A quick run down of the tenth annual event at Road Atlanta

Today I'm tired but happy because after four days of racing I may have had my fill. It's hard to believe what one extra day makes a difference but in the case of hilly Road Atlanta is makes all the difference. Overall I'd say that this year's camp out crowd was no greater if not a bit smaller than last year's. This is most likely because of Aston Martin's absence this year along with mix weather forecast for most the weekend.

The weather made for an exciting Speed GT race on Friday after a brief storm flooded the track and sent cars careening through the grass. Ron Fellow made a blistering run on rain tires and took the lead for team Cadillac and everyone in turn 10 cheered when he made a daring pass near race end. The sun returned on Saturday for the tenth annual Petit and everyone was very level headed for the duration except for a few incidents most notably one that removed the #3 Corvette from the event in the first hour.

I say that the drivers were cautious but wrecks still happened and there was a record number of cautions. It was also apparent from radio traffic that IMSA was ready to hand out penalties for unnecessary contact and many cars found themselves in the penalty box at least once during the day. As night fell the Porsches slipped in front of the Audis because of fuel mileage but the R10's lightening pace soon rectified the situation on the backstretch. Likewise fan favorite the Flying Lizards scored a fourth straight victory thanks to Jörg Bergmeister and company.

Overall the entire event was nice and I'm still amazed each year by the friendliness and good behavior of most of the events attendance. I think it's also great that the ALMS still allows all the fans to walk at will through the paddock area during the race and on the grid prior to the start. It's probably more of a hassle for the track staff than any fan will ever know but we appreciate it none the less.

Finally, though the ALMS isn't as over stimulating or over hyped as NASCAR I still think that for the money endurance races like Petit are a good show. Where else can you find four days of entertainment and virtually unrestricted access for $70? Where else can you stand next to rare and ground breaking automobiles or brush past winners from all backgrounds of motorsport? In my opinion, no place other than the American Le Mans Series.

Petit Le Mans 2007 gallery on Flickr

Videos on YouTube
PLM 2007 - Turn 12
PLM 2007 - Turn 6
PLM 2007 - Turn 7 & 8
PLM 2007 - Turn 7, 8, & 10