LEXINGTON, OHIO, (Aug. 3, 2012) – Alex Job Racing’s (AJR) Cooper MacNeil and Leh Keen will start the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course from the second row in GTC tomorrow, Aug.4.
The team utilized yesterday’s open practice and today’s official sessions to get the white and black WeatherTech Porsche to handle around the undulating 2.25-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio circuit. Keen had the controls of the No. 22 WeatherTech Racing Porsche for qualifying. He was able to post a time of 1:25.814. The time didn’t come easy as the driver from Charleston, SC pitted during the session in search of a better balanced car.
“It has been a little frustrating this weekend,” Keen said. “Yesterday we had a radiator pop on us, so we lost some practice time. The car on old tires is really good. We ran on older tires within two-tenths of my qualifying time. When we get on sticker tires the car doesn’t seem to want to work. Right now we have a chatter in the front and rear causing the car to skip across the pavement. Then when the tire gets some heat in it, the car handles well, but the “goodie” is off the tire by then. With Coopers points lead we are focusing on having a good race car. We will try some things in the morning warm-up and be ready for the race.”
MacNeil (Hinsdale, Ill.), who is leading the GTC driver points, is ready for a strong race tomorrow.
“We have been really working on the set-up of the car for qualifying, so Leh did a lot of laps today,” MacNeil said. “The traffic here is crazy. The track is busy with a lot of tight corners. The car is ok. The team is chasing the heat of the track. It is around 90-degrees out here today. The track surface is greasy and we are trying to get the WeatherTech AJR Porsche compliant with the track. We have some work to do, but we should have a good race car for tomorrow.”
Alex Job, team owner, is keeping the team focused on the championship.
“Leh was a little frustrated when he got out of the car after qualifying,” Job said. “The track is hot and that makes matching the car to the conditions sometimes difficult. What felt right this morning is no longer working in the heat of the afternoon. We have tomorrow during warm-up to try a change or two. We will get the car right for the race. We are focused more on a good race car than a good qualifying car.”
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge race broadcast can be viewed Aug. 4 at 2:00 p.m. EDT on ABC with live streaming available Aug. 4 at 12:45 p.m. EDT at alms.com.
Alex Job Racing is one of the most successful teams in ALMS history with 42 wins. This record is supported by 48 pole positions and 102 podium finishes. The team has won three championships (GT in 2002, 2003 and 2004) complimented by their two GT class wins at Le Mans. The team also boasts eight Sebring 12-hour victories.
The ALMS GTC category is specific to one of the most popular factory produced racing cars in the world, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Developed for Porsche’s one-make series around the world, the new version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is based on the road-going 911 GT3 RS. The power unit featured in the new 911 GT3 Cup is largely identical to the production engine of the 911 GT3 RS with the same output of 450 bhp and the same maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm.