Strong Audi presence at 2011 Race of Champions

Strong Audi presence at 2011 Race of

Champions

􀀁 Four Audi “factory” drivers to contest the race in Düsseldorf

􀀁 DTM racer Filipe Albuquerque will compete as title defender

􀀁 Audi R8 LMS is the most powerful competition vehicle

Ingolstadt, November 25, 2011 – Audi will be represented at the 2011 Race of

Champions at the ESPRIT arena in Düsseldorf on December 3 and 4, 2011 with its

strongest line-up ever. As many as four Audi “factory” drivers will compete with

Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel & company. In addition, the brand with the

four rings is deploying the 525-HP Audi R8 LMS to the meeting of the world’s

best race and rally drivers as the most powerful competition vehicle in the field.

Filipe Albuquerque (Portugal), Mattias Ekström (Sweden), Tom Kristensen

(Denmark) and Timo Scheider (Germany) were invited to participate in the eagerly

awaited meeting that attracted more than 64,000 spectators last year.

Consequently Audi has good chances of providing the best of the best at the Race of

Champions yet again.

Three times the two-time DTM Champion Mattias Ekström has previously won the

title at the Race of Champions. In 2006, at the finale in Paris, the Audi factory driver

sensationally defeated local hero Sébastien Loeb, who has meanwhile become the

eight-time World Rally Champion. Both in 2007 in London and in 2009 in Beijing,

the Swede prevailed against Michael Schumacher. In 2010, Ekström was unable to

run due to a conflicting commitment in the DTM finale at Shanghai (China). Yet last

year it was again an Audi racer – at that time still employed by Audi Sport Italia –,

the Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque, who prevailed against the world’s elite.

“The successes of our drivers at the Race of Champions show the high level of

driving skills that exist at Audi,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

“I think this was made obvious by our triumphs in the DTM and at the Le Mans 24

Hours as well.”

At the Race of Champions a select group of the world’s best race and rally drivers

traditionally competes against each other in identical vehicles. The most powerful

competition vehicle in 2011 is the Audi R8 LMS that already impressed the

participants at last year’s event in Düsseldorf. With a track record of more than 110

victories in just three years, the mid-engine sports car from quattro GmbH has

meanwhile become one of the world’s most successful GT3 vehicles. This year,

among other events, the Audi R8 LMS won the 12-hour race at Bathurst (Australia)

and the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) in which over 60 GT3 sports

cars competed.

In Düsseldorf, the Audi R8 LMS will run on an about one-kilometer parallel track

that is being specifically set up for the Race of Champions at the ESPRIT arena.

Featuring a width of 7.5 meters, the circuit is the widest one in the history of the

event that dates back all the way to 1988.

Tom Kristensen, who with eight victories under his belt is the most successful Le

Mans racer of all time, has been competing at the Race of Champions since 2001,

and thus longer than any other entrant. “The Race of Champions is a fantastic event,

that’s why I always enjoy returning to this race,” says the Audi factory driver. “The

audience is enthusiastic and I look forward to competing again with Mattias

(Ekström) in the ROC Nations Cup.”

In 2005, Ekström and Kristensen as “Team Scandinavia” won the Nations Cup on the

eve of the single event. Most recently, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel

prevailed four consecutive times. Aiming to break the winning streak of “Team

Germany” are not just Ekström and Kristensen but also the two-time DTM Champion

Timo Scheider who together with Formula One racer Timo Glock is forming the

“SAT.1 Team Germany 2.” “Obviously, Team Germany with two Formula One World

Champions has the favorite’s role,” says the Audi factory driver. “But I’m sure that

Timo (Glock) and I will not just have a lot of fun in Düsseldorf but will be

competitive too.”

This also applies to title defender Filipe Albuquerque. The second-best newcomer of

the 2011 DTM season, who achieved his first DTM podium at Valencia at the start of

October, was the sensational winner of last year’s ROC in Düsseldorf. “I’m really

looking forward to compete again in the Race of Champions and to defend my title,”

explains the Portugese.

The comeback of Mattias Ekström, who will contest the Race of Champions again

after a one-year break, is being awaited with particularly eager anticipation. “In

2010, it was pretty painful having to watch the action from a distance,” says the

Swede who won three DTM races and the Spa 24 Hours this year – the latter at the

wheel of an Audi R8 LMS by the way. “I’m very much looking forward to being part

of it again this year.”

Audi Sport.

Large crowds for the ADAC GT Masters 2012 season

Large crowds for the ADAC GT Masters 2012 season

The interest in the ADAC GT Masters is too high for the 2012 season without brakes. For the last few days, participants have the opportunity to enroll for the upcoming season, with the weekend of 13 to 15 April 2012 at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben begins.

Already noted, the ADAC is a very high demand for grid positions. Already 15 teams with a total of 28 vehicles have registered for the upcoming season in the "league of super sports cars." You will benefit from the particularly favorable conditions, the ADAC offers the teams until 30 November 2011 to enroll.

Among the previously reported 28-GT racers, the fans look forward to even 140 days before the start of the season in the Magdeburg region, can be found spectacular new additions. The eagerly awaited MP4/12C McLaren celebrates its race debut in 2012 as the "league of super sports car" like the U.S. large-volume sports car legend Chevrolet Camaro. The ADAC GT Masters in 2012 thrilled not only with new vehicles, but also with a variety of brands, is unparalleled. In addition to the McLaren and the Chevrolet supercars already more like Corvette Z06 were, Italia Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Gallardo enrolled, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Porsche 911. The ADAC expects other trademarks and expects a starter box with about ten different manufacturers.

Interested teams have the opportunity for responses to 30 November 2011 to benefit from a reduced registration fee for the 2012 season. However, to hurry, because by the end of November, only 36 of the 44 awarded for the upcoming season available starting places. The remaining eight places of ADAC reserved until the closing date on 01 March 2012 for further attractive newcomers and teams who are working currently on your plans for 2012. Registrations for the ADAC GT Masters is only possible online.

The ADAC GT Masters 2012 starts at seven and ADAC Masters Weekend in the ADAC Truck Grand Prix at the Nurburgring for a total of 16 races. The eight events, each with two races are held on all permanent race tracks in Germany and on the Red Bull Ring in Austria and in Zandvoort, Netherlands, and are again shown live on television.

ADAC Presse.

FIA GT1: Aston Martin and Nissan Make Light Work of Hot Conditions

Aston Martin and Nissan Make Light Work of Hot Conditions

FREE PRACTICE Under clear blue skies and blazing sunshine Richard Westbrook, in the nr22 JR Motorsports Nissan GT-R, went fastest In the first session of the weekend at Paul Ricard with a lap time of 2:04.335. David Brabham, in the nr21 Sumo Power GT Nissan GT-R, went 2nd fastest with his best of 2:04.840. It looked like a Nissan 1-2-3-4 until Andrea Piccini, in the nr4 Hexis AMR Aston Martin DB9, split the four cars with a time of 2:04.863, which was good enough for third on the time sheet and pushed the nr20 Sumo Power GT and the nr23 JR Motorsports Nissan GT-Rs to 4th and 5th respectively. GT1 Pre Qualifying will take place at 14:25 (CET) this afternoon. CLICK HERE for the result from Free Practice PRE-QUALIFYING After another strong performance by the Nissan GT-Rs, led by the nr23 JR Motorsport Nissan of Michael Krumm as the air temperature soared to over 30 degrees, it was the nr8 Young Driver Aston Martin DB9 of Stefan Mucke that was at the top of the time sheets at the end of the 80-minute Pre-Qualifying session. In a last gasp lap Mucke posted a time of 2:03.897, the only GT1 driver to go faster than 2 minutes 4 seconds so far this weekend. Mucke's time was two tenths faster than Krumm's best effort and three tenths ahead of the third placed Andreas Zuber in the nr11 Exim Bank Team China Corvette. CLICK HERE for the result of Pre-Qualifying Qualifying will take place at 10:40(CET) on Saturday 16 July Stefan Mücke Nr8 Young Driver Aston Martin DB9 "We know that the hot conditions are not ideal for our car. We concentrated on a good Quali set-up and we seem to have found it. I'm also quite optimistic for the race as we know what to change and which way to go, we understand how the car works on this track quite well. We are really hoping that it’s not getting any hotter as that will affect our performance quite a lot. "In general the Aston is an aerodynamic car which is quite strong on aero circuits. But as soon as you have a higher air temperature you lose downforce and also engine power. We love the cold conditions but we have to make the best of it. The Nissans are strong in the straights so they are going to be hard to beat. So far, so good, I am looking forward to tomorrow." Richard Westbrook Nr22 JR Motorsport Nissan GT-R "It's been a good days' work. We were first in Free Practice, not quite top three in Pre-Qualifying but we are very close. We stayed in the window of the car on set-up. This is a good track for Nissan. It's definitely not as good for us as it was in the Algarve where it was really good but here it is going to very close. "Obviously you have the Aston which is strong, the Ford is very quick, particularly in the last sector, the Lamborghini is quick as is the Corvette. It is going to be very tight during the race." Mike Hezemans Nr11 Exim Bank Team China Corvette Z06 "We can't seem to get three good sectors together. We are both strong in the middle sector, but if you put my first sector together the last sector of Andreas (Zuber) then I think we can go for pole. It's very easy to lock up the fronts. If we can get it together and we get a good overall lap, then who knows. "This track for us is better for the tyres for sure. At least we have the speed. If you don't have the speed then you really want to go home and cry. It was another good Friday for us. So far this season we are competitive - starting with Friday but we just need to get it right for the race and stay out of trouble." Bas Leinders Nr40 Marc VDS Racing Team Ford GT Matech "In the morning it was OK but we have lost our way a bit on set-up with the No.40 car. We don't know exactly what went from this morning (Free Practice) to this afternoon (Pre-Qualifying), but all of a sudden the car was undriveable. We changed some small things but it was completely the wrong direction. "The No.41 seems to be doing a lot better so maybe we will copy their set-up which will not be ideal for us but that is the only alternative we have at the moment." Nicky Pastorelli Nr37 All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-SV "We are not too bad. We weren't able to run with new tyres at the end because we had some technical issues with the engine which we can solve pretty easily for tomorrow. We are looking OK considering the weight we have with the success ballast added. "It's too difficult to say on a Friday where we will end up for the race but we hope we can finish in the top five. That would be a great result for us. That is what we are aiming for." Jamie Campbell-Walter Nr21 Sumo Power GT Nissan GT-R "We had a good day today. We did all we needed to do and I’m happy with the car. I was a bit surprised as to how much the wind is affecting things on the long straight, you can really feel it pushing you into the corners, but overall I think we’re in a good position for tomorrow." Jeff Carter Media Delegate,

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 6 at the Formula 1 race on the Nürburgring/Germany Strong rivals pursue points’ leader René Rast Stuttgart. After a

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 6 at the Formula 1 race on the Nürburgring/Germany

Strong rivals pursue points’ leader René Rast

Stuttgart. After a successful guest appearance at the Porsche Carrera World Cup, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup now returns for the second time this season to the Nürburgring on 24th July. It’s the 200th race in it’s successful history and rather than on the Nordschleife it takes place on the Grand Prix circuit. But the change of track doesn’t at all faze René Rast. “We’re doing well at the moment,” grins the points’ leader driving for the VELTINS Lechner Racing squad. “I don’t really mind where I win.”

The title defender from Germany, who celebrated the greatest success of his career with the World Cup victory, is the man to beat in the world’s fastest international one-make race series. His start to the season was somewhat bumpy until he turned the corner with his victory in Monaco. Recently on the storied Silverstone circuit, the home track of his arch rival Nick Tandy (Konrad Motorsport), he celebrated his third straight win. This success saw his old self-confidence return: “Earlier on we had a couple of hiccups, but now we’re back in force.”

Despite Rast’s winning streak, the fight for the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup title is still wide open before the anniversary race on the Nürburgring. Competing for the Abu Dhabi by tolimit team, Britain’s Sean Edwards secured his place amongst the hot favourites with his win in Barcelona. Although he lost the points’ lead at Silverstone, he hasn’t lost his faith in claiming the title. “Despite this little misfiring we’re still looking good,” he says. “Now we just have to stick at it.” Germany’s Christian Engelhart (Konrad Motorsport), winner of the season-opener in Istanbul, also has new hopes. After a lengthy lean spell he finally yielded a good result with fifth in Silverstone.

Fighting to keep up with the front-runners are two drivers that started into the season as keen title aspirants: Nick Tandy and Jeroen Bleekemolen. The Briton fell from the top of the points’ table after retiring from the Porsche Carrera World Cup. He finished four of the five rounds contested by now in second place, but is still waiting for his first win. Ranking third overall, he needs every point to maintain his bid for the title, as does Jeroen Bleekemolen of Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, who lies behind Austria’s Norbert Siedler (VELTINS Lechner Racing) in fifth. Bleekemolen, the two-time Supercup winner from the Netherlands, experienced a slow start to the season. With fourth place in Monaco as his best result to now he knows only too well that he has to pull out all stops if he doesn’t want to miss the championship boat. “On the Nürburgring,” he says, “only a podium result can help. Obviously a win would be the best. But with the competition at the top so close it’s going to be tough.”

In light of the strong competition, the performance of Supercup newcomer Kévin Estre is even more remarkable. The French Hermes Attempto Racing pilot raised eyebrows in Silverstone with third in qualifying, which he turned into his best race result of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup season with fourth place. His next goal? “The podium,” he says confidently, “preferably on the Nürburgring.”

TV stations Eurosport (11.45 hours) and Sky (11.40 hours) broadcast the race on the Nürburgring live on 24th July. Moreover, Eurosport telecasts highlights at 23.00 hours in its “Motorsport Weekend Magazin” programme.


Points’ standings after 5 of 9 races*

Drivers’ classification
1. René Rast (D), 85 points
2. Sean Edwards (GB), 74
3. Nick Tandy (GB), 72
4. Norbert Siedler (A), 69
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 58
6. Christian Engelhart (D), 53

BBS rookie classification
1. Kévin Estre (F), 50 points

Team classification
1. VELTINS Lechner Racing, 148 points
2. Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, 130
3. Konrad Motorsport, 124

* It has yet to be decided if and when there will be a replacement for the cancelled Formula 1 race in Bahrain with two rounds of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup.



Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

Last stop in Europe for Young Driver AMR Weather is everything for Young Driver AMR in the south of France

Last stop in Europe for Young Driver AMR

Weather is everything for Young Driver AMR in the south of France

Paderborn, 13.07.2011 [GT1 World Championship]

For the last time this season, the two Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin

DBR9 are transported to the racetrack by the bright yellow Young

Driver AMR-trucks. Before the second season of the GT1 World

Championship concludes with three races overseas, to which the cars

will be shipped by boat, the French round at the Paul Ricard HTTT

(High Tech Test Track) in Le Castellet at the French Riviera marks

the last European stop of the championship. In the south of France,

Young Driver AMR and it’s four drivers Alex Müller (GER)/ Tomas

Enge (CZE) and Stefan Mücke (GER)/ Darren Turner (GBR) aim to

bring themselves in a good position in the championship, before the

GT1-tour heads overseas.

After a tough weekend in Spain only ten days ago, the Paul Ricard

HTTT in Le Castellet will be another challenge for Young Driver AMR.

“The weather will play a major part this weekend”, Young Driver

AMR-team principal Hardy Fischer says. “If it’s hot down there, like at

Navarra, it can be difficult for us. Last year we had a good speed at

Le Castellet, but had some technical issues. If it isn’t too hot, I hope

for a good result, that will keep us in contention to the championship

leaders.”

Before the French round of the GT1 World championship, Young

Driver AMR is fourth in the team championship. Mücke/Turner are

sixth in the driver’s championship with Müller/Enge one spot behind.

Driver quotes before the race:

Alex Müller (#7 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): “Paul Ricard is

a really nice track, I raced there with Young Driver AMR in April. My

teammates, who raced there last season with Aston Martin, told me

it’s not an ideal track for our Aston Martin DBR9. After a tough

weekend with much bad luck in Spain, I hope for better luck in

France. In Spain we also had 30kg ballast on board, in France we

now run ballast-free and should be more competitive. I hope for a

clean race and looking forward to improve our position in the

championship.”

Tomá! Enge (#7 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): “As we know

from the past, the car works very good in cool conditions and we

hope for cool weather in France. We have a very good aero and good

power, but this is effect by the weather. If it’s hot at Paul Ricard it will

be difficult for us. Otherwise I hope that we can grab some points.”

Stefan Mücke (#8 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): “Some parts

of the track really suit our Aston Martin, but there are also some very

long straights, which are not so good for us. Tire performance will be

an issue, too. There are some very fast corners at Paul Ricard where

it’s not possible to save the tires. In Spain we struggled with the very

high temperatures, but if it’s cool in France, we might have a have

chance for a podium finish, if we have two trouble free races.”

Young Driver AMR GmbH

Max-Planck-Str. 3a

D-33104 Paderborn / Germany

phone: +49 5254 93 06 295

email: info@youngdriver-amr.com

www.youngdriver-amr.com

Darren Turner (#8 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): „Paul Ricard

is not the strongest circuit for us, but we will do the best we can. It

would be very nice to get some points there after a tough weekend in

Navarra, which really dented our chances in the championship.”

###

Follow GT1 World:

Both races and the qualifying are streamed live in the internet with

English commentary at www.gt1world.com/gt1tv

Timetable:

Friday 15th July

09:00 - 10:20 FIA GT1 World Championship Free Practice

14:25 - 15:45 FIA GT1 World Championship Pre-Qualifying

Saturday 16th July

10:40 - 11:40 FIA GT1 World Championship Qualifying

16:15 - 17:15 FIA GT1 World Championship Qualifying Race

Sunday 17th July

09:00 - 09:30 FIA GT1 World Championship Warm Up

15:15 - 16:15 FIA GT1 World Championship Championship Race

Young Driver is on Twitter

Follow all the action @YoungDriverAMR

Schedule GT1-World 2011

24. – 25. March Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi (VAE)

08. – 10. April Zolder (B)

06. – 08. May Algarve, Portimão (P)

13. – 15. May Sachsenring (D)

03. – 05. June Silverstone Supercar 2011 (GB)

01. – 03. July Navarra (E)

15. – 17. July HTTT Paul Ricard, Le Castellet (F)

02. – 04. September Ordos (CN)

21. – 23. October Curitiba (BR)

05. – 06. November San Luis (ARG)

About Young Driver AMR

Young Driver AMR was founded by Hardy Fischer and his friend and

long-time associate Jan Struve in late 2009 and is representing Aston

Martin as one of only two teams in the FIA GT1 World Championship

with two Aston Martin DBR9. The abbreviation AMR in the team

name stands for Aston Martin Racing, Young Driver AMR is the only

official German partner team of Aston Martin Racing. Young Driver

AMR is a sister-team of Fischer Racing and based in Paderborn. In

it’s first racing season 2010, Young Driver AMR took three victories in

the FIA GT1 World Championship and finished on the class podium in

it’s first ever outing in the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans in France.

Young Driver Team presse.

Sata Rallye Açores (14-16 July 2011) : The IRC returns to gravel

The 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) features three gravel rallies, the first of which will take teams and drivers to the Azores (July 14-16) where a 207 S2000 took the top prize in 2010 in the hands of Bruno Magalhaès. This time round, the entry includes three Peugeot crews who will be keen to repeat last year's success.

Unique scenery

It was two years ago that the first Sata Rallye Açores to count towards the IRC caught fans' imagination thanks to stunning helicopter TV footage of the Sete Cidades stage. For several kilometres, the cars followed a narrow, twisty trail which followed the rim of an impressive volcano crater. Competitors were only protected from steep drops to either side by a small verge. The Azores is an archipelago of volcanic islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and the rally visits the biggest of them: San Miguel, which has a population of 130,000 (plus 200,000 cows).

Bruno Magalhaès – the outgoing winner

"The island's dirt stages are very varied. They range from extremely twisty to very fast, but they are generally narrow, and slippery in the wet," notes Bruno Magalhaès who will be sharing his Peugeot Portugal-entered 207 S2000 with Paulo Grave. "This event is special for me because it brought me my first IRC win. I was very proud of that performance because I had to push from start to finish, while at the same time keeping my driving very smooth. I had to take risks without making any mistakes. My aim is to win again this year. That will require another faultless run. Thanks to Peugeot Sport, I was able to benefit from two days of testing which helped me find my marks again on the loose. That helped boost my confidence so I should be able to hit the ground running."

Bryan Bouffier makes the trip to the mid-Atlantic

Thanks to his win on January's Rallye Monte-Carlo, plus runner-up finishes on the Yalta and Ypres Rallies, Bryan Bouffier provisionally figures in second place – and best-placed Peugeot representative – in the IRC Drivers' standings. Along with his faithful co-driver, Xavier Panseri, the Peugeot France driver is making the trip to the Azores determined to harvest another top result to help his 2011 IRC title bid. "More than anything else, I'm delighted to be driving the 207 S2000 on gravel again," says Bryan. "I enjoy competing on the loose, although I've got far more experience of asphalt competition, of course. On top of that, I've never been to the Azores before, while some of my rivals have good knowledge of the stages, but that won't stop me from giving it everything I can. I will try to make good pace notes and then push hard, but without losing sight of the fact that I need to reach the finish in order to score big points, both for the Manufacturers' and Drivers' championships. My entry was made quite late. Thankfully, I took part in a gravel test with the 207 S2000 a month-and-a-half ago, so that will be a big help…"

Guy Wilks looking to fight back

Guy Wilks, who has been less fortunate than Bryan Bouffier, finished the last two rounds of the IRC in fifth place after being troubled by a spate of punctures. "Quite often, I don't even know where I pick them up," comments the Peugeot UK driver. "That makes it difficult to know what I need to do to take corrective action. I'm convinced that bad luck has got something to do with it and I hope the run will soon come to a halt." Guy and his co-driver Phil Pugh are both Azores rookies. "All I know about the Azores is its famous 'depression' which spells good weather back home in the UK. On the event itself, I am told that showers are very frequent and that the conditions can change as quickly as they do in Ireland, so that promises to be fun! This will be my first gravel event with the 207 S2000, but I feel ready thanks to two days of testing that enabled me to familiarise myself with the car on the loose and adapt its set-up to the way I drive. We did some good work, especially on the damping. I feel quite confident."

Three 207 Super 2000s

The long journey out to the Azores explains why the 42-strong entry list only includes eight Super 2000 cars, three of which are 207s. "That won't prevent the Peugeot runners from setting their sights high," underlines Frédéric Bertrand, the manager of Peugeot Sport's Customer Competition department. "They tend to be the outsiders, but that's a role that actually suits them, especially since the 207 S2000 won here in 2010. It promises to be a very competitive weekend and I have every confidence in the ability of the three Peugeot drivers to clock up top results."

Peugeot in Portugal

The first half of the year saw Peugeot secure second place in a falling market. In a difficult situation, it is one of the brands that have resisted the best, since its market share of 9.2 percent is up 0.6 percent over the same period in 2010. The 207 and 206+ top their segment, while the 3008 and RCZ are second in their respective segments. Following its launch in March, the 508 is its segment's second-best selling model to be marketed by a volume manufacturer. In a total market representing 109,178 vehicles (passenger cars and LCVs), Peugeot Portugal's 100 outlets totalled 10,059 vehicle sales during the first half of 2011.

See the timetable and the standings : Click here

Peugeot Sport/ Acreditated Media Press.

BMW Expressions at 24 H. Nurburgring 2011.

Pictures from the BMW # 1 at the 24 Hour Nurburgring 2011, this car was P1 at the 2010 24 Hours Nurburgring.

Photos: Nacho Hernandez for AmigosRacing.

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA First podium result of the season for the title defenders

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA

First podium result of the season for the title defenders

Stuttgart. In the American Le Mans Series, the title defenders clinched their first podium result of the season at their third attempt. With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) finished second in the GT class at the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock to improve their championship position.

The race on the short 2.478 kilometre circuit in the US state of Connecticut was thrilling from start to finish. And it began well for Porsche: Patrick Long snatched second place right at the start and defended his position to the first pit stop and driver change. His teammate Joerg Bergmeister, who tops the winners’ list with five victories from the last five years on this circuit, fell back just once to third place after another pit stop behind his works driver colleague Wolf Henzler, but was quickly able to regain his position.

Bergmeister went on to deliver a spirited fight for the lead, at times only two seconds adrift of the front-runner. But with three laps to go, his result looked in jeopardy when tyre damage forced him into the pits. As always, the Flying Lizard crew worked swiftly on his number 45 Porsche so that he was able to defend his second place. At the flag only 20.387 seconds separated Bergmeister and Long from their first win of the season.

“That was a lively race,” said Joerg Bergmeister. “Today we were able to fight for victory and I’ve tried everything to continue my winning streak after five straight Lime Rock victories. Unfortunately, a puncture prevented this. Still, it was our best result so far this season. Our entire team has worked extremely hard for this.” Patrick Long said: “I’m very satisfied. Today we have earned plenty of championship points. Because all of our direct competitors had problems, these points are especially valuable. Our car was perfectly set-up over the entire weekend. It’s a shame that we were just a few seconds off clinching victory.

Bryan Sellers drove the first stint for the Falken Tire squad. Cleverly, he kept out of any trouble on the tight circuit, and his teammate Wolf Henzler did the rest. With an early refuelling pit stop 1:15 hours before the flag, they took their opponents by surprise and turned up in second place when the rest of the field pitted for fuel. Wolf Henzler too had his big moments: 30 minutes before the finish he brought the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR into the pits with suspected tyre damage. Luckily, he had only picked up rubber from the track. And in the final laps, problems with the fuel pressure cost him a safe third place. He took the flag in fifth.

In the second Flying Lizard Motorsports-run Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, works driver Marc Holzer (Germany) clinched seventh at his Lime Rock premiere together with American Seth Neiman. He was clearly pleased with this result. “When I took over the car we were running last,” he said. “The chase was huge fun. I was able to put in very competitive times on this unfamiliar track.” Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA) brought the Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR home in sixth place. Victory in the GTC class went to Americans Dion von Moltke and Mike Pierce with a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Round 4 of the American Le Mans Series is held on 24th July in Mosport/Canada.


Statistics: 3rd race Lime Rock, CT

Result GT class
1. Müller/Hand (D/USA), BMW M3 GT, 176 laps
2. Bergmeister/Long (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 176
3. Murry/Lazzaro (USA/USA), Doran Ford GT, 174
4. Sharp/van Overbeek (USA/USA), Ferrari F458 Italia, 174
5. Henzler/Sellers (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 174
6. Maassen/Miller (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 172
7. Holzer/Neiman (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165

Result GTC class
1. von Moltke/Pierce (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164 laps
2. Pumpelly/Ende (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164
3. Leitzinger/Sweedler (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 164

Points’ standings GT class
Drivers
1. Dirk Müller, Joey Hand, BMW, 70 points
2. Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Chevrolet, 37
3. Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Porsche, 34
4. Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner, Chevrolet, 33
Dirk Werner, Bill Auberlen, BMW, 33
6. Augusto Farfus, BMW, 26
7. Jaime Melo, Toni Vilander, Ferrari, 25
8. Seth Neiman, Porsche, 23

Manufacturers
1. BMW, 70 points
2. Porsche, 44
3. Chevrolet, 41
4. Ferrari, 34

Teams
1. BMW Team RLL, BMW, 70 points
2. Corvette Racing, Chevrolet, 41
3. Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche, 37


Facts and figures

This is the American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations correspond to those of the Le Mans 24 hour race. All classes start together but are classified separately:

GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers is traditionally extremely well supported: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and an 825 kg minimum weight.
LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

All race cars start together but are classified separately. This ensures exciting and diverse racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only awarded for placings in each class.


Public Relations and Media Motor and Sports Press Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Silverstone/Great Britain René Rast turns perfect lap to secure second pole position

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Silverstone/Great Britain

René Rast turns perfect lap to secure second pole position

Stuttgart. A gripping qualifying at the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup weekend on the storied Silverstone circuit: Putting in an immaculate lap, René Rast (Germany) clinched his second pole position of the season in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by VELTINS Lechner Racing. Over most of the session, the top contenders were only separated by thousandths of seconds with the provisional pole changing several times until the title defender snatched the pole shortly before the end, relegating his teammate Norbert Siedler (Austria) to the second grid spot by 0.322 seconds. Supercup rookie Kévin Estre from France surprised with the third quickest time at the wheel of Hermes Attempto Racing’s Porsche, clinching his best qualifying result so far this season.

Local hero, Nick Tandy (Konrad Motorsport) had to settle for fourth on his home circuit where he had celebrated his first victory in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup last year. Kuba Giermaziak (VERVA Racing Team) from Poland underlined his improving form on his 21st birthday with fifth on the grid, sharing the third row with double Supercup champion Jeroen Bleekemolen (Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit) from the Netherlands. Christian Engelhart (Germany), winner of the season-opener at Istanbul for Konrad Motorsport, secured the seventh spot ahead of Slovakian Stefan Rosina (VERVA Racing Team). The top ten of the fiercely-contested qualifying were all within seven-tenths of a second, with Britain’s James Sutton (SAS International), a guest driver from the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain claiming ninth place. Barcelona winner and points’ leader Sean Edwards (Great Britain) surprisingly put his Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit-run Porsche 911 GT3 Cup only on tenth.

René Rast (pole-sitter): “To be on pole in Silverstone is a very special feeling. I’m very confident for the race as I only just ran in my second set of tyres over one lap today. I hope to be able to make up a few points in the championship and I’m especially pleased about our team effort with Norbert starting beside me.”

Norbert Siedler (2nd in qualifying): “To have the first row occupied by VELTINS Lechner Racing – now that’s perfect. Still, I’m not entirely satisfied. With my second set of tyres I wasn’t able to realise everything that was possible today.”

Kévin Estre (3rd in qualifying): “To stand so far at the front of the grid is great, especially on a famous circuit like Silverstone. I didn’t get anywhere with my first set of tyres, I was far away from the top. On my second set I immediately put in my fastest lap. Of course, I’m very pleased with my third place.”


Qualifying result
1. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, 2:05.621 minutes
2. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.322 seconds
3. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.455
4. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.461
5. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), VERVA Racing Team, + 0.474
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 0.512


Public Relations and Media Motor and Sports Press Oliver Hilger

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA Third grid spot for Porsche works driver

American Le Mans Series, round 3 in Lime Rock, USA

Third grid spot for Porsche works driver

Stuttgart. With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) posted the third quickest time in the GT qualifying for the Northeast Grand Prix in Lime Rock. He contests round three of the American Le Mans Series on Saturday with his works driver colleague Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), who with five wins in the last five years is the most successful driver at the race in the US state of Connecticut .

“I was lying in fifth when my pit crew requested me to come in. But my gut feeling told me that I could do better. So I stayed out for another lap and that lap was then perfect,” said Patrick Long. “It felt just a good as my fastest lap last year where I secured pole position. It’s just that the gap to the cars at the front is simply too big. We just can’t match their pace due to the balance of performance regulations.”

At his first start on the short and very narrow 2.487 kilometre circuit, which had only just dried up after a rain shower, Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched sixth place. The Porsche factory pilot shares driving duties in the second Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with American Seth Neiman. “My quickest lap was just my seventh on the dry track in Lime Rock,” he said. “We’re very pleased with this and think we’ve found a very good set-up for the race, regardless of whether it rains or not.”

In the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Falken Tire squad, Bryan Sellers (USA), the teammate of Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany), claimed the ninth quickest time.

The race starts on Saturday at 14.05 hours local time (20.05 hours CEST) and runs over 2:45 hours.


Qualifying result
GT class
1. Joey Hand (USA), BMW M3 GT, 50.925 seconds
2. Dirk Werner (D), BMW M3 GT, + 0.245
3. Patrick Long (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.947
4. Oliver Gavin (GB), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.972
5. Tommy Milner (USA), Chevrolet Corvette, + 1.029
6. Marco Holzer (D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.080
9. Bryan Sellers (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.463
12. Bryce Miller (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2,286

GTC class
1. Jaap van Lagen (NL), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 54.982 seconds



Facts and figures

This is the American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations correspond to those of the Le Mans 24 hour race. All classes start together but are classified separately:

GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers is traditionally extremely well supported: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 750 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and an 825 kg minimum weight.
LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

All race cars start together but are classified separately. This ensures exciting and diverse racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only awarded for placings in each class.


Public Relations and Media
Motor and Sports Press
Oliver Hilger

FIA GT1: Paul Ricard Hosts Last Euro Round of 2011 Season

Paul Ricard Hosts Last Euro Round of 2011 Season

FIA GT and FIA GT1 have been racing at Paul Ricard for many years and it is the fitting venue for the final European races before the GT1 World Championship jets off to China and South America for the final three rounds of the 2011 season. Last year Paul Ricard saw a double win for Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini on their way to becoming the inaugural FIA GT1 World Champions but with the Maserati MC12 not on the grid this season the way is open for a crew from another manufacturer to step onto the top step of the podium. The Nissans and Lamborghinis took top 3 finishes last season, while the Corvette, Aston Martin and the Ford were always in the running for a podium finish.

At the last round at Navarra in Spain the All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport Lamborghinis were dominant, taking a 1-2 in qualifying and both races, while Dominik Schwäger and Nicky Pastorelli secured the fastest laps. Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock took the honours in the Qualifying Race ahead of their teammates but in the Championship Race it was Schwäger and Pastorelli who secured their first win of 2011 ahead of Basseng and Winkelhock. The Marc VDS Ford of Bertrand Baguette, who was standing in for Fred Makowiecki, and Maxime Martin took third in the Qualifying Race, while David Brabham and Jamie Campbell-Walter fought their way to third in the Championship Race in the Sumo Power Nissan GT-R.

Aston Martin is represented by French team Hexis AMR and German team Young Driver AMR. Up until the last event the Hexis team were leading the Team Championship after wins for both the cars of Stef Dusseldorf /Clivio Piccione and Christian Hohenadel/Andrea Piccini, however after the dominant showing by the All-Inkl Team in Spain, Hexis are looking to close the 20-point gap to their rivals and retake the lead at their home race at Paul Ricard. The Young Driver AMR team continue to score valuable points with Tomas Enge / Alex Müller taking two 3rd places in Belgium and this was followed by two further top 3 finishes at Silverstone.

The Corvette teams consist of Exim Bank Team China and DKR Engineering. In the Exim Bank Team China Corvette Dutch drivers Mike Hezemans and Nicky Catsburg started the season well with a second place finish in the Qualifying Race and a fighting 5th in the Championship Race at Zolder. Catsburg was replaced by Andreas Zuber for races in Great Britain and resulted in pole position and two top 3 finishes at Silverstone, while Nico Verdonck joined Hezemans in Spain but retirements brought no points for the drivers or the team.

French driver Michael Rossi in the DKR Engineering Corvette has also had a couple of co-driver changes and was joined by Dimitri Enjalbert at Silverstone. Two strong performances in Spain saw the driver pairing collect their first Championship points of the year in Navarra.

Both Ford teams are based in Belgium, with the Marc VDS Racing Team starting the year well with Maxime Martin and Frederic Makowiecki winning the Qualifying Race in Abu Dhabi. Germany also proved to be a good track for Makowiecki and Martin when they added their second Qualifying Race win of the season to their tally. Bertrand Baguette replaced Makowiecki in Spain and he and Martin scored well with a 3rd place in the Qualifying Race followed up by 4th in the Championship Race. Makowiecki will return to the Ford for the rest of the season. The Belgian Racing team is new to GT1 World this year and their two cars run in the black, red and yellow national colours. Two top 10 finishes at Silverstone was their best result of the season so far as the brand new team continues to improve race by race.

The All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport Lamborghini started the year well, with three pole positions in the first five races and was the dominant force in Belgium when the nr38 car of Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock which took the chequered flag in both races. A dominant weekend at Navarra gave the drivers one win and a second place each and gave Basseng and Winkelhock a 15-point lead over Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr after six rounds.

Swiss Racing switched to the Italian manufacturer from the Nissans they ran last season. The Swiss Racing team boasts the services of the highly experienced Karl Wendlinger and Peter Kox had their best ever GT1 World Championship finish by finishing 4th in Belgium and then 5th in Portugal, but a first corner accident in the Championship Race in Germany eliminated both of the Swiss Racing Lamborghinis, causing the team to miss the last two rounds in the UK and Spain. The team will be aiming to get back to claiming more points in France and will be aiming for their first podium finish.

2010 team Sumo Power GT are joined by JR Motorsports this season running the Nissan GT-R. JR Motorsports have been strong for most of the season with Germany’s Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr collecting a fighting third in the qualifying race in Yas Marina. They followed this up by stepping onto the top step of the podium in Portugal and Great Britain and while the Navarra weekend was far from the best for the team, Krumm and Luhr took some more points to keep them in the title hunt. British duo Richard Westbrook and Peter Dumbreck had a disappointing outing in Spain with a 7th and 9th in th etwo races and just 2 championship points. 2010 race winner Enrique Bernoldi has been joined by Nicky Catsburg, who moved from the nr11 Corvette to the nr20 Nissan last time out in Spain. Australia’s David Brabham and Britain’s Jamie Campbell-Walter finally tasted the champagne in Portugal with two third place finishes, while in Spain they finished4th in the Qualifying Race and podium finish in the main event in Navarra.

Jeff Carter/ Media Delegate.