-
Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Latest Headlines: NASCAR
-
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
-
Latest Headlines: Moto-Racing
-
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: Top Drivers Of 2012
SPEED.com ranks the best LMP and GT drivers from the 2012 American Le Mans Series season...
Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf enjoyed a dominant season in LMP1, which included a number of remarkable come-from-behind victories. (Photo: John Dagys)
TOP 10 PROTOTYPE DRIVERS (P1, P2 & PC):
10. Scott Tucker — The Level 5 Motorsports owner stepped up his game considerably, with impressive drives mid-season, notably holding off open-wheel star Martin Plowman at Lime Rock and setting the quickest P2 race lap at Mosport. On occasion, Tucker was faster, and arguably more consistent, than longtime co-driver Christophe Bouchut, making him one of the most improved drivers of 2012.
9. Chris Dyson — Mounting a steady charge in the No. 16 Lola B12/60 Mazda, the second-generation racer continued to show his potential in a challenging first year for the new 2012-spec prototype. Doubling as the team’s VP and sporting director, Chris’ attention was needed on and off the track, but still enjoyed strong runs, including two P1 class wins on the season with co-driver Guy Smith.
8. Colin Braun — Bursting onto the prototype scene, the CORE autosport driver quickly came to grips of the PC-class Oreca FLM09 and proved to be one of top drivers in the class. Posting class wins at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Lime Rock and VIR, Braun played a crucial role in the team’s success, and was also instrumental in much of the gains seen by team principal and co-driver Jon Bennett this season.
7. Bruno Junqueira — Another newcomer to the PC ranks, the open-wheel star shined in RSR’s spec prototype, taking three poles and a class win with Tomy Drissi at Mosport. While driving for one of the less-resourced teams in the paddock, “Junky” helped turn the Paul Gentilozzi-led team into championship contenders, although no doubt going through its own set of challenges through the year.
6. Kyle Marcelli — Faced with the battles of an effectively first-year team and rotating crop of co-drivers, the Canadian rising star made the most of a challenging 2012 season. While ending up winless, Marcelli still showed his strength at the wheel of a PC-class car, which included pole at Petit Le Mans and fastest race laps on a number of occasions.
5. Ryan Dalziel/Tom Kimber-Smith — Having shared the co-driver’s seat of the No. 06 CORE autosport entry this season, we feel it’s fitting to give these two aces the only joint ranking in our top-10 list. Combining for a total of four class wins, Dalziel and Kimber-Smith played key roles in helping take season-long co-driver Alex Popow to the PC class championship. While not having the continuity many would hope to expect, both drivers performed brilliantly under challenging conditions.
4. Martin Plowman — Perhaps the best-performing rookie in 2012, the open-wheel young gun made quite an impression in his first season of sports car racing. Teamed with fellow newcomer to prototypes, David Heinemeier Hansson, “Plowey” proved to be a quick learner, scoring three poles and two class wins, including a number of impressive drives. Plowman’s sheer talent behind the wheel helped the under-funded Conquest Endurance squad take the fight to the big-buck Level 5 organization, and succeed on numerous occasions.
3. Klaus Graf — One of the top performers, the veteran German driver was no doubt the most consistent in P1. While perhaps not matching the ultimate pace of co-driver Lucas Luhr on every occasion, Graf had a number of memorable runs, including a remarkable come-from-behind drive at Lime Rock to put the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD in victory lane after an early race electrical issue. Taking six wins and the P1 championship, it proved to be a dream season for Graf.
2. Guy Smith — While the Dyson Lola-Mazda may have been lacking in performance to Muscle Milk’s HPD, it would be hard to say the same about Smith’s ability when compared to the competition. The Englishman was on the top of his game in 2012, even if the car was particularly not. Proof came at Road America, when the former Le Mans winner edged out Luhr by 0.083 seconds to claim the closest overall victory in ALMS history.
1. Lucas Luhr — Usually the quickest driver in the top prototype ranks, the tall German enjoyed a memorable season with Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. While not necessarily facing a high level of competition, Luhr and co-driver Graf kept their focus and delivered on the potential of the fast, but sometimes fragile, HPD. While an accident in the early stages of the Petit Le Mans initially put their title hopes in question, Luhr put in strong runs on multiple occasions, which led to the team's first P1 championship. Luhr was the class of the field for much of 2012 and a worthy repeat P1 champion.
TOP PROTOTYPE AM DRIVER:
Scott Tucker — Having made significant gains as a driver, the now three-time ALMS class champion enjoyed an impressive season that saw eight P2 class wins out of 10 starts, including his first-ever overall race win on the streets of Baltimore. Tucker took his driving to a new level in 2012, not only routinely being one of the quickest gentlemen drivers, but also fighting and sometimes outpacing the pros in class. While the season saw an impressive crop of Am drivers spread among P2 and PC, the Level 5 team owner put in some of the most polished drives seen all year.
10. Scott Tucker — The Level 5 Motorsports owner stepped up his game considerably, with impressive drives mid-season, notably holding off open-wheel star Martin Plowman at Lime Rock and setting the quickest P2 race lap at Mosport. On occasion, Tucker was faster, and arguably more consistent, than longtime co-driver Christophe Bouchut, making him one of the most improved drivers of 2012.
9. Chris Dyson — Mounting a steady charge in the No. 16 Lola B12/60 Mazda, the second-generation racer continued to show his potential in a challenging first year for the new 2012-spec prototype. Doubling as the team’s VP and sporting director, Chris’ attention was needed on and off the track, but still enjoyed strong runs, including two P1 class wins on the season with co-driver Guy Smith.
8. Colin Braun — Bursting onto the prototype scene, the CORE autosport driver quickly came to grips of the PC-class Oreca FLM09 and proved to be one of top drivers in the class. Posting class wins at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Lime Rock and VIR, Braun played a crucial role in the team’s success, and was also instrumental in much of the gains seen by team principal and co-driver Jon Bennett this season.
7. Bruno Junqueira — Another newcomer to the PC ranks, the open-wheel star shined in RSR’s spec prototype, taking three poles and a class win with Tomy Drissi at Mosport. While driving for one of the less-resourced teams in the paddock, “Junky” helped turn the Paul Gentilozzi-led team into championship contenders, although no doubt going through its own set of challenges through the year.
6. Kyle Marcelli — Faced with the battles of an effectively first-year team and rotating crop of co-drivers, the Canadian rising star made the most of a challenging 2012 season. While ending up winless, Marcelli still showed his strength at the wheel of a PC-class car, which included pole at Petit Le Mans and fastest race laps on a number of occasions.
5. Ryan Dalziel/Tom Kimber-Smith — Having shared the co-driver’s seat of the No. 06 CORE autosport entry this season, we feel it’s fitting to give these two aces the only joint ranking in our top-10 list. Combining for a total of four class wins, Dalziel and Kimber-Smith played key roles in helping take season-long co-driver Alex Popow to the PC class championship. While not having the continuity many would hope to expect, both drivers performed brilliantly under challenging conditions.
4. Martin Plowman — Perhaps the best-performing rookie in 2012, the open-wheel young gun made quite an impression in his first season of sports car racing. Teamed with fellow newcomer to prototypes, David Heinemeier Hansson, “Plowey” proved to be a quick learner, scoring three poles and two class wins, including a number of impressive drives. Plowman’s sheer talent behind the wheel helped the under-funded Conquest Endurance squad take the fight to the big-buck Level 5 organization, and succeed on numerous occasions.
3. Klaus Graf — One of the top performers, the veteran German driver was no doubt the most consistent in P1. While perhaps not matching the ultimate pace of co-driver Lucas Luhr on every occasion, Graf had a number of memorable runs, including a remarkable come-from-behind drive at Lime Rock to put the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD in victory lane after an early race electrical issue. Taking six wins and the P1 championship, it proved to be a dream season for Graf.
2. Guy Smith — While the Dyson Lola-Mazda may have been lacking in performance to Muscle Milk’s HPD, it would be hard to say the same about Smith’s ability when compared to the competition. The Englishman was on the top of his game in 2012, even if the car was particularly not. Proof came at Road America, when the former Le Mans winner edged out Luhr by 0.083 seconds to claim the closest overall victory in ALMS history.
1. Lucas Luhr — Usually the quickest driver in the top prototype ranks, the tall German enjoyed a memorable season with Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. While not necessarily facing a high level of competition, Luhr and co-driver Graf kept their focus and delivered on the potential of the fast, but sometimes fragile, HPD. While an accident in the early stages of the Petit Le Mans initially put their title hopes in question, Luhr put in strong runs on multiple occasions, which led to the team's first P1 championship. Luhr was the class of the field for much of 2012 and a worthy repeat P1 champion.
TOP PROTOTYPE AM DRIVER:
Scott Tucker — Having made significant gains as a driver, the now three-time ALMS class champion enjoyed an impressive season that saw eight P2 class wins out of 10 starts, including his first-ever overall race win on the streets of Baltimore. Tucker took his driving to a new level in 2012, not only routinely being one of the quickest gentlemen drivers, but also fighting and sometimes outpacing the pros in class. While the season saw an impressive crop of Am drivers spread among P2 and PC, the Level 5 team owner put in some of the most polished drives seen all year.
Monterey
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
INDYCAR: Inside IndyCar's New Speed, Safety And Technology Initiative…
INDYCAR's Derrick Walker takes Marshall Pruett through where the… -
PHOTOS: Indy 500 Carb Day 2013
Enjoy a selection of photos from Indy 500 Carb Day, including the… -
VIDEO: Amazing 4-Wide Finish To Indy Lights Freedom 100
Ireland's Peter Dempsey came from fourth at Turn 3 on the last lap… -
INDYCAR: Pagenaud Leads Indy 500 Carb Day Practice
After getting whooped in qualifying, Honda turns up the wick for… -
INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 5.24
It's time for SPEED.com's weekly IndyCar Q&A with Robin Miller's… -
USAC: Honda To Sponsor National Midget Championship
Honda announced it would be the title sponsor for USAC’s National… -
GRAND-AM: Valiante Joins 8Star For Mid-Ohio
Daytona Prototype ace to sub for Stephane Sarrazin in next month's… - More News
