Flying Lizard Motorsports - Porsche Endurance Racing

Daytona Test Days - Jan. 9, 2011

3:30 - Checkered flag on the Roar Before the 24 Test Session. It was a successful test weekend for the Lizards in our first experience in the DP category here at Daytona. We'll be back with you for race week, starting January 27, 2011. ****Jennifer

3:22 - Green flag. 8 minutes left in the session. Seth Neiman is still in the No. 45.

3:19 - Black flag all to remove a car from the track.

3:09 - Seth is now on track for his final stint of the weekend.

3:05 - Patrick P4, with a 1:40.724.  He will pit this lap for a driver change to Seth Neiman. Black flag all to pick up car 65 which is stuck on course.

2:51 - Patrick P3 with a 1:40.737. He will pit this lap for a  wicker change. The last change was positive, improved braking in the high speed corners and less understeer in the Kink and the Bus  stop, traction also improving.  35 minutes left in the session.  

2:45 - Patrick is back on course, now P4.

2:40 - Patrick is P2 with a 1:41.478. He is pitting for a setup change. 

2:30 pm - Patrick is on track for the final session of the weekend. Pit lane is thinning out as many teams have started to pack up - I'm sure some are hoping to get out ahead of the weather front expected tonight. With flights through Atlanta cancelled tomorrow, most of our crew is rerouting through various cities in the midwest to get home to the West Coast.

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12:00 - Checkered flag on the session. We'll be back with you  at 2:30 ET for the final session of the test days.

11:49- Seth is in the pits for driver change to Johannes van Overbeek, who will finish out the session. All is well - we are just working on getting seat time for Seth and now JvO. 

11:20 - Green flag - Seth is still in the No. 45.

11:15 - Black flag all cars. Car 7 in the tire wall.

11:00 - Seth is on course.

10:53 - Joerg is in pit lane for more feedback and driver change to Seth Neiman. 

 10:44 - Green flag. Joerg is still in the car, now on sticker tires.

From l to r: Crew chief Tommy Sadler, Patrick Long, Johannes van Overbeek and Seth Neiman in the pits.

 

10:39 - Black flag.

10:37 am - Good morning from Daytona. It's cool and overcast today. Joerg is out on track for first of today's two test sessions. They are focused on incremental setup changes this morning and it sounds like they are heading in a positive direction so far.  Joerg is currently P3 in DP with a time of 1:41.172. Joerg reports the car is good on the brakes, good on power down, the rear is still a bit nervous.

Daytona Test Days, Sat. Jan 8

8:00 - Checkered flag on the evening session. Joerg set the fourth fastest time of the session with a 1:41.231. We'll be back with you for the final day of testing and the 10:15 am session.

7:40 - Johannes heads out for what should be the final stint of the day.

7:36 - Joerg pits for driver change to Johannes. Just over 20 minutes left in the session.

7:33- Joerg moves to P4.

7:32  - Joerg now P7.

7:26  - Joerg is back on course.

7:20  - Joerg in the pits to give feedback on the last change. He is currently P9. They will make a ride height change before sending him out. Just over 30 minutes left in the final session of the day.

7:18 - Pit exit is closed. A car spun in Turn 1 and is attempting to rejoin.

7:15 - Green flag. Joerg is back on track. He is currently P6.

7:07- Black flag to flat tow a car in the tire wall. We don't have TV here at the test, so it's a bit harder to determine what's happening on course. Joerg is currently P6 in the No. 45 DP.

6:59 - Joerg is in the pits for another setup change. He gives positive feedback on the last change, but still reporting very strong power on oversteer. Chief Engineer Craig Watkins calls for a spring change.

6:48 - Joerg is in the pits for a setup change.

6:41 - Green flag. Joerg still in the No. 45 DP.

6:34 pm - Joerg is on track for the final session of the day. It's night now and cooling down rapidly. Black flag - there is oil/liquid down Turn 6 to NASCAR 2.

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4:50 - Craig Watkins calls Johannes in to the pits - Johannes was tagged in the right rear and reports a vibration - looks like a broken wheel and some rear damage. The session is almost over so we are done for the session. The crew will take the car back for repairs. We plan to be back for the vening session, which starts at 6:30 tonight.

4:44 - Johannes reports the No. 45 is very loose in the rear.

4:40 - Seth is in the pits for driver change to Johannes van Overbeek.  20 minutes left in the session. So far so good.We have night practice tonight from 6:30 to 8 pm.  The temperature is expected to drop sharply as soon as the sun sets.

4:23 - Green flag.

4:09- Black flag all. Appears to be a  fire in Turn 3. Not sure of the car.

4:00 - Green flag. This is a one hour session. It's cooling down quickly and the wind is picking up.

3:58 -  Seth Neiman is in the No. 45 - in line at pit out for the start of the third session.

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2:30  - Checkered flag  - we'll be back with you at 4 pm for the third of today's four sessions.

2:26 - Seth is pitting for the crew to check a sensor. Just a few more minutes left in the session.

2:15 - Seth is back out again to finish the session.

2:13 - Green flag, Joerg went out again briefly, but is now back in the pits. 

2:06 - Black flag - grass fire, turn 6.

1:59 - Joerg is back in the pits - there's a shifting issue which the crew is working to diagnose.

1:49 - Patrick back in the pits for driver change to Joerg. Patrick reports positive on the last change but still losing time in power down on turn 2 and turn 3, and in the bus stop the No. 45 is still nervous on the curbs.

1:38 - Patrick is back on course.

1:32 - Patrick in pit lane, unexpectedly. Improvement in pitch sensitivity but rear still an issue. Engineer Craig Watkins calls for a ride height adjustment.

1:31 - Patrick radios in that the last change was  a positive.

1:26  - Green flag. Patrick will have to do a drive through the pits on his outlap because he went straight through the chicane on his last lap prior to the black flag.  Patrick is currently P8 in DP.

1:20 - Black flag. Patrick is back in the pits giving feedback. He reports in general that the car is better and easier to drive than this morning, but still needs work when he's at the limit.  We've been making steady progress over the lsat two days, a bit slower than we had hoped given the number of black flags and the cold weather in the am, but moving forward nonetheless. This is the team's first experience running in the prototype class in any series.

1:12 - The first of the two afternoon sessions is underway. Patrick Long is in the No. 45.  it's warmed up quite a bit - a pleasant 75 or so with full sun..

10:45 - Checkered flag. We'll be back with you at 1 pm for the second session of the day.

10:39 - Johannes van Overbeek is in the No 45 for his first stint of the day. He came quickly back into the pit with an oil prssure alarm. The crew checked things over and sent him back out. Just over 5 minutes left in the session.

10:27 - Seth is back in the pits for driver change. Just over fifteen minutes left in the session.

9:58- Green flag. Seth is still in the NO. 45.

9:51- Another black flag to remove the No. 77 car from the course.

9:48 - Seth has taken over for Patrick and is heading out for his first stint.

9:41 - Black flag.

9:37 - Patrick is back in pits for a rear damper change. he will go out again to give feedback on this change, then Seth Neiman will get in the car. Race control reports an incident on track and fluid on course. Still green.

9:26 - Green flag

9:20 - Patrick is back in the pits - black flag. Patrick is giving his feedback to engineer Craig Watkins - that the car is "upset" on the high frequency  bumps. Once things are warmed up, they will get started on setup adjustments.

9:14 - Patrick is in pit lane, getting ready to head out. He is on stickers. First order of business once he gets things warmed up is to bed in new brakes. The track is now fully in the sun with a light breeze.

 

 

The Flying Lizard No. 45 DP is running the familiar red and silver livery with the yellow accents of the No. 45 Flying Lizard ALMS Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

9 am ET - Good morning from Daytona. Warmer weather today, hopefully the track will warm up more quickly than it did yesterday. Patrick is starting the session in the  No. 45 DP, followed by Seth.  There are four sessions today - 9 to 10:45, 1:00-2:30, 4 to 5 pm and 6:30 to 8 pm.

Daytona Test Days - Jan. 7, 2011

3:55 - Seth is back in the pits reporting that he smells fuel in the cockpit. We'll end the session a bit early for the crew to check things out.  We'll be back with you again tomorrow, Saturday at 9 am ET.

3:37 - Patrick is back in the pits for driver change to Seth Neiman.

3:07 - Black flag - there's a lot of fluid on the track from a car that they will need to flat tow. Just under an hour left in the session.

2:44 - Driver change to Patrick Long. 1 hour, 15 minutes remaining in the session.

2:34 - Green flag. Joerg is still in the No. 45. Patrick is on deck to get in shortly.

 2:30 - Black flag  (all cars must return to the pits) for officials to check on a possible track repair. Joerg is back in the pits.

2:20 pm - Joerg is in the pits for a setup change. He reports understeer is still the biggest issue. He'll go out again for 5 more laps, then turn the wheel over to Patrick Long for Patrick's first run of the day.

2:03- - Joerg radioed in that he and another car made contact - he continued without incident. So far, Joerg, Johannes and Seth have all driven today - Patrick Long has not yet had his first stint. We have three days of testing at the "Roar before the 24" test days, then we'll head back to California, returning for the race week - starting Jan 27.

2:00 pm ET  - The second session is underway. Joerg is out on track in the No. 45 DP.  This session runs until 4 pm. The morning session was used mostly for a shakedown -bedding in brakes, etc. The crew made a series of setup changes between sessions  so I expect they'll start setup work shortly.

Patrick and Joerg between sessions

 

10:15 am ET - Good morning from Daytona. It's a brisk but clear morning and the first session of the three day test is underway. The No. 45 is on track, and the team has been working on settling things in. Joerg Bergmeister ran the first stint, and Johannes van Overbeek is now in the No.45 Flying Lizard Porsche-powered Riley Daytona Prototype. This is the team's first time running in the prototype class - either in Grand-Am or ALMS. The Lizards will run the Rolex 24 at Daytona, then return to their regular season in the ALMS.

The No. 45 is in the familiar red and silver Flying Lizard livery for the race.

 

Driver lineup is: Joerg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Seth Neiman and Johannes van Overbeek.  A reprise of 2010 lineup i nthe No. 66 Flying Lizard TRG Porsche which finished 2nd here in 2010.