ROLEX 24: Flying Lizards Lead Porsche Sweep In Qualifying

Flying Lizard Motorsports headed into this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona with a relatively clean sheet of paper, having no prior Daytona Prototype experience. But Thursday’s qualifying result proved the that veteran GT squad are quick learners.

Porsche factory star Jorg Bergmeister drove his No. 45 Riley-Porsche to the overall pole for Saturday’s twice-around-the-clock classic, smashing the DP track record along the way. The German’s 1:40.099 lap edged out 2010 Rolex 24 pole-sitter Max Angelelli by 0.034 seconds.
“I honestly didn’t expect it,” Bergmeister said. “I was hoping for a top-five result in qualifying. I had some good laps in the beginning of the session and I think Max was on provisional pole and they told me I was nine-hundredths behind. I was about to come in and they told me to try again. So I went for it… and it worked out.”

It turned out to be the right call, with the 2006 Daytona Prototype champion scoring his first-ever Rolex Series pole. But for Bergmeister and co-drivers Patrick Long, Johannes van Overbeek and Seth Neiman, starting first on Saturday won’t make a huge difference in the twice-around-the-clock classic.
“It’s obviously nice to have the pole, especially for Flying Lizard as we’re a new team with the DP,” Bergmeister added. “It just shows how good of a team they are. But in terms of the outcome of the race, [the pole] doesn’t really mean anything, in my opinion.”

The Lizard’s entry, powered by the only flat-six Porsche power plant in this year’s race, outran the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Dallara-Chevy of Angelelli, who settled for second. The rapid Italian, who will team with Ricky Taylor, Ryan Briscoe and team owner Wayne Taylor, set a 1:40.133 lap time.
Defending Rolex Series co-champion Scott Pruett qualified third in his No. 01 Telmex/Target Chip Ganassi Riley-BMW, ahead of the No. 8 Starworks Riley-Ford of Ryan Dalziel. The sister Ganassi machine of IndyCar star Scott Dixon was fifth.
It proved to be another close battle for DP honors, with the top-five separated by just 0.203 seconds in qualifying.

In GT, Andy Lally had stormed to a 1:48.487 lap time, leading a TRG sweep of the front row. However, Lally’s No. 67 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car failed post-qualifying inspection, giving teammate Dominik Farnbacher the pole for Saturday’s twice-around-the-clock classic.
Farnbacher’s 1:48.781 lap time, another qualifying track record, edged out the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT.R of Jordan Taylor by 0.294 seconds. The No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche of Craig Stanton was promoted to third, thanks to the rear-wing infringement by the No. 67 TRG Porsche.

“It was a good lap,” Farnbacher said. “I had no draft and no luck there. But overall, the car was phenomenal. It had very good traction in the Bus Stop [chicane] and was good under braking… In the end it worked out. I was glad to drive a good lap without overdriving the car. In the end, it worked out pretty good.”

Farnbacher will share his No. 66 Porsche with fellow German Lucas Luhr, Tim George Jr. and Ben Keating.


Pos No. Class Pic Drivers Team/Car Time Speed Sponsors
1 45 DP 1 Bergmeister / Long / Neiman / van Overbeek Flying Lizard Motorsports / Porsche Riley 1:40.099 128.033
2 10 DP 2 Angelelli / Briscoe / Taylor / Taylor SunTrust Racing / Chevrolet Dallara 1:40.133 127.989 SunTrust
3 01 DP 3 Hand / Pruett / Rahal / Rojas Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates / BMW Riley 1:40.245 127.846
4 8 DP 4 Braun / Dalziel / Enge / Forest / Lowe Starworks Motorsport / Ford Riley 1:40.250 127.840
5 02 DP 5 Dixon / Franchitti / McMurray / Montoya Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates / BMW Riley 1:40.302 127.774
6 90 DP 6 Edwards / Garcia / Maassen Spirit of Daytona Racing / Chevrolet Coyote 1:40.396 127.654
7 77 DP 7 Bell / Frisselle / Kaiser / Richard Doran Racing / Ford Dallara 1:40.468 127.563
8 6 DP 8 Allmendinger / McDowell / Wilson Michael Shank Racing with Curb/ Agajanian / Ford Dallara 1:40.469 127.561
9 23 DP 9 Blundell / Brown / Brundle / Patterson United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing / Ford Riley 1:40.784 127.163
10 99 DP 10 Fogarty / Gurney / Johnson GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing / Chevrolet Riley 1:40.828 127.107
11 60 DP 11 Goossens / Negri / Pew / Valiante Michael Shank Racing / Ford Riley 1:40.847 127.083
12 9 DP 12 Barbosa / Borcheller / Fittipaldi / France / Papis Action Express Racing / Porsche Riley 1:41.128 126.730
13 5 DP 13 Donohue / Frisselle / Law / Rice Action Express Racing / Porsche Riley 1:41.240 126.590
14 7 DP 14 Beyer / Heylen / Mayer / Peterson / Valentine Starworks Motorsport / Ford Riley 1:41.288 126.530
15 76 DP 15 Jonsson / Krohn / Minassian / Zonta Krohn Racing / Ford Lola 1:41.695 126.023
16 67 GT 1 Bertheau / Gaughan / Henzler / Lally / Pumpelly TRG / Porsche GT3 1:48.487 118.133
17 66 GT 2 Farnbacher / George Jr / Keating / Luhr TRG / Porsche GT3 1:48.781 117.814
18 88 GT 3 Lester / Marsh / O’Connell / Taylor Autohaus Motorsports / Camaro GT.R 1:48.821 117.771
19 44 GT 4 Holzer / Lietz / Potter / Stanton Magnus Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.011 117.566
20 17 GT 5 Armindo / Baldwin / Burtin / Ragginger / Tandy Burtin Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.134 117.433
21 65 GT 6 Lewis / Pagerey / Sheehan / Sweedler Chris Smith Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.297 117.258
22 4 GT 7 Eversley / Graeff / Wallace / Yarab Jr. / Zahn TRG / Porsche GT3 1:49.451 117.093
23 57 GT 8 Bremer / Liddell / Magnussen Stevenson Motorsports / Camaro GT.R 1:49.472 117.071
24 94 GT 9 Auberlen / Dalla Lana / Plumb / Said Turner Motorsport / BMW M3 1:49.503 117.037
25 59 GT 10 Davis / Haywood / Keen / Lieb Brumos Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.540 116.998
26 54 GT 11 Bleekemolen / Curtis / Pappas / Pilet / Sofronas TRG/Black Swan Racing/GMG Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.554 116.983
27 22 GT 12 Lux / O’Young / Walker / Wong Bullet Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.707 116.820
28 48 GT 13 Bell / Miller / Sellers / Sugden Paul Miller Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.916 116.598
29 42 GT 14 Gidley / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Sahlen Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8 1:49.961 116.550
30 40 GT 15 Dempsey / Espenlaub / Foster / Long Dempsey Racing / Mazda RX-8 1:49.974 116.536
31 70 GT 16 Bomarito / Christodoulou / Edwards / Tremblay SpeedSource / Mazda RX-8 1:50.020 116.487
32 69 GT 17 Assentato / Ham / Lazzaro / Longhi / Segal SpeedSource / Mazda RX-8 1:50.064 116.441
33 32 GT 18 Cheng / Hyatt / Lewis / Papadopoulos PR1 Motorsports / BMW M6 1:50.135 116.366
34 41 GT 19 Cameron / Gue / James / Kitch Jr / Lacey Dempsey Racing / Mazda RX-8 1:50.178 116.320
35 07 GT 20 Curran / Gavin / Ledoux / Schaldach Banner Racing / Camaro GT.R 1:50.300 116.192
36 86 GT 21 Atterbury / MacNeil / Pobst / Whitis Mitchum Motorsports / Porsche GT3 1:51.139 115.315
37 18 GT 22 Friedman / Ludwig / Thomas / von Moltke Muehlner Motorsport / Porsche GT3 1:51.305 115.143
38 11 GT 23 Empringham / Maxwell / Nastasi / Russell TPN Racing/Blackforest / Ford Mustang 1:51.528 114.912
39 36 GT 24 Cumming / Hacquard / Marks / Miller Yellow Dragon Motorsports / Mazda RX-8 1:51.847 114.585
40 53 GT 25 Doyle / Michaelian / Mulligan TRG/Nadeau Motorsports / Porsche GT3 1:51.983 114.445
41 56 GT 26 Allen / Davidson / Dumoulin / Geddie / Skeen Bennett Racing / Ferrari 430 Challenge 1:51.996 114.432
42 81 GT 27 Baron / Poordad / Wagner DragonSpeed / Ferrari 430 Challenge 1:53.639 112.778
43 63 GT 28 Downing / Grupp / Murry / Spencer / Trinkler Team Spencer Motorsports / Mazda RX-8 1:54.184 112.239
44 43 GT 29 Gidley / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Sahlen Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8 1:55.203 111.247
45 47 GT 30 Earnhardt / Harrington / Hull / Monroe / Sandberg Rick Ware Racing / Porsche GT3 1:57.478 109.092
46 30 GT 0 Buford / Jensen / Jensen / Marsal / Rettich Racers Edge Motorsports / Mazda RX-8
47 55 DP 0 Bouchut / Diaz / Tucker / Wilkins Level 5 Motorsports / BMW Riley
48 00 GT 0 Abergel / Collard / Jones / Lisa / Pompidou Aten Motorsports / Ferrari 430 Challenge
49 95 DP 0 Hunter-Reay / Matos / Tucker / Westbrook Level 5 Motorsports / BMW Riley

Source:  Mintori.com http://mintori.com/rolex-24-flying-lizards-lead-porsche-sweep-in-qualifying/
1/28/2011