Qualifying: Champion Audi snatches it

The Champion Racing Audi R8 of Johnny Herbert and JJ Lehto will start the Miami round of the American Le Mans Series from pole position. Lehto stopped the clock at 47.848secs in the shortened qualifying session around the 1.15-mile temporary street circuit

Sep 26, 2003, 8:51 PM

Lehto set the pole time on his very last flying lap before the time trial was curtailed early. JJ's time was a mere 0.039secs faster than the similar Audi R8 of Marco Werner, and earns the Champion squad its first pole of the season.

"I'm delighted to have rewarded the team with its first ALMS pole of the year - especially considering it's Champion's home race," said Lehto. " We've got ourselves a good car for the race but it will be very tough - lapping the backmarkers will be incredible for over two hours on such a tight and narrow track."

Leading the LMP 675 class and qualifying third overall was the Dyson Racing Lola EX257-MG of Butch Leitzinger and James Weaver with a lap of 49.517s, just ahead of the 49.768s turned by Jon Field in the Intersport Lola-MG he will share with Duncan Dayton. However, Field's day ended on a sour note when he crashed in turn nine at the end of the session, heavily damaging the car