For a racing driver in a multiclass series like ALMS, dealing with slower-moving "speed bumps" can be at, at best, an annoyance. But what if the speed bump is from a class above yours? It's not as much terror as the urge to kill.
This past weekend at VIR was particularly frustrating for LMP2 team Conquest Racing. Watch as the Dyson #20 LMP1 car, driven by Mark Patterson (with Michael Marsal and Chris Dyson on deck), spins on the first turn of the first lap. After the Dyson crew replaces the nose and rear clip, #20 resumes five laps down.
But something's not right — the usually suction-grip LMP1 creeps through the corners at Spec Miata speeds. But, with a 100+ horsepower advantage over the Nissan-powered Morgan LMP2 — driven by David Heinemeier-Hansson / Martin Plowman — the LMP1 powers out like mad on the straights. That combination makes life extra miserable for the Conquest's LMP2 driver, which ends up stuck behind the faltering Dyson LMP1 and losing two seconds a lap.
The Conquest driver's frustration compounded when the LMP1 made what could be construed as avoidable contact with the LMP2 car, which ultimately cost the Conquest team P2 by 27 seconds.
So, what do you think? Who was at fault? Was it the car, the inexperience of a driver who bought his way into the show, or just bad officiating?