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(Spoiler Warning) Mid Ohio World Challenge GT Race report

Old 05-22-2006, 08:12 AM
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Default (Spoiler Warning) Mid Ohio World Challenge GT Race report

Hi Guys,

The race will be televised this coming Saturday the 27th at 9 PM Eastern time on Speed TV. So if you want to wait for the results please cover your eyes

here is the race report below. But in my own words, it was great to finally bring the car home for the win. At Sebring, we had the lead with 4 laps to go but a severe over-rev caused a failure. Then at St Pete, and Long Beach, I ran up front but was caught and could only finish 4th in each of those races.

So it was very important to the team that we finish where we started.

Thanks to all of the forum members for the support. I always get to meet some forum members to put faces with the names.

Next race, Infineon raceway (sears point), June 23-25 with the NASCAR weekend. The GT race is Sunday afternoon at 4:30. We will have to add 40 pounds of REWARDS weight next race because of the win.

We will have the In-Car Video up this week at www.lgmracing.com where you can see all of our video.

See you at the races

Lou Gigliotti LGM



TEAM NEWS: LG Motorsports At Mid Ohio.... PERFECT (21.05.2006)
Photo by John Thawley www.trackbytes.com

Lou Gigliotti, driving the #28 LG Motorsports, ProLong Tube Header Corvette C6.R went wire-to-wire to win Saturday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT race taking at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The race will be broadcast on SPEED Channel next Saturday, May 27 at 9 p.m.

Gigliotti set the fastest time in qualifying with a 1:26.973 at 93.463 mph to start the race from the pole. With 93 World Challenge starts to his credit, the 3-time World Challenge Champion (91, 92, & 96) this was Gigliotti's 26 pole. He has accumulated an impressive 20 wins.

Gigliotti led the field from the drop of the flag. Holding off challenges from Michael Galati and Lawson Aschenbach in the early going, Gigliotti gradually stretched out his lead. With Galati and Aschenbach battling each other behind him, Gigliotti took the opportunity to settle into his own race pace.

"Any of these guys will tell you, when you get the lead the idea is to win the race at the slowest possible speed so you don’t break anything,” Gigliotti said. “My car had a vibration from lap number one and I still don’t know what it is. I was really worried that I broke something on the standing start.

“Before the race, I thought I’d need a caution to win. Once the race was going the way it was, I didn’t want the caution at the end. The car was good and in cruise mode. I could adjust for the vibration I had. But, for all I know, if we went green the whole way, something would have broken. Something is wrong, so probably, the caution was a godsend.”

Aschenbach, ultimately got the better of Galati, but never had enough to pull up on Gigliotti. The outcome of the race did, however, play into the Drivers Championship. Mike McCann’s early departure from the race pushed Aschenbach into the Drivers’ Championship lead with 104 points. Gigliotti now sits in second, just two points back.

Right after taking the checkered flag, Gigliotti slowed on the back straight during the cool-down lap, not from a problem, but in order to honor a friend.

“A few weeks ago, a really dear friend of mine passed away. I carried a small vial of his ashes taped to my roll cage. That’s why I slowed down on the straightaway at the end of the race so that I could sprinkle his ashes. He always wanted to run a race. Now he ran one, he won one and he’s at Mid-Ohio forever.”

Lou also gave a nod to his LG Motorsports team and son, Louis Jr. In addition to todays winning outcome, the #28 LG Motorsports Corvette enjoys an outstanding reliability record.

"Louis Jr. and my guys operate with one objective," added Lou, "to race and we leave it all out on the track. I can't compliment these guys enough. The continually give all they have to the team... and then give a little more. They are the reason we are standing here on top of the podium."

Teammate, Claudio Burtin, moved his #27 Pabst Blue Ribbon/ProLong Tube Headers Corvette from a 19th place start to a 12th place finish.

"We'll take the 12th place finish," said Burtin, following the race. "We've got more work to do, but I think we're moving in the right direction. It was a pretty crowded track for the first half of the race, and I think we did real well hanging in and keeping out of trouble. We'll see what we have for them when we get to Sonoma. The crew is doing a great job."

Doug Peterson in the #87 3 Dimensional Services Corvette qualified to start in 12th position but did not start the race.

The SPEED GT race, part of the SPEED World Challenge weekend with the American Le Mans Series at Mid-Ohio, will be broadcast Saturday, May 27, at 9 p.m. (EDT).

LG Motorsports is located in Wylie, Texas. Known for their exceptional service and customer support, LG Motorsports provides high-performance parts and accessories for the Corvette C5, C6, C6- Z06, Cadillac CTS-V, Pontiac GTO and F body LS1 powered cars. LG Motorsports … where money buys speed. For more information about LG Motorsports, visit www.lgmotorsports.com.

Regarded as the most relevant and top production car road racing series in the world, the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships are broken into two distinct sub-series that run separately from one another— SCCA SPEED GT and SCCA SPEED Touring Car. Each Championship is run in a 50-minute “sprint” race format, featuring recognizable cars, world-class drivers and standing starts. For more information about the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Championships, please visit www.world-challenge.com.
Old 05-22-2006, 10:38 AM
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Nice job Lou, look foward to the in car vid, and the race on SPEED
Old 05-22-2006, 10:56 AM
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I came down to mid-ohio just to watch this race, I was in the grand stands at the end of the back straight, GREAT JOB Lou!, I was worried in qualifying after I didn't see you for the whole session, but was happy to then hear you got the 1st spot. I'm glad you were able to get back at the Vipers even after a little unfair ruling by Speed. Great Racing! Keep it up!
Old 05-22-2006, 03:50 PM
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Congrats.... I'll be watching for your win at Infineon/Sears Point!

You can leave your race motor with me after you win to cut down on extra weight in the trailer. That way you guys will get better fuel economy on the drive back to TX.
Old 05-22-2006, 04:05 PM
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i wish we could have had a good weekend like you guys, truck / trailer stuck in mud twice. car lost a wheel, lost a turbo, lost an engine, car picked up by core support by the track tow people, mud, then some more mud, and o yeah more mud. what a messy weekend.
pic i took since we were next to you
Old 05-22-2006, 05:00 PM
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congrats... i love racing at that track

-brandon
Old 05-22-2006, 07:38 PM
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Congrats, im happy to see you "led the lap that counts." Im also excited to hear that your 2 points behind first. Keep up the good work guys.
Old 05-22-2006, 11:06 PM
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Why do I have a feeling that's Louis in that pic?
Old 05-27-2006, 09:05 PM
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Congrates on the win I just saw it on speed. I tried to make it out there but I had family issues come up. Are you ever coming around vir anytime soon? Or any track near there, I would like to meet you in person and see the car in person.
-Thanks Brandon
Old 05-28-2006, 08:46 AM
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Brandon, if at all possible, you should make it to a venue and meet this team. Not a nicer group of folks is there.

Lou, I saw the race and a big round of congrats for the win.

Also, it was a very nice gesture and a class act fullfilling the wishes of a good friend.

Nicely done and nicely done Speed in capturing it.
Old 05-28-2006, 06:12 PM
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Lou,
What a wonderful way to honor a friend. You are a World Class racer!!

Congrats on the win.


Hope to see you all soon,

Maggie
Old 05-28-2006, 10:55 PM
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Nice win Lou! Way to represent man. Lou is defenatly a World Class driver And way to represent GM Power...
Old 05-31-2006, 11:34 AM
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Can't wait to see the video! I missed it on Saturday. But you guys keep digging you are doing awesome. Lou I guess you're going to have to go on a diet now to offset the addition of the so call "reward" weight
Old 05-31-2006, 12:57 PM
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im so pissed my idiot friends got us lost while i was sleeping. morons. great work you guys! im jealous i cant go round the country racing with you guys.
Old 06-01-2006, 06:01 PM
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Lou,
No in-car footage this time?
Old 06-06-2006, 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by mitchntx
Brandon, if at all possible, you should make it to a venue and meet this team. Not a nicer group of folks is there.

Lou, I saw the race and a big round of congrats for the win.

Also, it was a very nice gesture and a class act fullfilling the wishes of a good friend.

Nicely done and nicely done Speed in capturing it.

I agree 200%. I was bummed that something came up and I didn't make it up to Mid Ohio this year to see everyone. We stopped up last year and had a great time, and got to watch Louis pull a cam out of an LSx engine in under an hour. LG is a class act and everyone should make the effort to meet these guys.

Nice job Lou, Louis and crew!!!!!


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