Datum: 22.10.2008 · ALMS
Pierre Ehret at Finale Round of the ALMS at California
For the 10th round of the American Le Mans Series Pierre Ehret started at Laguna Seca (California) in the team of Tafel Racing in a Ferrari F430 GTC. After a hard race he ended up on rank ten with his teammates.„It was a race with extraordinary many yellow flag phases and unfortunately we even lost time in the gravel pit”, Ehret explains.
Ehret started together with his teammates Alex Figge and Harrison Brix on the 3.6 kilometres long circuit which is situated close to the pacific coast. Since 1994 the Ferrari driver is familiar with the track in Monterey. Here he began his racing career in the Jim Russell School.
After rank eight and eleven in the first free practice sessions, one headed for qualifying at friday afternoon. Here one managed a time of 1:24.970 minutes and took the seventh starting row.
Starting from position 13 one was ready for the race of four hours. Pierre Ehret drove the first stint and already after eight minutes he improved to eighth position. “Then we had trouble with our sideview mirror again after a fight.” After a short pit stop Ehret rejoined the race on place ten.
In the following there were six yellow flag phases, which made it difficult for the pilots to find a rhythm. After one hour and 50 minutes Ehret – pitted in eighth place - handing over the Ferrari to Alex Figge. The US American improved to sixth position after thirty minutes of driving, as he suddenly landed in the gravel pit and had to be pulled out of it. So the trio lost some laps and a lot of time. Ranked in eleventh position the third pilot, Harrison Brix, went out on the track and finally took rank ten in finish.
Pierre Ehret resumes: „Without the yellow flag phases and the loss of time in the gravel pit, there might have been a better result for us. The tyres underwent extreme conditions and were stressed to the end.” (Text: Ralph Monschauer - motorsport-xl.de)