Live online Mosport qualifying set for Saturday

SPEEDtv.com is set to raise the bar for online coverage of the American Le Mans Series this weekend with a one-hour live video stream of qualifying from the daunting 2.459-mile Mosport International Raceway just outside of Toronto, Canada.

Done in partnership with the American Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Radio /Radio Le Mans, fans of the Series will get the chance to watch live qualifying as it happens with the expert commentary of John Hindhaugh and Jeremy Shaw.

Click here http://gms.speedtv.com/Online/?SID=*3  just before qualifying is due to start at 2:35 p.m. ET/11:35 a.m. PT to access the Acura On-Board Pass Player.

Click Play on the video player, turn up your speakers and enjoy the thrilling sights and sounds of qualifying from Mosport.

"Qualifying in the American Le Mans Series is almost a second event - like a special feature during each round," Hindhaugh said. "Races are almost three hours long, and some people might think that the drivers take it easy during the qualifying session. But as we've seen all year, the GT and the prototype cars leave no margin of error whatsoever while chasing pole position."

With round after round of last-ditch qualifying battles, Hindhaugh expects the same at Mosport. "Pole position usually goes right down to the last lap - the final seconds of the session. The man on top of the time sheets when the checkered flag waves isn't always the polesitter; we've seen more than once this year where another car a few corners behind comes through and steals pole right out from under him. It's brilliant stuff."

After calling almost every session ever held in the 10-year history of the American Le Mans Series, Hindhaugh is uniquely placed to speak on the first live video of qualifying to be aired on SPEEDtv.com. "I hope people tune in and get their friends to watch one of the most amazing experiences in sports car racing. We're in the booth shouting until our voices give out because of the excitement, so to now marry the sounds of American Le Mans Radio with SPEED's streaming video online is just perfect. I can only hope this becomes a regular feature."

Presented by Acura, qualifying at the rolling Mosport track is expected to feature the cars of Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Corvette, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Mazda, Panoz and Porsche as they all vie for pole position in the unique four-class sports car racing series.

The Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 24 from Mosport International Raceway just outside of Toronto. The eighth round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series will be aired live on SPEED. XM Satellite Radio will air the race live on XM Channel 166.

Live radio coverage also will be available from American Le Mans Radio at www.americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring. 

- Bob Dickinson-