Panoz Motor Sports Team News

SUPERFLO 12 HOURS OF SEBRING
ROUND TWO, AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES

Wednesday, 14 March 2001
First Qualifying

The Panoz Motor Sports team found themselves in a disappointing 5th place after the opening qualifying session for this weekend's Superflo 12 Hours of Sebring.

Australian David Brabham stopped the clocks at 1 minute, 53.595 seconds, aboard the new LMP07, trailing the quartet of Audi entries.

The Panoz squad will have one more chance to improve its grid position in tomorrow's second qualifying session.

"We are struggling a little at the moment, but the team are working hard on trying to improve the car," Brabham said.

"We had a great run at Texas, but we must have used up our quota of good luck.  This weekend is a very tough race, particularly coping with the bumps and the traffic.  We have a lot more improvements in the pipeline for the car, but Jan (Magnussen) and I will just have to keep working hard to try to get the best result we can."

New Panoz driver Gualter Salles battled brake problems to put his LMP07 in 12th position.  Salles and Klaus Graf will have their first run in the new machine this weekend - having driven the previous year's model at Texas.

Audi driver Emanuele Pirro took provisional pole position at 1 minute, 49.110 seconds, aboard the Audi R8 he is sharing with Frank Biela and Tom Kristensen.

Saturday's Superflo 12 Hours of Sebring kicks off at 10.40am.

FURTHER INFORMATION: Fiona Miller, Panoz Motor Sports, fiona@panozmotorsports.com