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The Racer's Group at
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The Racer's Group - Two Cars in the Top Five!
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - August 24, 2003 In a tense Road America 500,
the three Porsche 911s of The Racer's Group finished 2-5-7, the team's most
successful ALMS race of the season. The three cars endured paint-swapping
battles for position, fuel shortages, wheel issues and traffic problems
throughout the day.
Starting from ninth position, the #66 New Century Mortgage, Monster Cable
and mail2web.com backed car encountered immediate handling problems. Team
owner Kevin Buckler, who qualified and started the race, felt a severe push
through corners, and slipped to 12th position before coming in for the 1st
pit stop. At the pit stop, the mystery was solved when an inspection
revealed extensive cracking to the spokes on one of the wheels. Buckler,
whose team experienced the same problem with a different brand of wheels on
the #67 car Saturday, talked about his difficulty. "I was baffled when I got
in the car, because just at the start of the race, the handling completely
went away in the front. I couldn't just pull the car in the pits and tell my
crew, 'I don't know what's wrong', so I stayed out, losing position the
whole time. When I got out of the car and saw the wheel, it was obvious why
I was slower - the vibration from the cracks in the wheels caused the car to
get very unsettled in the corners."
Cort Wagner, who piloted the car from 12th position to 2nd at the end of the
race, had a troubled race as well. Wagner explained: "I got in the car
really worried about the car, because Kevin had such a hard time. After the
green flag dropped again, I started to go though the turns expecting the
worst - but to my surprise, the car was great! I ran consistent, strong laps
and was lucky that some of the cars ahead of me had trouble." Wagner worked
his way up through the field into 2nd place, but with 15 minutes of racing
remaining, problems surfaced again. "Just as the race was winding down,"
Cort explained, "the car started to bobble pretty seriously - I was out of
gas. We gambled on a one-stop strategy, and it didn't work out exactly as
we'd planned. I had to shift at 7500 rpm's for almost an entire lap, which
slowed me down considerably. We came in the pits, did a four second
splash-and-go, and fortunately, I was able to take second place back. I got
out on the track and set the car to map one [an aggressive engine map for
maximum performance], and the car started bobbling again just before the
checkered flag. The Racer's Group crew did an awesome job, I'm thankful to
New Century Mortgage for the opportunity to be here, and I love that we
ended up on the podium."
Car #67, driven by Michael Schrom and Pierre Ehret, finished 5th in the
race, the duo's highest finish of the season. #67 also had fuel problems,
and was forced to pit late in the race for a splash-and-go. Pierre Ehret,
owner of the historic Flamingo Resort and Hotel in Santa Rosa, California,
also felt the effects of a malfunctioning cool suit. "I'm very tired," Ehret
said after the race. "It got pretty hot in the car today - my cool suit
problem made the temperatures skyrocket. Chris [Gleason, driver of the #68
car] and I had a good long scrap, and the car was handling great. The heat
made the race hard for me endurance-wise, but I'm very happy with our
result."
Ehret's co-driver Michael Schrom was thankful to the crew of his car. "Our
guys saved the day for us today. Their hard work setting up the car and the
speedy pit stops allowed us to inch ahead of the competition. We ran
consistently, and I'm thrilled with our 5th place finish. We're in good
company up there."
The #68 Gleason Agency and Alpine Bagels- backed car finished the race in
7th position, Chris Gleason and Marc Bunting's highest finish of the season.
Bunting, of Monkton, Md., qualified and started the race, and had a
fantastic stint in which he climbed to 5th in class. "The car handled
great," he explained, "and it allowed me to move up several positions. Chris
and I tried to conserve fuel all race long and use a one-stop strategy. We'd
wanted to avoid pit lane, because it's so long and so slow - just by going
in you probably lose half a lap to the guys behind you. After I got out of
the car, Chris did a fantastic job. It feels good to get our highest finish
of the year this race - and I can't wait for Laguna." The Racer's Group
races next at Laguna Seca, on September 5-7, and will be broadcast live on
NBC Sports. For a press archive, please visit http://www.theracersgroup.com/team/news.htm
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - August 22, 2003 The Racer's
Group is preparing today for the Road America 500 in Elkhart Lake,
Wisconsin, and has repaired its cars from the incidents that plagued the
team at Mosport. The team is looking for its first win of the season, as
well as its first win at Road America. The Sonoma, Ca. based team will field
three cars for the race - the #66 Monster Cable, New Century Mortgage and
mail2web.com backed Porsche 911 GT3 RS of Cort Wagner and Kevin Buckler, the
#67 BlueStar Jets, Wempe and Flamingo Resort backed Porsche of Michael
Schrom and Pierre Ehret and the #68 Gleason Agency and Alpine Bagels backed
car of Marc Bunting and Chris Gleason.
Team owner Kevin Buckler has extensive experience at Road America, having
raced many Porsche Club of America races at the track, as well as several
professional races. Buckler says that the ultra-fast Wisconsin road course
is among his favorites. "We're back at Road America, one of our favorite
tracks in North America," he said. "After a tough swing through Canada, we'
re ready to get back on top. We all love this track, and hopefully we can be
quick and competitive right out of the box on Friday."
Marc Bunting, of Monkton, Md., has raced frequently at Road America. "I like
this track a lot," he explained. "I've been racing on this circuit in
several series, and I've always found it to be a good mix of turns. The kink
is the most important turn for me on the track - it's where I can make up
the most time on other cars out there. It's always a challenge to get
through there, and some guys swear that they do it flat out. I've never seen
data to back up their boasts, however. I'm hoping to get as close to flat
through there as possible."
Dave Fullerton, engineer for the #66 car, talked about the difficulty of
setting up the car for a long, sweeping track like Road America. "At Mosport,
we struggled to find grip on the changing road surfaces. Here at Road
America, the track is more uniform and it's much smoother than a track like
Trois Rivieres," Fullerton explained. "At this track, we'll run a slightly
stiffer setup, as there are a number of challenging high-speed corners here.
We'll look for high-speed stability, a reliable aero package, and loads of
grip."
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Updates and Press Releases from
Le Mans
TRG Team Crew Chief, Bill Rader, chats with Porsche
Motorsports after the race.
The Racer's Group Finishes Fifth at Le Mans
Le Mans, France. - June. 15, 2003 - After a
brilliantly driven but ill-fated race, The Racer's Group finished fifth
today in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the fifth hour, a massively slipping
clutch sent the car to the pits for an entire clutch change, costing the
team 1.5 hours on the track. When the team returned to the track, it had
slipped from 1st position in class to 14th.
In a masterful display of driving, Jörg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard and Kevin
Buckler set fast lap after fast lap through challenging dark conditions.
Over the course of the race, the drivers sliced their way through the field,
picking off competitors, and ultimately gaining 9 positions.
Porsche Factory driver Timo Bernhard, class winner with The Racer's Group of
the 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans, was disappointed that the race was decided by
technical difficulties. "We had a very good setup for the race, and our pace
showed it. We had a major setback with the clutch issue, which is a shame
because we would have been very competitive. I'm happy with our driving
performance, but I wish that we'd have avoided the mechanical."
Team owner Kevin Buckler, who drove seven stints through the race, commented
on the team's performance. "The team and the drivers performed so well, and
I'm extremely proud of the hard work that everyone's done. To have a major
mechanical like that can be very disheartening, but true to form, my team
pulled together, put their heads down, and worked their tails off to get the
car back on the track. We had a lot of friends back home helping us get to
the race in the first place, and I think that to weave our way back to the
front shows a lot of dedication, resolve and talent. I'm proud of our whole
team for their work ethic and their professionalism. Without the help from
all of our friends at Porsche Club of America, led by the team from Carlsen
Porsche in northern California, we just wouldn't have made it to this year's
Le Mans. "
The Racer's Group returns to the United States this week, and will race in
two weeks time at the ALMS Grand Prix of Atlanta. The team will field three
cars for the remainder of the ALMS season, and will immediately begin making
plans to race at Le Mans in 2004.
The Racer's Group Le Mans Hour 20 Report
Le Mans, France. - June. 15, 2003 - At the 20 hour
mark of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, The Racer's Group #81 Monster
Cable/mail2web.com/Carlsen Porsche 911 GT3 RS was holding strong in 5th
position in class, and 23rd overall, having overtaken the #84 T2M Porsche.
Jörg Bergmeister, who was driving early in the race when the clutch failed,
said that the car felt stable and that the setup was still ideal for the
car. "Since we changed the clutch, the car is perfect. It's bad luck that we
had a mechanical problem, because we're running quickly and would have been
in a position to win the race again. The car is still very comfortable to
drive, even this late in the race, and we're hoping for a stroke of luck to
help us with the leading cars."
Timo Bernhard is currently driving, with Kevin and Jörg set to drive two
more stints each.
The Racer's Group Le Mans Hour 17 Report
Le Mans, France. - June. 15, 2003 - At the 17 hour
mark of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, The Racer's Group #81 Monster
Cable/mail2web.com/Carlsen Porsche 911 GT3 RS was holding strong in 6th
position in class, and 26th overall. Kevin Buckler, about to drive his
second stint of daylight today, is currently 15 laps off the GT pace.
Buckler commented on his team's position: "This is the ultimate 'woulda-coulda-shoulda'…
Without our one single clutch problem, we'd be four laps up on the field,
but that's racing. We're scratching back one position at a time, the car's
great and Timo, Jörg and the whole crew is doing great."
The Racer's Group Le Mans Hour 14 Report
Le Mans, France. – June.
15, 2003 – At the 14 hour mark of the 24 Hours of
Le Mans, The Racer’s Group #81 Monster Cable/mail2web.com/Carlsen Porsche
911 GT3 RS was running in 6th position in class, and 27th overall. Kevin
Buckler, currently driving the car, is 17 laps off the GT pace.
Timo Bernhard, fresh out of
the car after a stint which saw the first light of the day, was comfortable
in the car. “We took a little speed out of the car in order to save it a
bit. After all, we still have a long while to go. After the big problem we
had earlier, I feel good that we’ve made the progress we have. We’ll see
how the day shapes up from here.”
Le Mans Hour 12 Report
Le Mans, France – June. 15, 2003 – At the 11 hour mark
of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, The Racer’s Group #81 Monster
Cable/mail2web.com/Carlsen Porsche 911 GT3 RS was steadily climbing the GT
ranks after a lengthy clutch replacement in hour 5. Kevin Buckler, Timo
Bernhard and Jörg Bergmeister pushed hard through the early hours of the
morning to make up lost time. Fortune has been on The Racer’s Group’s side,
as many of the competing GT teams have suffered technical difficulties as
well. Just past the 12 hour mark, the #81 car is running in 6th place in GT,
29th overall.
Dave Fullerton, the team’s engineer, remarked about teams’ luck: “It seems
to be that if somehow you get to the front of the field, you get gremlins.
It happened to us with the clutch, and it’s happened to one of the Ferrari
teams. Hopefully, they’ll keep breaking and our drivers will continue to
drive quickly and consistently.”
The Racer's Group Le Mans Hour 7 Report
Le Mans, France. - June. 14, 2003 - At the 7 hour mark
of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, The Racer's Group #81 Monster
Cable/mail2web.com/Carlsen Porsche 911 GT3 RS was running in 12th place in
the GT class, 41st overall. In the 5th hour of the race, a slipping clutch
disabled the #81 Porsche, causing a 1.5 hour delay as the clutch assembly
was replaced. Dave Fullerton, Engineer for The Racer's Group, explained the
situation. "As soon as Jörg jumped in the car for his second stint, he felt
the clutch slip badly, and had to limp around the track back to the garage.
We removed the gearbox from the car, replaced the clutch, took the
opportunity to change the brake pads, and sent Jörg back out on his way."
Team owner Kevin Buckler is currently driving the car, and is gaining time
back on the field.
The Racer's Group Le Mans Hour 2 Report
Le Mans, France. - June. 14, 2003
- At the two hour mark of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, The Racer's Group #81
Monster Cable/mail2web.com/Carlsen Porsche 911 GT3 RS was running in 2nd
place in the GT class, 27th overall. Porsche factory driver Timo Bernhard,
who qualified the car in 2nd position, started the race, at one point
surrendering and recapturing 2nd place. At the 2 hour mark, Jörg Bergmeister
was piloting the car around the circuit, with team owner Kevin Buckler set
to drive his first stint.
Bernhard was happy with his first turn at the wheel. "I had a good first
stint - we agreed to drive a little slow to test the setup and the pace of
the car out. The car feels good, and I think we've got a good race ahead of
us. I didn't want to fight the other cars at the very start of the race,
which is why I let the Orbit Porsche by, but I recaptured the position
through a corner. I needed to force a little cool air into the engine to get
the temperature down a bit."
Dave Fullerton, the team's engineer, described a difficulty that the team
faced during the first pit stop. "We had a minor malfunction with the
driver's cool suit system. We have a supply of coolers that we rotate
through the car at each pit stop, and we had a small problem getting it to
connect correctly. The problem's solved, however, and the drivers are
grateful for it."
The Racer's Group Qualify 2nd for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans, France. - June. 12, 2003 - After four
sessions of practice and qualifying, the Monster Cable/mail2web.com/ Carlsen
Porsche 911 GT3 RS qualified in 2nd position for Saturday's race. In
Wednesday's second session, Jörg Bergmeister drove the fast lap of 4:08.125,
second to Lucas Luhr, and his time of 4:07.996. Team owner Kevin Buckler
joined Porsche factory drivers Bergmeister and Timo Bernhard in the cockpit
of The Racers Group Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and saw his lap times fall steadily
throughout the sessions as the car was dialed in.
Buckler, who teamed with Bergmeister and Bernhard to capture the overall win
at the 2003 24 Hours of Daytona, spoke about the significance of racing at
Le Mans. "Le Mans is a sacred place to a lot of racers, and for Timo and I
to win our class last year was an amazing experience. We're all feeling
great about the team, about the crew, and about our driving. Timo set a
great pace on his qualifying lap, and we're in tremendous shape for the
race. The car's there, the crew's there, and the drivers are there.
Tomorrow, we're going to get some rest and prepare to attack Le Mans again."
The driving combination of Buckler, Bergmeister and Bernhard has proved to
be a great one for The Racer's Group, as the three have teamed for 2
consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona. In previous years, The Racer's
Group hasn't lost a race with factory drivers racing with the team.
Bergmeister, from Langenfeld, Germany, was pleased with his driving
performance during the qualifying session. "I'm happy about the setup of the
car right now, though we've got to work tomorrow on the race setup. The car
feels good - it's very drivable - and I'm excited for the race to begin.
Timo Bernhard spoke about his qualifying lap: "I'm disappointed, of course,
but we qualified only .04 behind the pole car. It's such a long course, over
13 km, and at that length, .04 is really nothing. I could have gone a bit
quicker, but I was held up by some traffic. There was one section where
there were three prototypes behind me with their lights on, and I couldn't
judge what they were. Overall, I'm very excited for the race, because we've
got a good car."
Friday, the team will work on final race preparation, and will make final
plans, while the drivers participate in the Parade des Pilots, in which all
the drivers ride on open top vintage cars through a circuitous route in old
Le Mans. Expected attendance for the parade should exceed 150,000, and over
a quarter of a million for the actual race. The race starts at 4 pm local
time (10 am EST) on Saturday, June 14, and is televised in the United States
on Speed Channel.
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