Race Day

The strategy was simple if not easy: get a great start and make it to the back half of the track before anyone could catch up. It would be a run for the briar patch, as the Audi expected to open a gap in the tights parts of the track. Would it be enough to hold off the BMWs on the long straight?

With all four wheels spinning the A4 passed Will Turner by three car lengths on the standing start. It was just enough to hold him off until turn four. He poked his nose in, but it was not enough as Lambert entered the twisty part of the track. The Audi pulled two or three car lengths through the back half of the course. For the first eight laps this battle would continue, with the Audi pulling away on the tight sections and the BMW coming back on the straights. By the third lap Turner and Lambert had pulled away from the field by 50 yards. It appeared that it would be a BMW vs. Audi battle to the end.

A full course caution changed that picture as the group was pulled together by the pace car. Lambert led the restart a little too slowly and while he boxed in Will Turner nicely, Taz Harvey was able to do a squeeze job between the two of them. After two or three good Honda squeezes Taz pushed a five-foot wide car into a two-foot space between the BMW and Audi. Turner, experienced with Harvy's strategies, pulled off to the outside and let the Taz carnage by. Lambert had lost a valve stem during the banging and was about to discover a flat tire.

At turn four the flat tire became apparent when Paul turned in and the car did not. After some high speed four wheel drive action though the grass, he nursed it back to the pits for a new tire. The crew did an excellent job of putting the Audi back on track before the pace car came around. So still on the lead lap, but in 46th place, Lambert was on a mission. He passed 23 cars in 6 laps, often two or three at a time. It appeared to be a sure run to the top 10. Unfortunately Lambert was stopped at position 23 as the last five laps and finish would come under full course caution.

SPEED Channel Touring Car is now the premier support race at all ALMS events, taking the Sunday spot away from the GT class. It has all the excitement, skill and unfortunately the contact of the old BTCC series. The STaSIS Audi A4 proven its potential and the team is now on a mission.

The full Speed World Challenge schedule is available by clicking here.

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