Monday, March 19, 2007

The #18 Bell Micro/RLR Porsche Finishes 6th in GT2 after Rough Start

Robin Osborne

Sebring 2007

The best location, perfect weather and a terrific team of drivers in the # 18 Bell Micro / RLR Porsche guaranteed a terrific racing experience for 140 guests this past weekend at the 55th Annual Mobile 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Bruce Bayless, a guest of Dan Madish from America II, wrote “I would like to thank you and the Bell Micro staff for the great time we had at the race on Saturday, my son really enjoyed being there and you guys gave him the first class treatment, he had to watch the speed report last night to verify how our car did.” The Bell Micro suite was located on turn 17 of the 3.7 mile road course and would be used by the team as a spotting location for the race. A race day highlight was the visit by Bobby Rahal and drivers Graham Rahal, Ralf Kelleners and Tom Milner. Romain Dumas, driver of the # 7 Penske Racing Porsche / RS Spyder, would also pay a quick visit to say “hello” to our guests.

The first race of the season got off to a rocky start on lap one when Kelleners was involved in an incident which ruptured the radiator and required the RLR car to be taken behind the wall to be repaired. By the time the car returned to the track team Rahal would be down 12 laps, but with 11 hours of racing to go the trio of Kelleners, Milner and Rahal would begin clicking off the laps and climbing their way through the ultra competitive GT2 class. “It was really unfortunate that Ralf got caught up in the first lap incident, because we showed we had a pretty good car,” said Milner who drove in his second 12 Hours of Sebring. “The start is always a tough situation because one car spinning can cause a chain reaction. He didn’t have anywhere he could go and we ended up with a ruptured radiator. It was just bad luck. Had we not had the incident I have no doubt we would have finished on the podium.”

Sebring 2007

Graham Rahal, commenting on the incident said “we had a rough start as a team, getting hit on the first lap, which put us down by 12 laps, but the car ran very solid from then on. Overall we were patient as a team and took advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves and moved forward. It is always awesome to race at a race as rich in tradition as the 12 Hours of Sebring, but being here with my Dad’s team and trying to win the same race that my Dad and my Grandfather won, makes it even more special.”

The race would end just after 10 p.m. on Saturday night with the # 18 Bell Micro / RLR Porsche in 6th place in the GT2 class and 18th overall.

The American Le Mans Series will return to the track in two weeks for the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg as part of the Grand Prix of St. Pete on Saturday, March 31.