Just days after Porshe’s domination at the Rolex 24, Porsche’s ALMS teams, the Flying Lizards and Franbacher Loles Racing are reporting much success with the new 2009 Porsche GT3 RSR. What’s amazing to me is that most of these drivers just took part in one of the most grueling and historical races in Motorsport, yet they still have the ability, skills and strength to dial in a brand new car and do so successfully and quickly. Hat’s off to all the drivers, crew members and support staff that makes this possible. I can’t wait for Sebring to see this new car in action.
SEBRING, Fla. – January 28 — The new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has passed its first challenge on the race track with flying colors on the fast, bumpy course that is Sebring International Raceway.
At the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) winter tests which ends today, the long distance race car, which received modifications in many areas, immediately displayed its exceptional reliability and handling. Porsche teams Flying Lizard Motorsports and Farnbacher Loles Racing conducted an intensive three-day test schedule and worked on a base setup for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, which will be held on Saturday, March 21.
“Right from the start, the cars ran very well and the teams made excellent progress with their work,” said a satisfied Martijn Meijs, head of Performance Porsche Motorsport.
“Due to changes in the rules, the cars start this season with a smaller air inlet restrictor, and the ride height must be five-millimeters higher. For this reason, the teams can use little of the data from 2008 and virtually have to start from zero with their suspension set-up.”
Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany), who competes with his countryman Dirk Werner for the Farnbacher Loles Racing team, also heads into the ALMS season with optimism after these initial tests.
“The GT3 RSR has made another noticeable step forward. I think we are well equipped to win the championship,” said Henzler, a four-time Porsche Supercup champion and the 2008 ALMS GT2 co- champion.
Porsche works drivers Patrick Long (USA) and Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) also set-up their new Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for the ALMS season-opener in Sebring.
“The new GT3 RSR has a much better turn-in than the 2008 car,” said Long, the 2005 ALMS GT2 co- champion with Bergmeister. “Now we just have to work on finding an optimal spring-shocks set-up for the extremely bumpy circuit here in Sebring,” added Bergmeister, who paired with Henzler last year as ALMS GT2 co-champion.
In Sebring with a 2008 GT3 RSR, the VICI Racing squad concentrated on setup tests with the Michelin tires, which are new for the team. By the Sebring race next month, the outfit will also run the 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with the new four-liter six-cylinder boxer engine.
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[Source: PCNA]