· Team targets top-10 qualifying positions to
fully exploit race tire strengths
· British GT race victor Bell aiming to
continue winning ways
United Autosports arrives at Silverstone
(England) for its “home” FIA GT3 European Championship races aiming to take
forward the momentum the Anglo-American team has generated after its maiden race
win.
The historic Silverstone venue situated
130-miles from United’s British raceshop in Leeds, stages the third and fourth
rounds of the FIA series (June 3-5) with the GT3 squad buoyed by its victory in
the British GT Championship last month (May 15).
Matt Bell (GB) and United’s 2010 FIA
driver Mike Guasch (USA) steered their Audi R8 LMS in to victory lane making
Bell doubly determined for a repeat dose of success at Silverstone – the scene
of the team’s FIA race baptism 13 months ago.
Bell partners United Autosports’ Chairman
Zak Brown in the #23 Legends of Motorsport Audi R8 LMS with Joe Osborne (GB) and
Mark Patterson (USA) in the “sister” #22 Draper Tools R8 LMS looking to
challenge for honors around the 3.67-mile “Arena” Grand Prix track. A new
$43million pit and paddock complex, unveiled by HRH The Duke of Kent this month
(May 17), will be used for the first time over the FIA championship
weekend.
Bell, Brown and Patterson each drove the
Audi in the corresponding Silverstone races last year while Osborne, who lives
less than 20-miles away, netted a fifth place – in a Porsche 911 GT3 R. The
quartet is determined to improve on their qualifying positions which they deem
is the key to success at Silverstone. The Audi R8 LMS and its Dunlop tires are a
strong race combination – its major asset being the longevity of its rubber in
the latter stages. United Autosports has tested at Spa (Belgium) and Snetterton
since the Algarve races.
2011 FIA GT3 Drivers' Championship
(after two races):
11th= Bell/Brown,
2pts
2011 FIA GT3 Teams'
Championship:
10th United
Autosports
Provisional
Timetable:
Friday – 1220-1320 Practice; 1730-1830
Practice
Saturday – 0940-1030 Qualifying;
1330-1430 Race 1
Sunday – 1145-1245 Race 2
* All times are
“local”
#22 Draper Tools – Audi R8
LMS
Joe Osborne
(GB). Age: 22. Born: Bedford, GB. Lives:
Olney, Buckinghamshire, GB:
“Silverstone takes on added importance
for me as I was born and bred just 20 minutes away so I have got no excuse for
not having track knowledge! I’ll be pushing hard and after the Portugal race,
I’m only too aware that qualifying will be critical. We must start races from
inside the top-10 to be in a position to push for podiums. I desperately want to
score a top-three result in these races.”
Mark Patterson
(USA). Age: 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, SA.
Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA:
“Joe and I will be trying to make up for
our ‘sins’ in Portugal and get on to the championship scoreboard. If we get
‘typical’ English summer weather that’s not a problem – our Audi is fine in the
cold and wet! I raced at Silverstone last year and am looking forward to going
back to the ‘home’ of British motor racing.”
#23 Legends of Motorsport – Audi R8
LMS
Matt Bell
(GB). Age: 21. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GB.
Lives: Barningham, North Yorks, GB:
“I love being at Silverstone. I had my
first ever GT win with my brother there last year in a one-off British GT race.
Our Audi R8 LMS was quick there in testing earlier this year and so I am
definitely looking to achieve better results than in the opening races in
Portugal.”
Zak Brown
(USA). Age: 39. Born: Los Angeles,
California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:
“We must qualify better at Silverstone –
grid positions are critical for a good race result. Our Dunlop tires probably
aren’t as quick as Michelin rubber over a single lap but are a better race tire.
But a better grid slot would mean we need to take less risks in the
race.”
Richard Dean
(GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of
United Autosports:
“Silverstone is the team’s ‘home’ race in
that it’s the only round of the FIA series staged in England so it would be
additionally good to achieve good results as we’ll have a large number of
sponsor and partner guests throughout the weekend including Draper Tools and
West London Audi. We put a lot of effort in at the Algarve and got scant reward.
Our drivers, the team and our tire partner must all improve in qualifying.
Top-10 grid positions would mean we’d be able to comfortably run in the top-six
in the race so that has to be our target.”
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, Dunlop radial tires. Start weight 1,300kg.
Limitation at 8500rpm 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, Brown, Osborne & Patterson 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 Pass
Audi UK Sport Press
T +44 1564 824600
M +44 7801 859502
Skype martyn.pass
www.audi-press.co.uk
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