Here are a few notes and tidbits before the start of the ALMS Northeast Grand Prix.

• Some helpful tips on differentiating a couple cars that look alike for this race: In GT, the No. 61 Risi Competizione Ferrari with Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer has orange mirrors on the “rosso red” car while the lead No. 62 car of Jaime Melo and Gianmaria Bruni is entirely red. Also, in LMPC, the No. 36 Genoa Racing entry has the same livery as the G-Oil sponsored, No. 99 Green Earth Team Gunnar car. The Genoa car is a darker shade of green and ran black wheels on Friday.

• The No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports LMPC car, the class points leaders, winners of three of the first four races, and polesitters in class, had an off in the morning warmup session with Christophe Bouchut behind the wheel. The car went in the grass at the left-hand Turn 2, and hit the still wet grass. The team did not start the race as the tub was damaged.

• Johnny O’Connell from Corvette Racing is celebrating a birthday today. “Johnny O” turns 48 and we hope he doesn’t mind working, as he wheels the No. 3 Corvette ZR1 around Lime Rock Park with co-driver Jan Magnussen. Nothing would be a sweeter birthday present than having his birthday cake and drinking champagne on the podium with a GT class win.