Earnhardt having fun

Earnhardt who is sharing a factory C5-R with NASCAR road course super-sub Boris Said, set the third fastest time in the GTS class during testing yesterday [Friday], 1.7s slower than Oliver Gavin's pole time in the sister C5-R.

"The car is tremendously different from anything that I drive in the Nextel Cup Series, and in my opinion it might be one of the greatest cars I've ever driven," he said. "Just a whole lot of fun to drive.

"I don't expect to go out there and accomplish what they can accomplish, but I can go out there and run competitive times," said Earnhardt. "I just have a lot of polishing to do to become a better road-course driver, and this is where I'm going to do it. There is no question that I am in the best car in the field. I didn't have to think twice about it when they gave me the opportunity. It's a lot of fun."

Earnhardt was not surprised to discover that the technology applied to a modern day GTS racer means that he has had to adapt his driving style from what his used to with his stock car.

"One of the things you do with a NEXTEL Cup car, is you're a lot easier on the gas pedal and into the corner," Earnhardt said. "That's a no-no in these cars. The first thing I do is slide one of the front tires into the corner when I get out there. You've got to brake very hard, very fast and deep into the corner before you start turning in.

"Braking is the most difficult thing to work your way into. It's very inviting though and very comfortable. It takes time. Also, the acceleration out of the corner and how much acceleration these cars have out of the corner. I can't believe how fast these cars accelerate out of the corner."

The ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 set the fastest time of the day he and co-driver JJ Lehto seek their third straight win in the ALMS. Werners' lap of 1m23.397s was more than half a second quicker than the Dyson Racing Lola EX257-AER/MG of James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger. The other Dyson entry of Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace was third fastest.