Baltimore ALMS: Level 5 scores outright one-two with LMP2 HPDs
Level 5 took an outright one-two with its LMP2 class HPDs in a dramatic American Le Mans Series street race in Baltimore
With LMP1 combatants Pickett and Dyson both hitting trouble, Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker were able to lead Level 5 team-mates Luis Diaz and Ricardo Gonzalez home for an overall win.
Bouchut's class-title-chasing #055 car was allowed an easy passage into first by Diaz in the closing stages, as Bouchut charged back into contention following a lower-key first stint from Tucker.
Third overall went to the CORE Autosport car of Ryan Dalziel and Alex Popow, which dominated the LMPC class throughout and kept pace with the Level 5 duo in the final laps.
Lucas Luhr and Klaus Glaf had looked unstoppable again in the Pickett HPD at first, until running into gearshift trouble and losing eight laps. The car then crashed within sight of the flag.
Dyson was not in a position to capitalise in the overall battle as the Chris Dyson/Guy Smith Lola-Mazda was struggling with damaged bodywork and ultimately required a long pitstop.
The sister #20 car of Michael Marsal and Eric Lux recovered from sliding into the tyres at the first corner of the race - causing a traffic jam that scattered the LMP2, LMPC and GT packs - to lead for a spell. But a final pitstop just before a caution dropped it into traffic and although Lux still took the LMP1 win, he was only 13th overall.
It could have been Conquest celebrating an outright win with an LMP2 car. The flying David Heinemeier Hansson was trying to chase down the Pickett HPD before being penalised for contact with Dyson. Heinemeier Hansson and team-mate Martin Plowman recovered to rejoin the lead pack, only for broken suspension to halt their charge late on.
Falken Porsche duo Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers emerged at the head of the GT pack and pulled enough of a gap over the Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner Corvette to repeat the team's 2011 Baltimore win.
The #01 Extreme Speed Ferrari, #56 RLL BMW, #45 Flying Lizard Porsche and #3 Corvette completed a six-car lead train. The second Corvette had fought back after sustaining damage in the lap-one mess.
Jorg Muller led GT at first in the #55 BMW before a penalty for colliding with a GTC car and then damage from a brush with the chicane tyre stacks.
GTC also saw an extremely close finish, with four cars crossing the line within 1.5 seconds. Patrick Pilet and Al Carter took the win for TRG.
Results - 67 laps:
Pos Cl Drivers Team/Car Time/Gap
1. P2 Tucker/Bouchut Level 5 HPD 2h00m39.749s
2. P2 Tucker/Diaz/Gonzalez Level 5 HPD + 2.158s
3. PC Popow/Dalziel CORE FLM + 2.821s
4. GT Henzler/Sellers Falken Porsche + 4.995s
5. GT Gavin/Milner Corvette + 7.203s
6. GT Sharp/van Overbeek Extreme Speed Ferrari + 7.698s
7. GT Muller/Hand RLL BMW + 8.462s
8. GT Bergmeister/Long Flying Lizard Porsche + 9.047s
9. GT Magnussen/Garcia Corvette + 9.311s
10. PC Junqueira/Drissi RSR FLM + 10.491s
11. GT Neiman/Holzer/Long Flying Lizard Porsche + 13.440s
12. GT Muller/Auberlen RLL BMW + 15.046s
13. P1 Marsal/Lux Dyson Lola-Mazda + 27.655s
14. GT Miller/Maassen Miller Porsche + 1 lap
15. GT Sweedler/Bell Alex Job Lotus + 1 lap
16. PC Richard/Ende Dempsey FLM + 1 lap
17. GT Brown/Cosmo Extreme Speed Ferrari + 1 lap
18. GT Goossens/Kendall SRT Viper + 2 laps*
19. GTC Carter/Pilet TRG Porsche + 2 laps
20. GTC MacNeil/Keen Alex Job Porsche + 2 laps
21. GTC LeSaffre/Faulkner Green Hornet Porsche + 2 laps
22. GTC Bunting/Pumpelly TRG Porsche + 2 laps
23. P1 Dyson/Smith Dyson Lola-Mazda + 2 laps
24. P1 Luhr/Graf Pickett HPD + 5 laps*
25. PC Downs/Downs Merchant FLM + 9 laps
26. P2 Plowman/Heinemeier Hansson Conquest Morgan-Nissan + 11 laps*
27. GTC Cumming/Valiante JDX Porsche + 18 laps
Retirements:
PC Marcelli/Burgess Merchant FLM 43 laps
PC Bennett/Braun CORE FLM 31 laps
PC Younessi/Matos Performance Tech FLM 0 laps
* Not running at finish
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