2006 American Le Mans Series


The 2006 American Le Mans Series season was the 36th season for the IMSA GT Championship, with the eighth as the American Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototypes and Grand Touring race cars divided into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2. It began March 18, 2006, and ended October 21, 2006 after 10 races.

Pre-season

Among the biggest announcements prior to the start of the 2006 season was that Audi would continue their involvement in the ALMS with their new R10 TDI diesel engined LMP1 with the car making its international racing debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in preparation for Le Mans. Audi followed up this announcement with plans for a single Audi R8 to go on a farewell tour for the first few races after Sebring, and then be replaced by two new R10 TDI after Le Mans for the rest of the ALMS season.
Fellow LMP1 competitors Dyson Racing also announced an upgrade from their troublesome Lola EX257s to brand new B06/10s with the new AER Turbo V8 engine unit. As part of their purchase, Dyson in turn sold off their EX257s. Occasional ALMS entrant Autocon Motorsports bought one chassis, while former Intersport partner Highcroft Racing bought the other, leading to an enlarged LMP1 field for 2006.
In LMP2 the teams of Miracle Motorsports, B-K Motorsports, Intersport Racing, and Penske Racing all planned to make a return to the series. Penske's initial one-car effort towards the end of 2005 was expanded to two cars for 2006, while the four other teams kept their efforts the same.
In GT1, the field appeared to be shrinking. Corvette Racing's commitment was certain, but Aston Martin Racing, now running Pirelli tires instead of Michelin, was only able to promise Sebring in the beginning, later stating they'd also run Houston and Mid-Ohio in preparation for Le Mans. Their involvement for the rest of the season was left as merely a rumor. ACEMCO Motorsports's future in ALMS was also uncertain, with the team scrounging for cash to be able to continue racing. Former GT1 team Carsport America finally folded following the 2005 season, with their Dodge Viper GTS-R greatly outdated. The involvement of Maserati in the series was also pulled due to the cancelling of the project by the corporate heads since it never reached its initial plans, and the continued restrictions put in place by IMSA.
The GT2 class was also more of the same, with returning favorites Flying Lizard Motorsports, J3 Racing, Petersen/White Lightning, Panoz Motorsports, and Alex Job, although Alex Job's effort was now brought down to a single entry due to his expanded involvement in Grand-Am. Risi Competizione, who had run the Maserati in 2005, promised to return to GT2 with Ferrari's upcoming replacement to the Ferrari 360, the new F430.
The ALMS also created a new class of competitors, known as GT2S, designed to allow racing cars based on production vehicles which had seats for four in a coupe or sedan body style. Cars of this type were now allowed by ACO rules, but IMSA agreed that these cars would not be eligible for Le Mans entry even if they won Petit Le Mans or the season championship. These cars however would be competitively equal to the GT2 class and would compete accordingly with them. The long time BMW factory supported effort of Team PTG announced their return of the BMW M3 to the series, while Lexus announced their intentions to bring a new purpose built racing car built off of the IS. Rumors also speculated that Cadillac could bring their CTS-V SpeedGT program to the series. However, come the beginning of the season, neither Lexus nor Cadillac showed, leaving the BMW M3 as the only true GT2S competitor. The GT2S notion was shelved midseason.
From the standpoint of the 2006 schedule, two major changes were made. First, to replace the earlier round at Road Atlanta held soon after Sebring, a new temporary street circuit near Houston's Reliant Park was announced in cooperation with Champ Car. The round at Infineon Raceway was replaced with Miller Motorsports Park, a new racing facility near Salt Lake City.

Schedule

RndRaceCircuitDate
1Mobil 1 12 Hours of SebringSebring International RacewayMarch 18
2Lone Star Grand PrixReliant ParkMay 12
3American Le Mans at Mid-OhioMid-OhioMay 21
4New England Grand PrixLime Rock ParkJuly 1
5Utah Grand PrixMiller Motorsports ParkJuly 15
6Portland Grand PrixPortland International RacewayJuly 22
7Generac 500 at Road AmericaRoad AmericaAugust 20
8Grand Prix of MosportMosportSeptember 3
9Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda CX-7Road AtlantaSeptember 30
10Monterey Sports Car ChampionshipsMazda Raceway Laguna SecaOctober 21

All races are 2 Hours and 45 Minutes except for Sebring, Petit Le Mans, and Laguna Seca.

Season results

Overall winner in bold.
RndCircuitLMP1 Winning TeamLMP2 Winning TeamGT1 Winning TeamGT2 Winning TeamResults
RndCircuitLMP1 Winning DriversLMP2 Winning DriversGT1 Winning DriversGT2 Winning DriversResults
1Sebring #2 Audi Sport North America #37 Intersport Racing #4 Corvette Racing #50 Multimatic MotorsportsResults
1Sebring Rinaldo Capello
Tom Kristensen
Allan McNish
Clint Field
Liz Halliday
Jon Field
Oliver Gavin
Olivier Beretta
Jan Magnussen
Scott Maxwell
David Brabham
Sébastien Bourdais
Results
2Reliant Park #2 Audi Sport North America #37 Intersport Racing #4 Corvette Racing #23 Alex Job RacingResults
2Reliant Park Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello
Clint Field
Liz Halliday
Oliver Gavin
Olivier Beretta
Mike Rockenfeller
Klaus Graf
Results
3Mid-Ohio #2 Audi Sport North America #7 Penske Racing #4 Corvette Racing #45 Flying Lizard MotorsportsResults
3Mid-Ohio Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello
Timo Bernhard
Romain Dumas
Oliver Gavin
Olivier Beretta
Johannes van Overbeek
Wolf Henzler
Results
4Lime Rock #2 Audi Sport North America #7 Penske Racing #009 Aston Martin Racing #31 Petersen/White LightningResults
4Lime Rock Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello
Timo Bernhard
Romain Dumas
Stéphane Sarrazin
Pedro Lamy
Jörg Bergmeister
Patrick Long
Results
5Miller #1 Audi Sport North America #6 Penske Racing #007 Aston Martin Racing #62 Risi CompetizioneResults
5Miller Frank Biela
Emanuele Pirro
Sascha Maassen
Lucas Luhr
Darren Turner
Tomáš Enge
Jaime Melo
Mika Salo
Results
6Portland #2 Audi Sport North America #37 Intersport Racing #4 Corvette Racing #62 Risi CompetizioneResults
6Portland Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello
Clint Field
Liz Halliday
Oliver Gavin
Olivier Beretta
Jaime Melo
Mika Salo
Results
7Road America #1 Audi Sport North America #6 Penske Racing #3 Corvette Racing #31 Petersen/White LightningResults
7Road America Frank Biela
Emanuele Pirro
Sascha Maassen
Timo Bernhard
Ron Fellows
Johnny O'Connell
Jörg Bergmeister
Patrick Long
Michael Petersen
Results
8Mosport #2 Audi Sport North America #7 Penske Racing #009 Aston Martin Racing #62 Risi CompetizioneResults
8Mosport Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello
Lucas Luhr
Romain Dumas
Stéphane Sarrazin
Pedro Lamy
Stephane Ortelli
Johnny Mowlem
Results
9Road Atlanta #2 Audi Sport North America #6 Penske Racing #007 Aston Martin Racing #31 Petersen/White LightningResults
9Road Atlanta Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello
Sascha Maassen
Timo Bernhard
Emmanuel Collard
Tomáš Enge
Darren Turner
Jörg Bergmeister
Patrick Long
Niclas Jönsson
Results
10Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca #2 Audi Sport North America #7 Penske Racing #009 Aston Martin Racing #62 Risi CompetizioneResults
10Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Allan McNish
Rinaldo Capello
Lucas Luhr
Romain Dumas
Stéphane Sarrazin
Pedro Lamy
Mika Salo
Stephane Ortelli
Results

Teams championship

Points are awarded to the top 10 finishers in the following order:
Exceptions were for the 4 Hour Monterey Sports Car Championships was scored in the following order:
And for the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans which award the top 10 finishers in the following order:
Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance are not awarded points. Teams only score the points of their highest finishing entry in each race.

LMP1 standings

PosTeamChassisEngineRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8Rd 9Rd 10Total
1 Audi Sport North AmericaAudi R8
Audi R10 TDI
Audi 3.6L Turbo V8
Audi TDI 5.5L Turbo V12

26
20
20
20

20

20

20

20

26

23
215
2 Dyson Racing TeamLola B06/10AER P32T 3.6L Turbo V82216161613131613125
3 Autocon MotorsportsMG-Lola EX257AER P07 2.0L Turbo I41316666956
4 Highcroft RacingMG-Lola EX257AER P07 2.0L Turbo I488101945
5 Zytek EngineeringZytek 06SZytek 2ZG408 4.0L V8221133
6 Creation AutosportifCreation CA06/HJudd GV5 5.0L V10161632

LMP2 standings

PosTeamChassisEngineRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8Rd 9Rd 10Total
1 Penske RacingPorsche RS SpyderPorsche MR6 3.4L V822132020201620202623200
2 Intersport RacingLola B05/40AER P07 2.0L Turbo I426201313162013131616166
3 B-K MotorsportCourage C65Mazda R20B 2.0L 3-Rotor141610141367
4 Horag Lista RacingLola B05/40Judd XV675 3.4L V81919
5= Binnie MotorsportsLola B05/42Zytek ZG348 3.4L V81818
5= Van der Steur RacingLola B2K/40
Radical SR9
AER P14 3.0L V6
AER P07 2.0L Turbo I4
10
8
18
7 Barazi-EpsilonCourage C65AER P07 2.0L Turbo I41616
8 Team Bruichladdich RadicalRadical SR9AER P07 2.0L Turbo I41111

GT1 standings

PosTeamChassisEngineRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8Rd 9Rd 10Total
1 Corvette RacingChevrolet Corvette C6.RChevrolet 7.0L V826202016132020161919189
2 Aston Martin RacingAston Martin DBR9Aston Martin 6.0L V1222131320201613202623186
3 Konrad MotorsportSaleen S7-RFord 7.0L V81414

GT2 standings

PosTeamChassisEngineRd 1Rd 2Rd 3Rd 4Rd 5Rd 6Rd 7Rd 8Rd 9Rd 10Total
1 Risi CompetizioneFerrari F430 GT2Ferrari 4.0L V8191368202010202223161
2 Petersen/White LightningPorsche 911 GT3-RSRPorsche 3.8L Flat-6101042016162062619147
3 Flying Lizard MotorsportsPorsche 911 GT3-RSRPorsche 3.8L Flat-62216201613108131413145
4 Multimatic MotorsportsPanoz Esperante GT-LMFord 5.0L V8266166863101911111
5 Alex Job RacingPorsche 911 GT3-RSRPorsche 3.6L Flat-61220210413391689
4 BMW Team PTGBMW M3BMW 3.4L I6101361316812684
7 Team LNTPanoz Esperante GT-LMFord 5.0L V81414
8 Spyker SquadronSpyker C8 Spyder GT2-RAudi 3.8L V899
9 J-3 RacingPorsche 911 GT3-RSRPorsche 3.6L Flat-688

Drivers championship

Points are awarded to the top 10 finishers in the following order:
Exceptions were for the 4 Hour Monterey Sports Car Championships was scored in the following order:
And for the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans, which award the top 10 finishers in the following order:
Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance are not awarded points. Drivers failing to drive for at least 45 minutes in the race are not awarded points.

LMP1 standings

PosDriverTeamRnd 1Rnd 2Rnd 3Rnd 4Rnd 5Rnd 6Rnd 7Rnd 8Rnd 9Rnd 10Total
1= Rinaldo Capello Audi Sport North America26202020132016202623204
1= Allan McNish Audi Sport North America26202020132016202623204
3= James Weaver Dyson Racing2216161610131313119
3= Butch Leitzinger Dyson Racing22161616101313106
5= Frank Biela Audi Sport North America20162010141999
5= Emanuele Pirro Audi Sport North America20162010141999
7= Chris Dyson Dyson Racing1310138161373
7= Guy Smith Dyson Racing13101381660
9 Mike Lewis Autocon Motorsports131666950
10 Andy Wallace Dyson Racing
Highcroft Racing
22

8

8

10
48
11 Duncan Dayton Highcroft Racing88101945
12 Chris McMurry Autocon Motorsports13166641
13= Stefan Johansson Zytek Engineering221133
13= Johnny Mowlem Zytek Engineering221133
15= Nicolas Minassian Creation Autosportif161632
15= Harold Primat Creation Autosportif161632
17 Tom Kristensen Audi Sport North America2626
18 Haruki Kurosawa Zytek Engineering2222
19 Bryan Willman Autocon Motorsports66921
20= Vítor Meira Highcroft Racing1919
20= Memo Gidley Highcroft Racing1919
22 Jamie Campbell-Walter Creation Autosportif1616
23 Marco Werner Audi Sport North America1414
24 Rob Dyson Dyson Racing1313
25 John Graham Autocon Motorsports99

LMP2 standings

PosDriverTeamRnd 1Rnd 2Rnd 3Rnd 4Rnd 5Rnd 6Rnd 7Rnd 8Rnd 9Rnd 10Total
1= Sascha Maassen Penske Racing22131616201620162619184
1= Lucas Luhr Penske Racing22131616201616202223184
3= Clint Field Intersport Racing26201313162013131616166
3= Liz Halliday Intersport Racing26201313162013131616166
5 Timo Bernhard Penske Racing82020131320162619155
6 Romain Dumas Penske Racing82020131316202223155
7 Jon Field Intersport Racing261313161684
8= Guy Cosmo B-K Motorsport141610141367
8= Jamie Bach B-K Motorsports141610141367
10 Emmanuel Collard Penske Racing222648
11 Michael Vergers Barazi-Epsilon
Team Bruichladdich Radical
16

11
27
12 Mike Rockenfeller Penske Racing2222
13= William Binnie Binnie Motorsports1919
13= Allen Timpany Binnie Motorsports1919
13= Rick Sutherland Binnie Motorsports1919
13= Fredy Lienhard Horag-Lista Racing1919
13= Didier Theys Horag-Lista Racing1919
13= Eric van de Poele Horag-Lista Racing1919
19= Gunnar van der Steur Van der Steur Racing10818
19= Ben Devlin Van der Steur Racing10818
21= Juan Barazi Barazi-Epsilon1616
21= Elton Julian Barazi-Epsilon1616
23= Elliott Forbes-Robinson B-K Motorsport1414
23= Raphael Matos B-K Motorsport1414
25= Stuart Moseley Team Bruichladdich Radical1111

GT1 standings

PosDriverTeamRnd 1Rnd 2Rnd 3Rnd 4Rnd 5Rnd 6Rnd 7Rnd 8Rnd 9Rnd 10Total
1= Oliver Gavin Corvette Racing26202010102016161919176
1= Olivier Beretta Corvette Racing26202010102016161919176
3 Stéphane Sarrazin Aston Martin Racing22101020161010202223163
4 Tomáš Enge Aston Martin Racing19131313201613132613159
5= Ron Fellows Corvette Racing16161616131320101616152
5= Johnny O'Connell Corvette Racing16161616131320101616152
7 Pedro Lamy Aston Martin Racing221010201010202223147
8 Darren Turner Aston Martin Racing191313132016132613146
9 Jan Magnussen Corvette Racing261642
10 Max Papis Corvette Racing161935
11 Jason Bright Aston Martin Racing2222
12 Nicolas Kiesa Aston Martin Racing1919
13 Andrea Piccini Aston Martin Racing1616
14= Terry Borcheller Konrad Motorsport1414
14= Tom Weickardt Konrad Motorsport1414
14= Jean-Philippe Belloc Konrad Motorsport1414
17 Peter Kox Aston Martin Racing1313

GT2 standings

PosDriverTeamRnd 1Rnd 2Rnd 3Rnd 4Rnd 5Rnd 6Rnd 7Rnd 8Rnd 9Rnd 10Total
1 Jörg Bergmeister Petersen/White Lightning101042016162062619147
2 Johannes van Overbeek Flying Lizard Motorsports221620161310813149141
3 Patrick Long Petersen/White Lightning1042016162062619137
4 Wolf Henzler J-3 Racing
Flying Lizard Motorsports
8

16

20

16

13

10

8

14

9
114
5= Scott Maxwell Multimatic Motorsports2661668231986
5= David Brabham Multimatic Motorsports2661668231986
7= Bill Auberlen BMW Team PTG10136136812684
7= Joey Hand BMW Team PTG10136136812684
9 Mika Salo Risi Competizione13620202382
10 Mike Rockenfeller Alex Job Racing12202104331680
11= Jaime Melo Risi Competizione19136202078
11= Seth Neiman Flying Lizard Motorsports168133384101378
13 Darren Law Flying Lizard Motorsports161338101363
14= Gunnar Jeannette Multimatic Motorsports446210161153
14= Tommy Milner Multimatic Motorsports446210161153
16 Marc Lieb Flying Lizard Motorsports22131449
17 Stéphane Ortelli Risi Competizione4202347
18= Sébastien Bourdais Multimatic Motorsports261945
18= Maurizio Mediani Risi Competizione1622745
20 Klaus Graf Alex Job Racing122021044
21= Lonnie Pechnik Flying Lizard Motorsports168341041
21= Anthony Lazzaro Risi Competizione192241
21= Marcel Tiemann Alex Job Racing13391641
24= Justin Marks BMW Team PTG810236837
24= Bryan Sellers BMW Team PTG810236837
26 Niclas Jönsson Petersen/White Lightning102636
27 Toni Vilander Risi Competizione101626
28= Marino Franchitti Risi Competizione2222
28= Jon Fogarty Flying Lizard Motorsports2222
30 Johnny Mowlem Risi Competizione2020
31 Ralf Kelleners Risi Competizione1919
32 Marc Gené Risi Competizione81018
33= Tim Bergmeister Petersen/White Lightning10616
33= Andy Lally Maxwell Motorsports1616
35= Lawrence Tomlinson Team LNT1414
35= Richard Dean Team LNT1414
35= Tom Kimber-Smith Team LNT1414
38 Robin Liddell Alex Job Racing4913
39= Graham Rahal Alex Job Racing1212
39= Mario Domínguez Risi Competizione8412
39= Boris Said BMW Team PTG1212
42= Jeroen Bleekemolen Spyker Squadron99
42= Mike Hezemans Spyker Squadron99
42= Dominik Farnbacher Farnbacher Loles Racing
Alex Job Racing

9
9
45= Tim Sugden J-3 Racing88
45= Jim Matthews J-3 Racing88
45= Ian James BMW Team PTG88
48= Spencer Pumpelly J-3 Racing77
48= Jep Thorton J-3 Racing77
48= Mark Patterson J-3 Racing77
48= Andrea Bertolini Risi Competizione77