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The fourth round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, the Six Hours of Silverstone will be staged this weekend in Great Britain.

TOYOTA Racing made its debut with the innovative TS030 HYBRID in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, causing a surprise by leading its very first race before an accident and technical issue respectively eliminated both cars.

At Silverstone, the team will be present with one car; the No. 7 driven by Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima. Anthony Davidson, who is recovering well after his Le Mans accident, will lend his support to the team during the weekend.

Wurz and Lapierre got ready for the WEC Six Hours of Silverstone with a two-day testing session (14-15 August) at MotorLand Aragon in Spain, where an updated aerodynamic package was put through its paces.

(Photo: Toyota Motorsport)

This update has been developed using a combination of simulation technology and the wind tunnels at TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG); the team's home base in Cologne, Germany.

It features modified aerodynamics more suited to Silverstone's 5.891km Grand Prix circuit and the remaining WEC races, delivering more downforce compared to the Le Mans specification.

Wurz and Lapierre fine-tuned the revised TS030 HYBRID's handling at Silverstone track sessions in TMG's driving simulator, which accurately recreates car behaviour.

There will be four designated braking zones at Silverstone, where the TS030 HYBRID can recover up to 500Kj of energy, stored in super capacitors for automatic release as a power boost later in the lap.

First introduced in 2009 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the Bentley Mulsanne was (and still is) the ultimate in luxury saloons. It is a flagship in the handcrafted vehicle class, and stands alone at the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, with a splash of sportiness thrown in for good measure.

And now the British automakers have gone and chopped the top off.

The Mulsanne Convertible Concept is set to be the world's most sophisticated and elegant convertible on the road. This vehicle will be the ideal vehicle for those seeking the ultimate in design, luxury, prestige and exclusivity.

At the zenith of automotive craftsmanship and luxury, the Bentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept is designed to further exemplify Bentley's position as the undisputed benchmark in coach-built elegance in the automotive world.

Photo: Bentley

The 2012 edition of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 held in Montreal last weekend featured highly disputed races, especially the NASCAR Nationwide race won by Justin Allgaier.

The crowd had great hopes of seeing one of its favorites win the race, a driver such as Villeneuve, Fellows, Carpentier, Tagliani or Ranger.

Jacques Villeneuve was apprently on his way to victory with just one lap to go when Allgaier went for it, bumped Villeneuve's Penske Dodge and move into the lead.

In the NASCAR Canadian Tire series, J.R. Fitzpatrick captured victory in a race filled with full-course yellows. Andrew Ranger finished second as the race finished also under the yellows.

See here our best photos of the weekend.

Photos: Sébastien D'Amour

Compact Performance Car Road Comparison Test

Compact Performance Car Track Comparison Test

2013 Tesla Model S First Impressions

Other very interesting topics:

• Blog: Dodge makes a diddle for the middle
• 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 review
• Blog: What is GM worth?
• 2013 Jaguar XJ gets significant upgrades including AWD
• Blog: The Shelby V8

Former F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi simply cannot wait to make his FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) debut at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, this coming weekend.

Liuzzi, who drove in F1 for Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso, Force India and HRT, will be at the wheel of the No. 32 Lotus entry in the P2 category.

"I am very happy to get the chance to drive at the 6 Hours of Silverstone," the 31-year-old admitted. "I know the track quite well from Formula 1 races in the past. But driving here in the Lotus LMP2 car will be different, for sure."

The Italian will share the wheel with American Kevin Weeda and local hero James Rossiter, who it turns out lives not far away from the track.

"For me it is a real home race as I live close to Silverstone," said the Briton who, much like his new teammate, is impatient to get going. "I am very looking forward to driving in front of my home crowd."

The start of the Six Hours of Silverstone, last round before the WEC heads out of Europe to South America and Asia, will be given Sunday at noon, local time.

A new version of the cheeky Fiat 500 will be added to the line-up for the 2013 model year, slotting between the 101-hp Pop, Sport and Lounge models and the 160-hp Fiat 500 Abarth.

The new Fiat 500 Turbo gets a turbocharged and twin-intercooled 1.4L engine that develops 135 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque; a hefty increase from the base versions for the minicar.

Sport-tuned suspension, steering and brakes are also part of the package. Cosmetically, the 500 Turbo receives unique front and rear fascias, side skirts, blacked-out headlight bezels, a rear spoiler and 16" alloy wheels. Seven colours will be offered, including the new Verde Azzurro (green and blue).

Also included in the 2013 Fiat 500 Turbo is a new Beats by Dr. Dre surround sound system, which includes six speakers, an 8" subwoofer and a 368-watt amplifier.

The 500 Turbo will arrive this fall in Canada with a $20,995 MSRP.

Photo: Fiat

Drifting is a very cool craze. I, for one, am not a huge fan of watching it unfold, but must admit that I'd love to be able to do what these professional and experienced pilots can do.

As with any sport, practice is of the essence. However, it will only take you so far if you lack talent. The likes of Ken Block and Vaughn Gittin Jr have gone through countless body panels, tires, brakes - cars even - to get to where they are today. One does not master the drift overnight.

This brings me to the point of this blog. We've recently put together a massive comparison test where we pitted a number of cars, including some that are targeted, in part, to drifters and fans of the sport. In Comparo 2.0, we tracked and road tested the cars to find out what they were really about.

As you may or may not know, the vast majority of cars automotive publications evaluate belong to car manufacturers. Generally speaking, we book or have the cars offered to us for road tests and no questions are asked. When we plan on doing something out of the ordinary with the cars, we always inform the maker of our intentions.

For the track portion of our comparison, we rented Autodrome St-Eustache (ASE) for a day and permitted ourselves to push the cars, somewhat. We lapped at between 6 and 7/10, never pushing the cars too hard out of respect for the carmakers that preferred we return the cars with some rubber and brake pads.

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre

These, then, are the reasons why you will not see or read anything about us drifting the 2013 Scion FR-S, 2013 Subaru BRZ, 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec and 2012 Mazda MX-5, because we didn't.

This does not detract from the fact that of the five drivers that day, two have extensive track experience and one holds a current FIA pilot's license, and that we did push the cars to a level where we were able to learn much about the cars' suspension dynamics, chassis, brakes and steering.

Yes, we would have liked to drift the poop out of some of the cars, especially the Subayotas and the Gen Coupe. And, well, maybe we did pull a few stunts that you will not find in the video, but that's just between you and I.

Don't miss out on our track and road comparison test. We also peeled away the layers of differences between the FR-S and BRZ, as well as picked our big winner: our favourite car of the test.

A high-performance Golf beyond the fun-loving GTI isn't a novelty. Back in the '80s, the Rallye Golf sported four-wheel drive and a 160-hp supercharged G60 engine. During the last decade, the Golf R32 had AWD, a 240- or 250-hp 3.2L VR6 as well as VW's DSG gearbox.


And now, we have the 2012 Volkswagen Golf R. Using a more powerful 2.0L turbo engine and all-wheel drive, the R is the most potent Golf to ever hit the streets.

For hardcore VW fans, this car may represent the ultimate hot hatch, the most desirable Golf and a social-status winner, as only about 600 copies will be sold this year in Canada. For the rest of us, it's just a more expensive GTI.


Buckets o' torque
Already an amazing little engine on duty in various VW and Audi products, including the Golf GTI, the turbo 2.0L four in the Golf R provides a healthy supply of power: 256 horses as well as 243 lb-ft of torque, all present and accounted for from 2,400 all the way to 5,200 rpm. A 6-speed manual is the only gearbox offered in Canada and the U.S.

However, with about 290 lbs more to haul over a base 5-door GTI, the R isn't all that much quicker. We measured a 0-100 km/h of 6.4 seconds which is fast, but not better than a DSG-equipped Golf GTI. What's really impressive is the ever present amount of torque that provides a rush of forward motion.

The Golf R always makes you feel like someone's pursuing you, and that you've gotta shake them off your tail. Despite our heavy right footwork, fuel economy over the week's test was 10.1 L/100km. (That's premium fuel, by the way.)

And while it may not be as nose-heavy as the last Volkswagen R32 we tested, the extra weight does make itself felt. The Golf R does feel more buttoned down, partly because of the all-wheel drive system which also rids the car of the front-drive GTI's admittedly minimal torque steer.

On duty in the 2012 Volkswagen Golf R, the turbo 2.0L engine develops 256 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Fully loaded
There are no available options for the Golf R. It includes a power sunroof, 18" wheels, an intelligent key system, navigation, a 300-watt Dynaudio sound system, and leather-clad sport seats, all of which require extra coin to obtain in a GTI.

The R also gets an exclusive alloy wheel design, unique front and rear bumpers, black brake callipers with the R logo, a stiffer suspension and centre-mounted exhaust tips. The Golf R looks hot, and certainly drew attention from VW lovers. People driving vehicles other than Volks didn't seem to care so much. Hell, they clealry had no idea that I was piloting a limited edition, high-horse Golf.

Wonderfully supportive seats keep you sitting straight when the R isn't going straight, a great driving position is easy to find, and outward visibility is only hampered by the rear-seat headrests.

What's great about the Golf R is that it's just as versatile as a $20,000 Golf. Five doors make loading up the spouse and kids a piece of cake. There's 413 litres of cargo space, which is more than you'll find in just about any sports car, and its relatively subtle looks suggest a mature sportiness. Tasteful is the word here.

Wonderfully supportive seats keep you sitting straight when the R isn't going straight. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Still a GTI
As wonderful to drive as the Golf R is, to me it isn't that far away from the driving experience you'll get out of a GTI. Ah, but during the snowy season the R does score many more points as pointed out by my colleague Matt following the Golf R's launch in the north of Sweden.

I like the GTI. A lot. However, I wouldn't pay extra for its optional features; a base car is fine with me. That's why I find the $10,000 price gap hard to swallow for stepping up to the Golf R. Sure, it's exclusive and VW fans -- you know, that cult -- will envy you. And sure, if leather and navigation is your cup of tea then the R is only $3,500 more. OK, worth it.

At $39,675, the Golf R is more expensive than a base Subaru Impreza WRX STI, and about two grand away from a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR. That's pretty muscular competition, and two cars that draw more attention than the VW.

The 2012 Volkswagen Golf R is, for those who can afford it, a fine piece of machinery. It may be a hero for those with affection for VWs. However, it's not enough for me to consider it over a regular, and just as fun, $30K GTI 5-door.

Bentley will expand the Mulsanne lineup with a glitzy convertible version, previewed by a

Jaguar will sell all-wheel-drive versions of its XF and XJ luxury sedans in Europe starting early next year, the company has announced.

Michigan's unemployment was the worst in the United States at 14.2 percent in August 2009, shortly after General Motors and Chrysler emerged from a government-backed rescue, and has since plunged to 8.

Briton Alexander Sims (Threebond with T-Sport) and German Pascal Wehrlein (Mücke Motorsport) took over from Spaniard Daniel Juncadella as F3 Euro Series winners during the Nürburgring weekend.

Sims, making a come back to Formula 3 Euro Series this year having already race in the championship back in 2009 and 2010, gave Nissan its first victory during race 2 of the weekend.

Raffaele Marciello (Prema Powerteam) and Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) finished second and third, where championship leader Juncadella only managed eighth.

Race 3 had more back luck in store for Juncadella, as the Spaniard collected a drive-through penalty in the very first lap, colliding with Rosenqvist. Wehrlein took over as the leader and eventual race-winner, ahead of William Buller (Carlin) and Jazeman Jaafar (Carlin).

Bruno Spengler (BMW) clinched his second victory this season at the Nürburgring, 6th round of the DTM championship, and moves up to second position in provisional classification.

The canadian driver, who set the pole position on Saturday, led from lights to flag, excepted during his pit stops. He finally concluded the race almost seven seconds ahead of Edoardo Mortara's Audi, who started alongside the BMW driver on the first row of the grid.

Martin Tomczyk (BMW), who started from sixth position, took two positions during the race to take third position at the finish line.

Championship leader Gary Paffett (Mercedes), who started 11th, finished sixth ahead of the second Canadian driver, Robert Wickens (Mercedes), who set his best result in DTM so far. Filipe Albuquerque (Audi) started from inside row 2, but had a poor start and ended up eighth.

Thanks to his win - his number 11 in DTM -, Spengler moves up to second in provisional classification, ahead of Jamie Green (Mercedes), who finished the race in fourth position. Spengler is therefore back in championship race, as he now stands 20 points behind Paffett, considering also that a victory his rewarded by 25 points.

It was also the third success for Spengler at the Nürburgring, after his 2006 and 2010 wins.



Race results - DTM (Nürburgring)
1. Bruno Spengler - BMW M3 - Schnitzer in 1h11'12''847
2. Edoardo Mortara - Audi A5 - Rosberg +6''703
3. Martin Tomczyk - BMW M3 - RMG +10''802
4. Jamie Green - Mercedes C Coupé - HWA +22''019
5. Mike Rockenfeller - Audi A5 - Phoenix +23''054
6. Gary Paffett - Mercedes C Coupé - HWA +23''765
7. Robert Wickens - Mercedes C Coupé - Mücke +25''041
8. Filipe Albuquerque - Audi A5 - Rosberg +29''601
9. Timo Scheider - Audi 5 - ABT +30''422
10. Augusto Farfus - BMW M3 -RBM +33''686
etc.

Championship
1. Paffett 103 points, 2. Spengler 83, 3. Green 81, 4. Tomczyk 69, 5. Mortara & Rockenfeller 49, etc.

Sasha Anis (No. 14 Hyundai Genesis) and Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 96 BMW 330i) won a Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) race each during Montreal's NAPA Auto Parts 200 weekend on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Friday saw Camirand earn pole position, but also the French Canadian being forced by the officials to dial his BMW's engine down a 1,000 rpm, to further equalize performance across the field.

Were the officials too harsh with the man who finished eighth times on the podium in eighth starts?

One way or another, in the race, Sasha Anis overtook Camirand and went on to win the first of two races presented over the weekend, leaving the BMW driver second, followed by Scott Nicol (No. 41 Honda Civic Si).

In Touring, Jocelyn Hébert (No. 89 Honda Civic) earned the win, followed by a charging Jacques Bélanger (No. 29 Honda Civic) and Damon Sharpe (No. 84 Honda Civic), who in the build up to the race had taken his first career pole position.

The B-Spec race yielded a win for Karl Wittmer, driving the No. 91 Honda Fit of his already crowned champion brother Nick. Alain Lauzière (No. 8 MINI Cooper) and media representative Gabriel Gélinas (No. 2 Mazda2 Media car) completed the podium.

Clouds then changed the mix, with rain making an appearance in the course of the second race. In wet conditions, Camirand reclaimed first place, and eventually the win, from Anis. Nicol's transmission failure handed Benjamin Distaulo (No. 6 Honda Civic Si) the last podium position.

In Touring, Damon Sharpe topped his first career pole with his first career win over Hébert and Bélanger.

The winner in B-Spec was the same, but at his sides on the podium were P.J. Groenke (No. 8 MINI Cooper) and Simon Dion-Viens (No. 17 Honda Fit) instead.

Canadian driver Bruno Spengler (BMW) has set the best performance in qualifying at the Nürburgring, sixth round of the DTM championship.

It was a second pole position this year for Spengler, but also for his team BMW, although the Canadian didn't seem in good position in the qualifying shootout, as the only BMW driver alongside three Audi.

In the end, he managed to beat Mortara, Albuquerque and Rockenfeller at the end of the session.

Meanwhile, it was a disappointing session for the best Mercedes driver, Jamie Green, only seventh. It was even more difficult for championship leader Gary Paffett, who will start from the 11th position on the grid on Sunday's race.

Robert Wickens, the other canadian driver in DTM, qualified ninth aboard his Mercedes C Coupé, in his best performance of the season in qualifying so far.

"I am really proud I was able to claim the second pole position for BMW here at the Nürburgring," Spengler said.

"Personally, I am a bit surprised about how qualifying panned out. It didn't look so good for us in the morning. The set-up was not perfect at that point. However, BMW Team Schnitzer did a super job to get us back on track.

"My BMW Bank M3 DTM was consistently good in all the qualifying sessions. I sensed that today was going to be special. However, we have only completed 50 per cent of our job. We must still take the next step on Sunday. We are in the perfect position to achieve that, however."



Qualifying results - DTM (Nürburgring)
1. Bruno Spengler (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1'24"284 - Q4
2. Edoardo Mortara (Audi A5) - Rosberg - 1'24"505 - Q4

3. Filipe Albuquerque (Audi A5) - Rosberg - 1'24"555 - Q4

4. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi A5) - Phoenix - 1'24"727 - Q4

5. Martin Tomczyk (BMW M3) - RMG - 1'24"241 - Q3
6. Augusto Farfus (BMW M3) - RBM - 1'24"288 - Q3

7. Jamie Green (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'24"312 - Q3
8. Dirk Werner (BMW M3) - Schnitzer - 1'24"422 - Q3

9. Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupe) - Mucke - 1'24"423 - Q3
10. Timo Scheider (Audi A5) - Abt - 1'24"748 - Q3
Etc.

Nelson Piquet Jr.'s spin and win of the NASCAR truck race, at Michigan International Speedway, recalled Danny Sullivan's similar maneuver to take the 1985 Indy 500.

"Once you spin, the only thing you can try to do is not hit the wall and then come to the pits and change tires," the Brazilian son of the three-time World Champion said.

It was his first win in the Camping World Truck Series and third in NASCAR as he won earlier this year in both the K&N Series and Nationwide Series.

Still being the son of legendary driver is challenging.

"It's a weight off my shoulders," Piquet explained.. "I'm just living to do what my family does, and that's win races. It's only the beginning. I've been learning quickly. I've got great people around me. I think I've been very lucky and very blessed to be surrounded by the right guys. I'm sure I'll win another race very soon."

"We've been fighting for this win since the beginning of last year, and we finally made it," Piquet said. "The whole race was fun. It wasn't as boring as it seemed at the end when we had a big lead."

The race at the two-mile speedway turned into a fuel mileage story as Jason White finished second in a Ford, more than eight seconds back of Piquet. Dakoda Armstrong was third, Parker Kligerman was fourth, James Buescher fifth and Ty Dillon sixth.

Back in the '80s, when my passion for cars hit me before puberty did, I'd dream of one day driving Porsches, BMWs, Ferraris and Lamborghinis. On the other hand, I'd dream of one day owning a sports coupe such as the Honda Prelude. In fact, I still do.


Today, however, the Prelude is gone and Honda hasn't offered a real sports car since the much-loved S2000. Until they wake up and smell the toast burning, we'll have to do with "sporty" cars such as the Civic Si, the CR-Z (!) and the Accord Coupe.

Actually, the 2012 Honda Accord Coupe, at least in EX-L V6 trim with a 6-speed gearbox, is not a bad imitation of a sports car at all. Then again, maybe I'm just getting old.


Refined powertrain
Honda's 3.5L engine may not be the most powerful, or the sweetest sounding, V6 on the market, but overall it's strong, efficient and admirably smooth. In the Accord, it produces 271 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. When paired with the 6-speed stick, it makes for a very fast Accord.

Honda arguably makes the slickest manual transmissions, and this one is a pleasure to operate with a better clutch and shifter feel than you'll find in competitors such as the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the Nissan Altima Coupe and the Ford Mustang. The automatic also does an excellent job, by the way, despite also counting five gears.

Zero to 100 km/h takes 6.6 seconds, while the quarter mile is a done deal after 14.4 seconds at a speed of 161 km/h. Sure, the Genesis Coupe 3.8 and the Mustang V6 have more muscle, but the Accord is no slouch.

In the Accord, this engine produces 271 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. When paired with the 6-speed stick, it makes for a very fast Accord. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Refined ride
What the Accord Coupe lacks in character, it makes up for in everyday user-friendliness and refinement. The aforementioned adversaries, save for the Nissan, provide a more aggressive drive, but none are as smooth as the Honda.

Still, the Accord is front-wheel drive, so you must cope with torque steer when accelerating enthusiastically on a street corner. And when that happens, the stability control system kicks in abruptly. Granted, this car is more about fast cruising and less about closed-course shenanigans, but that doesn't mean it can't do both.

My fuel consumption over the course of the test week averaged 11.8 L/100km. With the 5-speed automatic, the V6 gets cylinder deactivation which shuts off part of the engine under light loads, but not with the 6-speed manual.

My fuel consumption over the course of the test week averaged 11.8 L/100km. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Refined good looks
Since its 2008 redesign, the Accord sedan sports a chubby, bloated appearance. Somehow, the Coupe is big without looking big. Its proportions seem right with a dynamic profile and a rising beltline. While not as striking as the Genesis Coupe, the front and rear fascias of the two-door are more aggressive than the sedan's, and rightfully so. I just don't like the shape of the redesigned-for-2011 taillights. Oh well.

Inside, you get a classy, if not very adventurous, design that's highlighted by a tasteful amount of silver-painted trim. The centre console's array of buttons look fussy and confusing, but after you spend some time getting used to the layout there is some logic to the design.

The navigation system is operated via a king-size multifunction knob which works well. However, the screen's graphics and maps would look perfect in the '80s-era Prelude I used to dream about. Hopefully, it will improve in the 2013 Accord, which will be totally redesigned.

The Accord is a big coupe, and the front seats will make just about anyone comfortable. Even in back, there's ample room for two adults or three children, even though the middle kid will be sitting on a lumpy cushion. No one will be stricken by sudden claustrophobia. Trunk space is also pretty voluminous at 338 litres, with a wide opening for loading in bigger objects.

Inside, you get a classy, if not very adventurous, design that's highlighted by a tasteful amount of silver-painted trim. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Refined sticker
Manual or automatic, an Accord Coupe EX-L V6 will set you back $35,990 before taxes, freight and delivery charges. It costs less than an Altima 3.5 SR ($38,198) or a Genesis Coupe 3.8GT ($36,999), but you can get a loaded Mustang V6 Premium for just over 30 grand.

The coupe might not be as practical as the sedan, but it's more engaging. It's no sports car, and I wouldn't have pinned this up on my wall back when I was an almost-teen, but it tries really hard to be a sports car and the way it seems to do everything right makes it very likable. Let's hope the 2013 Accord Coupe is just as good.

A second recall on the Chevrolet Optra has been published today. This one targets 35,146 units from the 2004 to 2006 model years.

In some cases, a harness connector in the instrument panel could melt and prevent the headlights from functioning. On a rainy or snowy day, or during hours of darkness, this could compromise the driver's ability to see the road and its users.

Owners are advised to take their Optra to a GM dealer, which will remove the harness connector and permanently join the wires.

Source: Transports Canada

2006 Chevrolet Optra (Photo: General Motors)

Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf have dominated the ALMS so far this season for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, and were on pole for the start of the 4-hour long race at Road America.

But Chris Dyson and Guy Smith came through with their second win of the season.

And it didn't look good for Dyson Racing at the start: gearbox issues had them back at the back of the grid. Factoring in the upper hand Graf and Luhr have had all season in their HPD ARX-03a over the Lola coupe, it seemed all said and done.

But a lengthy pit stop to repair a broken hose costed Muscle Milk four laps.

Which means in the closing stages of the race, the two cars were neck and neck - just like last year where, in the closest finish ever, Muscle Milk pulled the win over Dyson. In 2012, Smith and Dyson had their revenge, ending up with the win, as well as the new record for the closest finish, bringing last year's 0.112 seconds down to just 0.083s.

Issues experienced by both P1 front-running teams meant Martin Plowman and David Heinemeier-Hansson, in the P2 Conquest Endurance Racing Morgan-Nissan got to lead overall for a few laps. More importantly, they got a win of their own in class, benefiting from issues to both the rival No. 55 and 95 Level 5 Motorsport entries.

Dempsey Racing also took advantage of Level 5's problems, as actor Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster got their best ALMS result ever, coming home second in class aboard their No. 27 Lola-Judd prototype.

In GT, BMW took a long-awaited win, thanks to Bill Auberlen and Jörg Müller for beating Flying Lizard's Patrick Long and Jörg Bergmeister to the checkered. Scott Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek placed their Extreme Speed Motorsport Ferrari in third.

Kuno Wittmer and Dominik Farnbacher drove the best-finishing Viper, ending the race in 22nd place overall, ninth in class.

The PC race crowned this year's champions, CORE autosport's Alex Popow and Tom Kimber-Smith, who won the race as well. It must be said, making the start was a feat in itself for Popow, since he started the day racing Daytona prototypes in Montreal.

GTC saw Alex Job Racing come out on top, thanks to Cooper MacNeil and Jeroen Bleekemolen.



Race results* - ALMS (Road America)
1 - Dyson/Smith (Lola B12/60-Mazda) - Dyson - 101 laps 4.01'48"009

2 - Luhr/Graf (HPD ARX-03a) - Pickett - 0"083

3 - Marsal/Lux/Burgess (Lola B11/66-Mazda) - Dyson - 47"275
4 - Plowman/Hansson (Morgan-Judd) - Conquest - 1'04"709
5 - Popow/Kimber-Smith (Oreca FLM09) - CORE - 1 lap
6 - Bennett/Braun (Oreca FLM09) - CORE - 1 lap

7 - Marcelli/Ducote/French (Oreca FLM09) - Merchant - 1 lap
8 - Junqueira/Gonzalez (Oreca FLM09) - RSR - 1 lap

9 - Dempsey/Foster (Lola B12/86-Mazda) - Dempsey - 2 laps
10 - Richard/Ende (Oreca FLM09) - Dempsey - 2 laps

11 - Tucker/Bouchut (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 2 laps

12 - Tucker/Diaz (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 3 laps

13 - Mueller/Auberlen (BMW M3) - Rahal - 4 laps

14 - Bergmeister/Long (Porsche 997) - Flying Lizard - 4 laps
15 - Sharp/Van Overbeek (Ferrari 458) - Extreme Speed - 4 laps
16 - Gavin/Milner (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 4 laps

17 - Downs/Downs/Downs (Oreca FLM09) - Merchant - 4 laps
18 - Miller/Maassen (Porsche 997 Cup) - Miller - 4 laps
19 - Magnussen/Garcia (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 4 laps
20 - Sweedler/Bell (Lotus Evora) - Alex Job - 4 laps

21 - Neiman/Holzer (Porsche 997) - Flying Lizard - 5 laps

22 - Wittmer/Farnbacher (SRT Viper) - SRT - 5 laps
23 - Mueller/Summerton (BMW M3) - Rahal - 6 laps
24 - Brown/Cosmo/Lazzaro (Ferrari 458) - Extreme Speed - 6 laps

25 - MacNeil/Bleekemolen (Porsche 997 Cup) - Alex Job - 8 laps

26 - Cumming/Ragginger (Porsche 997 Cup) - JDX - 8 laps
27 - LeSaffre/Faulkner (Porsche 997 Cup) - Green Hornet - 8 laps
28 - Faieta/Avenatti (Porsche 997 Cup) - Competition - 8 laps

29 - Sofronas/Welch/Villeneuve (Porsche 997 Cup) - GMG - 8 laps
30 - Huisman/Wong (Porsche 997 Cup) - Green Hornet - 10 laps
31 - Henzler/Sellers (Porsche 997) - Falken - + 26 laps*
32 - Benitez-Benitez (Porsche 997 Cup) - NGT - 30 laps
33 - Pumpelly/DiGuida (Porsche 997 Cup) - TRG - 32 laps
34 - Goossens/Kendall (SRT Viper) - SRT - 56 laps
35 - Franchitti/Junco (Oreca FLM09) - PR1 - 78 laps

*Unofficial

GM and Isuzu are recalling more than 258,000 SUVs in the United States and Canada to repair short-circuits in power-window and door-lock switches that can cause fires.