford GT.

Sebring Raceday - Morning Warmup March 15

*** Please join us for the race at 10:00. Radio broadcast will begin around 9:45. ***

Joerg was P2 in the session in the No. 45, 3/10 of a second behind the No. 62 Risi Ferrari. The No. 46 was sixth, and the No. 44 13th.

7:54 - Checkered flag. All drivers were able to get out except for Marc Lieb. The team will do a short set of driver change and tire change practices, then return to the garage for final work before the race.

7:50 - No. 45 Joerg is out again after serving his penalty. Marc still has to take his turn in the car.

7:49 - No. 46 pits for driver change from Richard to Patrick.

7:49 - No. 45 pits for penalty stop and go for speed violation in pit lane. Many of the drivers are having trouble finding the cones at pit out which note when they can come off the pit speed limiter.

7:45 - No. 45 pits for driver change from Wolf to Joerg.

7:43 - No. 44 pits for driver change from Darren to Seth.

7:39 - No. 46 pits for driver change from Johannes to Richard.

7:35 - Green flag for morning warmup. All three Lizard Porsches are on their way out.

Mar 15, 7:30 am ET - Good morning. All three Lizard Porsches just arrived in the pits ready to head out for this morning's warmup session. All nine drivers will cycle through their cars this morning for a final check prior to the race. Darren is first in the No. 44, Wolf in the No. 45, and Johannes in the No. 46. There's a short hold as the track officials clean up glass on the track.

We are broadcasting the radio this morning. The direct link is
http://powerlink.powerstream.net/002/00324/live2.asx
You can also access it through the "Follow the race" tab on the home page.

All three car radios will be broadcast - team and drivers.

It's forecast to be very hot and humid today - the sun is just coming up and it's still reasonably cool although definitely humid.

Sebring - Morning Practice March 14

Good morning from Sebring. This morning's hour long practice session has just gotten underway. Only the No. 44 is out right now.

Yesterday in qualifying, Lizards qualified 2nd (No. 46 - Richard Lietz), 4th (No. 45 Joerg Bergmeister) and seventh (No. 44 - Darren Law). The GT qualifying session finished without incident. However, in the P1/P2 qualifying session, the Mazda impacted the tire wall about halfway through the session. With the lengthy cleanup, the qualifying session did not meet the minimum required time. So IMSA officials made the decision that both qualifying sessions would be made invalid - and starting positions would be based on fastest lap times from the combined practice sessions in the days preceding qualifying.

So... even though we qualified 2nd, 4th, and seventh we will start third (No. 45) fifth (No. 46) and tenth (No. 44) on the grid.

In last night's practice session, all drivers were required to run a minimum three laps in order to be able to drive at night during the race. The No. 44 Porsche was delayed getting out to the session, and as a result two of the drivers (Neiman and Law) were not able to run their three laps. However, the stewards will allow Neiman and Law to drive at night because they are known drivers and have driven at Sebring before, but the car must start from the back of the grid.

The No. 44 will be the only Lizard Porsche out in this morning's practice session. The engineers of the No. 45 and No. 46 made the call to use this time to complete race prep rather than track time.

Reminder that we will be broadcasting team radio Saturday - during morning warmup and the race.

About This Blog

This is the ongoing blog for Flying Lizard Motorsports.

2008 will be the fifth consecutive ALMS season for the Sonoma, California-based GT2 team. Since its first year of competition in 2004, the team has finished in the top three in the ALMS GT2 team and drivers' championships, but has not yet won the GT2 title. In 2007, the team was second in the ALMS GT2 team championship and drivers Johannes van Overbeek and Joerg Bergmeister finished second in the ALMS GT2 drivers' championship.

Flying Lizard is sponsored by ShoreTel, a leading provider of enterprise IP telephony solutions, and eSilicon, a semiconductor company, both based in Sunnyvale, California. Team partners include Porsche and Michelin.

Visit the Flying Lizard website and online store at www.lizardms.com.

Copyright © 2008 Flying Lizard Motorsports, LLC. The Flying Lizard text and Flying Lizard logotype are trademarks of Flying Lizard Motorsports, LLC. All Rights Reserved.