Le Mans Series 2006
Round 5. Jarama 1000 Kilometers. September 23rd-24th 2006
Practice and Qualifying

Free Practice

Qualifying

Free Practice

The thirty-seven competing cars in the final round of the 2006 Le Mans Series had two session of free practice on Friday, with Thomas Erdos in the RML MG Lola EX264 emerging fastest in LMP2 on both occasions, and by a comfortable margin. Indeed, ending the second session fourth-fastest overall, and just a second or so shy of the fastest time overall, suggests that the MG is in good shape for the final race of the Le Mans season.

"It’s very encouraging,” said Erdos. “At first we found the track was offering us very low grip, and we tried to chase better grip by adjusting the car’s set-up. Then we realised that the times we were doing were very quick compared to everyone else, and for much of the second session we were second fastest overall. Since all the teams were obviously suffering, that suggested the lack of grip was down to track conditions. Knowing it was something we could do nothing about meant we could feel quite pleased with the way things went today.”

One aspect of the Jarama circuit that became immediately evident is that traffic is going to be a far more serious issue here than at any other track this year. There had been similar concerns prior to the last round at Donington Park, since the track there is also relatively narrow, but as matters turned out, the wealth of overtaking opportunities around the British circuit, combined with a high standard of track surface and smooth profile, meant that overtaking slower cars was never an issue. The same cannot be said of Jarama. “The track is clearly offering very low levels of grip,” explained Erdos. “It’s also very bumpy, and those factors together mean that this is by far the worst circuit we’ve raced on this year for getting through the traffic. The layout too doesn’t help. There aren’t many overtaking opportunities, especially as all the drivers have to commit very early for each corner, and it’s not possible for the slower GT cars to make room for the faster prototypes. As drivers, we have to be aware of that, and make allowances. You simply can’t lunge through ahead of people, and if you do, then it becomes a do-or-die move, and that’s a recipe for disaster. Even down the main straight there are some bad bumps, and you have to avoid those while at the same time trying to place the car and then brake for turn one, so that restricts what should be the best overtaking possibility. It will be a big, big issue, and it’s sure to make this an incredibly difficult race.”

The team, lead by manager Phil Barker, has been working hard to address this handling issue. With telemetry going back to the last time RML raced here – with Saleens in the FIA GT Championship – and reference gained from a brief test here in July, the MG’s aerodynamics have been tweaked by the addition of a third dive-plane to the side of the nose. “Jarama demands a high-downforce setting,” explained Erdos. “In addition to the basic layout of the track, which offers very few high-speed opportunities, it is also very ‘green’ and slidey, with low levels of grip. Increasing the downforce at the front, by using a three-dive-plane aero, seems to have addressed that issue. It’s working well. Mike’s done very well too, and got his times down to the low twenty-nines, but he’s not looking at pace just yet. He’s working on his lines and learning the circuit.”

So the first day in Spain worked out well for RML. “We’ve had no issues, no major problems, and we’ve found a good set-up for the circuit. In all, an excellent first day for us,” summarized the Brazilian. The third hour-long free practice session came on Saturday morning, and offered more of the same. Once again, Thomas Erdos managed to post fourth-fastest time overall; 1:24.944 being sufficient to head LMP2 by a gnat over six-tenths from the Portuguese Lola of Angel Burgueno. The single incident of note occurred when Mike was in the car, as Erdos explained: “The only time we had a stop that we weren't necessarily expecting was when we did our regular low-fuel run. We use it to establish useful data on fuel consumption, and Mike was at the wheel at the time. He just ran low on fuel a little earlier than we were expecting! That aside, everything’s looking pretty good,” he concluded with satisfaction. “It’s all very positive, and we can go forward into qualifying feeling pretty confident that we’ve got the fastest car.” Back to Top

Qualifying

Qualifying came mid-afternoon on Saturday, and with the session split equally between prototypes and GT cars, it was the first time the prototypes would have the circuit to themselves. With just sixteen cars on track, instead of the usual thirty-seven, it was a chance for legs to be stretched. Unsurprisingly, the opening times were among the fastest seen all weekend, and Thomas Erdos was there to head the screens from his very first flying lap. That opener, at 1:25.500, was followed swiftly by a 1:24.652, and then a third at 1:24.473. For more than half the twenty-minute session, that time eclipsed the entire field, and it wasn’t until well into the second half of the period that Emanuel Collard squeezed a 1:23.242 out of the LMP1 Pescarolo. Pushing harder still on his next lap, he ended up in the gravel, but the Frenchman had done enough to assure the championship-winning car another overall pole. Erdos meanwhile had returned to the pitlane, as is the RML habit, to sit out the rest of the session, waiting to see if anyone else in LMP2 deigned to attempt something faster. Nobody did, although the two works LMP1 Courages of Gounon and Nakano squeezed into second and third overall to deny the MG a front-row start.

Elsewhere in LMP2, Stuart Moseley in the Bruichladdich Radical maintained the challenge that has come closest to the RML MG all season, ending the day eight-tenths behind Erdos, seventh overall. A hugely impressive third in class would be newcomer Norbert Siedler in the Kruse Motorsport Courage C65 on 1:25.422. After making headlines at the start of the year, thanks largely to a livery that was remarkably similar to the MG’s, the Kruse car has never previously been seen as a serious challenge in LMP2, but Siedler’s performance throughout has been a revelation. Rounding off the top-ten overall was the fourth-placed LMP2 car of Iberian partnership Amaral, de Castro and Burgueno, ninth, and the Rollcentre Radical of Joao Barbosa tenth. Burgueno posted a best of 1:25.789 aboard the ASM Lola, while fellow Portuguese Barbosa achieved 1:26.168.

Top honours for Erdos assured the Brazilian of a clean sweep in Le Mans events this season, with pole in all five rounds of the Le Mans Series, and class pole for the 24 Hours in June. “I'm delighted to have sealed every pole position this season,” said a jubilant Erdos. “I'm proud of that, of course, but I’ve had a great car to work with. It's a credit to the team, the whole set-up, and to their attention to detail.” He then admitted that perhaps it could have been even better. “Maybe we could have gone quicker,” he shrugged. “I was sitting at the pitlane exit for longer than we’d planned, and that affected the tyre pressures,” he said. With the tyres cooling, pressure within them fell, and when he headed out on track, the car’s ground clearance had been fractionally reduced. Every millimetre counts. “We were banging around on the track surface, and that forced the car to step out a little, which undoubtedly cost us time. That was just a little bit frustrating, but I’m really pleased to have secured pole again.”

No less delighted was Ray Mallock, team principal at RML. Although in Istanbul, overseeing RML’s management of the Chevrolet World Touring Car campaign, Ray had been in regular contact with Phil Barker and other members of the sportscar team. “I’m very pleased, and just frustrated I can’t be in two places at once!” he said. “After such a good run in free practice, there was a feeling that everything was on schedule. The MG was going well, the team was relaxed, and everyone has been looking forward to a good run. This is the perfect way to start.” The situation in Turkey, where qualifying for the weekend’s first race had just been completed, was mixed but, on the whole, encouraging. “Nicola Larini has qualified sixth,” confirmed Mallock. “That’s a very competitive run and his highest qualifying position of the year. Rob Huff will start 13th, and Alain Menu 22nd. It rained after the first five or six minutes, so there was only one chance on slicks, and Rob didn’t manage to get the best of those laps. Alain has had engine issues.”

Another absentee was Adam Wiseberg, Motorsport Director for the sportscar team’s major sponsor, AD Holdings, but like Ray, he was keeping tabs on progress. “It’s fantastic!” he said. “After free practice yesterday I predicted a 24.7 or thereabouts, and he’s gone even quicker . . . but then again, he always does!” He didn’t appear especially surprised by the fact that Erdos was also on the second row overall. “It’s a very tight track, “ he said. “We were close to the LMP1 cars at Donington Park, and when you get into lap times of under one-and-a-half minutes, you’ll always see the grid very close. This is as good as we could have hoped for, and second row overall is excellent. It’s a great feeling to have got six poles from six race starts. Let’s hope that by tomorrow night we can be looking at the result I think we deserve.”

Pos	No.	Class	Team	Driver	Car	Time
1	17	LMP1	Pescarolo Sport	Emmanuel COLLARD	Pescarolo C60 Judd	1:23.242
2	12	LMP1	Courage Competition	Jean-Marc GOUNON	Courage LC70 Mugen	1:23.799
3	13	LMP1	Courage Competition	Shinji NAKANO	Courage LC70 Mugen	1:24.239
4	25	LMP2	RML	Tommy ERDOS	MG Lola EX264	1:24.473
5	5	LMP1	Swiss Spirit	Marc FASSLER	Courage LC70 Judd	1:24.569
6	9	LMP1	Creation Autosportif	Nicolas MINASSIAN	Creation CA06/H Judd	1:24.994
7	21	LMP2	Bruichladdich Radical	Stuart MOSELEY	Radical SR9 AER	1:25.203
8	44	LMP2	Kruse Motorsport	Norbert SIEDLER	Courage C65 Judd	1:25.422
9	40	LMP2	ASM Racing Portugal	Angel BURGUENO	Lola B05/40 AER	1:25.789
10	22	LMP2	Rollcentre Racing	Joao BARBOSA	Radical SR9 Judd	1:26.168

With thoughts already turning to Sunday, Erdos was conscious of the fact that a great deal rests on simply getting to the flag. With only a three-point lead in the championship, a strong finish is vital. “We’ll be approaching the race almost like any other, but there’s a lot more at stake here. We're leading the championship by such a narrow margin that need at least a degree of caution. That doesn't mean we won't be pushing, of course, but at the start I won’t want to get tied up with racing the other LMP2 cars.” Where will that threat come from? Adam Wiseberg offered some predictions. “It’s going to be very close all the way, but when it comes down to it, the ASM Lola will have good pace across all three drivers. They’re all local, and they know the circuit, so they’ll be tough contenders, but so too will the Radicals. Barbosa has local knowledge in the Rollcentre car, and Moseley has been quick every time.” His attention had also been drawn to Siedler in the Kruse car. “That was a fantastic time to set in that car!” he said with genuine admiration. “Undoubtedly, Siedler’s a bit of a talent, although I’m not sure if the car will be able to maintain that kind of pace in the race.”

That race starts at midday local time, and will run for six hours or 1000 kilometers, whichever is reached first. Not until the chequered flag falls early on Sunday evening will we know who is to be crowned Le Mans Series LMP2 champions 2006.

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All photographs, courtesy of David Lord © dailysportscar.com
View high-resolution Gallery for additional images from Friday and Saturday.