2008 Petit Le Mans
The 2008 Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New Mazda6 was the eleventh running of the Petit Le Mans and the tenth round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, United States of America on October 4, 2008. This race marked the first time that the American Le Mans Series awarded victors in their Green Challenge, in preparation for a full championship in the 2009 season.
Report
Qualifying
On Friday afternoon before Saturday's race, qualifying was held in two 25-minute sessions. The two GT categories ran first, led by the lone GT1 entries of Corvette Racing. Halfway through the session, it was Johnny O'Connell's #3 Corvette which achieved the fastest time before the squad ended the session early. In GT2, much of the battle was between the various Porsche and Ferrari teams. The Porsche of Farnbacher-Loles and the Ferrari of European entrant JMB Racing led early, but Jaime Melo in the Risi Competizione was able to give Ferrari the pole position by a margin of 0.057 seconds. Marc Goossens' LG Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette was the fastest qualifier not in a Ferrari or Porsche, completing the session in seventh.After a short break, the two Le Mans Prototype classes began their qualification session. After six minutes, Allan McNish in the Audi R10 TDI claimed overall pole position. Although Peugeot closed the gap on the Audi, McNish eventually returned to the pits to end his session. As McNish exited the car, Stéphane Sarrazin was able to better the Audi's time by 0.085 seconds and claim overall pole position for the race. In the LMP2 category, returning Penske Porsche driver Ryan Briscoe led the class early. He was eventually joined by his two Penske teammates, giving the team a lock on the top three qualifying positions in the class. Andretti Green Racing's Acura followed the Porsche trio.
Previous qualifying records for all four classes were broken in these two sessions. The top six overall qualifiers, the Peugeot, two Audis, and three Penske Porsches were also able to break an absolute track qualifying record initially set by Davy Jones in a Jaguar XJR-9 in 1992. Sarrazin's Peugeot bettered the Jaguar's record lap by approximately in average speed.
Qualifying result
Pole position winners in each class are marked in bold.| Pos | Class | Team | Qualifying Driver | Time |
| 1 | LMP1 | #07  Peugeot Sport Total | Stéphane Sarrazin | 1:06.242 |
| 2 | LMP1 | #1  Audi Sport North America |  Allan McNish | 1:06.327 |
| 3 | LMP1 | #2 Audi Sport North America |  Marco Werner | 1:06.818 |
| 4 | LMP2 | #5 Penske Motorsports, Inc. |  Ryan Briscoe | 1:07.061 |
| 5 | LMP2 | #7 Penske Racing | Romain Dumas | 1:07.149 |
| 6 | LMP2 | #6 Penske Racing | Sascha Maassen | 1:07.401 |
| 7 | LMP2 | #26 Andretti Green Racing | Franck Montagny | 1:07.486 |
| 8 | LMP2 | #66 de Ferran Motorsports | Simon Pagenaud | 1:07.656 |
| 9 | LMP1 | #50 Team LNT | Olivier Pla | 1:07.656 |
| 10 | LMP1 | #37 Intersport Racing | Jon Field | 1:07.784 |
| 11 | LMP2 | #15  Lowe's Fernández Racing | Adrian Fernández | 1:07.866 |
| 12 | LMP2 | #9 Patrón Highcroft Racing | David Brabham | 1:08.064 |
| 13 | LMP2 | #16 Dyson Racing | Guy Smith | 1:08.175 |
| 14 | LMP2 | #20 Dyson Racing | Marino Franchitti | 1:08.446 |
| 15 | LMP2 | #8 B-K Motorsports | Ben Devlin | 1:08.896 |
| 16 | LMP1 | #88 Creation Autosportif |  Harold Primat | 1:09.402 |
| 17 | LMP1 | #48 Corsa Motorsports |  Stefan Johansson | 1:09.504 |
| 18 | LMP1 | #30 Intersport Racing | Ryan Lewis | 1:09.785 |
| 19 | LMP1 | #888 Creation Autosportif | Stuart Hall | 1:09.944 |
| 20 | GT1 | #3 Corvette Racing | Johnny O'Connell | 1:16.542 |
| 21 | GT1 | #4 Corvette Racing |  Olivier Beretta | 1:16.589 |
| 22 | GT2 | #62 Risi Competizione |  Jaime Melo | 1:19.399 |
| 23 | GT2 | #87 Farnbacher-Loles Motorsports | Dirk Werner | 1:19.456 |
| 24 | GT2 | #71 Tafel Racing | Dirk Müller | 1:19.795 |
| 25 | GT2 | #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports | Jörg Bergmeister | 1:19.885 |
| 26 | GT2 | #99 JMB Racing | Pierre Kaffer | 1:20.206 |
| 27 | GT2 | #61 Risi Competizione | Niclas Jönsson | 1:20.667 |
| 28 | GT2 | #28 LG Motorsports |  Marc Goossens | 1:20.743 |
| 29 | GT2 | #007 Drayson-Barwell | Darren Turner | 1:20.940 |
| 30 | GT2 | #21 Panoz Team PTG | Tom Milner, Jr. | 1:21.419 |
| 31 | GT2 | #40 Robertson Racing | David Murry | 1:21.438 |
| 32 | GT2 | #54 Black Swan Racing | Anthony Lazzaro | 1:21.616 |
| 33 | GT2 | #18 VICI Racing | Marc Basseng | 1:21.876 |
| 34 | GT2 | #11 Primetime Race Group | Chris Hall | 1:22.302 |
| 35 | GT2 | #44 Flying Lizard Motorsports 44 | Seth Neiman | 1:23.589 |
| 36 | GT2 | #73 Tafel Racing | Alex Figge | 1:23.096† |
| 37 | LMP1 | #12 Autocon Motorsports | Did Not Participate | No Time |
| 38 | GT2 | #46 Flying Lizard Motorsports | Did Not Participate | No Time |
† - The #73 Tafel Racing was penalized due to a rule infraction during a pit stop in qualifying. The car was therefore moved to the back of the starting grid.
Race
Just twenty minutes short of the ten-hour limit, the #1 Audi of Allan McNish completed the endurance just 4.5 seconds ahead of the #07 Peugeot of Christian Klien. The second Audi finished the overall podium, also on the lead lap. In LMP2, rookie Petit Le Mans entrant Hélio Castroneves led the trio of Penske Porsches past the checkered flag, locking out the podium. Porsches finished in five of the top six positions in the LMP2 class, joined only by the de Ferran Acura in fifth.After earlier mechanical problems with the #4 Corvette, its #3 teammate led to victory in the GT1 class unchallenged. The GT2 class was won by a Ferrari for the first time in the event's history, the #62 car of Risi Competizione leading the marque. It was followed by several seconds by the championship-leading Flying Lizard Porsche.
In the first ever Green Challenge, Penske Racing and Corvette Racing won in their respective categories. The #6 car was the most efficient of the LMP cars, while the already victorious #3 Corvette was also the most efficient amongst GTs.
Race result
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified.| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Tire | Laps |
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Engine | Tire | Laps |
| 1 | LMP1 | 1 | Audi Sport North America |  Emanuele Pirro Rinaldo Capello Allan McNish | Audi R10 TDI | 394 | |
| 1 | LMP1 | 1 | Audi Sport North America | Emanuele Pirro Rinaldo Capello Allan McNish | Audi TDI 5.5 L Turbo V12 | 394 | |
| 2 | LMP1 | 07 | Peugeot Sport Total | Nicolas Minassian Stéphane Sarrazin Christian Klien | Peugeot 908 HDi FAP | 394 | |
| 2 | LMP1 | 07 | Peugeot Sport Total | Nicolas Minassian Stéphane Sarrazin Christian Klien | Peugeot HDi 5.5 L V12 | 394 | |
| 3 | LMP1 | 2 | Audi Sport North America | Marco Werner Lucas Luhr | Audi R10 TDI | 394 | |
| 3 | LMP1 | 2 | Audi Sport North America | Marco Werner Lucas Luhr | Audi TDI 5.5 L Turbo V12 | 394 | |
| 4 | LMP2 | 5 | Penske Motorsports, Inc. | Hélio Castroneves Ryan Briscoe | Porsche RS Spyder Evo | 394 | |
| 4 | LMP2 | 5 | Penske Motorsports, Inc. | Hélio Castroneves Ryan Briscoe | Porsche MR6 3.4 L V8 | 394 | |
| 5 | LMP2 | 7 | Penske Racing | Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas | Porsche RS Spyder Evo | 394 | |
| 5 | LMP2 | 7 | Penske Racing | Timo Bernhard Romain Dumas | Porsche MR6 3.4 L V8 | 394 | |
| 6 | LMP2 | 6 | Penske Racing | Patrick Long Sascha Maassen Emmanuel Collard | Porsche RS Spyder Evo | 392 | |
| 6 | LMP2 | 6 | Penske Racing | Patrick Long Sascha Maassen Emmanuel Collard | Porsche MR6 3.4 L V8 | 392 | |
| 7 | LMP2 | 20 | Dyson Racing | Butch Leitzinger Marino Franchitti Andy Lally | Porsche RS Spyder Evo | 391 | |
| 7 | LMP2 | 20 | Dyson Racing | Butch Leitzinger Marino Franchitti Andy Lally | Porsche MR6 3.4 L V8 | 391 | |
| 8 | LMP2 | 66 | de Ferran Motorsports | Gil de Ferran Simon Pagenaud Scott Dixon | Acura ARX-01B | 388 | |
| 8 | LMP2 | 66 | de Ferran Motorsports | Gil de Ferran Simon Pagenaud Scott Dixon | Acura AL7R 3.4 L V8 | 388 | |
| 9 | LMP2 | 16 | Dyson Racing | Chris Dyson Guy Smith | Porsche RS Spyder Evo | 384 | |
| 9 | LMP2 | 16 | Dyson Racing | Chris Dyson Guy Smith | Porsche MR6 3.4 L V8 | 384 | |
| 10 | GT1 | 3 | Corvette Racing | Johnny O'Connell Jan Magnussen Ron Fellows | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | 365 | |
| 10 | GT1 | 3 | Corvette Racing | Johnny O'Connell Jan Magnussen Ron Fellows | Chevrolet LS7-R 7.0 L V8 | 365 | |
| 11 | GT1 | 4 | Corvette Racing | Oliver Gavin Olivier Beretta Max Papis | Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | 359 | |
| 11 | GT1 | 4 | Corvette Racing | Oliver Gavin Olivier Beretta Max Papis | Chevrolet LS7-R 7.0 L V8 | 359 | |
| 12 | GT2 | 62 | Risi Competizione | Jaime Melo Mika Salo | Ferrari F430GT | 358 | |
| 12 | GT2 | 62 | Risi Competizione | Jaime Melo Mika Salo | Ferrari 4.0 L V8 | 358 | |
| 13 | GT2 | 45 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Jörg Bergmeister Wolf Henzler Marc Lieb | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | 358 | |
| 13 | GT2 | 45 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Jörg Bergmeister Wolf Henzler Marc Lieb | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | 358 | |
| 14 | LMP1 | 50 | Team LNT Conquest Racing | Danny Watts Olivier Pla | Ginetta-Zytek 07S | 355 | |
| 14 | LMP1 | 50 | Team LNT Conquest Racing | Danny Watts Olivier Pla | Zytek 4.5 L V8 | 355 | |
| 15 | GT2 | 71 | Tafel Racing | Dominik Farnbacher Dirk Müller | Ferrari F430GT | 355 | |
| 15 | GT2 | 71 | Tafel Racing | Dominik Farnbacher Dirk Müller | Ferrari 4.0 L V8 | 355 | |
| 16 DNF | LMP2 | 26 | Andretti Green Racing | Franck Montagny Marco Andretti Tony Kanaan | Acura ARX-01B | 347 | |
| 16 DNF | LMP2 | 26 | Andretti Green Racing | Franck Montagny Marco Andretti Tony Kanaan | Acura AL7R 3.4 L V8 | 347 | |
| 17 | GT2 | 61 | Risi Competizione Krohn Racing | Tracy Krohn Eric van de Poele Niclas Jönsson | Ferrari F430GT | 346 | |
| 17 | GT2 | 61 | Risi Competizione Krohn Racing | Tracy Krohn Eric van de Poele Niclas Jönsson | Ferrari 4.0 L V8 | 346 | |
| 18 | GT2 | 99 | JMB Racing Aucott Racing | Ben Aucott Pierre Kaffer Stéphane Daoudi | Ferrari F430GT | 344 | |
| 18 | GT2 | 99 | JMB Racing Aucott Racing | Ben Aucott Pierre Kaffer Stéphane Daoudi | Ferrari 4.0 L V8 | 344 | |
| 19 | GT2 | 44 | Flying Lizard Motorsports 44 | Darren Law Seth Neiman Lonnie Pechnik | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | 339 | |
| 19 | GT2 | 44 | Flying Lizard Motorsports 44 | Darren Law Seth Neiman Lonnie Pechnik | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | 339 | |
| 20 | GT2 | 73 | Tafel Racing | Jim Tafel Alex Figge Pierre Ehret | Ferrari F430GT | 331 | |
| 20 | GT2 | 73 | Tafel Racing | Jim Tafel Alex Figge Pierre Ehret | Ferrari 4.0 L V8 | 331 | |
| 21 DNF | GT2 | 46 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Johannes van Overbeek Patrick Pilet | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | 311 | |
| 21 DNF | GT2 | 46 | Flying Lizard Motorsports | Johannes van Overbeek Patrick Pilet | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | 311 | |
| 22 DNF | GT2 | 007 | Drayson-Barwell | Paul Drayson Jonny Cocker Darren Turner | Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2 | 294 | |
| 22 DNF | GT2 | 007 | Drayson-Barwell | Paul Drayson Jonny Cocker Darren Turner | Aston Martin 4.5 L V8 | 294 | |
| 23 DNF | GT2 | 18 | VICI Racing |  Nicky Pastorelli Francesco Pastorelli Marc Basseng | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | 291 | |
| 23 DNF | GT2 | 18 | VICI Racing | Nicky Pastorelli Francesco Pastorelli Marc Basseng | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | 291 | |
| 24 | GT2 | 54 | Black Swan Racing | Tim Pappas Anthony Lazzaro Andy Pilgrim | Ford GT-R Mk.VII | 291 | |
| 24 | GT2 | 54 | Black Swan Racing | Tim Pappas Anthony Lazzaro Andy Pilgrim | Ford 5.0 L V8 | 291 | |
| 25 | GT2 | 21 | Panoz Team PTG | Tom Milner, Jr. Joey Hand Andreas Wirth | Panoz Esperante GT-LM | 282 | |
| 25 | GT2 | 21 | Panoz Team PTG | Tom Milner, Jr. Joey Hand Andreas Wirth | Ford 5.0 L V8 | 282 | |
| 26 DNF | LMP2 | 15 | Lowe's Fernández Racing | Adrian Fernández Luis Díaz Michel Jourdain, Jr. | Acura ARX-01B | 281 | |
| 26 DNF | LMP2 | 15 | Lowe's Fernández Racing | Adrian Fernández Luis Díaz Michel Jourdain, Jr. | Acura AL7R 3.4 L V8 | 281 | |
| 27 DNF | GT2 | 11 | Primetime Race Group | Joel Feinberg Chris Hall | Dodge Viper Competition Coupe | 280 | |
| 27 DNF | GT2 | 11 | Primetime Race Group | Joel Feinberg Chris Hall | Dodge 8.3 L V10 | 280 | |
| 28 DNF | GT2 | 87 | Farnbacher-Loles Motorsports | Jörg Hardt Dirk Werner Bryce Miller | Porsche 997 GT3-RSR | 277 | |
| 28 DNF | GT2 | 87 | Farnbacher-Loles Motorsports | Jörg Hardt Dirk Werner Bryce Miller | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | 277 | |
| 29 DNF | GT2 | 40 | Robertson Racing | David Robertson Andrea Robertson David Murry | Ford GT-R Mk.VII | 263 | |
| 29 DNF | GT2 | 40 | Robertson Racing | David Robertson Andrea Robertson David Murry | Ford 5.0 L V8 | 263 | |
| 30 DNF | LMP1 | 30 | Intersport Racing | Ryan Lewis Luke Hines Georges Forgeois | Lola B07/17 | 237 | |
| 30 DNF | LMP1 | 30 | Intersport Racing | Ryan Lewis Luke Hines Georges Forgeois | Judd GV5.5 S2 5.5 L V10 | 237 | |
| 31 DNF | LMP1 | 37 | Intersport Racing | Jon Field Clint Field Richard Berry | Lola B06/10 | 160 | |
| 31 DNF | LMP1 | 37 | Intersport Racing | Jon Field Clint Field Richard Berry | AER P32C 4.0 L Turbo V8 | 160 | |
| 32 DNF | LMP1 | 88 | Creation Autosportif | Jamie Campbell-Walter Stephen Simpson Harold Primat | Creation CA07 | 138 | |
| 32 DNF | LMP1 | 88 | Creation Autosportif | Jamie Campbell-Walter Stephen Simpson Harold Primat | AIM YS5.5 5.5 L V10 | 138 | |
| 33 DNF | LMP1 | 12 | Autocon Motorsports | Chris McMurry Bryan Willman Tony Burgess | Lola B06/10 | 122 | |
| 33 DNF | LMP1 | 12 | Autocon Motorsports | Chris McMurry Bryan Willman Tony Burgess | AER P32C 4.0 L Turbo V8 | 122 | |
| 34 DNF | LMP1 | 888 | Creation Autosportif | Liz Halliday Dean Stirling Stuart Hall | Creation CA07 | 113 | |
| 34 DNF | LMP1 | 888 | Creation Autosportif | Liz Halliday Dean Stirling Stuart Hall | AIM YS5.5 5.5 L V10 | 113 | |
| 35 DNF | LMP1 | 48 | Corsa Motorsports | Gunnar Jeannette Johnny Mowlem Stefan Johansson | Zytek 07S | 73 | |
| 35 DNF | LMP1 | 48 | Corsa Motorsports | Gunnar Jeannette Johnny Mowlem Stefan Johansson | Zytek 2ZG408 4.0 L V8 | 73 | |
| 36 DNF | GT2 | 28 | LG Motorsports | Lou Gigliotti Tomy Drissi Marc Goossens | Chevrolet Corvette C6 | 37 | |
| 36 DNF | GT2 | 28 | LG Motorsports | Lou Gigliotti Tomy Drissi Marc Goossens | Chevrolet LS3 6.0 L V8 | 37 | |
| 37 DNF | LMP2 | 9 | Patrón Highcroft Racing | Scott Sharp David Brabham Dario Franchitti | Acura ARX-01B | 16 | |
| 37 DNF | LMP2 | 9 | Patrón Highcroft Racing | Scott Sharp David Brabham Dario Franchitti | Acura AL7R 3.4 L V8 | 16 | |
| DNS | LMP2 | 8 | B-K Motorsports | Gerardo Bonilla Ben Devlin | Lola B08/86 | - | |
| DNS | LMP2 | 8 | B-K Motorsports | Gerardo Bonilla Ben Devlin | Mazda MZR-R 2.0 L Turbo I4 | - |