Blundell Joins United Autosports for 2012 Blancpain Pro / Am Title Bid

·      Former McLaren Formula 1 ace and Le Mans 24 hour winner Mark Blundell spearheads team’s Pro/Am entry

·      Experienced duo, Zak Brown and Mark Patterson, form strong United Autosports Pro/Am line-up with Blundell

·      McLaren MP4-12C GT3 supercar for the team’s third season in GT racing

Mark Blundell joins United Autosports for a full season's racing in 2012 

Former Formula 1 driver and Indy car race winner, Mark Blundell (UK) joins the Anglo-American United Autosports team to spearhead the Pro/Am crew in the six-round 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series in his first full-time racing commitment since finishing his Indy car career.
 
Together with experienced racers, Zak Brown (USA) and Mark Patterson (USA), Blundell will pilot the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 for a full-time attack in the #23 car in the prestigious series.
 
Blundell has raced with the team on several occasions - taking third at the Total 24 Hours of Spa in 2010 and fourth in last year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. However 2012 will see the former Brabham-Yamaha (1991), Ligier-Renault (1993), Tyrrell-Yamaha (1994), McLaren-Mercedes (1995) Formula 1 driver contest the entire Blancpain Series.
 
Mark will share the McLaren cockpit with United Autosports team co-owner American Zak Brown, who has become a regular sportscar racer, and US-domiciled South African, Mark Patterson, thus producing a formidable squad in the European series.
 
Brown and Patterson took a fighting second place in the United Autosports LMP2 car at Petit Le Mans in 2011. Patterson has been a mainstay of the team since its inception in 2009, helping to establish the team as a major force in GT and sportscars.
 
Brown and Patterson established their long distance credentials for the team at the Rolex Daytona 24 Hours just 12 months ago when they finished fourth overall with Blundell and Martin Brundle also in the squad. In that prestigious race the quartet challenged for the lead throughout the 24 hours and finished the race on the lead lap with the top four cars covered by less than four seconds.
 
The Blancpain Endurance Series events, which will be known as Blancpain Race Weekends with a full support race programme, features races on five of Europe’s most prestigious circuits, with a sixth round in October to be announced. The SRO Motorsports Group- organized championship includes races on some of the most classic European tracks with the highlights being the Total 24 Hours of Spa at the end of July, and 3-hour races at Monza, Silverstone, Paul Ricard and new addition to the calendar, the Nürburgring in September. 

The 2012 season kicks off in April, as it did last year, with a 3-hour race at the home of the Italian Grand Prix, Monza. Round 2 takes place at Silverstone for another 3-hour race on the grand prix circuit with the series moving to Paul Ricard in the South of France at the start of July. 

Anglo-American team United Autosports, which is co-owned by American Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, enters its third season of GT racing in 2012, which will take the team around the world as it aims to win its first major title in sportscar racing.

Mark Blundell, Zak Brown and Mark Patterson will pilot the #23 McLaren MP4-12C GT3

in the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series

2012 Blancpain Endurance Series Calendar

Round 1: April 14 – 15, Monza, Italy 
Round 2: June 2 – 3, Silverstone, UK 
Round 3: June 29 – July 1, Paul Ricard, France 
Round 4: July 25 – 29, Total 24 Hours of Spa, Belgium 
Round 5: September 22 – 23, Nürburgring, Germany 
Round 6: October, TBC 

Mark Blundell (GB), Age 45. Born: Barnet,UK. Lives: Royston, UK:

“I'm excited and very happy to be racing with United Autosports. It will be my first full season in a championship since 2000 and to be with this team makes that extra special because of the people involved.  I think my experience will help with the development of the car and team, and I showed both my pace and calmness in endurance events in Daytona last year. The McLaren MP4-12C is a great looking car and with the resources and support from one of the best F1 teams in history, I feel we have great things ahead of us. My favourite circuit still has to be Spa with Monza close behind; both wonderful driver tracks.

“I have huge respect for both Mark Patterson, who’s a proven driver in his own right and Zak Brown, who applies himself with focus and commitment. But we are a team and that's what I like about sportscar racing. I can tell you we will be no less hungry to win on our side of the garage than our team mates or anyone else in the pit lane, and the desire, the competitive edge and the people involved with United Autosports are the ingredients which have brought me back into a full championship. Within a short space of time United Autosports has made a name in racing and I sincerely hope we can take that to another level over this season. Richard Dean and Zak Brown’s vision is to be applauded.”

Zak Brown (USA), Age 40. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“We've competed in the Spa 24 Hour race – a round of the Blancpain Endurance Series - so we know we are entering the most competitive GT series in the world and are very excited about it! The new McLaren looks fantastic and I just took delivery of the road car, which is mega; knowing that is the foundation of the racecar is very exciting. Spa has to be my favorite circuit as it is for so many drivers; the different types of challenging and fast corners, combined with the elevation and usual tricky weather, makes it one of the best tracks in the world.

“I'm really looking forward to driving with the "Marks", and of course I've been team mates with both of them now for a handful of races and we've had success together. Patterson is a great driver and as fast and reliable as anyone on the grid, while it’s a great privilege and vote of confidence to both our team and me as a driver that Blundell would come out of retirement to race with us full time. I'm sure Mark wouldn't be racing with us if he didn't think he would be in a position to win races. We have all the equipment and drivers needed to win races and that's our goal for 2012.”

Mark Patterson (SA), Age 60. Born: Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Lives: Bronxville, NY, USA:

“Racing is all about skill, reliable equipment and comfort with the team. Going into our third year is an exciting prospect with team members and owners I respect and admire. There's a top flight sense of dedication and an eye for detail that United Autosports exudes, which is very reassuring for a driver. Sprint races are intense, but I love almost any type of endurance racing. Three hours is about the shortest endurance race there is, but it increases that element of inter-dependency among drivers and racecar over a greater span of time, and that added pressure elevates the weekend's experience. That element, plus the world class selection of tracks; hard to beat.

“Although I have not met the United Autosports McLaren MP4-12C, we have ambitious hopes for our performance and results this year. SRO runs a first rate operation and the blend of pure pro teams and pro-am teams in the same race, deploying a full grid of wonderful cars, should make for unbelievable racing. Of our three-man line-up, we've all had experience on all tracks, though I have yet to run on the mighty German lanes. Spa is hard to beat, cradled in the undulating hills of dense Belgian forests with their predictably unpredictable weather conditions!”

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

“United Autosports really means business this year and we aim to be the team that everyone’s talking about, not just because we have an exciting and first-class line-up of drivers, but also as we have moved up a gear in every respect. Every member of the team has a unified goal and in 2012, that is to win a major title. We’ve spent the previous two years setting up the team and moving towards that goal; this year we want to achieve it.

“We are thrilled that we have a new partner in McLaren for the Blancpain Endurance Series and the team intends to work hand in glove with this historic team to produce outstanding performances in the series. The championship visits some of the most historic race tracks in Europe with Spa and Monza, and none more so than our ‘home’ circuit at Silverstone. The two “Marks” and Zak have raced together before and I have no doubt they will prove a major force to be reckoned with.”

Unveiled: The United Autosports McLaren in Live Action At Autosports International Show

·        Anglo-American team first to demonstrate its McLaren MP4-12C in public

·        All-new United Autosports McLaren in Live Action Arena pit stop demonstration

·        First chance to see awesome GT supercar in close up action with Irishman Tim Mullen at the wheel

United Autosports' McLaren MP4-12C GT3 at Macau in November

While Anglo-American team United Autosports competes in the Dunlop 24H Dubai with its two Audi R8 LMS GT3 cars this week, thousands of miles away back in the UK, the Leeds-based team will be the first to put its McLaren MP4-12C GT car through its paces at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham’s NEC from Thursday, January 12 until Sunday, January 15.

Ulsterman Tim Mullen has been given the awesome task of not only demonstrating the McLaren supercar at the UK’s largest tri-oval indoor race track in the Live Action Arena, but he will give the car its first ever pit stop and tyre change in front of a bumper audience.

The Live Action Arena is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the four-day show and is located within the biggest hall of the NEC (Hall 5). The track with a 4700-seat grandstand, allows the audience to see an array of motor racing action, from 70 different racing cars; plus record-breaking stunts and celebrity appearances.

There is only one performance per day during the exclusive trade-only days on Thursday and Friday but the show-stopping McLaren MP4-12C GT will feature on track no less than five times each day on Saturday and Sunday. Live Action starts at the following times with the fabulous United Autosports McLaren appearing approximately 40 minutes after each start time:

Thursday/ Friday, 12^th/13th January 2012 – 14:00

Saturday/Sunday, 14^th/15^th January 2012 – 09:30; 11:00; 12:30; 14:00; 15:30

Tickets for the Autosport international Show are available from www.autosportinternational.com

Starworks Motorsport Drivers Team Up With United Autosports For Winter GT Races

• Daytona 24 Hours winner Ryan Dalziel heads team trio for United Autosports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
• Venezuelan pair joins Dalziel in championship-winning Audi R8 LMS
• United Autosports announce second #36 car for Middle Eastern endurance races

Scottish Grand Am racer and winner of the prestigious 2010 Rolex 24 Daytona, Ryan Dalziel, spearheads a trio of prominent GT drivers in the United Autosports second car for the two New Year endurance races in the Dunlop 24 Dubai (January 12-14) and the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi (January 20).

One of Scotland’s leading professional drivers, 29-year old Dalziel has earned many podium finishes in both the American Le Mans Series and Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series. In 2011 he completed a full season in Grand Am and selected races in ALMS, with a victory in the Grand Am Rolex season finalé at Mid Ohio and a second placing in the Sebring 12H being the highlights of the season.

Enzo Potolicchio and Alex Popow both made their series’ débuts in January’s Rolex 24 Daytona with the Starworks Motorsports team, the Venezuelan duo proving to be one of the surprise stories of the 2011 Grand Am series.

Popow and Dalziel teamed up for a third place finish at Watkins Glen in August, following an impressive opening stint by the 36-year-old Venezuelan which saw him battle for a top three placing overall. Then Potolicchio and Dalziel took a maiden victory for Starworks in the final race of the season at Mid-Ohio, when Potolicchio performed double duty between both of the team’s Rileys. As a result of their superb inaugural season, SPEED.com awarded the duo Rolex Series "Rookies of the Year" for 2011.

In addition, both drivers wound up victorious in other championships in which they competed alongside their Rolex Series campaigns. Popow was crowned Seat Leon Supercup Mexico champion, while finishing third in the Latin America Challenge Formula 2000 Championship as well. Potolicchio, meanwhile, earned his second consecutive Ferrari Challenge North America championship.

The three drivers bring their sponsors to the Middle East endurance races, in which they all compete for the first time. The #36 Audi R8 LMS will be in the livery of Duncan Batteries, Taxand and Soloson in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Entering its third season of GT racing, the Leeds-based Anglo-American team - co-owned by American Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean - has a busy and exciting 2012 schedule ahead of it as it bids for victory in its first Middle East foray.

Ryan Dalziel (GB). Age 29. Born: Glasgow, Scotland UK. Lives: Orlando, FL, USA:

“I am really excited about racing with United Autosports in these two amazing endurance races. I raced twice in Dubai back in ‘95 and ‘96, for the 24H of Dubai Go-Kart race, winning the event in ’95 and I’ve been hoping for the opportunity to go back ever since. I saw how professional the United Autosports team was when they raced in Grand Am last season and I know Richard Dean from my early years back in the late 90s racing in the UK. I already know we will be contenders for the victory, and Enzo and Alex have worked really hard in the past few months to make this happen and I am hugely grateful to them. We thought it would be great preparation for us to get these two endurance events under our belt before the Rolex 24 at Daytona the week after Abu Dhabi. Driving the Audi R8 LMS will be a first for all of us but Audi is no stranger to endurance success so we expect great things.”

Enzo Potolicchio (VE). Age 43. Lives: Caracas, Venezuela:

"I am really happy to make this deal happen for Alex, Ryan and myself. Alex and I have been working very hard with our sponsors over the past few months to add these amazing races to our already intense 2012 racing commitments. I have been a big admirer of Zak Brown and United Autosports since its creation and am honored to be able to field a car with my two friends and team mates. I have watched Formula 1 on these tracks and they look breath-taking. We are going there to try to get a victory but we want to have fun with our new challenge also."

Alex Popow (VE). Age 36. Lives: Lecheria, Venezuela:

“Racing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is going to be very exciting and it will be a very busy month for the three of us. After Rolex Daytona testing from January on 6-8, we will fly to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the two races, then return to the USA on January 22 for the Rolex 24 at Daytona that coming weekend. We are doing everything possible to push our performances to the next level and I believe this opportunity with United Autosports, driving the Audi R8 LMS, is the perfect warm up for our 2012 season."

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

“I have known Ryan for a long time and he was a fierce competitor when he was younger racing in Vauxhall Junior on the British Touring car package. He always gave us a hard time but we've always admired his ability and he was always fast and fair. Recently I have been watching his progress out in America where he's made quite a name for himself. Although I don't know much about Alex and Enzo, they have been performing strongly in the Grand Am series where United Autosports saw their ability from close quarters when we competed against them in the 2011 Rolex Daytona 24 hours. I believe Ryan set the fastest unofficial time for a GrandAm car in free practice at the same event, so I am looking forward to actually working on the same team as Ryan this time and not trying to beat him!”

How Do They Do It? United Autosports Drivers

Click here to check out the latest season of How Do They Do It and learn more about United Autosports Drivers.

United Autosports Quartet Announced For Dubai 24 Hour Enduro

• Young British hotshot and BRDC Rising Star Matt Bell makes Dubai debut
• Quality four man line-up in race-winning Audi R8 LMS
• Multi-national drivers in Anglo-American team
• Experience is key ingredient for United Autosports inaugural Dubai visit

Above: Matt Bell and Mark Patterson raced for the team at the Total 24 Hours of Spa earlier this year
United Autosports has assembled a class quartet of GT racers for its first attempt to win the seventh running of the Dunlop 24H Dubai, which kicks off the new 2012 season on January 12 – 14. Talented young United Autosports regular driver, Matt Bell (GB) will be one of four racing the team's #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 at the Dubai Autodrome.
The 22-year old BRDC Rising Star will be pitted alongside US-based South African Mark Patterson (USA), Hong Kong's Frank Yu (HK) and newcomer to the United Autosports team, New Zealander Roger Wills (NZ), this trio bringing a wealth of endurance ability and racing experience to the Middle East race.
The Anglo-American team, based in Leeds, has a truly international line-up of drivers for its 2012 season opener and first visit to Dubai for the start the endurance racing year. United Autosports will be pitted against the best competition of more than 80 entries of GTs, touring cars and 24H Specials.
There has been no slowing down over the winter for the team, which is co-owned by American, Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, and December has proved to be as busy as the rest of the year as the team prepares for the full schedule of races planned for next year, starting with the trio of races in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bathurst.
These events will give the young team valuable experience before it begins its third season in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the British GT Championship.
On Thursday, January 12, there will be two free practice sessions followed by qualifying, partly split up into various classes. There will be two hours of night practice on Thursday evening before the race starts on Friday, January 13, at 14.00 (local time) and will end 24 hours later.
As well as Radio Le Mans reporting live on the event for the first time, Motors TV will again be covering this international event.
Provisional Timetable:
Thursday 12 January 2012
11:30 – 12:15 Dunlop 24H Dubai Free Practice 1
13:15 – 14:45 Dunlop 24H Dubai Free Practice 2
15:00 – 16:00 Dunlop 24H Dubai Qualification All Classes
16:15 – 16:45 Dunlop 24H Dubai Qualification Class A1 up to A5, D1, D2, A3T
17:00 – 17:30 Dunlop 24H Dubai Qualification Class A6, SP2-GT3A, SP3-GT4A, 997
18:00 – 20:00 Dunlop 24H Dubai Night Practice
Friday 13 January 2012
10:30 – 11:00 Dunlop 24H Dubai Warm up
12:00 – 13:00 Break including Pit Road Walkabout
13.00 Start grid of the Dunlop 24H Dubai
14:00 hours Start of the Dunlop 24H Dubai
Saturday 14 January 2012
14:00 Finish of the Dunlop 24H Dubai

Above: Frank Yu drove a United Autosports Audi R8 LMS at Zhuhai in 2010's Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race
Matt Bell (GB), Age 22. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Lives: Barningham, nr Richmond UK.
"I've never raced in Dubai before but from what I've seen on videos it looks like a very good circuit. I'm very excited about racing in the Dubai 24H and although the race only has a short history, you can tell it has gathered huge prestige in recent years by looking at the extremely competitive entry list. It is also a great way to interrupt the winter break with some racing, which will be very beneficial during the European pre-season testing period that follows in February and March. As we were front runners all year in the British GT series, I am confident the Audi R8 LMS will be very competitive in the race, and in Dubai everyone runs the same Dunlop tyres, so I expect to be challenging the top guys."
Mark Patterson (US), Age 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Lives: Bronxville, NY, USA
"I've been fortunate enough to race on a dozen current and previous F1 tracks around the world, including Spa, Shanghai, Montreal, Indianapolis and Silverstone, etc, so racing at a few more simply adds to the palette of experiences as well as being able to enjoy an endurance race on tracks such as these. As there are multiple classes in this race, keeping the car clean and fast are the two primary goals. We have a great line up of drivers with tons of endurance racing experience, so I know we'll all aim to bring the Audi home near the front. Matt is an unbelievably good young up-and-coming British pro racing talent and we shared an Audi at the Spa 24 Hours this year and both were happy with our competitive lap times. United Autosports and I have had a very exciting and rewarding two year relationship that will spill into 2012 as well. They are great team owners and always the neatest most professional outfit on the grid."
Frank Yu (HK), Age: 42. Born: Hong Kong. Lives: Hong Kong
"I competed in the Dubai 24H in 2010 with Richard as my team mate. I like the track layout, but I dislike the dust, which makes the corner's grip level sometimes unpredictable. The atmosphere in Dubai is great and the 80 plus car grid is amazing. The Audi has done a number of endurance races all over the world with proven reliability and good results so I'm quite confident the car will do well. United Autosports is a very professional team, the crew members are great to work with and Richard is a good leader and friend. I can't wait to be there."
Roger Wills (NZ), Age 43. Born: New Zealand. Lives: New Zealand
"As this is my first time racing at Dubai, I'll have to book some time on the simulator to learn the circuit before going out there. This is also my first race in the Audi A8 LMS, having previously competed in an Aston Martin, Ferraris and the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 to date. The Audi seems like a really well-developed car, always runs well and I'm excited about the chance to race it. I've only met Matt Bell previously as I have driven with his brother Rob in the McLaren, but all the guys bring a lot of experience so I'm really looking forward to racing with them.
"I'm a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust which does amazing work for young people with cancer, and I will run their logos on my suit and on the car to give them some exposure. I did my first endurance race at Spa in 2010, but I'm pleased to be racing with United Autosports this time as they've really impressed me. The cars are always incredibly well-prepared and run, and the whole team exudes professionalism. They also seem to be a team that looks like they're having a lot of fun. Being a hobby for me, not a job, these are all important characteristics for a team. I'm really excited about joining them and hope this will be the start of a longer relationship with the team."
Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:
"Although I raced myself in Dubai in 2010, it's the first time the team has competed in the Middle East. We're just two years old as a team and we're branching out into yet another continent. It feels quite a privilege to be able to take part in these high-profile races across the world after such a short time.
"This line-up we're taking to Dubai gives us a great combination of youth and experience. Matt Bell is fast, there is no doubt about that, but his 24 hour experience is limited to just Spa in 2011. I have ultimate faith in Matt every time he gets in the car. I shared a car with Frank in the 2010 Dubai 24 hour race and I wouldn't hesitate to sit alongside Frank in any long distance race anywhere in the world. Mark has been with the team for two years and he's the ideal guy in a long distance race because he is quick, dependable and supremely consistent. Mark as a character also brings something unique to the team and the guys love working with him. It's Roger first race with the team but we've raced against him at the Spa 24 for two years; he won his class in 2010 and finished in the McLaren's début in 2011. For a non-professional driver who has spent most of his life concentrating on his business, he's clearly now a very serious racing driver. He's never seems to be out of a car, he comes highly recommended and I'm looking forward to working with him."
- ENDS -
For immediate release:
5th December 2011
For further information please contact:
Linda Keen
Press Officer
United Autosports
T: +44 1424 250840
M: +44 7745 121790
Email: linda@unitedautosports.com
Skype: lindakeen
www.unitedautosports.com

United Autosports Bids For British GT Crown

• United Autosports returns to British GT for second season with updated Audi R8 LMS GT3 car
• Ambitious Leeds-based team focuses on British Championship title with proven race and championship-winning Audi R8 LMS
• Exclusive two-day Monza test scheduled for February 2012

Leeds-based United Autosports plans to campaign an Audi R8 LMS sportscar in the 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship in a bid to take the title it so narrowly missed out on this year.
The team was one of the front-running outfits in 2011, having taken several pole positions and led the championship for majority of the season with drivers Matt Bell (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK) and Mike Guasch (Palo Alto, CA).
Co-owned by American, Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, the United Autosports team - having already finalised its plans to contest the Blancpain Endurance Series - has turned its attention to running a second program in the British GT Championship with the Audi R8 LMS sportscar. With the sole intention of taking the 2012 title, the young team is putting together a comprehensive package for the best line-up of winning drivers available to it.
The Audi R8 LMS is one of the most successful GT cars in the history of the sport, having taken over 100 race wins to date, and already the Anglo-American team has confirmed one Audi R8 LMS entry with the series organisers for next year’s British GT series with the intention of adding a second for the right driver combination. The United Autosports car will be the latest 2012 specification, the Audi R8 having conquered the opposition with recent dominant performances and victories in the 2011 Spa 24 hours, Blancpain Endurance Series and Macau GT race.
Organiser, SRO Motorsports Group, has a seven-meeting calendar scheduled for 2012 featuring the UK’s best circuits, Oulton Park, Rockingham, Snetterton and the Grand Prix circuits of Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington Park. The 2012 overseas round, meanwhile, will take place on the German Grand Prix circuit at the Nürburgring. Once again SRO is repeating the successful mix of one, two and three-hour races for next season’s Avon Tyres British GT Championship.
Entering its third season of GT racing, United Autosports has already achieved over and above all expectations in 2011, and next year the team has its sights firmly set on its first major GT sportscar title.

Zak Brown (USA), Co-Owner and CEO of United Autosports:
"It's great to be back in British GT with Audi. We were very successful in 2011 winning our first race and being a contender for the championship throughout the season. We have high expectations for 2012 and hope to continue our winning form."
Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:
"We firmed up our Blancpain Endurance Series team and driver line-up a couple of weeks ago with the McLaren MP4-12C, and have now decided to keep two of our three Audi R8 LMS cars. This was having considered how the Audi took a major performance leap forward with its recent Blancpain series updates. We have the capacity to run a second program as we did in 2011 and although for us, this is a late decision, we have plenty of time to work through our driver line-up options. We have an exclusive two-day test at Monza in early February and I expect everything to be in place by that time."
Provisional calendar 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship
07-09 Apr: Oulton Park
TBA: Nürburgring GP
26/27 May: Rockingham
23/24 Jun: Brands Hatch GP
04/05 Aug: Snetterton 300
08/09 Sep: Silverstone GP
29/30 Sep: Donington Park GP
All dates and circuits are provisional and subject to change
- ENDS -
For immediate release:
29th November 2011
Interested drivers with budget should contact Richard Dean: Richard@Unitedautosports.com
Or for further information please contact:
Linda Keen
Press Officer
United Autosports
T: +44 1424 250840
M: +44 7745 121790
Email: linda@unitedautosports.com
Skype: lindakeen
www.unitedautosports.com

Watts and United Autosports Bring McLaren Home for Superb Podium in Macau

§    Watts takes fantastic third in McLaren’s Macau début

§    Meins finishes in fine seventh after race-long battle in Audi R8 LMS

§    United Autosports scores first podium with McLaren in Macau and ends 2011 season on a high

Britain’s Danny Watts (Thornborough), brought the stunning GR Asia-sponsored McLaren MP4-12C GT3 home for a superb third place in Macau on Sunday in a race of attrition and confusion, while Richard Meins gained a place from his grid start to take the closest possible seventh in the United Autosports Audi A8 LMS.

Scheduled for 12 laps, the Star River – Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup race was abruptly halted on the third lap after a massive accident at Mandarin involving Frank Yu’s Ford GT, Eddie Yau (Porsche 911) and John Shen (Ferrari F430 GT) with Yuk Lung Siu spinning his Lamborghini Gallardo to avoid the mêlée. The whole crash had been set off by Akihiro Tsuzuki’s Audi, which had dumped oil on the track at Mandarin.

There was a lengthy delay of over an hour as the organisers cleared the wreckage but this gave the United Autosports team a chance to check the brakes and ABS issue on Watts’ GR Asia-sponsored McLaren.

To add to the confusion, the restart was originally scheduled for seven laps but as the cars moved away from the grid, the restart was run under the safety car for two laps with only five laps of racing under the green flags.

Italian Edoardo Mortara soared away in the factory Audi A8 LMS, just as he had before the stoppage, leaving Watts to argue over second with Japan’s Keita Sawa (Lamborghini LP-560). The pair fought tooth and nail over the narrow track and on the fifth lap, the McLaren was climbing all over the Lamborghini trying to find a way by.

Meanwhile Hong Kong-based Briton, Meins was having his own battle with Tomonobu Fujii (Aston Martin DBRS9) and Weng Sun Mok (Ferrari F458), the trio circulating the twisty street circuit bumper to bumper for the remaining laps.

Another accident on lap seven was narrowly averted after two spinners blocked the track but managed to get going again without being collected, as the leaders continued their relentless pace at the front.

With two laps remaining, Mortara continued stretching his lead while Sawa and Watts were comfortable in the podium positions. The British driver was a further 10 seconds ahead of fourth place Rodolfo Avila’s Porsche 911, ultimately giving the McLaren a great third place on its first visit to the Guai Circuit and Watts’ 10^th anniversary race in Macau.

Meins held on for a superb seventh place, a mere 0.318 seconds behind his race-long rival, Mok, Richard having found that overtaking the Ferrari in the time remaining was just not possible, but still managed to set his fastest lap of the race in the process of hunting down the man in front.

It was an excellent result for the young United Autosports team to end the 2011 season, and the Leeds-based Anglo-American sportscar outfit now sets its sights on 2012 and the winter GT Endurance races in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bathurst.

Danny Watts (GB). Age 31. Born: Aylesbury, UK. Lives: Thornborough, nr Buckingham, GB

“I’m very happy with third for the first time here with the McLaren. We’ve learned a huge amount this weekend, developed it and moved it forward throughout the whole four days, so to get a podium on its début is just fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Every year the standard gets higher and higher, the drivers turn up in better cars all the time, and it’s fantastic for the category that twice Macau Formula 3 winner and works DTM driver, Edoardo Montara, turns up in his Audi. You have to be on your toes, and I think collectively as a team, we did a great job all weekend.

“At any normal circuit braking issues wouldn’t be so much of a problem because you’ve got plenty of run off, but in Macau, you want to have confidence in your brake pedal because the track’s lined by barriers and if you out-brake yourself by two metres you hit the wall. So unfortunately I had to bring my braking point back a little bit, which meant we lost a little bit of time, but apart from that the car’s handling was excellent, really responsive, good traction, great rear end, and overall the car was really strong.”

Richard Meins (GB). Age 56. Born: Beckenham, UK. Lives: Stanley, Hong Kong.

“That was brilliant and I must say I really enjoyed the race. Obviously we had a long stop because of the big accident, which was a bit unfortunate. The car was great and I got the pace I thought I should have got yesterday - three seconds faster than I’d been round here before - so I’m extremely happy.

“The guys at the front were good and you have to be quick through Mandarin to overtake and I wasn’t really going to do that because it was pretty messy there. The Ford GT went off just in front of me and the other Audi - with the Japanese driver - the back caught fire, there was loads of oil coming out and that was just before Mandarin. I was behind so I could see it and backed right off. Frank Yu was slightly in front of me and when I got round Mandarin there was Frank facing the other way and hurtling towards the right hand side barrier. My next concern was which way is he going to go? Anyway, I missed him as he shot in front of me. I guess everybody else was so far behind they hadn’t seen it happen and then it was complete carnage. It’s Macau; you don’t have small accidents here. I feel sorry for those other guys as there was a lot of damage, but it you finish Macau and the car’s in shape and you’ve done okay, then you should be happy really.”

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

“It’s a shame the race was in two halves with a big accident, but thankfully everybody was okay. It just shows what can happen around Macau. To get two cars back in one piece and running well compared to some of the cars that were coming back is a relief. Danny was driving well within himself but there were not enough laps after the red flag to really challenge. This McLaren development car was delivered to us on the day it flew to Asia, so we had very little time to get to know it. The fact it came here and ran trouble free is a tribute to McLaren GT and I’m really excited United Autosports have achieved a first podium with the car, which really bodes well for the future. There is so much potential in the car; I can’t wait to get my hands on the new definitive 2012 customer version!

“Richard drove very well in the Audi; very good judgement and luck to miss the accident but he certainly got himself through there. He was fastest at the restart, set his fastest lap of the race by quite a long way, and if the track had been wider or a few more laps he’d definitely have made up another place. I’m pleased for Richard and thought he drove exceptionally well. This Audi now heads to Dubai for the 24 Hours in January and then a little tour of the Middle East and Australia.”