Keith Branasford, Gearbox Technician and Tireman, ADT Champion Audi
By Margot Orenchuk
Photos © Margot Orenchuk

LA SARTHE, France (June 11, 2004) -- One of the mechanical team (yet the one person no one wants to have actually work this weekend) at Champion Audi is Keith Branasford. He is the Gearbox Mechanic; and his job certainly became one of THE most important when the ACO changed the rules this year and decreed that you may not change gearboxes in the 2004 race, only rebuild them. And that is what Keith’s specialty is. He sat down and spoke to RFM about what his background and function is within the team.

Margot Orenchuk: So Keith, what is your function within the team?

Keith Branasford: I’m the gearbox mechanic.

MO: How long have you been with Champion Audi?

KB: I’ve been with Champion since 1994. I’m the longest standing member of the team still.

MO: Has your role stayed the same in the team since you have been with them?

KB: Yes.

MO: How many 24-hour races have you done with Champion?

KB: This is only our 3rd Le Mans. We only started running this race in 2002.

MO: How do you like running Le Mans? Does this race mean something special to you?

KB: Ya, it’s interesting, something early on if you are interested in racing other than NASCAR, Le Mans, Le Mans, Le Mans is all you can think about as all you ever want to go to. But it’s very difficult, you don’t know the place, but this year everyone knows the rules and what to do.

MO: And what about this new gearbox rule?

KB: The original case has to finish with the car now.

MO: Have they told you what the rationale was behind this rule change?

KB: I think it was to make it fairer because Audi was perceived to have an unfair advantage.

MO: So how much time is devoted to a “disaster” like this under race conditions?

KB: We have been in Europe since the 23rd of May. We prepared a little bit when we were here in Pre-test. We went back to England and did a little bit of work there. Then we were away for 3 weeks, then we spent a week prepping the car; then we spent a week doing a “roll-out” test, and then we drove here.

MO: Do you sleep during the 24-hour race?

KB: I didn’t the last few races, no.

MO: Do you find that hard?

KB: No, I’m used to staying up.

MO: During the race, what is your role?

KB: There is no gearbox telemetry; so during the race I do tire stops. I do the outside tires. When the car comes in, I bring the outside rear tire out with the gun; and then lay out the rear tire, and once we commence the pit stop, I gun the nut off; and when the jack man takes the wheel off and changes that wheel, I go to the front and do that complete wheel.

MO: Are you looking forward to tonight?

KB: Oh yes; the last few days have been so… because the team has been so well prepared, we are getting a little bit lackadaisical. And we are ready to go.

Many thanks to Keith for taking time off from his lunch to talk to RFM about his role with Champion Audi. We look forward to working with him this race weekend.