Johnny Herbert and JJ Lehto finished second in the recent Trois Rivières race in Quebec but will be looking to go one better for the privateer Audi team that has its sights firmly set on championship success.

Champion Racing has recorded a win, two seconds and a third in the four ALMS races staged so far this year.  Lehto lies third in the Driver’s standings with Herbert fourth while Team ADT Champion Racing are second in the Team’s title race. 

Mosport, a natural-terrain road racing circuit with a long and storied history, has been a part of the ALMS since its formation in 1999.  The 2.459-mile track has produced some very competitive racing, including the closest margin of victory in the series.

The Audi R8 of Rinaldo Capello/Allan McNish won by just 0.148-secs from Lehto/Jorg Muller in 2000 while the R8 has won the corresponding Mosport race for the past two years.  Champion Racing recorded a sixth place courtesy of McNish/Ralf Kelleners (Porsche 911 GT1) in ’99 and a second place last year with its Audi R8 (Herbert/Stefan Johansson).

Johnny Herbert:

“This will be my third race at Mosport, a Canadian track that is steeped in motorsport history.  I chased down leader [Emanuele] Pirro in the closing stages on my Mosport début in 2001 but crashed out disputing the lead.  In last year’s race, I was given a stop-go penalty for contact with a backmarker which put us a lap down and destroyed any realistic hopes of victory although Stefan [Johansson] and I did finish second.  So I’ve been close to winning there but have had victory snatched away.  JJ and I need a win having only finished third and second following our Atlanta triumph.”  

JJ Lehto:

“Nothing less than a win will be acceptable at Mosport.  With the Joest Audi finishing ahead of us at Sears and winning at Trois Rivières, Johnny and I must drive the Champion Audi in to ‘victory lane’ if we have any thoughts on the Driver’s and Team’s ALMS titles.  I was involved in the closest ever ALMS race finish four years ago when I finished second by less than two tenth’s of a second at Mosport and I’d be perfectly happy to win by that margin on this occasion!  A Joest entered Audi R8 has won the last three Mosport ALMS races and I’m determined to bring that sequence to an end.”   

Timetable

Friday:  1325-1455 – Test

Saturday:  0920-1020 / 1325-1425 – Both Practice. 1505-1525 – Qualifying