The 2015 Lone Star Le Mans was a sports car race sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The race was held at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on September 19, 2015. The race was the eleventh round of the 2015 United SportsCar Championship.
Background
Preview International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) president Scott Atherton confirmed the race was part of the schedule for the 2015 IMSA Tudor United SportsCar Championship (IMSA TUSC) in August 2014. It was the second consecutive year the event was held as part of the United SportsCar Championship. The 2015 Lone Star Le Mans was the eleventh of twelve scheduled sports car races of 2015 by IMSA, and was the eighth round not held as part of the North American Endurance Cup. The race was held at the twenty-turn Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on September 19, 2015.
Entry list Thirty-eight cars were officially entered for the Lone Star Le Mans. Action Express Racing (AER) fielded two Chevrolet Corvette DP cars while VisitFlorida Racing (VFR) and Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR) fielded one. Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) entered one Ford-powered Riley MkXXVI. Mazda Motorsports had two Lola B12/80 cars and Michael Shank Racing (MSR) entered one Ligier JS P2 chassis with Honda HR28TT twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 engine. They were joined by DeltaWing. The Prototype Challenge (PC) class was composed of Nine Oreca FLM09 cars: two from BAR1 Motorsports and two from Starworks Motorsport. CORE Autosport, JDC-Miller MotorSports, Performance Tech, PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports, and RSR Racing entered one car each. GTLM was represented by eight entries from four different brands. In the list of GTD entrants, twelve GT-specification vehicles were represented by six different manufacturers. The No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Audi R8 LMS ultra was reinstated to the Tudor United SportsCar Championship after making its first appearance since the Laguna Seca round. Lone Star Racing made their series debut.
Qualifying Friday afternoon's 90-minute four-group qualifying session gave 15-minute sessions to all categories. Cars in GTD were sent out first before those grouped in GTLM, PC, and Prototype had three separate identically timed sessions. Regulations stipulated teams to nominate one qualifying driver, with the fastest laps determining each classes starting order. IMSA would arranged the grid to put all Prototypes ahead of the PC, GTLM, and GTD cars.
Qualifying results Pole positions in each class are indicated in bold and by . P stands for Prototype, PC (Prototype Challenge), GTLM (Grand Touring Le Mans) and GTD (Grand Touring Daytona). ClassTeamDriverTime1P01 Chip Ganassi Racing Scott Pruett1:58.441_12P60 Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian Oswaldo Negri Jr.1:58.512 +0.07123P5 Action Express Racing Christian Fittipaldi1:59.008 +0.56734P10 Wayne Taylor Racing Jordan Taylor1:59.033 +0.59245P31 Action Express Racing Eric Curran2:00.011 +1.57056P90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Michael Valiante2:00.111 +1.67067P0 DeltaWing Racing Cars with Claro/TracFone Memo Rojas2:01.570 +3.12978PC11 RSR Racing Chris Cumming2:02.222+3.78189PC85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Matt McMurry2:02.697 +4.256910P70 SpeedSource Tristan Nunez2:02.779 +4.3381011P07 SpeedSource Tom Long2:03.484 +5.0431112PC38 Performance Tech Motorsports James French2:03.586 +5.1451213PC54 CORE Autosport Jon Bennett2:03.697 +5.2561314PC8 Starworks Motorsport Mike Hedlund2:04.009 +5.5681415GTLM911 Porsche North America Patrick Pilet2:04.396+5.9551716PC52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Mike Guasch2:04.432 +5.9911517GTLM25 BMW Team RLL Dirk Werner2:04.490 +6.0491818GTLM912 Porsche North America Earl Bamber2:04.625 +6.1841919GTLM3 Corvette Racing Antonio García2:04.651 +6.2102020GTLM17 Team Falken Tire Wolf Henzler2:04.813 +6.3722121GTLM24 BMW Team RLL John Edwards2:04.968 +6.5272222GTLM4 Corvette Racing Tommy Milner2:05.245 +6.8042323GTLM62 Risi Competizione Giancarlo Fisichella2:05.996 +7.5552424PC61 BAR1 Motorsports Don Yount2:08.350 +9.9091625GTD48 Paul Miller Racing Dion von Moltke2:11.097+12.6562526GTD33 Riley Motorsports Ben Keating2:11.658 +13.2172627GTD63 Scuderia Corsa Bill Sweedler2:11.729 +13.2882728GTD007 TRG-AMR North America Christina Nielsen2:11.761 +13.3202829GTD73 Park Place Motorsports Patrick Lindsey2:12.213 +13.7722930GTD44 Magnus Racing John Potter2:12.478 +14.0373031GTD80 Lone Star Racing Dan Knox2:12.835 +14.3943132GTD23 Team Seattle / Alex Job Racing Ian James2:12.935 +14.4943233GTD97 Turner Motorsport Michael Marsal2:13.054 +14.6133334GTD22 Alex Job Racing Cooper MacNeil2:13.126 +14.6853435GTD45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Mike Vess2:16.353 +17.9123536GTD76 Compass360 Racing Ray Mason2:16.518 +18.0773637PC16 BAR1 MotorsportsNo Time Established3738PC88 Starworks MotorsportNo Time Established38Sources:
Race
Race results Class winners are denoted in bold and . P stands for Prototype, PC (Prototype Challenge), GTLM (Grand Touring Le Mans) and GTD (Grand Touring Daytona). +Final race classificationClassTeamDriversChassisTireTime/RetiredEngine1P01 Chip Ganassi Racing Joey Hand Scott PruettFord EcoBoost Riley DP732:41:07.039Ford EcoBoost 3.5 L V6 Turbo2P10 Wayne Taylor Racing Jordan Taylor Ricky TaylorCorvette Daytona Prototype73 +16.910Chevrolet 5.5 L V83P90 VisitFlorida.com Racing Richard Westbrook Michael ValianteCorvette Daytona Prototype73 +44.212Chevrolet 5.5 L V84P60 Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian John Pew Oswaldo Negri Jr.Ligier JS P273 +44.575Honda HR28TT 2.8 L V6 Turbo5P31 Action Express Racing Eric Curran Dane CameronCorvette Daytona Prototype73 +1:06.753Chevrolet 5.5 L V86PC54 CORE Autosport Jon Bennett Colin BraunOreca FLM0973 +1:28.158Chevrolet 6.2 L V87PC11 RSR Racing Chris Cumming Bruno JunqueiraOreca FLM0973 +1:53.822Chevrolet 6.2 L V88PC38 Performance Tech Motorsports Conor Daly James FrenchOreca FLM0973 +1:57.517Chevrolet 6.2 L V89PC52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Mike Guasch Tom Kimber-SmithOreca FLM0973 +1:58.239Chevrolet 6.2 L V810P5 Action Express Racing João Barbosa Christian FittipaldiCorvette Daytona Prototype72 +1 lapChevrolet 5.5 L V811P0 DeltaWing Racing Cars with Claro/TracFone Memo Rojas Katherine LeggeDeltaWing DWC1372 +1 lapÉlan (Mazda) 1.9 L I4 Turbo12GTLM25 BMW Team RLL Bill Auberlen Dirk WernerBMW Z4 GTE72 +1 lapBMW 4.4 L V813GTLM62 Risi Competizione Pierre Kaffer Giancarlo FisichellaFerrari 458 Italia GT272 +1 lapFerrari 4.5 L V814PC85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Misha Goikhberg Matt McMurryOreca FLM0972 +1 lapChevrolet 6.2 L V815GTLM911 Porsche North America Patrick Pilet Nick TandyPorsche 911 RSR72 +1 lapPorsche 4.0 L Flat-616GTLM17 Team Falken Tire Bryan Sellers Wolf HenzlerPorsche 911 RSR72 +1 lapPorsche 4.0 L Flat-617GTLM912 Porsche North America Earl Bamber Jörg BergmeisterPorsche 911 RSR72 +1 lapPorsche 4.0 L Flat-618GTLM3 Corvette Racing Antonio García Jan MagnussenChevrolet Corvette C7.R72 +1 lapChevrolet LT5.5 5.5 L V819GTLM24 BMW Team RLL John Edwards Lucas LuhrBMW Z4 GTE72 +1 lapBMW 4.4 L V820GTLM4 Corvette Racing Oliver Gavin Tommy MilnerChevrolet Corvette C7.R72 +1 lapChevrolet LT5.5 5.5 L V821 DNFPC8 Starworks Motorsport Mike Hedlund Renger van der ZandeOreca FLM0970 SuspensionChevrolet 6.2 L V822GTD33 Riley Motorsports Jeroen Bleekemolen Ben KeatingDodge Viper GT3-R69 +4 LapsDodge 8.3 L V1023GTD97 Turner Motorsport Michael Marsal Markus PalttalaBMW Z4 GT369 +4 LapsBMW 4.4 L V824GTD48 Paul Miller Racing Christopher Haase Dion von MoltkeAudi R8 LMS ultra69 +4 LapsAudi 5.2 L V1025GTD23 Team Seattle / Alex Job Racing Mario Farnbacher Ian JamesPorsche 911 GT America69 +4 LapsPorsche 4.0 L Flat-626GTD73 Park Place Motorsports Patrick Lindsey Spencer PumpellyPorsche 911 GT America69 +4 LapsPorsche 4.0 L Flat-627GTD63 Scuderia Corsa Bill Sweedler Townsend BellFerrari 458 Italia GT369 +4 LapsFerrari 4.5 L V828GTD80 Lone Star Racing Marc Goossens Dan KnoxDodge Viper GT3-R69 +4 LapsDodge 8.3 L V1029GTD007 TRG-AMR North America Christina Nielsen Kuno WittmerAston Martin V12 Vantage GT369 +4 LapsAston Martin 6.0 L V1230GTD22 Alex Job Racing Leh Keen Cooper MacNeilPorsche 911 GT America68 +5 LapsPorsche 4.0 L Flat-631GTD76 Compass360 Racing Pierre Kleinubing Ray MasonAudi R8 LMS ultra68 +5 LapsAudi 5.2 L V1032GTD45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Jason Hart Mike VessAudi R8 LMS ultra66 +7 LapsAudi 5.2 L V1033 DNFP70 SpeedSource Jonathan Bomarito Tristan NunezMazda Prototype65BeltMazda Skyactiv-D 2.2 L Turbo I4 (Diesel)34GTD44 Magnus Racing John Potter Andy LallyPorsche 911 GT America46 +27 LapsPorsche 4.0 L Flat-635 DNFPC61 BAR1 Motorsports Ryan Lewis Don YountOreca FLM0933AccidentChevrolet 6.2 L V836 DNFP07 SpeedSource Tom Long Joel MillerMazda Prototype23BeltMazda Skyactiv-D 2.2 L Turbo I4 (Diesel)37 DNSPC16 BAR1 Motorsports John Falb Todd SlusherOreca FLM09 --Did Not StartChevrolet 6.2 L V838 DNSPC88 Starworks Motorsport Alex Popow Sean RayhallOreca FLM09 --Did Not StartChevrolet 6.2 L V8Sources:+ Tyre manufacturers Key Symbol Tyre manufacturer Continental Michelin Falken Tire
References
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