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Asian Le Mans: Christian Bakkerud - Fourth Overall
In the first Asian Le Mans Series race on Saturday at the Japanese Okayama Circuit, Christian Bakkerud took his first sportscar podium this year with third place. The second race on Sunday looked to repeat that success, but in the dying minutes teammate Jarvis got overtaken. Still the young Dane can look back on a fifth spot in the race, representing the best performing Audi and fourth overall in the Asian Le Mans Championship.
“It was a great race!,"Christian reports from Japan. “I drove the first two stints, and delivered the car to my teammate Oliver Jarvis in third place. But sadly he lost a few places in the final stint, so we ended up in fifth spot. We should have ended up in fourth spot overall in the race. But these things happen.”
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The Audi R10 TDi performed very well on the Japanese circuit, but the other cars did have an edge over the Audi’s. Still Bakkerud is very pleased with the diesel powered sportscar.
“We had a good race pace, but the other cars seemed to be a little bit faster on new tires. But Jarvis and I ended up in fourth place overall, in the Asian Le Mans Series in our first try. I think that is very satisfactory.”
Despite not making it to the podium, it is still a very pleased young Dane who will take place in the airplane back to Europe, after celebrating a great season with the Team Kolles. And this time he has to make room for the proof of his abilities.
“And I get to come home with a trophy; I haven’t done that since I drove the Touringcar race in the DTM car, in the Czech Circuit Championship earlier this year. So I am very proud about that.”
“I think that I can be very pleased about my performance, especially against a driver like Oliver Jarvis. He hasn’t driven sportscars before, but he is rated very highly by Audi. Now I think everything will be sent home to Audi, and then they have to decide what will happen next.”
“Now I will travel home to the UK, and when I come home it’s my birthday, which I am looking forward to celebrate. I will have time to relax, and then I will have to find out what next season will hold for me.”
The second race was won by the Aston Martin duo of Stefan Mücke and Harold Primat.
Final Result of the second Asian Le Mans Series race:
1. Mucke/Primat Lola-Aston Martin
2. Tinseau/Nakano Pescarolo-Judd
3. Lapierre/Duval Courage-ORECA-AIM
4. Drayson/Cocker Lola-Judd
5. Jarvis/Bakkerud Audi
6. Cressoni/Noda/Albers Audi
7. Nicolet/Hein/Lahaye Pescarolo-Mazda
8. Tsuzuki/Tsuchiya Aston Martin
9. Yogo/Iiri Lamborghini
10. Berville/Lemeret/van Dam Saleen
11. Farnbacher/Simonsen Ferrari
12. Ried/Holzer Porsche
13. Yamanishi/Sakamoto Lamborghini
14. Aoki/Fujii Ferrari
15. Kinoshita/Kageyama Porsche
16. Muller/Milner BMW
17. Robertson/Robertson/Murry Ford
18. Lee/Ma/Enge Aston Martin
PaddockTalk Perspective
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Also in American Le Mans Series News: |
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