Four years after the team returned to full-time ALMS competition right here at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr stormed to the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing’s fifth consecutive ALMS victory.

After finishing second to Highcroft Racing in 2010 and Dyson Racing in the P1 championship last year, the Benicia, CA-based squad is certainly looking strong for the 2012 crown with four races remaining.

“It wasn’t easy out there today,” Graf said.

“One reason is the Indy car rubber, the other is the track that came apart in some spots. I don’t know if it was the track itself that was coming apart or because of the rubber, but you had to search for lines today quite a bit, I had to adjust my driving style in some areas.

“To do a good lap time, and we’re competitive by nature, we want to get the best performance out of it so we always try to push as hard as we can. It wasn’t an easy race and to win five in a row with the car not that easy to drive around here because of track conditions, it’s tough.”

Muscle Milk Pickett Racing led all on-track sessions throughout the weekend for the second race in a row and scored its second consecutive victory at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge today.

“Winning five races in a row for Muscle Milk is very special,” Luhr said.

“From the outside it may look easy but the whole team, Klaus and myself, everybody involved, the guys from HPD and Michelin, we all have had to work very hard to achieve all these wins.

“It’s easy to say ‘you’re wining all the races, it’s easy’, but a race win is never easy and it is very special to win five in a row. I am very proud of our Muscle Milk Pickett Racing crew.”

The team scored victory by more than a lap but the win didn’t come without a fright – the team’s HPD entry being reluctant to restart during the pit stops.

Michelin Alley talked to Graf today after the race.