Audi R8 LMS Sports Car Enters New Era With United Autosports In China

·       First race for Audi R8 LMS GT3 sports car in China

 

The Audi R8 LMS sports car makes its Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race début when Anglo-American team United Autosports run a pair of its distinctively liveried GT3 sports cars in the third and final round of the inaugural series at Zhuhai (China) on Sunday November 7.

Richard Meins (England), Danny Watts (England) and Frank Yu (Hong Kong) share the #96 Audi with Alain Li (France) and Henri Richard (France) piloting the #97 R8 LMS. Li was part of the British-based team’s successful Spa 24 Hour line-up and is the only one with previous experience of racing the German-built sports car and driving for Audi’s “official” customer team which is based in England.

The team’s brace of R8 LMS sports cars will run in the “LM” GTC category and will be prepared in FIA GT3 specification. The 1,000km event marks the first-ever race for the Audi R8 LMS in China – a highly important and successful market for AUDI AG.

The one millionth Audi in China was recently handed over to a customer from Changchun (October 20). Audi was the first premium brand in China 22 years ago and have been the unrivaled market leader in this segment ever since. Of the cars delivered to customers, 950,000 were produced in Changchun and the other 50,000 imported. To date, no other carmaker in the premium segment has managed to sell over a million cars in the Chinese market. In the first nine months of 2010, Audi delivered some 175,000 units in China and Hong Kong, also a new record.

Provisional Timetable:

Thursday November 4

0900-1200        Test 1

1400-1700        Test 2

Friday November 5

1030-1130        Practice 1

1530-1630        Practice 2

Saturday November 6

1000-1100        Practice 3

1430-1450        Qualifying (GT/GTC)

Sunday November 7

0900-0920        Warm-up

1200-1800        Race

* Local times

#96 – Audi R8 LMS

Richard Meins (GB). Age: 55. Born: Beckenham, England. Lives: Hong Kong:

“I’ve known Danny [Watts] well having been team-mates at Macau for the past few years. I am very excited at the prospect of racing the United Autosports Audi R8 LMS for the first time and joining the prestigious Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. I recently finished third overall in the Spa 6 hours driving a Ford GT40 and have competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours on several occasions but this will be my ILMC series début.”

Danny Watts (GB). Age: 30. Lives: Thornborough nr Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England:

“The Zhuhai track is good to drive. It’s narrow and bumpy in places but with a good mixture of corners. This means the car’s set-up is a compromise but with several hairpin type corners, braking stability and traction will be important. I’m very excited about racing the Audi R8 LMS. It’s a stunningly beautiful car and having attended most of the FIA races as the team’s driver coach and understanding the car's behavior, handling characteristics and looking through huge amounts of data, I’m very excited to get the opportunity to now drive it myself. I’m very thankful to Zak [Brown] and Richard [Dean] for this opportunity and for Strakka Racing who I race for in the Le Mans Series in allowing me to race.”

Frank Yu (HK). Age: 47. Lives: Hong Kong:

“It’s been sometime since Zhuhai hosted a major international event. China is a huge market for anything and everything at the moment. Motorsport is a fast growing sport in the entire Asian region. The race will be tough as we’ll need to be very aware of the LM P1 prototypes at all times because of the massive speed differential.”

#97 Comtech Group / Roger Dubuis / WT Microelectronics – Audi R8 LMS

Alain Li (F). Age: 50. Born: Caen, France. Lives: Hong Kong:

“Zhuhai is a challenging track which is heavy on braking and features a high number of second gear corners. The surface is also quite abrasive and bumpy. I have raced there and in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu on numerous occasions when I competed in the Porsche Cup between 2005-08. Contesting the Spa 24 Hour race with United Autosports this summer will, I’m sure, prove to be excellent preparation. It’s likely to be a more physical race than Spa and more mentally demanding due to the shorter ‘recovery’ time in between driving stints, the type of track coupled with faster LMP cars which will require maximum concentration throughout the 1,000km race. I’m very excited about the race with the small but high quality field comprising of the very top Le Mans teams and drivers.”

Henri Richard (F). Age: 52. Born: Paris, France. Lives: Los Altos Hills, CA (USA):

“I’ve never previously raced at Zhuhai, or anywhere in China for that matter, so I’m really looking forward to the whole experience although I did attend an FIA GT race at Zhuhai a couple of years ago when I was a passive observer of my friend Andrea Piccini who was racing his Ferrari. I’m heading to China off the back of a class win in the 1,000 mile Petit Le Mans race so I am not worried about the Zhuhai race in terms of physical fitness. The weather conditions are likely to be hot and humid but I’ve experienced these conditions racing in the American Le Mans Series all this year. I am excited about the state of motorsports in Asia and hope this is the first of many racing events for me in the region.”

Zak Brown (USA). Driver, Chairman, Co-Owner United Autosports:

"China is a very important automobile market nowadays. Indeed AUDI AG recently set a new sales record there and is its largest foreign market. As a team owner, I’m very proud that we’re now adding an appearance in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup to those in the FIA GT3 European and British Championships plus the 24 Hours of Spa – all in our maiden season. The Zhuhai race will also mark the first time an Audi R8 LMS has raced in the ILMC, or Le Mans Series for that matter, while United Autosports is the only two-car Audi R8 LMS team competing in the Chinese race which is also very satisfying.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“There is no doubt that Zhuhai will be a major test for United Autosports – arguably the biggest challenge in our very short existence. The third and final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup marks our first race in an ACO sanctioned event and is certainly a real ‘fly away’ event for us! I expect us to put on a professional show and be very competitive in the GTC category in China.”

 

Audi R8 LMS (Sportscar according to latest 2010 FIA GT3 regulations)

V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, 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, Michelin radial tires. Start weight 1,335kg. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won FIA GT3 European Championship, ADAC-GT Masters and Belgian GT Championship plus Nürburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours class victories in début 2009 season scoring a total 23 victories. United Autosports achieved third and fourth places on the team’s 24 hour race début in the 2010 Spa 24 Hours.

* A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports.

United Autosports Finalizes Driver Line-Up For Second Audi Entry At Zhuhai

·       Danny Watts, Richard Meins and Frank Yu to make début for American team in Chinese 1,000km race

·       Two-car entry for Watts & Meins confirmed for prestigious Macau GT Cup race 

·       First race appearance for Audi R8 LMS in China and Macau 

 United Autosports achieved third (pictured) and fourth places in GT3 on the team’s maiden 24 Hour race at Spa (Jul 31-Aug 1)

Danny Watts (England), Richard Meins (England) and Frank Yu (Hong Kong) will race a second United Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 sports car alongside already confirmed Alain Li (France) and Henri Richard (France) in the third and final round of the inaugural Intercontinental Le Mans Cup at Zhuhai in China on Sunday November 7.

The trio will be making their début for the American-owned team while none of them have previously raced an Audi R8 LMS. Watts, who has been United Autosports’ on-event driver coach this season, does have experience of Zhuhai having represented Great Britain in A1GP practice in 2007. Meins tested a Ferrari at the Chinese venue last year while Yu has scored numerous podium placings at Zhuhai in the many GT3 races he has contested there.

Having completed its maiden FIA GT3 European Championship campaign in Belgium earlier this month (Oct 10), the team’s brace of Audi sports cars were air freighted out of London last Thursday (Oct 14) having been stripped and rebuilt to the same specification as raced in the Spa 24 Hours (Jul 31-Aug 1) in which the Audi “official” customer team scored third and fourth placings in the GT3 class.

Watts finished first in the LM P2 class (5^th overall) at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as claiming pole-position and the fastest lap, plus runner-up in the Le Mans Series LM P2 after six class poles, three class and an one outright race win with Strakka Racing. Danny’s last race in a GT sports car was in last year’s Macau race when he finished third (Porsche 997 GT3).

Hong Kong-based Englishman Meins regularly races a variety of historic single-seaters and sports cars racing throughout Europe including a Ford GT40, Lola T70, March 762 and McLaren M23.  Richard also contested the 2001 British Touring Car Championship.

Yu has raced Ferrari and Aston Martin GT3 machinery extensively throughout Asia and has experience in long distance events from the Dubai 24 Hours, with Richard Dean and Merdeka 12 Hours at Sepang.

Two weeks after the inaugural Zhuhai ILMC event, the team’s brace of R8 LMS sports cars will revert to the same specification as raced this season in the FIA GT3 European Championship for the GT Cup race around the temporary, ultra-demanding 3.81-mile “street” Macau circuit on Sunday November 21.

Watts, who competed in the 1999 Formula Palmer Audi single-seater series, first raced at Macau in 2002, when he won the Formula Asia single-seater race. After competing in the F3 Grand Prix for three years, he switched to sportscars and won the Carrera Cup Asia round in 2006, repeating the win in 2007 before a penalty dropped him to fifth. He has competed in the GT race on both occasions (2008 & ’09) since its inception and both times finished on the podium.

Meins will be racing in Macau for the 10^th time having made his début there in 2000. Richard contested the Guia Touring Car race (2000-4), the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (2005-7) and the GT race since 2008. His best result was sixth place in the Guia race in 2003 (Ford Focus) and won the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Class B Division in 2007. Last year, Meins qualified sixth and went on to finish 11^th (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).

The Macau GT race is now in its third year and has been a catalyst for the growth of GT racing in Asia. Watts and Meins will face drivers from the Asia GT3 series while this year’s entry includes Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ginetta, Lamborghini and Porsche sports cars.

For United Autosports Co-Owner Richard Dean it will be a case of re-visiting a venue he first attended 16 years ago when the Briton, contesting the Formula Three Grand Prix, broke a bone in his right hand following an accident.

Richard Meins (GB). Age: 55.  
Born: Beckenham, England. Lives: Hong Kong:

“I tested a Ferrari at Zhuhai a couple of years back in preparation for Macau. It's tight with some short straights and heavy braking so it should get pretty busy with the LM P1 cars out there too. It's shaping up to be a great event and it is attracting a lot of interest in Hong Kong so I expect a good crowd of people will be making the short trip over to attend.

“The GT Cup event marks my 10^th Macau race on the island. Macau is without doubt my favorite race circuit but at the same time it’s also the one I have the most respect for. There is no room for error and to put together a good lap is one of the most satisfying experiences you can get from racing. Macau has everything from very fast straights, ‘blind’ 130mph plus corners and a very demanding narrow twisty back section where you never know what will be round the next corner!

“I race a lot of Historic GT cars and own two Ford GT40s – one of which is a prototype and one of the first 5 cars built. I raced a Porsche at last year's Macau event and was happy with a sixth in qualifying and am eagerly looking forward to racing the Audi R8 LMS at Zhuhai then at Macau for United Autosports.”

Danny Watts (GB). Age: 30. 

Lives: Thornborough nr Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England:

“I’ve been United Autosports’ driver coach this year for its maiden FIA GT3 European Championship campaign and have been thoroughly impressed with its professionalism so I’m delighted to actually be racing for them at Zhuhai and Macau. I’ve practiced an A1 GP single-seater at Zhuhai while this year marks my ninth Macau visit and is a race I look forward to the most every year along with Le Mans.

“My first Macau visit in 2002 was also my first ‘long haul’ flight – I had never heard of the Macau Grand Prix and didn’t know what to expect. I’d beaten Jamie Green and Lewis Hamilton to the Formula Renault UK Championship title so arrived with some confidence. Tim Huxley, who had organized the trip, and my engineer Barry Forth, warned me this would be the most difficult circuit I would ever race on and how right they were!

“I was competing in the Formula Asia 2000 race and had a 30mins practice session, a 30mins qualifying session before the 10 lap race. Despite being instructed by Barry to go gently and most importantly, learn the track in first practice, I crashed causing a lot of damage. With my ears still ringing after a major telling off, I dug deep the next day and took pole and went on to win the race.” 

Frank Yu (HK). Age: 47. 

Lives: Hong Kong:

“Having raced Ferrari and Aston Martin GT3 cars, I can’t wait to drive the Audi R8 LMS all over different circuits in Asia. I’ve raced at Zhuhai on countless occasions in GT3 cars with many podiums. I shared a car with Richard in the Dubai 24 Hours earlier this year so know that United Autosports will be a very professional and competitive team. To race in the prestigious inaugural Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race at Zhuhai will be a tremendous privilege.” 

Zak Brown (USA). Driver, Chairman, Co-Owner United Autosports:

“I still keep having to pinch myself in what we [United Autosports] have achieved in our first year. Having raced on some legendary tracks like Paul Ricard, Silverstone and Zolder in the FIA series plus Spa, to now be looking ahead to us racing in China and Macau is just awesome. We’ve already had Emil Assentato, Matt Bell, Mark Blundell, Eddie Cheever, Mike Guasch, Stefan Johansson, Alain Li, Mark Patterson, Richard [Dean] and myself flying the flag for United on-track and so to now be welcoming Danny, Frank, Henri and Richard, to the fold shows that we are a professional and competitive outfit that drivers want to be associated with.”  

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“It’s a great line-up for both races and I’m very excited about the prospect of us racing in China and at Macau. Danny is just plain fast, he’s world class and knows the Le Mans Series well and has raced in A1GP at Zhuhai. Richard and Frank both have track knowledge so we will have one of the few complete driver line-ups who know the track. Frank and I were team-mates in Malaysia for a 12 hour race in 2009. He manages to take his racing seriously while being a hugely popular character in the pits. Frank had a great top-six finish in the Merdeka 12 hours this year, is a massive motorsport enthusiast and will make an important contribution to the team’s success in China. Richard is very experienced at Macau. Asia is an important market for Audi and our sponsors while Macau itself needs little introduction with the GT Cup race steadily growing in importance.”

Audi R8 LMS (Sportscar according to latest 2010 FIA GT3 regulations)

V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, 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, Michelin radial tires. Start weight 1,335kg. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won FIA GT3 European Championship, ADAC-GT Masters and Belgian GT Championship plus Nürburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours class victories in début 2009 season scoring a total 23 victories. United Autosports achieved third and fourth places on the team’s 24 hour race début in the 2010 Spa 24 Hours.

* A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports.

United Autosports Completes 2011 British GT Championship Squad

· Former Audi Sport UK British Touring Car Championship race winner John Bintcliffe returns to regular race action with German manufacturer

· Jay Palmer teams up with fellow Yorkshireman Bintcliffe in a second United Autosports Audi R8 LMS for full British campaign

Former British Touring Car Championship race winner John Bintcliffe (GB) will return to regular race action when the ex-Audi Sport UK “tin top” ace contests the 2011 British GT Championship alongside fellow Yorkshireman Jay Palmer (GB).

Bintcliffe and Palmer join already confirmed Matthew Bell (GB) and Michael Guasch (USA) in a brace of Audi R8 LMS sports cars entered by Leeds-based United Autosports in next year’s GT series. 

For Bintcliffe, it marks a return to  top-class action with the German prestige car manufacturer after three years in the BTCC racing the permanent all-wheel-drive Audi A4 quattro (1996-7) and the front-wheel-drive Audi A4 (1998) as team-mate to Frank Biela (1996-7) and Yvan Muller (1998) for Audi Sport UK.

Bintcliffe, who raced against and beat drivers like Audi’s 1996 BTCC champion Biela, Nigel Mansell, Alain Menu, Jason Plato, Rickard Rydell, Gabriele Tarquini, Derek Warwick and Joachim Winkelhock, during his three year BTCC spell, has not raced since September 1998. He joined the Audi squad after winning three consecutive one-make championships (1993 Honda CRX, 1994 Renault Clio and 1995 Ford Credit Fiesta).

Palmer, meanwhile, will be stepping up to the GT3 specification Audi R8 LMS after racing Westfield and Caterham sports cars between 2002-5. The team is planning a concerted pre-season test program in the UK which actually began yesterday (Oct 13) with Guasch driving a Ginetta at Brands Hatch and continues at Silverstone today (Oct 14) and Snetterton tomorrow (Oct 15).

 

Race Results Amended For Final FIA GT3 European Championship Race At Zolder

Following post-race inspections, United Autosports has been re-classified in seventh (Zak Brown/Matthew Bell) & 10^th (Michael Guasch/Mark Patterson) places in the 12^th and final race at Zolder (Oct 10). It means Brown/Bell were the highest placed Audi R8 LMS and marks the first time both United Autosports sports cars have finished in the top-10 in the same race.

The amended results mean United Autosports finish 11^th FIA GT3 Teams Championship. In the Audi Manufacturer's Cup, Guasch/Patterson tied in the runners-up position with Bell/Brown seventh.

* The result of round 12 and championship positions remain provisional subject to the outstanding appeals, lodged by Prospeed Competition and Belgian Audi Club, being heard by the International Court of Appeal (ICA).

John Bintcliffe (GB). Age: 44. Born / Lives: Harrogate, Yorkshire, England:

“I’m delighted to be racing full time again and especially that it’s in an Audi. Contesting the British GT Championship with United Autosports as Richard [Dean] has been a friend for years and to co-drive with Jay, another long-term friend who I ran in my Westfield and Caterham teams, is the icing on the cake. I’ve never raced in the British GT category but know it’s a very professionally run and competitive series. Having driven the four-wheel-drive Audi quattro and front-wheel-drive Audi A4 in the British Touring Car Championship in the 1990s, it’ll be interesting to add the rear-wheel-drive Audi R8 LMS to my portfolio and I guess will be a somewhat unique achievement.” 

 John Bintcliffe drove the permanent four-wheel-drive Audi A4 quattro in the 1996 & ’97 British Touring Car Championship

Jay Palmer (GB). Age: 38. Born: Harrogate, Yorkshire. Lives: Harrogate & London, England:

“Competing in the British GT Championship will be a steep learning curve for me but after a pre-season test program, I’m sure I’ll be there or thereabouts – especially having John as my co-driver and the competitive package of United Autosports and the Audi R8 LMS behind me. I have only previously raced Westfield or Caterham cars but tested GT3 machinery [Ascari and Porsche]. My business commitments will now allow me to race regularly for the first time since 2005 and I’m very excited about the prospect.”

Zak Brown (USA). Driver, Chairman, Co-Owner United Autosports:

“I'm extremely pleased that United Autosports will be racing regularly in Britain next season – in many respects it remains the ‘home’ of world motorsport. I’m certain the Audi R8 LMS sports car will be ultra-competitive in the BGT and will prove to be immensely popular with British race fans. In Matt Bell and Mike Guasch, a pairing we announced earlier this month, and now John and Jay, we have two driver pairings who I’m sure will be title BGT contenders despite the series being very competitive.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“I'm excited on so many levels to have Jay and John joining our team. With our driver British GT Championship line-up already completed by October, it gives us plenty of time to prepare for next season’s campaign. Jay knows most of the BGT circuits but GT3 is a big step up for him so testing time before the 2011 test ban kicks in will be of great benefit for him

“John's return to racing an Audi in the UK will spark lots of memories for British Touring Car race fans and will generate some lively debate on just how fast he is likely to be in a GT3 sports car! I’m certain he will run at the front from the opening race of the season. Twelve years on from his ‘factory’ drive with Audi Sport UK, it’s a compliment to United Autosports he has chosen us for his racing return.”

 

* A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports

United Autosports Make A Point In Both Belgian Races To End Season On Encouraging Note

United Autosports brought the curtain down on its maiden FIA GT3 European Championship season at Zolder (Belgium) today (Sunday October 10).

The American-owned team claimed two, top-10 placings in the two final rounds of the 12-race series which began in May – just two months after the American-owned, British-based outfit was formed – at the historic 2.492-mile track in Heusden-Zolder near Brussels.

United Autosports, which will contest the 2011 FIA GT3 European Championship with two Audi R8 LMS sports cars, finished 12^th in the FIA GT3 Teams Championship. In the Audi Manufacturer's Cup, Guasch/Patterson finished third with Bell/Brown seventh.



Race 1 (Sunday)

Qualifying: 8^th #22 Patterson, 1m 33.380s; 11^th #23 Brown, 1m 33.592s. Weather: Sunny, warm.

Race Result: 10^th (#22) +24.951s P1; 17^th (#23), -7 laps. Weather: Sunny, cool.

Mark Patterson began the opening one-hour race held under unseasonably warm sunshine, from eighth place on the grid having claimed his personal best qualifying position of the season the previous day, but the sun wasn’t shining on Zak Brown.

Having made a poor start, Brown went in to the tight Turn 1 left-hander aggressively but made side-on contact with a Ford GT40 which spun him in to the gravel trap. Zak lost three laps as his Audi R8 LMS was retrieved and then further time after a cautionary visit to the pits to check for damage, the #23 Audi resuming at the tail of the field in 24^th place.

Zak handed over to Matt Bell on 27mins from 21^st place with Patterson bringing the fifth-placed #22 Audi in for co-driver Michael Guasch with 26mins remaining in the thick of the mandatory pit-stop action, Michael resuming 13^th.

Guasch took the checker placed 10^th after a good, consistent drive on the tail of a three-car dice for eighth position. Meanwhile, Bell, set lap times quicker than the top-10 cars in the latter stages.

Race 2 (Sunday)

Qualifying: 13^th #23 Bell, 1m 32.909s; 18^th #22 Guasch, 1m 33.703s. Weather: Sunny, warm.

Race Result: 9^th (#23) +50.301s P1; 12^th (#22) +61.6 P1. Weather: Sunny, warm.

Bell slipped a place in the opening laps embroiled in a six-car battle for ninth while Guasch, who had moved up to 17^th slipped four places with 20mins run after a spin but handed over to Patterson placed 14^th at mid-distance, the #22 Audi resuming in 20^th.

The ninth-placed #23 Audi headed to the pits with 26mins remaining, Brown rejoining the race in 14^th position. Both United Autosports Audi R8 LMS sports cars spectacularly made up positions in the closing 15mins, despite Brown being pushed off by another car from behind in to a gravel trap at the chicane earlier in his stint. Patterson chased down the race leader, successfully unlapping himself after contact with the lead Ford GT40 – a maneuver deemed completely legal by race officials – to finish 12^th.

Brown moved into 10^th place on the penultimate lap and then claimed ninth at the flag after an audacious move around the outside of a Corvette in the final series of corners.

#22 Molecule / Cerutti – Audi R8 LMS

Michael Guasch (USA).  Lives: Walnut Creek, California, USA:

“I took over from Mark in Race 1 who had done a great job. I got to run with the ‘fast’ group and it felt good – it went very, very well. The Audi was excellent today – an absolute joy to drive and I held my own and got a shot for the top-10.

“I just couldn’t find the speed in qualifying the previous day despite the balance of the Audi being good and so started Race 2 in 18^th. I made a clean start and ran a good pace until I overshot a turn, hit the curb which spun me around which was frustrating. It was a dumb mistake but the brakes were fading which caught me out.

“I quickly learned that the championship was a very serious, respectable and competitive series. My low point was Silverstone where we were faced with the harsh reality that we were not as competitive as we’d hoped due to the Audi being ‘neutered’ because of the Balance of Power [BoP] handicap. The high point was Portimão when Mark and I scored a top-10 finish, the first FIA race after our Audi was given some power back.”  

Mark Patterson (USA).  Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA: 

“Once into a rhythm in the first race I got in some good, fast laps but I didn’t race well enough in the opening stages and lost a couple of positions. I started eighth and Mike brought the Audi home 10^th equaling our best race result of the season – Mike gets all the credit for racing so well on ‘old’ tires.

“Mike battled well in what seemed to be pretty much an incident-free opening to Race 2 but when I was driving, there were yellow flags everywhere with lots of things going on and was pretty chaotic. Despite losing time due to not being able to overtake caused by the yellows, I clawed in some places – the pace of the Audi real good at the end again.

“My biggest disappointment this season was the Balance of Power adjustments, or lack of them, but the FIA got there in the end and our fantastic Audi sports car was then able to fight for top-10 placings. I’ve enjoyed racing on some of Europe’s finest tracks, including revisiting the incomparable Spa, and the new, exciting and highly challenging Portimão track. My biggest surprise was how deep the field of driving talent has been – I imagined, and had hoped (!) there would have been more ‘Bronze’ graded drivers. Best moment was for Mike and I to score United Autosports’ first championship point. Meanwhile our Audi has been flawless mechanically all season.”



#23 Remington – Audi R8 LMS

Zak Brown (USA).  Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“My qualifying was a bit sloppy and never got in a good lap then I got a terrible start in the opening race which really sucked which then went from bad to worse at Turn 1. I hit a Ford GT40 being too aggressive and ended up in the ‘kitty litter’ which took an age to get towed out. Although we were able to continue our race was effectively over and I felt terrible for Matt.

“I had a whole lot of fun in the second race and the Audi was just great again in the closing laps. Unfortunately I got hit from behind by a Ford GT40 so that cost me some time and re-take the cars I’d already overtaken. Unfortunately there were a lot of yellows [flags] so I couldn’t pass on half the track. I’m happy to finish the season in the points again – we were strong in our last three races so I’m already looking forward to next year.

“What I’ve learnt in the last five months is that this series is one of the toughest and most competitive racing championships in the world. I’ve been surprised just how difficult the competition has been with the lowest point coming at Silverstone when it became blatantly obvious just how long it was going to take us to become competitive. But it’s been a whole bunch of fun with our rostrum finish at Portimão the obvious highlight.”

Matthew Bell (GB). Lives: Barningham nr Richmond, North Yorkshire, England:

“I struggled a bit in qualifying but sat down with my engineer and looked over the data but Race 1 effectively became another test session after Zak’s first corner incident meant we weren’t really in the race. I made a good start in Race 2 and fought hard. We were all close together but it’s very difficult to overtake as the track is so narrow making it easy to defend.

“It’s been a very tough, full first year for me. The biggest surprise was the level of competition when we arrived for the opening races at Silverstone. After that weekend in early May, I soon realized it was going to be a hard year. But I've also learnt a lot – about the Audi R8 LMS, about the circuits and about the team – which can only help me next year when I will do British GT and the FIA series again. Failing to finish three races were the low points of the season while not surprisingly the podium at Portimão is the obvious stand out moment of the year for me.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“Qualifying was disappointing – a very average performance – although Mark produced a fine effort. The opening race was short-lived for the #23 Audi when Zak made a slow start at the green light and suffered a collision at the first corner. After that it became a ‘test’ for that car. Mark did a solid job to keep the #22 Audi in touch with the top-10 when he handed over to Mike in what was effectively the fast group of ‘gold’ rated drivers. Mike held his own there and went on to score another championship point and I’m delighted for them both, they did a really good job.  

“The #22 Audi spun while the #23 Audi was pushed off the track in Race 2 which cost us places but both finished strongly. Mike and Mark were really strong. Matt did a solid job before Zak got hit pretty hard in to a spin which cost us a top-five but he got himself back into the points.

“We have shown an improvement over the year which is very pleasing. We’ll come back next year bigger and stronger. The biggest thing I’ve learnt this year is that the FIA GT3 series is very, very tough and not to pre-judge our competitiveness before the first official qualifying session of the year – otherwise you can only be disappointed! But we didn’t panic and once the BoP was actually balanced it came together for us.

“I’m very proud of what Zak and my team has achieved it its first season and the hard work they’ve put in while maintaining a good sense of humor and great atmosphere. On-track watching Zak stick the Audi on the front row in Portugal and proving to everyone we finally had found our true pace was a lovely moment. Matt showing he has star quality in the making. But the progress of all four drivers this year and how positive and supportive they have been. And of course Spa, although not part of the FIA series, the end of the 24 Hour race left me with mixed feelings. I was on a high for finishing third and fourth in class in our first ever 24 hour race but also felt a little low knowing we were so close to winning GT3.”

Audi R8 LMS (Sportscar according to latest 2010 FIA GT3 regulations)

V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, 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, Michelin radial tires. Start weight 1,335kg. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won FIA GT3 European Championship, ADAC-GT Masters and Belgian GT Championship plus Nürburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours class victories in début 2009 season scoring a total 23 victories. United Autosports achieved third and fourth places on the team’s 24 hour race début in the 2010 Spa 24 Hours and its first FIA GT3 European Championship top-three finish in Portugal (19 Sep).

* A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports.



Round 12 race results

Round 12 race results

October 10th 2010 - Zolder, Belgium

FIA GT3 Championship

Race 2 Result
Pos	Car	Class	Drivers	Car	Time	Laps	Gap
1	1	GT3	Rodrigues/Makowiecki	Aston Martin DBRS9	1:00:13.043	37	0
2	77	GT3	Walter/Hürtgen	BMW Z4	1:00:17.095	37	4.052
3	60	GT3	Lappalainen/Palttala	Porsche 911 GT3 R	1:00:18.111	37	5.068
4	76	GT3	Söderlund/Sandström	BMW Z4	1:00:21.070	37	8.027
5	14	GT3	Eskelinen/Nygaard	Ford GT	1:00:27.442	37	14.399
6	11	GT3	Vannelet/Narac	Porsche 911 GT3 R	1:00:40.625	37	27.582
7	23	GT3	Brown/Bell	Audi R8 LMS	1:00:54.464	37	41.421
8	5	GT3	Hirschi/Guilvert	Audi R8 LMS	1:01:09.208	37	56.165
9	22	GT3	Patterson/Guasch	Audi R8 LMS	1:01:15.804	37	01:02.761
10	16	GT3	Lambotte/Parisy	Corvette Z06R GT3	1:01:24.758	37	01:11.715
11	2	GT3	Paillard/Accary	Aston Martin DBRS9	1:01:31.880	37	01:18.837
12	17	GT3	Vincent/Peyroles	Corvette Z06R GT3	1:01:48.605	37	01:35.562
13	30	GT3	Teregulov/Romanov	Ascari KZ1R GT3	1:00:20.874	36	1 lap
14	6	GT3	Demay/Lorgere-Roux	Audi R8 LMS	0:57:36.229	35	2 laps
15	101	GT3	Hohenadel/Keilwitz	Corvette Z06R GT3	0:51:41.231	31	6 laps
16	98	GT3	Beche/De Doncker	Ford GT	0:46:35.437	28	9 laps
17	12	GT3	Thiry/Fumal	Porsche 911 GT3 R	0:44:30.107	27	10 laps
18	99	GT3	Lesoudier/Martin	Ford GT	0:50:21.775	27	10 laps
19	100	GT3	Ritskes/van Oranje	Corvette Z06R GT3	0:48:49.236	26	11 laps
20	3	GT3	Lemeret/Heyer	Audi R8 LMS	0:38:10.861	8	18 laps
21	87	GT3	Dockerill/Ferrier	Ferrari 430 Scuderia	0:02:34.077	1	36 laps

Session Notes
Weather	Sunny
Track conditions	Dry
Stewards Decisions	following the stewards decision no. 15 30s penalty for the car no. 16
Notes	Exclusion of cars n° 61 and n° 27, subject to the results of the appeal to the ICA

Weather: sunny - Track: dry

Official Championship website: www.fiagt3.com

Round 11 race results

Round 11 race results

October 10th 2010 - Zolder, Belgium

FIA GT3 Championship

Race 1 Result
Pos	Car	Class	Drivers	Car	Time	Laps	Gap
1	76	GT3	Söderlund/Sandström	BMW Z4	01:01:21	38	0
2	61	GT3	van Splunteren/Holzer	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:01:30	38	9.126
3	98	GT3	Beche/De Doncker	Ford GT	01:01:32	38	11.379
4	77	GT3	Walter/Hürtgen	BMW Z4	01:01:33	38	12.409
5	12	GT3	Thiry/Fumal	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:01:39	38	18.718
6	60	GT3	Lappalainen/Palttala	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:01:40	38	19.223
7	16	GT3	Lambotte/Parisy	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:01:41	38	20.699
8	14	GT3	Eskelinen/Nygaard	Ford GT	01:01:45	38	24.302
9	101	GT3	Hohenadel/Keilwitz	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:01:45	38	24.362
10	22	GT3	Patterson/Guasch	Audi R8 LMS	01:01:46	38	24.951
11	5	GT3	Hirschi/Guilvert	Audi R8 LMS	01:01:57	38	36.259
12	2	GT3	Paillard/Accary	Aston Martin DBRS9	01:01:57	38	36.519
13	30	GT3	Teregulov/Romanov	Ascari KZ1R GT3	01:01:47	37	26.295
14	27	GT3	Ide/Franchi	Audi R8 LMS	00:58:33	36	02:47.4
15	11	GT3	Vannelet/Narac	Porsche 911 GT3 R	00:56:48	35	04:32.5
16	99	GT3	Lesoudier/Martin	Ford GT	00:50:40	31	10:40.4
17	3	GT3	Lemeret/Heyer	Audi R8 LMS	00:51:08	31	10:12.5
18	23	GT3	Brown/Bell	Audi R8 LMS	01:00:25	31	56.214
19	6	GT3	Demay/Lorgere-Roux	Audi R8 LMS	00:49:10	30	12:10.6
20	17	GT3	Vincent/Peyroles	Corvette Z06R GT3	00:37:33	22	23:47.6
21	1	GT3	Rodrigues/Makowiecki	Aston Martin DBRS9	00:35:32	21	25:48.8
22	87	GT3	Dockerill/Ferrier	Ferrari 430 Scuderia	00:17:09	10	44:11.7
23	100	GT3	Ritskes/van Oranje	Corvette Z06R GT3	00:11:32	7	49:48.6
24	28	GT3	Cameron/Griffin	Ferrari 430 Scuderia	00:12:17	7	49:03.6

Fastest lap: Rodrigues - 1:32.337 - average speed: 156.11 km/h

Weather: sunny - Track: dry

Official Championship website: www.fiagt3.com

Zolder Qualifying Results - Round 2

Qualifying 2
Pos	Car	Class	Drivers	Car	Time	Laps	Gap	Avg speed
1	1	GT3	Rodrigues/Makowiecki	Aston Martin DBRS9	01:31.217	4	0	0
2	99	GT3	Lesoudier/Martin	Ford GT	01:31.446	5	0.229	0
3	61	GT3	van Splunteren/Holzer	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:31.659	7	0.442	0
4	11	GT3	Vannelet/Narac	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:31.726	6	0.509	0
5	14	GT3	Eskelinen/Nygaard	Ford GT	01:32.087	7	0.87	0
6	27	GT3	Ide/Franchi	Audi R8 LMS	01:32.096	8	0.879	0
7	2	GT3	Paillard/Accary	Aston Martin DBRS9	01:32.196	7	0.979	0
8	6	GT3	Demay/Lorgere-Roux	Audi R8 LMS	01:32.209	8	0.992	0
9	101	GT3	Hohenadel/Keilwitz	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:32.322	7	1.105	0
10	60	GT3	Lappalainen/Palttala	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:32.495	8	1.278	0
11	77	GT3	Walter/Hürtgen	BMW Z4	01:32.621	8	1.404	0
12	5	GT3	Hirschi/Guilvert	Audi R8 LMS	01:32.830	8	1.613	0
13	23	GT3	Brown/Bell	Audi R8 LMS	01:32.909	8	1.692	0
14	16	GT3	Lambotte/Parisy	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:33.047	8	1.83	0
15	3	GT3	Lemeret/Heyer	Audi R8 LMS	01:33.270	8	2.053	0
16	12	GT3	Thiry/Fumal	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:33.501	6	2.284	0
17	17	GT3	Vincent/Peyroles	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:33.661	9	2.444	0
18	22	GT3	Patterson/Guasch	Audi R8 LMS	01:33.703	10	2.486	0
19	100	GT3	Ritskes/van Oranje	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:34.060	7	2.843	0
20	30	GT3	Teregulov/Romanov	Ascari KZ1R GT3	01:34.770	9	3.553	0
21	87	GT3	Dockerill/Ferrier	Ferrari 430 Scuderia	01:34.932	3	3.715	0
22	98	GT3	Beche/De Doncker	Ford GT	01:35.048	9	3.831	0
23	28	GT3	Cameron/Griffin	Ferrari 430 Scuderia	01:39.345	3	8.128	0

Zolder Qualifying Results - Round 1

>

Qualifying 1
Pos	Car	Class	Drivers	Car	Time	Laps	Gap	Avg speed
1	98	GT3	Beche/De Doncker	Ford GT	01:32.207	11	0	0
2	3	GT3	Lemeret/Heyer	Audi R8 LMS	01:32.354	10	0.147	0
3	12	GT3	Thiry/Fumal	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:32.356	6	0.149	0
4	61	GT3	van Splunteren/Holzer	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:32.764	6	0.557	0
5	101	GT3	Hohenadel/Keilwitz	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:32.936	7	0.729	0
6	76	GT3	Söderlund/Sandström	BMW Z4	01:33.081	5	0.874	0
7	11	GT3	Vannelet/Narac	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:33.100	7	0.893	0
8	22	GT3	Patterson/Guasch	Audi R8 LMS	01:33.380	13	1.173	0
9	77	GT3	Walter/Hürtgen	BMW Z4	01:33.421	10	1.214	0
10	27	GT3	Ide/Franchi	Audi R8 LMS	01:33.565	7	1.358	0
11	23	GT3	Brown/Bell	Audi R8 LMS	01:33.592	12	1.385	0
12	60	GT3	Lappalainen/Palttala	Porsche 911 GT3 R	01:33.753	8	1.546	0
13	99	GT3	Lesoudier/Martin	Ford GT	01:33.926	9	1.719	0
14	17	GT3	Vincent/Peyroles	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:34.023	10	1.816	0
15	4	GT3	Demoustier/Ammermüller	Audi R8 LMS	01:34.050	5	1.843	0
16	16	GT3	Lambotte/Parisy	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:34.296	10	2.089	0
17	6	GT3	Demay/Lorgere-Roux	Audi R8 LMS	01:34.415	11	2.208	0
18	2	GT3	Paillard/Accary	Aston Martin DBRS9	01:34.610	11	2.403	0
19	5	GT3	Hirschi/Guilvert	Audi R8 LMS	01:34.836	7	2.629	0
20	14	GT3	Eskelinen/Nygaard	Ford GT	01:34.926	11	2.719	0
21	1	GT3	Rodrigues/Makowiecki	Aston Martin DBRS9	01:35.055	9	2.848	0
22	100	GT3	Ritskes/van Oranje	Corvette Z06R GT3	01:35.501	7	3.294	0
23	30	GT3	Teregulov/Romanov	Ascari KZ1R GT3	01:35.940	11	3.733	0
24	87	GT3	Dockerill/Ferrier	Ferrari 430 Scuderia	01:37.353	10	5.146	0
25	28	GT3	Cameron/Griffin	Ferrari 430 Scuderia	01:43.286	8	11.079	0

United Autosports Confirms First Driver Pairing For 2011 British GT Championship Title Assault

·       Matt Bell and Michael Guasch to spearhead American owned team’s two-car Audi R8 LMS entry

·       British race fans handed prospect of an Audi team racing regularly throughout UK for first time since 1998

 United Autosports made its race début when it contested the opening rounds of the 2010 British GT Championship in April

Matt Bell and Michael Guasch will contest the 2011 British GT Championship at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS for United Autosports.

Bell (GB) and Guasch (USA) are both driving for the British-based team in this year’s FIA GT3 European Championship – the final rounds of which are staged at Zolder (Bel) on Sunday (Oct 10).

The young Briton, having his first full season in [car] racing, will contest next year’s British series in addition to competing in the FIA championship again. Bell, who achieved a season best third place in the latest FIA GT3 race in Portugal recently (Sep 19), had a one-off BGT drive this summer in a United Autosports entered Ginetta G50 – winning the G4 category with his older brother Rob.

Guasch, meanwhile, will concentrate solely on the British series in 2011, the American looking forward to being “paired” for the first time with Bell and believing that the Anglo-American combination will prove to be very competitive.

United Autosports made its competition début this year when the American-owned squad contested the opening rounds of the British series at Oulton Park (Apr 5) prior to the start of the FIA GT3 championship.

It marked the first time the 5.2-liter, V10-engined Audi R8 LMS had raced in the BGT with team co-owners Zak Brown (USA) and Richard Dean (GB) achieving two fourth placings with Guasch, partnered by Mark Patterson (USA), netting fifth and eighth positions on their first-ever visit to the Oulton circuit.

United Autosports plans to run two Audi sports cars in both the British and FIA championships next year. It will mark the first time a team representing the German manufacturer has regularly raced in the UK since 1998 – the final year Audi Sport UK contested the British Touring Car Championship – with United Autosports being an “official” Audi Sport customer team.

Matthew Bell (GB). Age: 20.  Lives: Barningham nr Richmond, North Yorkshire, England:

“I’m delighted and excited that United Autosports is giving me the opportunity of two programs in 2011. I'll be able to take the experience of this maiden year in to the 2011 FIA GT3 European Championship while I'm really looking forward to racing in the British GT Championship next year.

“The FIA series has a big variety and depth of manufacturers and a high level of competition which took me a little by surprise this year. But now that the Audi R8 LMS can run competitively since the latest Balance of Power revisions, we’re able to show not only the true potential of the car but that of United Autosports too. It’s an excellent series and I've enjoyed being part of it. Going back to venues next year that I’d never previously seen before let alone raced on, will be a massive bonus.

“I believe the progress the team has made coupled with the development of my driving partnership with Zak [Brown] should enable us to compete for the FIA GT3 title in 2011. It was a big step for me this season to go from a Ginetta G50 straight into such a powerful car but the Audi is fantastic to drive. I’ve got to know Mike [Guasch] this season and despite him too being totally new to all of the tracks in the FIA series this year, he’s been very competitive. All these factors bode well for a good year in Britain next season.”

Michael Guasch (USA). Age: 52.  Lives: Walnut Creek, California, USA:

“Moving to BGT means I can be paired with a “gold” driver at United Autosports and have a shot at the championship title with Matt. In this year’s FIA GT3 European Championship it became clear that my co-driver Mark [Patterson] and I could run at the front of the pack of “bronze” drivers but then had a tough time with the “gold” categorized ones hence the disappointing overall finishes.

“Richard [Dean] has laid out an extensive off season testing plan to get me the needed knowledge of the BGT tracks for 2011. The first year with United Autosports has been great and I am excited to be running a second year with them. They are a top shelf professional team. After one year of running the team and drivers have gotten to know each other much better and now everything is starting to click. Adjustments in engineering, tires, and the increased overall understanding of the Audi has given us a big step forward.”

Zak Brown (USA). Driver, Chairman, Co-Owner United Autosports:

“I’m tremendously excited to see the growth of our team into the British GT Championship – 12 months since we unveiled United Autosports at Paul Ricard last October. Not only have we run a full season in the FIA GT3 European Championship, we’ve competed in the 24 Hours of Spa – finishing third and fourth in GT3 – and will run our two Audi R8 LMS sports cars in the final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in China in November all in our first year of competition which underlines our ambitious plans of taking this team forward. I’m certain the combination of Matt [Bell], who I have raced alongside all year, and Mike [Guasch], will win races in the BGT and believe the pair along with Audi will be contenders for title honors.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“I’m very much looking forward to bringing United Autosports and Audi in to the 2011 British GT Championship. With Matt [Bell] and Mike [Guasch] driving an R8 LMS I believe we have a potent force. I’m delighted to have re-signed Mike for a second consecutive season. Continuity for both the team and driver is such an important element to building success.

“His switch to BGT makes perfect sense for him taking into account budget, travel, testing opportunities and work commitments. Despite the series switch, he can build on this year’s GT experience with the Audi R8 LMS and us. I am enjoying working with Mike and seeing the progress he has made. It was very satisfying to see him the fastest driver on track in the closing stages of the latest FIA race in the Algarve and having achieved a top-6 qualifying position the previous day.

“Teaming Mike with Matt in BGT is perfect for many reasons. Matt can build on his successful first full year in racing [cars] and have a two pronged championship season in 2011. He needs race experience and is improving with every race. An FIA GT3 podium last time out in Portugal, after only a handful of races, is a sign of something special. Two series next year will develop him further. It will be exciting to monitor his development and for us [United Autosports] to be part of it.”

 

* A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports.