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ALMS: Dirk Werner wins SPEEDtv.com’s ‘Drive of the Race Award’ for Elkhart Lake
Written by: Marshall Pruett   
08/17/2008 - 09:00 AM
Oakland, CA
 
Dirk Werner is the latest winner of SPEEDtv.com's 'Drive of the Race' award. » More Photos


“I was VERY tempted to go for either Brabs or Magic [Marco Werner], however, I just thought that Dirk showed a very cool head in the closing stages - plus a couple of mega passes on restarts,” commented Radio Le Mans host John Hindhaugh on his ‘Drive of the Race’ selection. “Also it would have been very easy to 'get involved' with Salo on the last lap...Mika is really disappointing me - seems he can’t control his temper or emotions - he has now lost his cool - in a major way - on at least two occasions that have cost his team a win.”

Like Hindy, I was leaning towards either David Brabham or ‘the other’ Weber, Dirk’s countryman Marco, but after Hindhaugh shared his reasoning, I’ll admit to being swayed in favor of the Farnbacher-Loles driver. Where Brabs benefitted from an ill-conceived pass that leader Franck Montagny made, and Marco benefitted from the power advantage his Audi R10 TDI offered to shoot past the slower LMP2 cars ahead of him, young Dirk capitalized on the intra-team squabble that delayed Salo’s charge and them withstood severe pressure from the Finn to retain the lead as Salo spun off at turn 5.

For the ’07 Rolex GT champion, it was a cool, steely drive that belied his relative youth and lack of experience when compared to Risi Ferrari’s ex-F1 pilot. Elkhart Lake served as the official coronation that Werner and the team are ready to challenge for wins at every round. For Dirk, earning this first win has been a massive relief.
The young German has entered the GT2 frey as a constant threat for a win. (Photo: Marshall Pruett) » More Photos

“I can still feel the emotions when I think of the race. It was a very special moment to cross the finish line, knowing that I took the win in the last lap of the race. I could hear the team on the radio going crazy and I knew how much this win meant to the team.” Werner’s win wasn’t without drama, though.

“In my first stint I couldn’t adjust the lap belt, that really destroyed my concentration. I flat-spotted my tire pretty soon, so I had problems turning the car through the whole stint. The second stint was amazing and to keep up with Mika's speed in the end, I needed a lot of concentration. I saw that Mika was
very fast and I knew that the only chance to overtake was forcing him to make a mistake. So I tried to stay close. The car was very good in the end, so I didn’t have to overdrive the car to be fast. Following him, I was very concentrated and cool, but when I had overtaken him, I could feel a rush of adrenalin. Somehow you get nervous when a driver like Mika is on your tail...”

After Risi’s Harrison Brix blocked teammate Mika Salo, slowing him just enough to let Werner squeak past, I asked Dirk if he sought out to find Brix after the race to share a sip of his champagne with his benefactor. “He for sure made it easier for me to overtake Mika, and after the race I felt a little bit sorry for the Risi guys. But handling the traffic is part of our racing; this time it played in our hands.” Werner also credits the performances of his co-drivers for their breakthrough result.

“Both exactly did what they needed to do. Bryce stayed out of trouble and kept on developing his speed and experience in the car and was able to stay close to much more experienced drivers. Richard did a great stint and drove the car to the front. Both of them are great guys and I really enjoy racing and spending time with them.” For the native of Kissenbruck, Germany, forging a career in America has been an unexpected career arch, but one he welcomes.

“When I was a kid, I was hoping to make my passion a profession. And it worked out. I’m part of a great team and I can race with a fantastic sportscar in one of the best road racing series of the world. I think, I can’t ask for more.”

Adding SPEEDtv.com’s ‘Drive of the Race’ award to Werner’s achievements at Elkhart Lake is something that’s added to his fond memories of the event. His estimation of the award panelists’ knowledge might be a bit overestimated, though. “Thanks a lot for giving me this award, it means a lot to me because I know who chose me as the winner and I know that you guys know a lot about racing. So it’s an honor for me and I think for the team Farnbacher Loles too, because this race was really a team effort.”
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