Contact: Ed Triolo
Dick Barbour Racing
Director, Communications

Promise Tinged With Frustrations Mark Donington Debut
click here for pictures from Donington Park

Eric van de Poele summed it up after his colleague Didier de Radiguès stepped out of the car at the end of today's qualifying session at Donington Park. "This is really our first practice session and in a way everything is very promising. This is only 75% of the car's potential. Before today, we really didn't know the car's potential. We thought it would be good of course but with a new car you never really know...now we know. Even though the lap times don't show it yet, I am confident. We know we will be competitive."

That summed it up as well as anyone could and Eric's co-pilot Didier added, "The car is very, very good. We are making real progress and the car is responding exactly as we ask it to. This is a great sign at this early stage."

Still, it was a frustrating day for a team as competitive as Dick Barbour Racing. A two-dollar part caused the gearbox selector mechanism to stick, delaying de Radiguès' qualifying run. The gearbox technical team jumped on the situation and rapidly corrected it, but Didier lost precious minutes in the half-hour qualifying session. Icy weather was giving everyone problems in getting tires up to working grip levels and with the delay, de Radiguès had even less time than the rest.

When the session was over, de Radiguès had managed just six laps but notched a creditable 1 minute 29.030 second lap time over the 2.5-mile grand prix circuit. It left him however, 12th on the grid for Saturday's race.

Qualifying results
Donington Park ELMS Race

Pos.Car #Drivers Class/EntryTime

1.1 Capello/KristensenLMP 900/Audi Sport NA Audi R8 1:21.122
2.2 Biela/PirroLMP 900/Audi Sport NA R8 1:21.281
3.7 Johansson/SmithLMP 900/Gulf Audi R8 1:21.687
4.6 Dalmas/BerettaLMP 900/Chrsler Oreca 1:22.721
5.72 Bourdais/Bouillon/RedonLMP 900/Courage C60 1:23.899
6.3 Lupberger/CollinsLMP900/Ascari A410 1:24.117
7.50 Brabham/MagnussenLMP 900/ Panoz LMP 07 1:24.817
8.8 Cochran/BossLMP 900/ Westward Panoz LMP 2000 1:26.242
9.51 Graf/SallesLMP 900/ Panoz LMP 07 1:27.329
10.21 O'Connell/CarwayLMP 675/ Pilbeam MP484 1:27.971
11.26 Konrad/GavinGTS/Saleen SR7 1:28.000
12. 5 De Radiguès/Van de PoeleLMP 675/Dick Barbour Racing Reynard 01Q 1:29.030