Neal Johnson wins CMS LMS World division GT Challenge at Algarve!

[baristabrian]

My kingdom for a pint of petro!


Well, it actually looked as if the "Borg assimilation" brought on by Alonso/Johnson Racing's Neal Johnson had finnaly come to a halt. Indeed, but for less than a lousey pint of petro it would have but....It was not to be and therefore we shall all be assimilated! Not even a momentary glitch in his force field when his GPU froze setting him back some 1min and 4 sec would be enough to deny this Borg. Neal Johnson would take the poll, set fast lap, leed 15 laps (including the most important one), and the victory at the CMS LMS World division GT Challenge event at Algarve.



Team Barista's Brian Farmer who started 2nd on the grid would make a good start staying very close to Neal, but decided to take it easy at turn one as his tires and brakes were not up to temp yet. This paid off and by lap 5 he was very slowly but surely closing the gap to Neal. Then around lap 9 Neal performed his vanishing act and farmer took P1. Durring a post race interview farmer was quoted as saying "I didnt know where the hell he went. I didnt care, I put my foot down and just hoped I crossed the finish line before he came back!".



A little further back in LMPC, Steen Nielsen a former World division driver making his 1st return in the 2011 season had taken 3rd after Team UK driver Nick Newcombe bumbled the start and then had a rough way to go trying to weave his way back to the front. Nick would eventualy finish 3rd in LMPC after a long hard battle with Neal and I beleive an extra stop. For petro maybe? Hummm.





Meanwhile Team Barista's Brian Farmer kept his foot down having no clue what had become of Johnson. farmer would leed 37 of the 55 lap event but shorly after his pit stop Neal appeard on his LED and was about 19 sec behind. With about 5 laps to go Farmers rear tires were absolutely gone and things were getting very slippery. He looped it exiting turn 5 and by the time he got back up to speed Neal had closed the gap to 4 sec. Then on the final lap with Neal barring down hard just 2 sec back, as Farmer was exiting turn 3 he felt his engine sputter, looked down at the fuel gauge, and it said .01! He quickly pulled to the right and his radio was imediately cut off.





Back in the GT class there was a bit of an upset with Houweling Racings Hein Houweling managing to hold off Team Arctic's Scott Clark for the win. Scott was followed home by Hoggard racing's Val Hoggard posting yet another top 3 in what has been an amazing rookie season for this young lad.





Back in GTC another rookie to the World division for 2011 Franck Feldhuez of FF Racing would take the win in GTC.



The next event in the CMS LMS World Division will be the 5 class event at Algarve on Sunday 04/03/11

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