Champion Racing aims to "light up" title race in Canada

Team ADT Champion Racing is aiming to conclude its two-race Canadian
"stop over" with victory in the fifth round of the American Le Mans
Series at Mosport tomorrow (17 Aug).

Johnny Herbert and JJ Lehto finished second in the recent Trois Rivières
race in Quebec but are determined on repeating their Road Atlanta victory
to re-emphasize the Florida team's championship title aspirations.

The Anglo-Finnish combo have recorded a win, two seconds and a third in
the four ALMS races staged so far this year.  Lehto lies third in the
Driver's standings with Herbert fourth.  Lehto qualified the 2002-spec
Audi R8 on the second row of the 33-car grid in today's 20-minute time
trial. 

JJ set the third fastest time, a 1min 8.853secs, an average speed of
128.570mph around the historic 2.459-mile track - 0.947secs slower than
the pole-starting LMP675 class Lola-MG of James Weaver/Butch Leitzinger -
but the quickest LMP900 for the first time this season.  

Champion Racing, currently second in the Team's championship, recorded a
sixth place courtesy of Allan McNish/Ralf Kelleners (Porsche 911 GT1) at
Mosport in the '99 ALMS race and second last year (Herbert/Stefan
Johansson).  Lehto has finished second (1999) - by just 0.148-secs, the
closest-ever ALMS finish - and third (2002) at Mosport.

Johnny Herbert (39). Born: Brentwood, Essex, UK.  Lives:  Monte Carlo:

"This is my third race at Mosport.  I chased down leader [Emanuele]
Pirro in the closing stages on my Mosport debut in 2001 but crashed
disputing the lead.  In last year's race, I was given a stop-go penalty
for contact with a backmarker which put us a lap down and destroyed any
realistic hopes of victory although Stefan [Johansson] and I did finish
second.  JJ and I need a win having only finished third and second
following our Atlanta triumph in June so perhaps it will be third time
lucky for me here.  Both JJ and I feel we have got ourselves a good
set-up for the race and while the LMP675 Lola-MGs may be very fast over
one lap, in race conditions we [Audi] could have the advantage."  

JJ Lehto (37). Born: Espoo, Finland. Lives: Monte Carlo:

"I was on maximum attack and had 'pole' twice but ultimately had to be
content with third place which is where we thought we'd qualify - the
LMP675 cars are very fast here.  Frank [Biela] blocked me on one
particular lap near the end but I don't believe I could have challenged
James' time.  Nothing less than a win will be acceptable.  With the
Joest Audi finishing ahead of us at Sears and winning at Trois Rivières,
Johnny and I must drive the ADT Champion Audi in to 'victory lane' if
we have any thoughts on the Driver's and Team's ALMS titles.  I was
involved in the closest ever ALMS race finish four years ago when I
finished second by less than two tenth's of a second here so I think
Mosport owes me."   

-cr-


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