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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: Q&A With Alex Popow
Newly crowned ALMS Prototype Challenge champion discusses title and prospects for remainder of year...
Alex Popow clinched the 2012 ALMS PC title last weekend in VIR. (Photo: CORE autosport)
Last weekend's VIR 240 at Virginia International Raceway saw a number of American Le Mans Series drivers crowned champions, including CORE autosport's Alex Popow.
The Venezuelan driving ace teamed with Tom Kimber-Smith to earn his ninth consecutive podium finish of the year, which was enough to clinch the season-long title. It marked Popow's first major championship in the U.S., in a year that's seen him pull double-duty between the ALMS with CORE and GRAND-AM with Starworks Motorsport.
SPEED.com caught up with Alex to get his thoughts on the the past weekend and to look ahead to the remainder of his year and beyond.
Is the championship beginning to sink in for you?
POPOW: I'm starting to feel it now. It's very, very nice to win a championship that's as competitive as the ALMS, especially the PC class. Out of the prototypes class, PC is the most competitive one, as there is not much competition in P1 and P2.
It's great for me personally, in my first year in the ALMS and, up until now, scoring nine podiums in a row with four wins. It's amazing what I have been able to do in the ALMS and my second year in the U.S.
It's also important for my career. Moving forward, I would like to try to get a ride [as a professional] and not be a paid driver. That's my goal right now.
How did the race at VIR go for you and Tom Kimber-Smith?
POPOW: It was not to plan. The race was one of the most dramatic races of the year for us. In the beginning, we knew that, if Jon [Bennett] and Colin [Braun] win the race, we had to finish third or better to clinch the championship.
In the first turn of the first lap, I got hit in the back and they ripped out one of my taillights. That caused some short circuits and I had to drive as far as I could with my hand holding the circuit breaker to keep the lights on the car. The marshals were already saying I had to pit to fix the lights.
I made an earlier than scheduled pit stop to fix the lights. We lost almost a lap but I was back out and began to catch the field. I think I was back up to fourth by the second stop and then third or second before I handed the car over to Tom.
Tom started moving up fast and was on the tail of Colin. But just a couple of laps later he screamed on the radio that the steering wheel broke. He had to pit and get that fixed and we lost about a lap.
Definitely, we had a shot to win the race but with all of the issues, we were not able to do it. We had the fastest lap time of the race with Tom in the car.
Heading into Petit Le Mans, do you feel like you have less pressure now having already clinched the title?
POPOW: Yes, for sure. We have to go and earn our tenth podium of the year. It's not going to be an easy one. It's a 1,000-mile or 10-hour race but I know CORE autosport is the best team out there if anyone can do it, they can.
We're going for it and will fight very hard for that race as we have done all season. I'm going to have Ryan Dalziel back with me. [Third driver will be announced next week]. I think we have a good lineup for Petit and a good chance to win it, or at least make it ten out of ten podiums.
What are your prospects heading into next weekend's GRAND-AM finale at Lime Rock Park?
POPOW: Over there, I have nothing to lose. I'm in fourth place and eight points behind Darren Law. We have had bad luck in the last two races. I know we can go there and beat Darren and Action Express. We've demonstrated to have a fast car but just had some bad luck lately.
I'm going to drive with Ryan Dalziel in my car. We're going to have to work very hard and try to clinch second and third in the championship. Having those places in the championship for Starworks would be very good.
What are your thoughts on the GRAND-AM/ALMS Merger and does it impact any of your 2013 plans?
POPOW: It doesn’t change my plans for next year too much. I'm still planning on what I'm going to be doing. For sure I want to do GRAND-AM and for sure, I would like to do ALMS. But it's also going to depend on what sponsors I'm going to find. That's going to be one of the key factors, if I will have enough money to run both programs.
For sure I'm very excited and interested about the GRAND-AM and ALMS merger. I think it's going to be a huge series and for sponsors, very high-profile. Everyone's [concerned] about what is going to happen with the class structure. It's one of the most critical things that will need to be done.
But a lot of people will come because it's going to be one of the most important motorsports series in the U.S.
Besides wrapping up the ALMS and GRAND-AM seasons, do you have any other racing planned this year?
POPOW: This weekend, I'll be in Sonoma for the Trofeo Maserati race during the WTCC weekend. I'll also be doing the Ferrari Challenge race at Austin during the F1 weekend, as well as the Six Hours of Vallelunga and I think I'm also doing the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi and maybe the Six Hours of Bogota in Columbia. I'm still working on the money for all of that, but that's the plan.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
The Venezuelan driving ace teamed with Tom Kimber-Smith to earn his ninth consecutive podium finish of the year, which was enough to clinch the season-long title. It marked Popow's first major championship in the U.S., in a year that's seen him pull double-duty between the ALMS with CORE and GRAND-AM with Starworks Motorsport.
SPEED.com caught up with Alex to get his thoughts on the the past weekend and to look ahead to the remainder of his year and beyond.
Is the championship beginning to sink in for you?
POPOW: I'm starting to feel it now. It's very, very nice to win a championship that's as competitive as the ALMS, especially the PC class. Out of the prototypes class, PC is the most competitive one, as there is not much competition in P1 and P2.
It's great for me personally, in my first year in the ALMS and, up until now, scoring nine podiums in a row with four wins. It's amazing what I have been able to do in the ALMS and my second year in the U.S.
It's also important for my career. Moving forward, I would like to try to get a ride [as a professional] and not be a paid driver. That's my goal right now.
How did the race at VIR go for you and Tom Kimber-Smith?
POPOW: It was not to plan. The race was one of the most dramatic races of the year for us. In the beginning, we knew that, if Jon [Bennett] and Colin [Braun] win the race, we had to finish third or better to clinch the championship.
In the first turn of the first lap, I got hit in the back and they ripped out one of my taillights. That caused some short circuits and I had to drive as far as I could with my hand holding the circuit breaker to keep the lights on the car. The marshals were already saying I had to pit to fix the lights.
I made an earlier than scheduled pit stop to fix the lights. We lost almost a lap but I was back out and began to catch the field. I think I was back up to fourth by the second stop and then third or second before I handed the car over to Tom.
Tom started moving up fast and was on the tail of Colin. But just a couple of laps later he screamed on the radio that the steering wheel broke. He had to pit and get that fixed and we lost about a lap.
Definitely, we had a shot to win the race but with all of the issues, we were not able to do it. We had the fastest lap time of the race with Tom in the car.
Heading into Petit Le Mans, do you feel like you have less pressure now having already clinched the title?
POPOW: Yes, for sure. We have to go and earn our tenth podium of the year. It's not going to be an easy one. It's a 1,000-mile or 10-hour race but I know CORE autosport is the best team out there if anyone can do it, they can.
We're going for it and will fight very hard for that race as we have done all season. I'm going to have Ryan Dalziel back with me. [Third driver will be announced next week]. I think we have a good lineup for Petit and a good chance to win it, or at least make it ten out of ten podiums.
What are your prospects heading into next weekend's GRAND-AM finale at Lime Rock Park?
POPOW: Over there, I have nothing to lose. I'm in fourth place and eight points behind Darren Law. We have had bad luck in the last two races. I know we can go there and beat Darren and Action Express. We've demonstrated to have a fast car but just had some bad luck lately.
I'm going to drive with Ryan Dalziel in my car. We're going to have to work very hard and try to clinch second and third in the championship. Having those places in the championship for Starworks would be very good.
What are your thoughts on the GRAND-AM/ALMS Merger and does it impact any of your 2013 plans?
POPOW: It doesn’t change my plans for next year too much. I'm still planning on what I'm going to be doing. For sure I want to do GRAND-AM and for sure, I would like to do ALMS. But it's also going to depend on what sponsors I'm going to find. That's going to be one of the key factors, if I will have enough money to run both programs.
For sure I'm very excited and interested about the GRAND-AM and ALMS merger. I think it's going to be a huge series and for sponsors, very high-profile. Everyone's [concerned] about what is going to happen with the class structure. It's one of the most critical things that will need to be done.
But a lot of people will come because it's going to be one of the most important motorsports series in the U.S.
Besides wrapping up the ALMS and GRAND-AM seasons, do you have any other racing planned this year?
POPOW: This weekend, I'll be in Sonoma for the Trofeo Maserati race during the WTCC weekend. I'll also be doing the Ferrari Challenge race at Austin during the F1 weekend, as well as the Six Hours of Vallelunga and I think I'm also doing the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi and maybe the Six Hours of Bogota in Columbia. I'm still working on the money for all of that, but that's the plan.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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