- Bell & Guasch score fantastic double podium results for Anglo-American team to earn themselves joint third in championship standings
- Great team work allows #24 Audi to start Race Two for Bintcliffe & Palmer to record hard-earned 11th place after multi-year lay off from racing
 |
| Michael Guasch (left) and Matt Bell scored a “double” podium in the opening two rounds of the British GT Championship today |
Matt Bell and Michael Guasch got their
Avon Tyres British GT Championship title aspirations off to a flying start when
the duo scored United Autosports’ best-ever race result in the opening race at
Oulton Park (England) today (Monday April 25).
The #23 Molecule Audi R8 LMS of Bell and
Guasch, partnering together for the first time, finished second in the opening
round of the BGT series before placing third in Race Two which puts them joint
third in the championship standings – just four-points off the series
lead.
Easter Monday began in a frustrating
manner for the “sister” United Autosports #24 Teknavo Audi of John
Bintcliffe/Jay Palmer at the picturesque 2.692-mile “International” circuit. A
likely top-10 placing in Race One was lost when Bintcliffe, having been edged on
to the grass by a backmarker, hit the barriers.
But superb team work saw the Audi
repaired for the second race in which Bintcliffe and Palmer recorded a
praiseworthy 11th – both drivers having their first competitive races
for over six years.
Race 1 (duration
60mins)
Qualifying: 4th #23 Guasch, 1m
39.883s; 9th #24 Palmer, 1m 41.290s. Weather: Dry, cloudy.
Race Result: 2nd (#23) +1.528s
P1; Retired (#24), -17 laps. Weather: Dry, sunny.
Guasch started from fourth on the 26-car
and spent the opening 15-laps hounding the third-placed #22 Mercedes before the
American dived into the lead past the 2009 BGT champions during the pit-stop
phase and in to the race lead. Co-driver Bell took over 30mins into the race,
resuming second, 6.7secs behind the leading #1 Porsche.
Bell, setting a string of quick laps,
repeatedly brought the gap down and ultimately took the checker a mere 1.528secs
behind the 2010 BGT winning Porsche 997 after 36-laps.
Palmer drove solidly from ninth on the
grid in the #24 R8 LMS, matching his qualifying time during his 25mins stint,
and handed over to Bintcliffe placed ninth. However the former Audi Sport UK
British Touring Car Championship race winner was edged wide by a backmarker out
of 12th place and into retirement after contact with the barriers.
Race 2 (duration
60mins)
Qualifying: 3rd #23 Bell, 1m
37.562s; 10th #24 Bintcliffe, 1m 39.032s. Weather: Dry,
cloudy.
Race Result: 3rd (#23)
+30.411s P1; 11th (#24) -1 lap P1. Weather: Dry, sunny.
Bell and Bintcliffe started from third
and 10th places respectively – the latter’s Audi making the grid
after a fine effort by the United Autosports crew in the three-hour interval.
However the Safety Car was deployed for 10mins after an incident on the opening
lap with the #23 and #24 Audi sportscars placed fourth and ninth
respectively.
Another Safety Car period 19mins into the
race brought the field together again, the two UA cars placed fourth and eighth
as compulsory pit-stops began. The #23 Audi pitted with Guasch resuming
20th – an additional 10secs “success” penalty imposed for finishing
second in Race One – while Bintcliffe handed over his Audi to Palmer who
returned to the race in 17th – Bintcliffe having led for two laps
when the race re-started.
With 20mins remaining, Guasch was up to
seventh, 30secs off the lead with Palmer 16th but the American
charged through to a fine third place with three minutes remaining, Jay
creditably taking 11th place at the finish.
Upcoming . . .
The next round of the British series is a
two-hour race staged at Snetterton, Norfolk (England) on May 15. However United
Autosports begins its quest for FIA GT3 European Championship honors at the
Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve circuit near Portimão (POR) on May
7-8.
#23 Molecule – Audi R8
LMS
Matt Bell
(GB). Age: 21. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
T&W. Lives: Barningham, N. Yorks, England:
“The #22 Merc that Mike had spent Race
One dicing with exited the pits just behind me. I got my head down and pulled
away, quickly reducing the gap to the lead Porsche. My tires were good in the
second half of the race and perhaps with a few more laps, may have seen me
challenging for the lead. I struggled initially to get sufficient heat into the
tires in Race Two but was part of a three-car dice for second place before I
pitted under yellows. Although we’ve achieved second and third places, we’re a
little disappointed which shows what we are aiming for in 2011.”
Michael
Guasch (USA). Age: 53. Born: Palo
Alto, California. Lives: Walnut Creek, California, USA:
“I started the opening race from fourth
after a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday. I just couldn’t find a way
past the #22 Merc – he made it as wide as a boat. My tires seemed better than
his just before our pit-stops and I stuck it past him at Knickerbrook. Our
pit-stop was a little late in the second race but I just put my head down,
focused and pushed real hard. The Audi was awesome today and I’m delighted with
our points haul from here. ”
#24 Teknavo – Audi R8
LMS
John Bintcliffe
(GB). Age: 45. Born: Bridlington, E. Yorks.
Lives: Harrogate, N. Yorkshire, England:
“Jay did a very good job in Race One,
holding station and I was looking forward to putting in a strong performance
during the latter stages when we believed our car would come to us. I’d never
previously done a race featuring a driver change or taken over a racecar from
another driver before and the first couple of laps were a real eye-opener in
just how different the Audi felt from practice and qualifying. While trying to
get back ahead of a Ferrari, we both caught a backmarker who I don’t think saw
me following the Ferrari closely. I tried to give the Ginetta room by putting
two wheels on the grass, got airborne, but hit the barriers. The team did a
great job in getting the car repaired for the second race but understandably it
wasn’t 100% right. There was some confusion about when to pit otherwise I
believe we could have achieved a top-six result.”
Jay Palmer
(GB). Age: 38. Born: Harrogate. Lives:
Harrogate & London, England / Barbados:
“I held position at the start of the
opening race and ran comfortably inside the top-10 which was very pleasing
considering I’ve not raced for a number of years and ran a steady stint in ninth
place. In race two, our race was compromised due to the pit-stops occurring
during the Safety Car period. We’ve all learned a lot and can move forward for
future races which I’m eagerly looking forward to.”
Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United
Autosports:
“Mike [Guasch] lost vital time behind the
Mercedes in the opening race – although he was faster. Oulton is such a tight
and narrow track, it’s relatively easy to defend. Mike did get past the Merc but
it was too late and while the pit-stop was perfect and Matt drove a very strong
race, he just came up short against a very, very good driver in Richard
Westbrook, a former Porsche and current Corvette ‘factory’ driver. Jay [Palmer]
has had minimal testing in the Audi and produced a very good performance – in
both qualifying and the race. Unfortunately John [Bintcliffe] who, like Jay, has
been away from racing for a number of years and lacks mileage in the Audi, ran
wide on to the grass and unfortunately paid the price. Mike deservedly picked up
the Sunoco Driver of the weekend Award – for his two drives – which my fellow
United Autosports co-owner Zak Brown collected here at Oulton 12 months ago at
our first race meeting. He drove superbly all day ably backed up by Matt while
Jay and John did very well to finish just outside of the top-10 with an
ill-handling Audi. We’ve laid the foundations for a good maiden season in BGT
with two podiums.”
United Autosports
Created in 2009, United Autosports is
co-owned by American Zak Brown and Briton Richard Dean, both successful
entrepreneurs and international race car drivers. The unique Anglo-American
racing team fields GT3 class Audi R8 LMS sports cars from its United Kingdom
headquarters in Leeds. It also races a fleet of “Legends of Motorsports”
historic racing cars from its US facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2011, the
team competes in full-seasons of FIA GT3 European Championship, Avon Tyres
British GT Championship and the “Legends of Motorsports” series. It will
additionally contest selected GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series events, the 24
Hours of Spa (Belgium) and Macau GT Cup race (China).
Audi R8 LMS
V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per
cylinder, petrol direct injection, 365-412 kW (496-560 PS), emission control by
two racing catalytic converters, rear-wheel-drive, traction control (ASR),
sequential pneumatic activated 6-speed sport gearbox with shift-paddles, Audi
Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum with bolted steel roll-cage, carbon-fiber
composite/aluminum bodywork, Avon radial tires. Start weight 1,300kg. Limitation
at 8,500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from
quattro GmbH. Won seven championships across Europe in 2009-2010 plus Spa 24
Hours class victory in début 2009 season and Nürburgring 24 Hours class
victories in 2009-2010 and scoring a total 64 victories.
* Bell, Bintcliffe, Guasch & Palmer
biographies plus team & car profiles are available on the United Autosports
website http://www.unitedautosports.com/
* A comprehensive library of Editorial
Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports/sets
For further information, please
contact:
Martyn PassAudi UK Sport Press
T +44 1564 824600
M +44 7801 859502
E audiuk-motorsport@earthlink.net
Skype martyn.pass
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