Audi celebrates Le Mans victories with its employees in Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt
News from Audi Motorsport

INGOLSTADT/NECKARSULM (June 18, 2010) — Audi will celebrate its record victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, which saw the highest speed in the history of the endurance classic that has been held since 1923, with its employees at the Neckarsulm and Ingolstadt locations.

On Monday (June 21) the victorious Le Mans squad will visit the Neckarsulm plant where the more than 440-kW V10 TDI engine of the LMP1 sports car is being built. Mike Rockenfeller, at the age of 26 the youngest Audi driver who celebrated a victory at Le Mans, will pilot the Audi R15 TDI designated as car number "9" across the plant’s premises. Afterwards, from 2 to 3 p.m., Rockenfeller and his driver colleagues Timo Bernhard, Dindo Capello, Romain Dumas, Marcel Fässler, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish will sign autographs in public in front of the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm for one hour.

In the afternoon the winning squad will travel to Ingolstadt, the headquarters of Audi and Audi Sport. There, Mike Rockenfeller will do a lap around the plant premises as well before the Le Mans winning #9 Audi R15 TDI and the other two Le Mans vehicles - cars #7 and #8 - will be showcased for public viewing at the Piazza in front of the Audi museum mobile. From approx. 10:15 a.m. the successful Audi drivers will be giving interviews and signing autographs. In Ingolstadt, Benoît Treluyer will be present as well. André Lotterer cannot attend on either of the two days due to a racing commitment in Malaysia.

At the Festival of Speed in Goodwood (United Kingdom) from July 2 to 4 and at the DTM race at the Norisring on the same weekend the Audi R15 TDI can be seen in action as well. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish will take "their" R15 TDI along to Goodwood. Prior to the start of the DTM race at the Norisring the original winning car of the Le Mans 24 Hours will do some demo laps on the 2.3-kilometer city street circuit along the Dutzendteich Lake. The victorious Le Mans driver squad Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike Rockenfeller will be at the Norisring too and sign autographs.

Neckarsulm, Ingolstadt, Goodwood and Nuremberg are just four of numerous venues at which the Le Mans winners will be in action. Ever since they crossed the finish line, the phones in Ingolstadt and those of the three Le Mans winners have not stopped ringing. PR commitments and requests are continually increasing. Romain Dumas, for example, will join the crew of Jochen Schümann’s yacht from the Audi A1 team as the "13th hand" to sail a regatta on the final day of the Audi MedCup in Marseille.

Mike Rockenfeller was appropriately received at his home in Altnau on Lake Constance on Monday night: his driver colleague and friend Lucas Luhr had arranged a spontaneous party for the brand new Le Mans winner.
 

Audi achieves record victory at Le Mans with new technology
News from Audi Motorsport

INGOLSTADT/LE MANS (June 13, 2010) - For the ninth time Audi has won the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans and thus equalized Ferrari’s position in the roll of honor in the French endurance classic. Only Porsche’s track record reflects more victories.

At the 78th edition of the race, efficiency and reliability were the decisive factors yet again - both are special fortes of the Audi brand which has a reputation of developing highly efficient automobiles. The three Audi R15 TDI cars of Audi Sport Team Joest ran without the slightest technical problems over the entire distance and occupied the top three places after the fastest Le Mans race of all time. After 2000, 2002 and 2004, Audi thus managed to achieve a one-two-three triumph at Le Mans for the fourth time.

"Everyone at Audi can be proud of this historic exploit. Reliability, efficiency and sustainability are particularly important topics for car manufacturers today. And these are exactly the areas in which we have demonstrated our expertise this weekend," commented Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler, who witnessed the captivating race live on location. "It was one of the most thrilling races in Le Mans history, a do-or-die battle. This one-two-three victory is the fourth 1-2-3 for Audi at Le Mans and no doubt the most valuable victory claimed after the fiercest battle in our company’s history. I express my thanks and great respect to the entire squad. They have performed an incredible and flawless feat of energy. Peugeot was a formidable rival who required us to give everything. We express our respect to the French squad for this."

"After taking third place last year, it was our declared aim to bring the Le Mans trophy back to Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, and we managed to do this in an impressive way," said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "I’m incredibly proud of this squad and sincerely thank the entire team and everyone who has contributed to this achievement."

The ninth triumph - in total - of the brand at Le Mans was also made possible by a technology which Audi Sport developed for racing during the past three years in strict secrecy: the V10 TDI engine of the Audi R15 TDI with an approximate power output of 440 kW has a turbo-charger with Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG).

VTG turbo-chargers are standard with Audi TDI engines in production vehicles. Their use at Le Mans helps the Audi engineers to continue to develop the technology for smaller, highly efficient turbo engines to be used in the future. "At Le Mans we’re dealing with temperatures above 1,000 degrees centigrade which have not been encountered with production engines so far," explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport. "As a result of downsizing, production development will enter into similar temperature ranges. This makes VTG another good example of how the technology transfer between motorsport and the production side of the house works at Audi."

In 2010 the demands made on diesel engines were particularly high due to the restrictions imposed by the regulations. "Squeezing higher output out of the engines without sacrificing reliability posed a great challenge which our team mastered in an outstanding manner," said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich after the race. "We did not use the full potential of the V10 TDI engine this year in order to be absolutely on the safe side. That’s why it was clear to us even before the race that we wouldn’t have the fastest car - but a very reliable and efficient one. The development objective of the R15 plus was 20 percent higher efficiency. We managed to achieve this. We’ve been working very hard for this exploit over the past few months. This makes this success, which was enabled by a perfect team performance as well, even more rewarding."

The victorious Audi R15 TDI with Timo Bernhard (Germany), Romain Dumas (France) and Mike Rockenfeller (Germany) completed a total of 397 laps in the 24 hours. With the covered distance of 5,410 kilometers, the trio broke the 1971 record set by Dr. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep in the Porsche 917 that was considered unbeatable because the Hunaudières straight at that time had no chicanes - another demonstration of the performance capabilities of Audi TDI technology.

Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller drove an absolutely flawless race on their way to their first Le Mans victory and the new historic record. Except for a slow puncture shortly before the end of the race and a right-hand mirror that had come off, the race went without the slightest problems for the winners. Second place was taken by Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Treluyer on whose R15 TDI the front bodywork had to be changed twice after contact with the track barriers.

The 2008 winners, Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, who were the best-placed Audi team in the early phase, were struck by major misfortune. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen had to evade a slow GT2 vehicle on Saturday night and slid backwards against the track barrier of the Porsche corners in the process. With fast lap times, Capello, Kristensen and McNish pushed back into the group of the front runners and in the end were rewarded with a podium result.

Spirit of Le Mans Shines through Drayson Racing Perseverance
News from Drayson Racing
LE MANS, France (June 13, 2010) - To those who know Le Mans, they know the intangible "Spirit of Le Mans" that permeates the event. A special drive to succeed, to overcome any obstacle in pursuit of finishing the 24 hours. Drayson Racing personified "The Spirit of Le Mans" at this weekend's 24 Heures du Mans. Despite a myriad of obstacles put in front of them, the team behind the No. 11 Drayson Racing Lola Coupé with Judd Power never wavered in its commitment to see the chequered flag at the conclusion of the 12-13 June classic. It was a determination rewarded by finishing as the sixth highest Le Mans Prototype One (LM P1) with the trio of drivers: Paul Drayson (London and Gloucestershire, UK), Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) and Emanuele Pirro (Rome).

From the start the team seemed to be challenged at every turn. Wednesday's first qualifying session ended with a precautionary engine change. Forced to use its race engine in all the remaining sessions, the engine swap would limit the laps available for practice and qualifying and everything that followed. The change meant that the team had only 20 laps to find the setup and qualify without jeopardising the life of the Judd V10 powerplant. Despite that, Jonny Cocker was still able to run a qualifying lap quick enough for 14th on the 55-car grid. In a race that would see much attrition, the No. 11 faced its own adversity but, unlike others, was able to overcome multiple, often intertwined, issues to better all but five cars in its class.

Within the first 30 minutes of the world's most famous endurance race, it was as if the next 24 hours was charted as the initial chronic problem, a degenerating vibration, began to show its head. The Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA) managed organisation was able to continuously put the issues behind them; fighting throughout the day and night, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) regulars were able to overcome 17 separate issues over the course of the famous 24 hour race. With its longest stop nearly three hours, the Drayson crew, tired from two weeks of preparation and travel from the ALMS event in Monterey, California never waivered. They held true to the "Spirit of Le Mans" and showed their true passion for this event, overcoming the seemingly relentless adversity at every turn.

Working closely with technical partners Michelin Tyres, Lola Cars and Judd Engines, the Drayson Racing team was able to better its career performance of the Lola closed-cockpit B06/09 today. They also bettered their 2009 debut at Le Mans in the GT2 class by reaching the full 24 hour race distance. Their rookie year ended with the car stopped at the Mulsanne Corner with just two hours remaining. This year, Paul Drayson, who also started the event and took part in the ceremonial "Le Mans Running Start", was able to see the chequered flag fly over his prototype; his team cheering from the pit wall.
 

Jaguar Marks Its 75th Anniversary with Return to Le Mans
News from RSR
LA SARTHE, France (June 3, 2010) - Jaguar returns to the starting grid at Le Mans on June 12, as the stunning XKR GT2 sports car lines up alongside the world's leading endurance racers for the classic 24-hour event. As Jaguar celebrates its 75th anniversary of building and racing cars, it is fitting that the British marque returns to competition at the circuit where it earned seven race wins between 1951 and 1990.

Mike O'Driscoll, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars said, "Motorsport has always been important to Jaguar. Our domination of Le Mans in the 1950s was a foundation stone in our history and our success in the late '80s and early '90s reinforced our reputation as one of the great sports car manufacturers.

"As we look to the future with our new range of high performance 'R'-branded cars - the XKR and XFR - we aim to make the Jaguar brand synonymous with motorsports once again. It's good to be back"

XKR GT2 Racer Shares Road Car Technology
The XKR GT2 racer competing at Le Mans is being run by JaguarRSR, and shares many of the basic components and technologies with the road-going XKR. Jointly developed by Jaguar's engineering and design groups and the RSR team, the racer features the road car's lightweight aluminium body structure and a tuned version of its 5.0-litre supercharged AJ133 V8 engine developing in excess of 500 horsepower.

Drivers Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel and Paul Gentilozzi will be piloting the car during the punishing 24-hour race, having gained initial experience with the vehicle during the American Le Mans Series events earlier during 2010.

Belgian driver Goossens is vastly experienced in sportscar racing, and has competed at Le Mans on nine previous occasions.

"As a sportscar driver, the Le Mans 24 Hour race provides the greatest challenge, so competing in the American Le Mans Series events has provided valuable training," he commented. "It is a great honour to be selected as one of the drivers for Jaguar's return to Le Mans."

Teammate Dalziel, born in Scotland, brings extensive experience in single-seaters and sportscars, but is racing at Le Mans for the first time.

"It has always been my dream to compete at Le Mans, and, as a British driver, to be at the wheel of a Jaguar makes it even more special," explained Dalziel. "It will be without doubt the highlight of my racing career."

The trio of drivers is completed by the American Paul Gentilozzi, one of the principal partners of the JaguarRSR team, who is making his third appearance at Le Mans in the GT2 class.

"It is great to return to Le Mans after 15 years, and I look forward to the chance to drive there again," said Gentilozzi. "The track is like no other in the world. It is a challenge to every driver, but I know I have exceptionally talented team-mates, and we will do the best we can out there in the XKR GT2 with race number 81!"

Jaguar Heritage at Le Mans
The names of Jaguar and Le Mans are inextricably linked. With a total of seven wins between 1951 and 1990, the marque is the single most successful British car maker in the history of the race.

During the 1950s, Jaguar's founder Sir William Lyons sought to prove his cars were as fast and as strong as far more expensive rivals, with legends such as Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn behind the wheel of the iconic C-type and D-type racers.

In 1951, the C-type won Le Mans at its first attempt, with a further victory in 1953. Its successor the D-type took Le Mans wins in 1955, 1956 and 1957. Technical innovations such as the C-type's disc brakes made their debut on Jaguars at Le Mans, and were rapidly adopted by car makers the world over.

After a two-decade absence, Jaguar returned to France with a works team in the late 1980s and once again took race wins in 1988, with the V12-powered XJR-9LM Group C car, and in 1990, with the XJR-12, featuring drivers including Johnny Dumfries and Martin Brundle. Such was the success of the XJR racers, that Jaguar was crowned World Sports Car Champions three times in five seasons.
 

JaguarRSR confirms driver line-up for Le Mans 24 Hours
News from RSR
EAST LANSING, Michigan (May 26, 2010) - Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens and Paul Gentilozzi are the confirmed driver line-up for JaguarRSR at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 2010 marks Jaguar's return to the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time in 15 years.

Racing an XKR run by JaguarRSR in the GT2 class is Scottish-born Ryan Dalziel, who has never experienced the Le Mans track. "It has always been my dream to drive at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As a British driver, to be at the wheel of a Jaguar, being that it's such a prestigious British brand makes it even more special," commented the 28-year-old. He added, "It will be without doubt the highlight of my racing career to date and I know that the team will represent Jaguar and all its fans around the world with pride."

The vastly experienced sportscar driver Goossens is a Belgian native and returns to the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race after his last run there in 2008. He has nine starts under his belt at Le Mans. Goossens stated, "As a sportscar driver, the biggest challenge is the 24 Hours of Le Mans and we have been training for it by competing in the American Le Mans Series.

"Everyone at JaguarRSR is working really hard and we have one goal; to put on the best show possible for all the Jaguar enthusiasts."

Doubling up as JaguarRSR Principal Partner and driver, Paul Gentilozzi will make his third appearance at Le Mans in the GT2 class.

"It is great to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has been 15 years since my last race." said Gentilozzi. "I look forward to the chance to drive there again and for Jaguar. The track is like no other in the world. It is a challenge to every driver, but I welcome that and I know I have exceptionally talented team-mates. We will do the best we can out there in the #81 JaguarRSR XKR GT2."

The 24 Hours of Le Mans begins at 15.00 h CET on Saturday 12th June. Follow the English-language broadcast on Radio Le Mans www.radiolemans.com. Live timing and scoring at www.lemans.org
 

Highcroft Locks In Three-Time Le Mans Winner Werner for 24 Hour Assault
Photos © 2010 Patron Highcroft Racing
DANBURY, CT (March 25, 2010) -- Highcroft Racing has finalized its driver line-up for its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with three-time race winner Marco Werner joining Marino Franchitti and last year's victor David Brabham.

The reigning American Le Mans Series LMP1 champions will campaign the Honda Performance Development factory-backed ARX-01c chassis for its Le Mans debut in the LMP2 class.

With three Le Mans victories in a row in 2005, 06 and 07, three Sebring wins, a 24 Hour of Daytona title and an American Le Mans Series LMP1 driver's title to his credit, selecting Werner to fill the available third-driver role was an easy decision for Highcroft boss, Duncan Dayton.

Following Highcroft's second place in LMP2 in Saturday's Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Danbury, CT-based squad stayed on at the historic Florida venue for two days of testing on Monday and Tuesday - taking advantage of the opportunity to provide Werner with some valuable seat-time alongside his new teammates.

"Compared to the Audi, this is going to be a completely different world for me so I am really looking forward to driving the car at Le Mans," Werner said.

"I know the car in Sebring as an LMP2 was very competitive and it is much lighter than the Audi. I'm looking forward to having a much more agile car to drive.

"It will be very different at Le Mans. We know that LMP2 and LMP1 are in a different world, but at circuits like Sebring there isn't that much difference."

Highcroft Racing will be the sole American team contesting the LMP2 class at this year's French endurance classic. While team-owner Dayton has contested the race as a driver in the past, this year's Le Mans will not only be the team's 24 Hour debut, but also its first overseas race.

"I'm very proud to be joining the team for Le Mans as I think we have a great chance to win the LMP2 class," Werner said.

"Highcroft is a real high-level team and we have a great driver line-up with David and Marino

"You obviously need a complete package for Le Mans and you need a little bit of luck but I think we will be the team to beat.

"The diesel is a very heavy car and it is sometimes difficult to drive over the bumps. This car is very nimble and brings back some memories - the car almost has a Formula 3 feel to it. You can brake so much later into the corners than what you could in the Audi. It's a very different driving style which takes a bit of getting used to.

"Coming to Highcroft will be a new environment for me. I'm enjoying working with the guys and having competed against them before; I know they are very tough opponents.

"At Le Mans it is imperative to have every aspect of your package at the highest level. I think we have everything in place - from the Michelin tires, the crew, the chassis, the engine, the drivers - I don't see on the list any other team where they have everything in place."

With Highcroft Racing's resident Frenchman Simon Pagenaud competing for the Peugeot factory team in LMP1 at Le Mans this year, Highcroft sought additional endurance experience for its Le Mans debut.

Not only do they now have four overall race wins in the history books, the Highcroft driver line-up also has a pair of GT1 victories in Brabham's name. In fact, the Australian ace will be aiming for his fourth consecutive class win after winning GT1 for Aston Martin in 2007 and 2008 and the LMP1 division and overall title for Peugeot last year.

"It has been fun to see that hot pink helmet of Marco's in a green car. With our team going to Le Mans for the first time this year we have quite a bit to learn," Highcroft Racing, President, Duncan Dayton said.

"Obviously we will rely a lot on David's expertise and experience but when it came to completing our driver line-up it was important for us to find somebody who had great experience and knew how to win there.

"Marco knows the rhythm of the race and the weekend and clearly when he became available, there was certainly nobody else we could grab to help us quickly learn how to win there.

"Now that he is in an LMP2 car, he's probably never gone so slow down the straight but so fast through the corners over the past ten years. It is a totally different driving style that he has to get used to in this car but he did a great job in the test.

"He is a consummate professional and has been very consistent with his times. Driving this car does give your neck a bit of a beating but by the time we get to France he will be ready to go.

"I'm very excited about our entire line-up of David, Marino and Marco and I believe we have a very strong package for our debut at Le Mans."
 

Drayson Racing Privileged with Second Invitation to Le Mans
News from Drayson Racing
Photos © Drayson Racing
LE MANS, FRANCE (4 February 2010) - Drayson Racing is privileged today to earn its second consecutive invitation to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Automobile Club De l'Ouest (ACO), official sanctioning body of the 24 Heures du Mans, has named Drayson Racing as one of 21 Le Mans Prototype One (LM P1) entries to its field. 84 total entries were received across the four classes to fill the 55 position starting grid for the 78th running of the classic sports car race. The 12-13 June event will also mark the second time for drivers Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) to campaign a car on the 13.629 Km/8.468 mile-long Circuit de la Sarthe for Drayson Racing. The duo will share a Lola B09-60 Coupé with Judd V10 power on Michelin tyres with a third driver to be announced at a later date. "The ACO announcement is great news,” said owner/driver Paul Drayson. “In my head I've imagined what it's going to be like racing down the Mulsanne at night - and probably in the wet - at top speed in an LM P1 and now I'm going to be doing it for real; totally, totally incredible. Brilliant news!"

The United Kingdom-based team premiered at the world's most famous endurance race competing in the LM GT2 class for production-based cars in 2009. The programme ran competitively within the top 10 of class during the race. Despite a mid-race alternator failure, they rallied to make it within two hours of the chequered flag when a second electrical malfunction brought the team's day to a close. For the final three race weekends of the season, the Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA)-managed operation changed to the purpose-built prototype class with a Lola closed-cockpit chassis and 650 horsepower Judd engine. Drayson and Cocker culminated the change by earning one pole position and setting two fastest race laps on the way to winning the Michelin ® Green X Challenge ® in the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series championship.

While still a young effort, Drayson Racing is not without its Le Mans wins. Team Manager White is a two-time winner at La Sarthe having managed GT teams to victory in 2003 and 2004. The American brings that experience to the privately owned LM P1 programme for a second season. "It's a dream come true to receive an invitation to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LM P1 class,” said White. “We're a small team but we have assembled what we think is the best crew and car package for a privateer to challenge for the overall win at Le Mans against the top factory and privateer teams in the world. It will be a massive test but one we are approaching with a level head and high expectations. We are going to do everything we can to be the 'David' to their 'Goliath'."

Drayson Racing will open its 2010 season at the 12 Hours of Sebring on 20 March. It will campaign the full American Le Mans Series season with races in Long Beach, Calif. (17 April) and Monterey, Calif. (22 May) prior to the annual twice-around-the-clock event in France. Events in Utah (10 July), Connecticut (24 July), Ohio (7 August), Wisconsin (22 August) and Canada (29 August) will precede a homecoming for the first Intercontinental Cup race at the Silverstone Circuit in England on 12 September. A 2 October return to North America for the 10 hour/1000 mile Petit Le Mans in Atlanta marks the second Intercontinental Cup event. The season, and the Intercontinental Cup, will conclude for Drayson Racing with races in the Asian Le Mans Series in late October/early November in Japan and/or China. The Intercontinental Cup is the highly anticipated precursor to a full, ACO-sanctioned world championship in the coming years.
 

Heavy Series Flavor in First List of 2010 Le Mans Invitations
Photos © Dan Boyd
BRASELTON, Georgia (November 21, 2009) — Five teams and six entries from the American Le Mans Series are among the first 29 teams offered official invitations to next year’s running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As has been the case for the last 11 seasons, all championship-winning entrants in each American Le Mans Series class receive invitations to compete the following year in the world’s greatest auto race along with class winners at the annual Petit Le Mans.

Risi Competizione’s two entries and the first invitation for reigning LMP1 champion Patrón Highcroft Racing lead the Series’ contingent. Not only did the trio of Jaime Melo, Pierre Kaffer and Mika Salo give Risi its second straight GT2 crown at Le Mans this year, but the trio also drove the Risi Ferrari F430 GT to a second consecutive class win at Petit Le Mans in September.

Flying Lizard Motorsports appears on its way to a sixth straight appearance at Le Mans with its Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The team won its second consecutive Series GT2 championship this year with six victories for Porsche works drivers Patrick Long and Jörg Bergmeister.

Both Patrón Highcroft and Lowe’s Fernandez Racing – LMP2 – also received entries for their championship performances. Patrón Highcroft owner Duncan Dayton has made no secret of his ambitions to take his team to Le Mans in the past.

Corvette Racing also received an invitation for winning the GT1 class in 2009. With the team’s move to GT2, however, it is likely that it will decline the automatic entry.

Since 1999, American Le Mans Series teams have been driving forces at Le Mans with eight overall championship and 25 class championships.

JOHNNY O - SAFETY FIRST: Corvette Racing’s Johnny O’Connell says the crew at Pratt & Miller have been hard at work restoring and rebuilding the Corvette C6.R that was heavily damaged in the epic last-lap duel between teammate Jan Magnussen and Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Jörg Bergmeister in the Monterey Sports Car Championships presented by Patrón.

The Corvette and Porsche banged side-to-side coming out of the final turn in a frantic GT2 battle. As they beat on each other toward the finish, Magnussen went around hard into the outside wall just before the start-finish line.

“Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of Corvette Racing is the close association we have with the production side, and the relationship between the two,” O’Connell wrote on his personal blog. “Included in that is the importance both place on safety. Jan’s wreck was huge. He’s still not back to 100 percent but is getting close. That said, many aspects of the crash have been analyzed and changes made to the car to better protect us in the future. Just like was done when Dale Jr. had his crash and fire (at Infineon in 2004); things have been changed and improved. So as we move to the future all of us drivers will be confident in the safety or our car and know that everything has been looked at many times by the best in the industry.”

24 Hours of Le Mans
Marino Franchitti and Highcroft Racing Complete First Le Mans 24 Hours
By Kay Wilson
LA SARTHE, France (June 13, 2010) — Expectation was high as Marino Franchitti, his two co-drivers, David Brabham and Marco Werner, together with the entire Highcroft Racing team arrived at the famed 24 hour circuit in Le Mans nestled in the Sarthe region of France. Both David and Marco each had three Le Mans wins to their credit, albeit two of David’s were in categories other than his overall win in an LMP1 last year, and Marino was about to take full advantage of all their experience and hard fought success to settle himself into the event. Qualifying on Wednesday and Thursday went well, the team having secured 2nd place in LMP2 next to the HPD ARX-01c chassis of Strakka Racing who had put their team on the LMP2 category pole.

David Brabham took the wheel of the Highcroft Racing Honda Performance Development factory backed ARX-01c for the start of the 78th running of this historic event which is also renowned as the biggest motor racing challenge for any man or machine taking part in it. As the hours passed by the driver’s cycled through their rotations steadily and consistently holding on to their second placing.

In total the team suffered three punctures all resulting from the debris strewn track, one of the punctures befell Marino after approximately ten hours of running and just after the start of a new lap as he arrived at the Dunlop Bridge. This required Marino to use all his skill in bringing the car back to the pits at just 60kph for the remainder of the 8.5 mile lap in order not to cause any unnecessary damage to the car.

The solid performance of all three drivers continued right through the night and at one point the team actually led their class when pit stop rotations were taken by the Strakka Racing team.

It was 9.00am when David Brabham completed his dawn stint today handing the car over once again to Marino for his next set of multiple stints. No sooner had Marino begun to make strong inroads into the Strakka lead than he was forced to pit by the
HPD engineers who wanted to investigate a cooling issue which had arisen in the Malaria No More liveried Highcroft car. It took five lengthy pit stops to try to resolve the problem which eventually robbed the Highcroft team of their Le Mans podium.
However, the car was repaired sufficiently for Marino to get back into it and complete the final 2.5 laps giving the Highcroft team their first Le Mans race finish.

“Disappointment is the over-riding feeling after such a programme and having spent so long in its preparation,” said Marino after the race, “But I am very proud of the job the whole Highcroft team did at their first Le Mans, and I am very proud of the job
David and Marco did also. Everything about the team, and everything within their control, was first-class, and we are not going to let such a disappointment get us down, we will turn that into a positive for the future. Congratulations to the Strakka team; they did a fantastic job. I know Highcroft will be back, they were at such a high level already and next time they will be at a different level again.”

Marino returns to the US with the Highcroft team in just three weeks time when the team contest the second half of the ALMS season which begins in Salt Lake City on Saturday, 10th July.
 

OAK Racing complete Le Mans podium hat-trick
News from OAK Racing
LA SARTHE, France (June 14, 2010) —OAK Racing Team Mazda France continued their incredible run of form at the Le Mans 24 Hours in recent years with a third consecutive podium finish.

The #35 Pescarolo-Judd driven by Matthieu Lahaye, Guillaume Moreau and Jan Charouz produced a typically professional performance to run quickly and consistently throughout the twice-round-the-clock endurance race on their way to second position in LMP2 and seventh overall.

Meanwhile, the team’s #24 entry of Jacques Nicolet, Richard Hein and Jean-Francois Yvon came home fourth in class, one place shy of their own podium finish from 2009. overall 9th

Moreau was quickly into his stride after Saturday’s 3pm start and had moved up to fourth by the end of his stint. There the car stayed as both Lahaye and Charouz completed stints of their own until passing Quifel ASM’s Zytek in the darkness. And when the pre-race class favourite Highcroft HPD machine hit trouble, the crew were primed to pounce, taking a second position they would maintain to the flag.

While the #35 car enjoyed a relatively straight-forward race, the same couldn’t be said of the #24. Running 7th just after midnight, Hein was squeezed by two faster LMP1 cars and forced into an accident with the stationary Matech Ford GT.

Both machines suffered significant damage with the Pescarolo losing much of its front left side. But just half-an-hour after limping back to the pits, the Monegasque returned to action, OAK Racing’s mechanics having effected an incredible rebuild.

Throughout the night the car continued to run like clockwork, picking off those that fell by the wayside to seal fourth in class and an overall top ten finish.

Francois Sicard, Team Manager: “A third consecutive podium for the team is incredible, especially as it’s so difficult to even finish at Le Mans. I’m also proud of the job done by the team and drivers because we got both entries inside the top ten overall. The car was very quick and reliable but we knew from the outset that it would be impossible to fight against the HPDs because of their straight-line speed, so we decided to focus on our own race. I asked the drivers to look after the car and thanks to the Pescarolo and Judd’s reliability, combined with our Dunlop tyres’ durability and consistency, we managed a great result.

“Now we’ll look forward to the rest of the Le Mans Series where we’ve already scored two podiums, but I’m hopeful of taking the next step. I think our car will suit Portimao so let’s wait and see. We’ve succeeded at Le Mans so I see no reason why we can’t in Portugal or Hungary.”

Matthieu Lahaye: “It’s fantastic for the team which has scored podiums here every year since 2008. OAK Racing has become the team of choice for drivers wanting to finish on the Le Mans podium! We had no reliability issues with either car and both finished in the overall top ten. In the Le Mans Series one car is second and the other fourth in the championship which proves there’s a great team effort and spirit. I’m delighted to have been a part of that since the beginning and hopefully it will continue.”

Guillaume Moreau: “I rejoined OAK Racing this year and have completed two Le Mans Series races, scoring two podiums. Now, in my third, we finished on the Le Mans podium. We started the race with our confidence high whilst remaining cautious and realistic. Jan, who was quick and reliable, helped us put the HPDs under pressure. I’m delighted to finish second and sure it’s a good sign for the rest of the season. The team were great, especially when Richard had his accident. They repaired the car so quickly, proving we are as competitive in the garage as on the track.”

Jan Charouz: “I’m really happy to be back at Le Mans after focusing on single seaters this year. Luckily I haven’t forgotten how to drive a prototype! I’m also pleased that after four years of trying I’ve finally finished on the podium. It was great to drive in LMP2 for OAK Racing. The team did a great job, the car was amazing and although we were losing out a bit on the straights, we gained more in the corners. Everyone was very professional and it was a pleasure to be a part of the team.”

Jacques Nicolet: “As a driver I’m very happy with how the race went and had a great time. I completed a quadruple stint last night which was fantastic, as was the car. The accident revealed what a great bunch of mechanics we’ve got though. The crews from both cars got together to repair damage in 36 minutes which is similar to a manufacturer team. I’m also very proud as a team owner that with Francois Sicard we were able to put together an operation like this. To have two LMP2s in the top ten is an exceptional result. 2010 has been great so far and it’s not finished yet. I’m thinking of Le Mans 2011 with even more enthusiasm now. I’m also proud to represent Pescarolo and hope that Henri’s fans are happy with the result.”

Richard Hein: “It’s fantastic for the kids in #35! They deserve it and I’m very proud of them. This proves that when you mix youth with experience it works well! It was going well until I ran out of luck at 3am when two Audis overtook me. There was a Ford GT stationary on the racing line with no lights on and no yellow flags out so the first I knew of it was when the cars in front darted left and right. It was a big impact – maybe 192km/h – but the team did a great job.”

Jean-Francois Yvon: “I’m very happy for the team and it’s a magnificent result to get two cars in the top nine overall. The car was exceptional but we had to work hard to maintain the level of performance. A big thanks to the entire team for preparing such a fantastic car. I hope they will have me back again next year as I think myself, Jacques and Richard form a fantastic partnership together.”
 

Last gasp heartbreak for Hancock at Le Mans
News from Sam Hancock Racing
LA SARTHE, France (June 13, 2010) — Aston Martin Racing factory driver Sam Hancock endured a heartbreaking exit to this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours after retiring from the petrol-powered lead and fourth overall with less than an hour remaining.

The #009 LMP1 coupe had belied the world famous twice-round-the-clock endurance race’s mantle as motorsport’s greatest test of man and machine with a sublime, trouble-free run for over 23 hours.

But luck can be a fickle master at La Sarthe. Having all-but completed his final triple stint and with team mate Darren Turner waiting in the pits to reel off the race’s final 50 minutes, the Aston Martin slowed dramatically with smoke coming from the rear.

The problem terminal, Sam was left with little choice but to park the car at Arnage corner and leave with it any hopes of a first Le Mans 24 Hours finish for another season.

Despite his desperate misfortune, Hancock along with team mates Turner and Juan Barazi enjoyed a fantastic drive for much of the race. Starting ninth, the car maintained a quick and consistent pace that helped promote it one position to eighth as darkness fell on Saturday night.

There the crew stayed until Sunday morning when, following a faultless night-time display, they took the petrol-powered lead after a gearbox bearing failed on the sister #007 prototype.

And when unreliability also struck three of the leading diesel contenders, Hancock found himself an incredible fourth overall with a comfortable advantage over his pursuers, before retiring late in the day.

Sam Hancock: “Obviously it’s gutting to come so close to the best result of my Le Mans career and have it snatched away at the death. The car had been fantastic up to that point and we were able to lap very consistently throughout the race. But I’m not going to dwell on it too much. The whole team has worked fantastically well this week so it’s as much of a shame for them as me. I’d like to thank my team mates, the 009 crew and everyone at Aston Martin Racing for welcoming me into the team. Despite the result, it’s been a huge privilege to drive for them this week and an opportunity I will cherish. I’ll have another crack in the LMP1 car at Silverstone later this year so at least there’s a chance to make up for this disappointment.

“Although we never had a realistic chance of beating the diesels in a straight fight, just like last season our reliability initially allowed us to profit from their demise. We were on target to equal Aston Martin Racing’s result from 2009 and winning the petrol class again would have been a great achievement. But it wasn’t to be this time round.”

Silverstone’s 1000km classic on September 12 marks the final round of this season’s Le Mans Series and opening race of the Intercontinental Cup.
 

Flying Lizard Announces 2010 Le Mans Program
Bergmeister, Law and Neiman to Return in the No. 80
News from Flying Lizard Motorsport
Photos © FLM
SONOMA, California (May 3, 2010) –– Flying Lizard Motorsports announced today the details of their sixth 24 Heures du Mans program. Drivers Jörg Bergmeister (Germany), Darren Law (USA), and Seth Neiman (USA) will return in the No. 80 Porsche GT3 RSR for the 24-hour endurance classic, June 12-13 at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. The No. 80 will be sponsored by ShoreTel and Openwave, both sponsors of the team's 2010 ALMS season.

Flying Lizard has competed in GT2 in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through 2009, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, and sixth in 2008. "Le Mans is such a great and unpredictable race," said Flying Lizard principal and No. 80 driver Seth Neiman. "We are honored to have the opportunity to participate again in 2010. We've run the gamut of experiences here; each year we learn more about how to compete in this incredible event."

Lizard chief strategist Thomas Blam added, "This will be the second year that Jörg, Darren and Seth have driven together at Le Mans. Last year Jörg qualified on the pole; we had a fast car and a strong showing until the hour 15 crash. This year, we expect an even tougher GT2 field with both Corvette and BMW now in the mix. We are coming off our recent ALMS win in the streets of Long Beach and we hope to carry that momentum through Laguna and to Le Mans."

All three drivers have significant endurance racing experience. Bergmeister is a Porsche factory driver and is currently tied for the lead in the 2010 ALMS GT championship in the Flying Lizard No. 45 Porsche (with co-driver Patrick Long). He has raced at Le Mans eight times, three years with Flying Lizard: 2007, 2008 and 2009. He won GT2 in 2004 (with Sascha Maassen and Patrick Long) and has finished on the podium three times. In the ALMS, Bergmeister is four-time GT2 champion: 2005, 2006, 2008 (with Wolf Henzler) and 2009 (with Patrick Long). He has won the Rolex 24 at Daytona three times — in GT in 2009, both GT and overall in 2003 and GT in 2002.

Law and Neiman co-pilot the No. 44 Flying Lizard Porsche in the ALMS in the 2010 season. Neiman finished seventh in the ALMS GT2 drivers' championship in 2009 and Law was tenth. In 2009, Law won overall at the 2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona; notable ALMS finishes include second in 2008 in the No. 44 at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring(with Neiman and Alex Davison) and 2nd in GT2 at Long Beach and Detroit (with Patrick Long) in 2007. Since 2005, Law has consistently finished in the top ten of the Porsche Cup ranking of non-factory Porsche drivers: 5th in 2009, 4th in 2008, 2nd in 2007, 7th in 2006, and 10th in 2005.

In the ALMS, Flying Lizard has won back to back GT2 team and driver championships: 2008 and 2009. Two races into the ALMS 2010 9-race season, the No. 45 is currently tied for the championship lead.

Follow the Race
The 24 Heures du Mans begins at 15.00 h CET (9:00 am Pacific Time) on Saturday June 12. Flying Lizard will broadcast the team radio live during the race. Fans can follow English-language broadcast on Radio Le Mans www.radiolemans.com and SpeedTV. Live timing and scoring at www.lemans.org
 

Strakka Racing Aiming for Le Mans
News from Strakka Racing
Photos © Strakka Racing
February 4, 2010 -- Everyone at Strakka Racing is delighted to have received confirmation that the team’s application to participate in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours has been accepted by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

The news came through on Thursday 4th February that the Strakka Racing entry for a single ARX-01c in the LMP2 category had been listed by the ACO. The car will carry the number 42, and will be co-driven by Nick Leventis, Danny Watts and Jonny Kane. The announcement came just two days after Strakka was pleased to confirm the appointment of Ulsterman Jonny Kane as the team’s third driver for the 2010 season.

“We are naturally delighted to have been accepted to compete in the 2010 Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans, the world’s greatest and toughest motor race,” said Team Manager Piers Phillips. “The team is honoured to be representing the HPD brand alongside the world’s best teams and manufacturers. We are also proud that HPD, Michelin and the ACO have recognised the significant strides that Strakka Racing has made over the last three years in infrastructure, professionalism and technical capability.”

“We feel very privileged to be granted an entry for this prestigious race,” said Nick Leventis, team driver at Strakka. “It will be our third participation in the 24 Hours, although only the second under our own name, but I feel we’re in a much stronger position this year. We face the challenge from the foundation of having a better understanding of what it takes to compete at this level, and we also have the benefit of an even more experienced team of personnel. I hope we can demonstrate the strength of the HPD-Strakka partnership, and make the most of this opportunity at our third attempt.”

Eight other cars are listed in the LMP2 category, as well as twenty-one LMP1 prototypes, eight GT1 entries, seventeen in GT2, and ten reserves. “The LMP2 category is fiercely competitive this year, with several teams fielding some exceptionally strong driver line-ups,” added Piers. “Even so, we expect to take the fight to them, and to challenge for honours. We now have more experience, backed up by technical know-how, and our initial testing has shown the HPD ARX-01c to be both fast and reliable. Now we just can’t wait for June to arrive!”

The team will have the opportunity to judge exactly how tough that competition is during the first two rounds of the Le Mans Series, including an eight-hour race at the Paul Ricard circuit (April 9-11) and in the Spa 1000 Kilometres (May 7-9).