Delayed at the start of the race, the Honda HPD ARX-03a of Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf made a remarkable recovery to win their third consecutive victory, in the fourth race of the American Le Mans Series 2012. In LM P2, Dempsey Racing scored a first podium in their second appearance.

Forty-five minutes after the start, Lucas Luhr entered the pits with a gear shift problem. The engine cover was removed, the ECU reprogrammed and Honda got back on track, but four laps down. It seemed that victory was certain for the Lola-Mazda of Chris Dyson, Guy Smith who started from pole position. But the fight-back of Graf and Luhr, despite safety car periods and dense traffic on the short Lime Rock circuit, was spectacular. "I thought we would lose no matter what, so I went all the way into the traffic, said Lucas Luhr. At the end of my stint, we had more than a lap down. "Klaus Graf Smith's command removes a half hour of the chequered flag:" I would not have gone faster. I had no idea of ​​my position until I find myself in the head. I just attacked like crazy, taking enormous risks. "

In LM P2, Honda scored another victory courtesy of Level 5 Motorsports, Christophe Bouchut and Scott Tucker at the wheel. But their HPD ARX-03b remained under permanent threat from the Morgan-Nissan of Martin Plowman and David Heinemeir Hansson, class leader in the early part of the race. For the second appearance of Dempsey Racing in LM P2, Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster (Lola-Judd) took their first podium place by finishing third. In GT, Porsche landed the first win of the season with Flying Lizard Motorsports. A victory for Jörg Bergmeister, celebrating his 100th start in the American Le Mans Series at Lime Rock. "We waited a long time for this victory", welcomed the German driver, who won with his usual team mate, American driver Patrick Long. "We have made many mistakes this season, but it was bad luck that kept us off the podium. Now let's go to Manhattan to celebrate". Bergmeister and Long finished ahead of the two factory Corvettes of Magnussen-Garcia and Gavin-Milner..

The fifth race American Le Mans Series 2012 will take place on the 22nd of July on the Canadian circuit of Mosport.

Jean-Philippe Doret

Photo: LAKEVILLE (Connecticut, USA), CIRCUIT LIME ROCK PARK, 6-7 July 2012. The victorious Honda of Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr sported the  American flag, in this week of Independence Day (the 4th of July).