McNish, Audi lead the pack in Saturday warm-up

Audi took the top spot for the first time this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Saturday's warm-up for the Utah Grand Prix. Allan McNish went quickest in the 30-minute session at 2:22.942 in Audi Sport North America's Audi R10 TDI for a 0.734-second gap over Romain Dumas and the pole-sitting Porsche RS Spyder from Penske Motorsports.

The diesel-powered Audis have struggled this weekend with the track's 24 turns, many of which are medium-speed corners that saddle the longer, heavier prototype. McNish teammate Dindo Capello qualified the car on the LMP1 class pole but eighth overall, three seconds behind Penske's Timo Bernhard.

"It was a case of getting a lap in early on a clear track," said McNish, who will see the car start from the rear of the grid after changing all four tires. "The times don't mean anything in the warm-up. This is just to make sure you have your balance. We can't say very much because there isn't much to say. In qualifying yesterday, that was as fast as it can go."

Dumas was first in P2 by 1.5 seconds over teammate Sascha Maassen and another 0.6 seconds ahead of Adrian Fernandez in the Lowe's Fernandez Racing Acura-Lola. LMP2 cars held four of the top five positions and eight of the first 10.

Olivier Beretta went fastest for Corvette Racing in GT1 at 2:36.905. The pole-sitting No. 4 Corvette C6.R was more than a full second better than the sister car of Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen. But like the No. 1 Audi, Beretta and Oliver Gavin will start from the back of the field after a tire change.

Jörg Bergmeister was quickest in GT2 for the second time. The Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche was less than 0.3 seconds better than the class pole-sitting Ferrari of Tomas Enge and Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing. After winning the first four rounds of the season, the Ferraris appear to have their hands full with the new Porsches.

- Bob Dickinson -