I might be miles behind the times but I just found this video on the Driftworks forum and was absolutely blown away by these last few laps in the ALMS GT2 class at Laguna Seca between Jorg Bergmeister and Jan Magnussen. I’ll be making a point of following this series in 2010.
The main question is, who do you think was right or wrong on the last corner of the last lap ?
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here we go again.......
nice
That was an amazing bit of motorsport, regardless of who was at fault in the end.
Amazing battle but I don't think Bergmeister was correct when he pushed him into the pit road wall. If the Corvette was on the other side of the Porsche then the wreck wouldn't have happened and it probably would have been the Porsche winning anyways.
wow, it's great to see such competitiveness in motorsports. it is more of these kinds of battles that would bring more viewers to the sport (reminds me of old-school BTCC). but anyways, the last turn was pretty gnarly. imo, it was perfectly fine to bump and grind...anything to win right? it was clear that the corvette was the better car, as it fell behind and caught right back up on few occasions. it was an exciting battle none-the-less. i was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. GREAT VID!!!
That was insane. He was asking for hell going into that corner like that
Speaking as a racer who almost always races clean I'm on Jorg's side. Jan tried several dirty moves in those last couple laps and I understand there will always be contact in racing. I know how bad Jan wanted to make that pass but the fact of the matter is that he couldn't with out short cutting the track or bumping. It's a pretty chicken sh*t move to attempt to punt a guy in desperation at the very last turn so I say Jorg had the right to run Jan to the wall and Jan had the option to lift. I would have done the exact same thing.
The bump to the Porsche in the last corner wasn't fair. Then the porsche took it back XD
This is very old, the Corvette should've lifted it is not Bergmeisters fault.
Great bit of racing. I think the 'vette was driving a little too aggressive as proven by his penalty when he cut the corner short, and the bump into the corner. I also didn't care for the move with his High Beams into the back of another race car. Given that he shouldn't have done those things, the Porsche probably shouldn't have forced him to the wall.... Either way you could tell the Corvette was a little faster and that Bergmeister does a great job keeping him at bay.
what rock were you guys under? This happened back in October.
what a battle
I was sitting at turn 1 for this battle.
Epicness!
The battle between the GT2 Vette and the Porsche is what makes great racing. To bad it had to end with one car getting punted.
Its an old event but still very interesting to watch.
Honestly, both are at fault and none were completely innocent. Magnussen went for broke on the last corner with the intention of love-tapping Bergmeister but really it was CLEARLY intentional that Bergmeister shoved Magnussen into the wall. He even said later when interviewed he wasn't going to let Magnussen get the win.
Great action but pretty childish which could have easily turned into tragedy as seen with the extent of damage done to the 'vette. Racing is racing, yes, but we all want to get home to our loved ones at the end of the day.
i dont know who here wouldnt push back after getting rear ended and made loose on the last corner of the race...I would sure as hell do what he did. great battle though
First time i saw this, I'm speechless...
EPIC battle,
Considering what happened in 2007 on the last lap of the 12H of Sebring - Bergmeister certainly has got my vote >> 100%
Very dirty driving if you think you can push the leader in the last corner of the last lap. The vette had it coming to him.
This battle is worth reposting it ;)))
Borgmeister is such a dick. Magnussen love-tapped him, but Borgmeister intentionally wanted to drive him into the wall. Looks like something out of Need for Speed. Sometimes the adrenaline rush doesn't let you think straight and you can make potentially deadly moves like Borgmeister did. He could've killed Magnussen..
Anyways, ALMS was really good up until '06. They barely have any cars racing now, compared to a couple of years ago. Still amazing, but not as good as it used to be.
A common saying in american motorsport is "rubbin' is racin'," and there was rubbing all throgh that. It doesn't excuse what happened though. I can understand how the drivers go through the adrenaline rush and everything, but that was an extremely dangerous move that could've had some very bad results.
The Corvettes had run dirty and bullied many teams throughout the year, that's how they've raced that whole series. They even shunt the privateer Corvette teams off the track if they don't give up their track positions or move out of the way. Magnussen got what was coming to him, and he's also an idiot for not lifting -- that's called a blocking move. Borgmeister made 1 movement, which is allowed, and figuratively (not literally/physically) pushed him to the inside wall.... anyone who has ever raced at Laguna knows the pitwall jutts in a quarter way down, and that was the purpose of the move... to make it so Magnussen HAD to yield and Borgmeister had the race won.
Technically what happened was Magnussen literally just accelerated directly at a wall and slammed into it, that's what this entire incident is about. Honestly I loved Corvette Racing up until this season, they became a bunch of d-bags this past year and frankly they weened me over towards the Germans.
All I can say is that was EPIC!!!!!
It was really exciting,i cannot breath!
Great battle, but the Porsche was at fault, the driver (forget how to spell his last name) clearly spins Jan out. Porsche's also done this sort of thing before, think back to Sebring of 2007 I think where the last lap battle took place between the Flying Lizard RSR and the Risi F430GT.
I can't wait to see the Corvette-Porsche rivalry take off.
thats what happens when you tick off the nice driver lmaooo
The Porsche apparently couldn't pull away from the Vette, blocking the last corner the way he did isn't exactly fair play. From the way I see it the Vette made a lot of daring moves nothing really dirty IMO.
So if a driver gets heated, they're allowed to pull a pit maneuver?
I'm on the corvette's side on this one. He did tap the Porsche, but he didn't run him straight into a wall!
I agree with what RG said. That could have been much worse. Although, I'm wondering why the Vette didn't bump him on turn 1 more.
C'mon guys, for real?
That tap from the 'vette was pratically nothing. The dude in the Porsche only tried to block and he went really close to the wall. The guy in the 'vette just didn't manage to hold it.
It could've gone either way and i don't see the blocking as payback from the rear tap.
Like C. Rosenberg said. The Corvette was DEFINITELY slower....bumping into each other is ok, that's race....but racing into the pit lane to cut someone off, that's being a d!ck there....
And the last turn, he bumped into the Porsche so hard that the Porsche lost momentum and slided a bit losing speed....and the Vette tried to pass him on the inside taking advantage of the momentum loss from the Porsche.
It's clear that a lot of people on this site are keyboard racers.....when you guys are out there in the track, on a real race.....I'll see how much patience you have when someone bumps into you constantly.
Like I said, bumping it's racing....but the Vette's moves were dirty.
The Vette guy played dirty....and it kinda sucks.....I know there is a lot on stakes.....but those were dirty moves.....the Vette guy deserved to nail the wall.
sad thing is tho i think the vette would have had a better chance just going wide
The way I see it. The Porsche clearly lost momentum after he got "tapped" by the Vette.....lost speed, the Vette wanted to pass him....it wasn't fast enough to get him by....and the Porsche kept squeezing....
If I were the Vette guy....I would have back off, take second place, and save the car......instead, he pushed it.....and it didn't go thru....and lost 500,000 on the wall, didn't get any points on the championship....that's dumb.
Those two folks were ahead of everyone. I would have back off and take the 2nd position....
The Marshall should have disqualify the Vette guy for using the pit lane in the first place, that's not part of the track (pit lanes are use to enter the box).....
Amazing. Both were at fault. No one's right or wrong. This is racing.
ok for those out there that do racing on week-end you all know that the vette made it on purpose so the back or the Porshe slid and loose traction to accelerate out of the curve that why they end up side by side will the Porsche was sliding the vett took the inside... i see this as a really low trick and the vette got what it deserve for tring this... but i have to say the battle was GREAT !!
As a racer, I know that the worst feeling is losing the lead, especially at the end of the race. This was just racing. The vette dive-bombed, which isn't exactly clean driving, and Bergmeister got tapped, which loosened the car up. He was only defending his position, I'm sure he didn't wanna wreck the vette, only beat it. Nobody is guilty or innocent from or of anything (at the end at least...) Remember the vette's high-beams? That's wrong. He tried to gain an advantage with a dirty trick, not driving skill. Leave Bergmeister alone, and leave the Vette alone.
I agree with you Mick.
That little "tap"...like most people would call it, was just enough to make the Porsche loose grip and speed, that's why the Corvette was able to catch up and almost pass.
Let's say that Corvette didn't tap him, there wouldn't have been A CHANCE for the Vette to pass.
I remember from the stands the general consensus from the audience was IMMEDIATE hatred towards the Porsche. Granted I think much of that was due to the fact many of the people who were in the stands seemed to be of the Vette type so perhaps it seemed to them like a bunch of foreigners came in and cheated and beat their way past a good ole 'Merican. I hope this wasn't their true belief but some the things that were shouted sure didn't help me think otherwise. Anyways, my personal opinion was that it didn't seem intentional and when they were at the heat of the battle like that, it really could have been either one knocked out. Talk about a dramatic finish though! First GT race I've ever been to and what a race to go to!
Porsche in the wrong, rubbin' is racing but forcing the Corvette into the pit wall was unnecessary and resulted in a totally preventable accident. Fair enough the Corvette hit the Porsche going into the last corner but there was no need to retaliate cause he had more of the outright speed for the run to the line.
if you have seen the last battles where allways bergmeister got hit by ferrari driver
i can only say it was right this time
Bergmeister is incredibly lucky.
if Magnussen had died in that accident, Bergmeister would be in prison in california on manslaughter charges. there is already legal precedent on this in california. "rules of racing" be damned.
First off how old is this..for real! But it's a clip I've probably seen a million times over but it never gets old.
There was a LOT going in this battle, but what it really shows is the Porsche was a better driver. With the Porsche's tires being gone, he was just blocking, and that's racing. It's surprising that there wasn't more paint rubbed off the cars as they mentioned they kept it decently clean, just the Corvette was being a pussy and pulling dick moves.. I mean using the pit out and then high beams to blind the guy. That shit you do when your 16 and someone cuts you off, not a ALMS racing. Wrecking out the Corvette I don't think was intentional, he got bumped so he would loose all his traction, with the tires gone, he would spin them and the Corvette flew by.. so he drove into the wall to cut the Corvette off.. he didn't lift, got bumped in the back end and spun and hit the wall.. simple as that. As someone said earlier, they should have lifted off and taken 2nd.. he played for keeps and paid the price.
If you watch the rear end of the Porsche closely into the last corner, you'll see that he brakes twice. He wanted to make Magnussen loose speed, but the first time he let of the brakes, Magnussen saw this and knew he had to hit the throttle to keep up out of the corner. Bergmeistes braked again, and Magnussen hit him, not willing to let of the throttle. Not a big shunt, not very dirty, and IMO clearly caused by Bergmeister.
What happens next, is the bad part. A really dirty move by Bergmeister. Nudging and rubbing is ok, but he took it one step to far. There is no excuse for driving another competitor into the wall at that speed.
Of course, you can say that running someone of in a corner for not letting a faster car by, or doing so in a battle to help your team mate get a free running for points etc etc is a dirty move, but it doesn't kill anyone.
Bergmeister could've made Magnussens wife a widow and his kid an orphan. There's no excuse for that.
Doh.... I meant fatherless... Oh well:P Heat of the moment:P
neither were completely in the right, however, i believe that despite bergmeister's nudge at the last corner he did not deserve to get the cheese grater on the wall. he had a stronger car, being the corvette, not to mention that he pulled a beautiful maneuver on the pit road out, which put him out front only for it to be taken away. stronger car, more daring and interesting driver, bergmeister deserved to win.
Bergmeister was in the Porsche dude...
"he pulled a beautiful maneuver on the pit road out" are you serious? it's a beautiful move to race on what isn't actually the track? in most books we call that 'cheating'
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i think Bergmeister pulled a risky move, but if i were in his shoes being constantly assailed by Magnussen and bumped around i would have been fed up as well. Despite the extenuating circumstances, in the end it was Magnussen's decision not to lift, and it's his own damn fault that he hit the wall.
Great driving by both drivers, at the end all that matters is what officials say...why even argue now
@ BlueSlug, that was a beautiful maneuver. Silly but incredible.
Couldn't believe what they did to pass the Ford GT. Great post, definitely keeping a closer eye on GT2 racing.
Hope the mean corvette driver didn't get in too much trouble for being a pr*ck lol.
I work in grand am racing and somtimes intese battles and races like this simply get physical and theres nothing wrong with that but when you descdie to get physical you accept the consequences of the return. and when he shoved the back of the porsche at corner exit on the last turn he was then accpeting at that point there would be a retaliation, that race was just as much the porsches to win as the vettes and i think the shove at corner exit was a little low the porsche had the line at corner exit already you can tell the vetter was willing to do anything to win because of the pass down pit exit off the straight. i wouldnt blame either party more than the other but i say they both went a little far on the last turn/straight and should be penalized equally
what Borgmeister did was childish and could have led to a fetal accident, bumping in corners in common in gt2 but what happened at the end of the race was complete madness
Holy s***! This goes to favorites for sure! That's real desire for a win!
Fuck the corvette guy. He was trying to push the porsche out of the race and he got a well deserved lesson.