Segundo título del año en el automovilismo estadounidense
APOTEÓSICA CONSAGRACIÓN
DE ALEX POPOW EN AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES
El piloto venezolano Alex Popow se consagró campeón
norteamericano de automovilismo en la categoría Prototipos Challenge, al
culminar en el tercer lugar en la novena y penúltima válida del certamen
American Le Mans Series, competencia disputada el sábado en el trazado Virginia
International Raceway.
Alex Popow, defensor del equipo CORE Autosport, aseguró la
corona al capturar su noveno podio de la temporada al volante de un chasis
francés ORECA FLM09 con motor Chevy, en esta oportunidad en dupla con el
británico Tom Kimber-Smith. La pareja anglo-venezolana finalizó además en la octava
posición absoluta en la prueba de larga duración de Virginia.
En ruta hacia la corona en su primera temporada en el torneo
ALMS, el anzoatiguense Popow conquistó cuatro victorias, dos segundos y tres
terceros lugares, impecable desempeño que pudo completar gracias al respaldo
que tuvo de sus compañeros Ryan Dalziel, Tom Kimber-Smith, Ernesto José Viso y
Burt Friselle.
“Todavía no puedo creer que hemos conquistado el título 2012
en la clase Prototipos Challenge de American Le Mans Series - exclamó Alex
Popow - Ha sido un año increíble nuestra primera temporada en este campeonato
con el equipo CORE Autosport: nueve carreras y nuevo podios!. Un gran reconocimiento
a todos en el equipo y para todos mis coequiperos en el auto número 06, Tom
Kimber-Smith, Ryan Dalziel, EJ Viso y Burt Frisselle. Sin el aporte de todos
los integrantes del equipo, desde el team manager Morgan Brady, el ingeniero Ed
Nathman al grupo que arma todo el auto liderado por Eric Wareing y Neal
Everhart, gracias a todos ellos. Y por supuesto Jon Bennett, uno de mis mayores
competidores y propietario de CORE Autosport. Su profesionalismo y su
organización en entregarme un auto en igualdad de condiciones, es poco común en
el deporte a motor. En la carrera de Virginia tuvimos algo de mala suerte, nos
vimos arrastrados en el accidente múltiple de la primera vuelta, pero pudimos
remontar hasta terminar en el podio. Fue difícil pero fue un día perfecto.
Ahora estoy listo para Petit Le Mans donde no tendré la presión por el título y
así ir por el triunfo de la carrera”.
Las 4 Horas de VIR 240 en la división PC marcaron la
victoria de la dupla norteamericana compuesta por Jon Bennett y Colin Braun en
el otro prototipo del equipo CORE Autosport tras completar 128 vueltas a la
pista de 5.2 kilómetros de longitud, los únicos con opción de superar en la tabla
de puntos a Alex Popow, a quien le bastó el tercer puesto para quedarse con el galardón
al sumar 157 puntos, en tanto Bennett y Braun llegaron a 134.
Al comienzo de la carrera Popow se vio arrastrado por un
accidente múltiple que le hizo perder muchas posiciones, pero el gran trabajo
de su equipo técnico le permitió reincorporarse a la prueba, si bien
continuaron con algunos contratiempos en el sistema eléctrico, pero que no le
impidieron finalizar en el tercer puesto que le aseguró la consagración en su
año como debutante.
El cetro alcanzado por Alex Popow en la categoría Prototipos
Challenge de American Le Mans Series, se une al título que aseguró en el torneo
de larga duración North American Endurance Challenge del campeonato Rolex Grand
Am, inédita doble consagración en escenarios estadounidenses.
La décima y última válida de ALMS se disputará el 20 de
octubre en el trazado de Road Atlanta, carrera conocida como Petit Le Mans, con
un recorrido de 1000 millas o diez horas, en tanto Popow volverá a la pista el
28 y 29 de septiembre para competir en Lime Rock, Connecticut, en la ronda
final del campeonato Rolex Grand Am en la categoría Daytona Prototipos.
CORE autosport
wins 2012 ALMS PC
driver championship, race at VIR
ALTON, VA, Saturday, September 15, 2012: CORE autosport’s
2012 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) domination continued at Virginia
International Raceway (VIR) today with a substantial win for Jon Bennett and
Colin Braun and teammate Alex Popow clinching the Prototype Challenge (PC)
driver’s championship.
With a third-place
finish at today’s four-hour VIR 240, Popow, lead driver of the #06 Soloson
Import ORECA FLM09, clinched the PC driver’s championship in his first year of
ALMS competition - with nine out of the 10 races complete this season. In
those nine races, Popow and his co-drivers have racked up four wins and nine
podium finishes.
This title marks
CORE autosport’s second consecutive driver’s championship in two years of ALMS
PC competition, adding to the team’s two ALMS PC team championships during the
same period. The difference between 2011 and 2012 is timing – in 2011 the
team won both championships after the final race with only one point separating
the team title and a tie for drivers, while in 2012 the team championship was
won after race seven and the driver championship tonight, both in a dominating
fashion.
At today’s race it
was the #05 Composite Resources ORECA FLM09, co-driven by team owner / founder
Bennett and Braun, that was the class of the field. After topping two of
three practice sessions and winning the pole position by one of the closest
margins in ALMS history (.001 second / .002 mph), Bennett and Braun were able
to trounce the competition by more than one lap around the 17-turn, 3.27-mile
circuit for a first-place finish.
The VIR 240 began
with drama from the first turn of the first lap, when most of the field piled
into each other after the start. Popow, who had started in third spot
(eighth overall), was able to get the #06 by the incident with some damage to
the rear of the car, but Bennett was forced off the track and found himself
mired in GT-class traffic.
After getting back
on track, Bennett was able to wheel the #05 past most of the slower traffic and
began to catch up to the leaders, but only 40 minutes into the race was hit
from behind by a spinning GTC-class Porsche and was forced off yet again.
Meanwhile, Popow was addressing an electrical issue in the #06 caused from the
first lap incident.
Both first-shift
drivers brought their respective cars into the pits at approximately the 1:20
mark, the crews went to work and Braun replaced Bennett in the #05 while Tom
Kimber-Smith took the wheel from Popow in the #06.
In less than 40
minutes after taking the wheel of the #05, Braun took over the first spot in PC
and did not let it go for the remainder of the race – more than two
hours. He was so far ahead of the second-place entrant that when the
white flag waved, Braun was able to bring the #05 into the pit for a quick
splash of fuel – and he still finished one lap ahead of the competition.
This win marks the
third of the season for the #05 car and the first time Bennett and Braun have
won from PC-class pole position.
It was not quite as
easy for Kimber-Smith and the #06 crew as the race wore on, as the team continued
to address electrical issues and traffic problems. The team was able to
recover from these issues and Kimber-Smith was able to move up from fifth to
firmly grasp the third spot, insuring a solid finish for CORE autosport and the
championship for Popow.
This latest
championship crowns an incredible year for Venezuela-native Popow. With
CORE autosport and co-drivers that included Kimber-Smith, Ryan Dalziel, E.J.
Viso and Burt Frisselle, the #06 won in the PC class at Sebring, Long Beach,
Road America and Baltimore. In GRAND-AM Rolex Series competition, Popow
won the inaugural Brickyard Grand Prix and won the driver’s title in the North
American Endurance Championship.
A two-hour recap of
the VIR 240 will air on ESPN2 television at 5 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, September 16th.
Next for the
dual-championship-winning CORE autosport team is the grand finale of the 2012
ALMS season, the Petit Le Mans. This 10-hour or 1000-mile event takes
place at Road Atlanta on Saturday, October 20th.
Alex Popow
“I still can’t believe that we clinched the 2012 ALMS PC driver’s
championship. What an incredible first year I’ve had in the ALMS with
CORE autosport – nine races and nine podium finishes. A great
accomplishment for the team and all of my co-drivers this year in the #06 car –
Tom Kimber-Smith, Ryan Dalziel, EJ Viso and Burt Frisselle.
“Without all of these guys – from
team manager Morgan Brady to #06 engineer Ed Nathman to the guys who put
together the car led by Eric Wareing and Neal Everhart – I thank them
all.
"And of course Jon Bennett, one of my
biggest competitors and the owner of CORE autosport. His professionalism,
from his organization to giving me an equal car, is rare in motorsport.
“Today we had some pretty bad racing luck, but
the guys all came together, powered through it and we ended up on the
podium. It was hard but a perfect day.
“Now I am ready to go to Petit Le Mans with no
pressure and go for the win!”
Tom Kimber-Smith
“All we had to do to help Alex clinch the championship was to finish
third and who knew that that would be one of the hardest things to do!
“The #06 car seemed to take a
season’s worth of bad luck and cram it into one race – from the collision to
the traffic – it all seemed against us. But we made it through and Alex
has won the PC driver’s championship.
“Alex has worked so hard this year and really
deserves all of this success. A big congratulations to him and all of the
#06 crew and all of the CORE autosport guys for everything they’ve done this
year. I have enjoyed driving for this team and with Alex.
“It’s just amazing that Alex has done so much as
an ALMS rookie. I guess he’s not that anymore.”