4/11/2011
Bill Lester
Autohaus Motorsports Finishes 7th At Barber Motorsports Park
Round three of the GRAND-AM Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 was contested at Barber Motorsports Park, just outside of Birmingham, Alabama this past Saturday. This weekend marked the third time Autohaus Motorsports has been to the course, but only the first time they actually raced. In 2008 with their Pontiac GXP.R they experienced the bitter disappointment of a blown head gasket on the green flag lap. In 2010, the debut of their new Camaro GT.R had a similar fate with engine problems prior to qualifying. That coupled with a driver injury forced the team to pack it in before the green flag flew. The team arrived at Barber hopeful that the third time would be the charm, and that the No.88 Autohaus Motorsports Chevy Camaro would take the checkered flag. Co-Drivers Bill Lester and Jordan Taylor piloted the car around the 2.3-mile,17-turn road course improving from a 10th place starting position, to a 7th place finish. While it was not the finish the team hoped for coming into the weekend, it was a relief to make it to the checkered flag.
The magnificent hills that make Barber Motorsports Park such a beautiful facility only add to the complexity of the circuit. At a course where passing is difficult, car set-up is paramount. The track is known for being hard on tires and hard on drivers. Shortened track sessions, and varying track conditions made it extremely difficult to perfectly dial in the car’s set-up. The unseasonably high temperatures that reached near 90 on race day added to the challenges the engineers faced in determining the set-up.
Bill Lester qualified the Autohaus Motorsports Chevy Camaro in 10th and took the green flag. An on track incident in the early laps led to a flat spotted tire and several laps off pace as the team hoped for a well timed yellow flag. With a full course caution before the 30 minute mark, the team was able to bring in the car and change all four tires and send Bill back out to finish his stint, before putting Jordan in the driver’s seat to take the car the remaining two hours to the checkered flag.
“It was a pretty tough weekend for Autohaus Motorsports,” expressed Taylor. “We were near the front a few different times during the practice sessions and even fourth during the race. At the start of the race Bill had an issue where he flat spotted the left front tire, and had to nurse it around which put us near the back. With Barber being such a difficult track to pass on, it was a struggle to make up much ground by the end of the race. It was also a really hot day, and our Camaro was so hot inside that the glue on the soles of Bill's shoes melted off. When I heard that on the radio, I was somewhat concerned that I would be in there for 2 hours, but it all worked out well. Coming out of the weekend with a seventh place finish isn't great, but at least we are still early in the championship.”
The excessive heat this weekend was probably the biggest challenge for the team and it’s drivers. The weekend started out moderate, but temperatures rose significantly on race day.
“The Autohaus team worked entirely too hard for a seventh place finish this past weekend,” stated Lester. “Though we tried, we just couldn't find the sweet spot on car setup. The high ambient temperatures during the race added to our handling issues and also triggered engine temperature alarms. The Alabama heat was such that it actually melted the glue right off my racing shoes and the soles fell off! I had never experienced that before. Jordan was also affected and the crew had to hand him an ice bag during a pit stop to help cool him down. So while our race was far from perfect, we'll get our issues resolved and look ahead to VIR.”
Looking to the bright spot in the weekend, Autohaus Motorsports has broken the string of bad luck that had plagued them at Barber and advanced in the team point standings from tenth to seventh. With nine races left in the championship chase, Autohaus Motorsports will continue their efforts to climb to the top of the rankings, with a focus on a podium finish at VIR, a track that has traditionally been strong for the Pratt & Miller chassis.
Autohaus Motorsports would like to acknowledge the support of their partners, General Motors, Pratt & Miller Engineering and Katech, engines, and thank their sponsors for continued support, Kirland Aviation, a specialist in Jetstream 41 aircraft renovation and sales, Pfadt Race Engineering, specializing in suspension upgrades for Camaros and Corvettes, and Firehouse Atomic Energy Shot, the drink with a new 10 hour boost of energy.
The next event in the GRAND-AM Rolex Series is at Virginia International Raceway, in Alton Virginia on Saturday May 14, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET.
Follow Autohaus Motorsports on our website at autohausmotorsports.com, and on Twitter at twitter.com/autohaus88.
Submitted By: Philip Hampton
