Sebring Win Expands ALMS Driver Point Lead for Capello

Capello's win this past weekend in the 49th annual Superflo 12 Hours At Sebring, coupled with his season-opening Leather Center Grand Prix of Texas victory, have placed him in the enviable position of leading the series driver standings.

Capello has accumulated 59 points, including bonuses for leading the most laps in both races. The runner-up in driver points last year, Capello has been tagged by many as a leading candidate for the title this year, and the Italian's performances so far this year have been outstanding.

His Audi teammate, Tom Kristensen of Denmark, is second in the driver points with 54, followed by Audi drivers Emanuele Pirro, Italy, 50, and Frank Biela, Germany, 49. Andy Wallace of England, driver for the privateer Champion Audi team, is fifth with 42.

In the GTS class, Terry Borcheller of Phoenix finds himself leading the standings after he drove to the Sebring class win with teammates Franz Konrad and Oliver Gavin. The win was Borcheller's first in the ALMS and was also the first for the Saleen S7R race car.

Borcheller, who drove for another GTS team in the Texas event, has 52 points, while Canada's Ron Fellows, winner of the Texas race in a Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, is second with 50. Johnny O'Connell of Flowery Branch, Ga., who co-drove with Fellows at Texas, is third with 49.

Sascha Maassen of Germany, who has won the GT class in both races held so far, leads the GT standings with 56 points, one ahead of teammate Lucas Luhr, also of Germany. The two drive a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Randy Pobst of Melbourne, Fla., and Christian Menzel of Germany are tied for third with 47.

Steven Knight of Castle Rock, Col., is the only driver to score points in the first two races in the new LMP 675 class. He has 26.

Audi leads the Prototype 900 Manufacturer standings with 55 points, trailed by Panoz with 36 and Lola with 20. Chevrolet has 51 points to lead the GTS Manufacturer standings, with DaimlerChrysler second at 43 and Saleen with 30. Porsche has 55 points in the GT Manufacturer standings, followed by 43 for BMW and 11 for Chevrolet. Lola has 25 points to lead the LMP 675 Manufacturer points.

The next race for the American Le Mans Series will be July 22 at Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES

Prototype 900

Last race won by Rinaldo Capello, Michele Alboreto and Laurent Aiello at Sebring, Fla.  Next race July 22 at Sonoma, Calif.

1 Rinaldo Capello (2) 59
2 Tom Kristensen (1) 54
3 Emanuele Pirro 50
4 Frank Biela 49
5 Andy Wallace 42
6 Dorsey Schroeder 41
7 Michele Alboreto (1) 31
   Laurent Aiello (1) 31
9 Ralf Kelleners 24
10 Guy Smith     23

GTS

Last race won by Terry Borcheller, Franz Konrad and Oliver Gavin at Sebring, Fla.  Next race July 22 at Sonoma, Calif.

1 Terry Borcheller (1) 52
2 Ron Fellows (1) 50
3 Johnny O'Connell 49
4 Erik Messley 43
   Andy Pilgrim 43
   Kelly Collins 43
7 Tom Weickardt 39
   Joe Ellis   39
9 Oliver Gavin (1) 30
   Franz Konrad (1) 30

GT

Last race won by Sascha Maassen, Lucas Luhr and Emmanuel Collard at Sebring, Fla.  Next race July 22 at Sonoma, Calif.

1 Sascha Maassen (2) 56
2 Lucas Luhr (2) 55
3 Randy Pobst 47
   Christian Menzel 47
5 Boris Said 41
   Hans Stuck 41
7 Jorg Muller 40
8 JJ Lehto 39
9 Christophe Bouchut 34
10 Emmanuel Collard (1) 30

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MEDIA CONTACT:  Andy Hall, ALMS Director of Media & Communications (317) 295-3500

Andy Hall
Director of Media & Communications
American Le Mans Series
(317) 295-3500, ext. 31
(317) 298-8924 (fax)
andy@4pmg.com