Aston Martin Racing has won the Catalunya 1000 kilometres, on the team’s Le Mans Series debut with its new LMP1 challenger. The 007 car, driven by Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ) and Stefan Mücke (DE) finished first after a flawless debut run. Car 009, crewed by Harold Primat (CH), Miguel Ramos (PT) and Darren Turner (GB), ran in the top three until the final 40 minutes of the race, when a spin put the crew out of contention.

An elated David Richards, Chairman of Aston Martin, said: “This momentous victory is a fantastic reward for the many weeks and months of hard work put in by every member of the team. Endurance racing is above all a team sport, and I think that we have proved this once again today.”

Despite a limited pre-season testing programme, neither the 007 nor the 009 car experienced any mechanical problems during the course of the six-hour race, with just six scheduled pit stops for fuel and tyres on the winning Aston Martin. The car also set the fastest race lap of 1m34.089s.

Starting from third on the grid the 007 car showed both speed and reliabilitythroughout the race, which came to a dramatic climax just over half an hour from the finish. Having hounded the leader until the closing stages, the 007 Aston Martin with Mücke at the wheel benefited from a safety car period to close right up to the leader. With a masterful move around the outside, Mücke was able to take advantage of traffic to claim the lead for Aston Martin Racing. He once again demonstrated his impressive speed to pull away in front and claim an emotional victory by just 14.8 seconds.

In the highly-competitive GT2 class, there was further encouragement for Aston Martin with the Drayson Racing Vantage GT2 of Englishmen Paul Drayson and Jonny Cocker taking a strong eighth place in class on their first ever European outing.

THE STORY OF ASTON MARTIN’S FIRST LE MANS SERIES WIN

Despite very little track time prior to the start of the season, Aston Martin Racing was able to overcome serious opposition to record the company’s first ever overall win in the LMP1 category.

During Saturday’s qualifying session, German driver Stefan Mücke overcame a minor gearbox problem and some traffic to end up third on the grid in 007. Britain’s Darren Turner did an excellent job in his very first LMP1 qualifying to place 009 second on the grid.

The same two drivers were chosen to start the race on Sunday. The opening round of the Le Mans Series got underway at 11:30, with a scheduled race distance of 1000 kilometres or 215 laps. By the end of the opening lap, Mücke was in the lead while Turner held third, ensuring that the Aston Martin LMP1 car led its very first lap of competition.

Mücke handed over to Jan Charouz after his opening stint, who held second place, while Turner stayed in 009. After nearly an hour and a half, Turner swapped places with Harold Primat, with the Swiss driver keeping 009 well and truly in the hunt for a podium place.

Tomas Enge took the 007 car over from his team mate and compatriot Charouz just after 13:00, and immediately set about hunting down the lead car, reducing the gap to less than a second on the 100th lap of the race. The Czech driver was part of a thrilling three-way battle for the lead, but he was not quite able to make his move after losing grip at the end of a long stint.

Primat did an excellent job in 009 and handed over to Miguel Ramos just after 1pm. The Portuguese driver had no problems during his first stint and maintained fourth until Turner was back in the car just after the halfway point of the race. Shortly afterwards Enge lost a handful of seconds with a spin that luckily had no lasting consequences, meaning that 007 and 009 maintained their second and third places respectively.

During his final stint, Stefan Mücke continued to chase down the leader, catching him lap after lap, but then the race was interrupted by a safety car period caused by a spin for Miguel Ramos in the 009 Aston Martin, 15 minutes into his final stint and less than an hour from the finish. The car was running in third place when Ramos spun, but the Portuguese driver was not able to restart it. This meant that the safety car came out while 009 was recovered, allowing the 007 car driven by Stefan Mücke to close right up to the leader.

Once the safety car came back in, Mücke was able to make use of the traffic to pass the leader with a brilliant move around the outside on lap 193, with just 20 minutes to go. The 007 car was already fuelled to the finish, and once in front Mücke was able to pull away to seal an emotional victory on Aston Martin Racing’s Le Mans Series debut.

Driver quotes

From the 007 Car

Jan Charouz (CZ): “It’s been a really impressive debut, and I’ve had a very good feeling with the car throughout the weekend. I’d like to thank everybody for doing a fantastic job: I think this sets us up really well for a successful continuation to the season. I had no problems at all during my stints, and most importantly we have learnt a lot for the future.”

Tomas Enge (CZ): “This is the perfect way for us to start our season, and the car has been very good from the beginning. The only problem I’ve experienced is a lack of rear-end grip sometimes, which is what caused my spin. But luckily no harm was done and we did not lose much time. During my stint I tried to keep up with the leading Pescarolo but it was very tricky. In the end though it was a great result for everyone.”

Stefan Mücke (D): “I’m absolutely delighted with this result, but it was a very close call at the finish. It was so tight at the end that I really did not know which way everything would go. Eventually we were able to take advantage of the safety car to close up, and then we found a gap in the traffic to pass the leader. He went to the inside, we went to the outside and thankfully it worked. Once we were through, I think we proved that we had the pace to win.”

From the 009 Car

Harold Primat (CH): “It was a tough first stint for me, as my drinks bottle did not work so I got very hot. Physically it was difficult but I’m pleased with the job that we did and the result goes to show that all our hard work has paid off. I’m delighted for the team, the only problem we had with the car was driver comfort: we need to work on our seating position.”

Miguel Ramos (PT): “I obviously have mixed emotions: I’m very disappointed and sorry for what happened when I was in the car, but I am delighted for the team. I was following behind an LMP2 car during my final stint, when I spun. I tried to control the spin in order not to hit the barrier, but once the car was stopped I could not get it going again.”

Darren Turner (GB): “My first stint was quite tricky, as it was by far and away the longest time I had spent in the car in one go. Before today, the longest time I had been in the car was probably around 20 minutes; after the start of the race it was nearly an hour and a half. We didn’t change tyres during that time, so our Michelins were definitely having to work hard and did a good job. There was less traffic during our second stint and we were able to hold position without problems. ”

The Le Mans Series now moves on to the famous Francorchamps circuit in Spa, for the next round of the Le Mans Series on the 8th – 10th May 2009. Various tickets and hospitality packages are available on this website by clicking here. Alternatively please call (0844) 873 0203 for more details.

The famous name of Senna will be racing at Le Mans this year as Bruno Senna has been confirmed as one of the drivers for Team Oreca.

After missing out on a drive in F1 with the re-named Brawn GP team, Bruno will join Stephane Ortelli in the team’s number 10 car. The team’s number 11 car will be driven by the experienced team of Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre. The third driver in each car will be confirmed by Team Oreca in the coming weeks.

The drivers and cars will feature in the Le Mans Series races at Barcelona & Spa before the Le Mans 24 hours. Bruno Senna has already experienced the new Team Oreca car at the official testing at the Paul Ricard circuit earlier in March.

You can meet Bruno Senna and the other Team Oreca drivers at this year’s Le Mans 24 hours 2009. We still have some last few spaces available for our VIP Race team hospitality with Team Oreca. Part of this exclusive package will be meeting with the drivers at the team’s race HQ at the circuit. Also part of the package will be visits to the team’s paddock and pit during the 24 hours. Further details and prices are available by clicking here.

To book this or any other package to Le Mans 24 hours 2009 please call now on (0844) 873 0203.

Exciting news from our friends at Radio Le Mans

Radio Show Limited, the team behind Radio Le Mans, is gearing up for another busy season. On the menu, live coverage of top-class motor racing from the USA and Europe.

First up for the team is the traditional season-opener at Sebring, for the 12-Hours, as part of their commitment to the ALMS. This Wednesday (18th March) at 8pm UK time, the flagship Midweek Motorsport show will be airing an extensive preview to the new series, including the thoughts of Acura P1 Driver David Brabham. “Our ALMS coverage, especially Sebring, is a big hit with fans all over the world,” explains RSL Managing Director Eve Hewitt, “and we have something extra for the fans this year as we are moving into TV.”

Radio Show Limited, with the www.radiolemans.com brand, is sponsoring Motors TV coverage of the ALMS. “It’s much more than just putting our name on the screen,” say Eve, “the RSL trackside team will be providing live commentary for the Motors TV live coverage of the ALMS.”

Motors TV Head of Programming and Acquisitions, Fred Viger, is excited about the partnership. “The radio team is already providing audio podcasts and written content for the new motorstv.co.uk website so it seemed sensible to extend the relationship. There is no substitute for having commentators at the track, at the centre of the action and the RadioLeMans.com team is the best in the business.”

But does that mean that the trademark radio coverage will have to change? Not at all says commentator John Hindhaugh. “We have had a couple of tests with Motors, most notably at Petit Le Mans last year. They are keen to hold on to as much of the style of our radio shows as possible.” Eve Hewitt agrees, “It’s a testament to the strength of the radiolemans.com brand, and our commitment to entertaining and informing the fans, that Motors see our audio as an important addition to their TV coverage.”

Radio Show Limited will be providing live audio from qualifying, warm-up and all of the ALMS races this year. Full details and a programme schedule are available at www.radiolemans.com, where there is also an extensive archive of Le Mans, ALMS, LMS and other events.

More Pictures for Radio Team

Leading American sport Network SPEED is the latest TV broadcaster to take advantage of the specialist commentary provided by Radio Show Limited. Speedtv.com will be broadcasting live video coverage of the ALMS Qualifying session from Sebring this week.

“This is great news for the fans,” said Eve Hewitt, Managing Director of Radio Show Limited, the team behind Radio Le Mans. “As our listeners already know, ALMS qualifying is more exciting than most races in other series.” The coverage will give fans the chance to see, and hear, the ALMS cars at full speed as they battle for pole position. “The format of the session is perfect for a TV show” said Joe Tripp, Director of Interactive Operations at SPEED. “World class drivers on and sometimes over the edge, trying to find fractions of a second in these cars is fantastic viewing.”

Fans first had the opportunity to witness this excitement late last season when SPEEDtv.com aired several qualifying sessions. Although the shows are only seen on the Internet it is important to ensure quality as Joe Tripp explains; “In every respect it is a TV show, using the same cameras, the same facilities and technical expertise that is the trademark of SPEED. We had such a positive response from last year we knew we had to try again for 2009.” Michelin has stepped in to support the live broadcasts which are planned for seven of the ALMS rounds this season.

Credit for the initiative goes to the TV production company Wheeler TV and the SPEEDtv.com team, says radio commentator John Hindhaugh. “The only way we can properly cover qualifying for radio is to have the TV truck feed us pictures which they have been doing for many seasons. The TV production team have always said it would make a great show and when SPEEDtv.com saw what was being produced they provided the outlet. Brilliant!”

This news comes hard on the heels of the announcement of a season-long partnership for race coverage with Motors TV in Europe. Eve Hewitt says that it proves the Radio Show Limited ethos. “Although RSL was only formed in late 2005 and took on Radio Le Mans in 2006, we have managed to expand the brands significantly. Now www.radiolemans.com is a real ’go to’ resource for motorsport fans. Our traditional media partnerships, presence across the Internet and now the relationships with SPEED and Motors deliver a breadth and diversity of coverage and visibility that has never been seen before.”
In addition to the SPEEDtv.com coverage, Radio Show Limited will be providing live audio from qualifying, warm-up and all of the ALMS races this year. Full details and a programme schedule are available at www.radiolemans.com, where there is also an extensive archive of Le Mans, ALMS, LMS and other events.

Travel Destinations have teamed up with Stingray RV to offer an inclusive package providing you with the very best possible accommodation actually within the Le Mans Circuit. We are able to offer a variety of exclusive VIP travel packages all of which include your very own American style luxury motorhome waiting for you at the circuit. The Motorhomes sleep between 2 & 7 people and are available on circuit from the Thursday before the race until the Monday afterwards. All the luxury motorhomes will be located in the Beausejour campsite in the centre of the circuit. 

These packages offer the equivelent of 5 star luxury in the centre of the track. They are ideal & make great value for small groups wishing to stay at the circuit but not wishing to camp.

For more details on the motorhomes on offer please click here.

Following weeks of intense preparation Aston Martin Racing ran its new LMP1 cars for the first time at the Le Mans Series test held at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France on 8th & 9th March.

Car numbers 007 and 009 resplendent in their Gulf Oil International orange and blue livery took to the French circuit on Sunday morning. All six of the team’s drivers, Jan Charouz (CZ), Tomas Enge (CZ), Stefan Mücke (DE), Harold Primat (CH), Miguel Ramos (PT) and Darren Turner (GB) got an opportunity to test the new cars.

Members of the public were granted access to the Paul Ricard Test Track for the first time in 10 years and 3,500 spectators arrived on Sunday to view the on-track action from the newly installed grandstands. In total 28 of the 50 cars that will compete in the Le Mans Series took part in the official test with the Aston Martins taking centre stage.

The team was encouraged by the performance and reliability over the course of the test and encountered no significant issues despite the cars having barely turned a wheel prior to the start of the test.

The team suffered a setback on the afternoon of day one when the 007 car suffered an accident with Czech driver Tomas Enge at the wheel. Although the car sustained heavy damage, Enge walked away uninjured from the accident.

Also taking part in the test was Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing – Drayson Racing with their No. 87 Aston Martin Vantage GT2. Drivers Paul Drayson and Jonny Cocker used the test to benchmark the off-season improvements the team has made to the V8-powered machine. The results were encouraging as the Vantage GT2 performed well on its new Michelin tyres.

The Le Mans Series consists of five 1,000km races, the first of which is the 1,000km of Catalunya which will take place on 5 April at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain. The other races take place at Spa in Belgium, at the new Algarve circuit in Portugal and at the Nürburgring in Germany where Aston Martin has its Test Centre facility. The series finale takes place on the team’s home turf of Silverstone in the UK.

In addition to the Le Mans Series, Aston Martin Racing will compete in the Le Mans 24 hour race which takes place on 13th & 14th June 2009.

Quotes

George Howard-Chappell Team Principal “It’s a credit to the team that both of our cars have run so reliably after such an intense and tiring build period. For a first test with two brand new cars we have run very successfully. Obviously the accident has set us back to a degree but as always we will recover and we will be in Barcelona with two race-ready cars. I am pleased that the new drivers are getting to grips with the car and are integrating well with the team and the ‘old hands’ are also performing well.”

Car 007
Jan Charouz “The first impression of the car is that it looks stunning. I didn’t get to do many laps, just 10, but the car was very stable and quick and we didn’t experience any technical difficulties which was great as it is a completely new car. I’m looking forward to the first race to see how we compare to the competition.”

Tomas Enge “Considering how short a time the team had to build up the two cars we were running really well without any major problems. Unfortunately because of my error the test was compromised but prior to the accident the car was good and I believe that we will be even stronger than we were last year.”

Stefan Mucke “It was the first time for me in the new LMP1 and the first time it has run on a race track. The aerodynamics have changed quite a lot and I was expecting less down-force with the smaller rear wing but actually the car felt really good and the feeling was very close to that of last year’s entry so I felt at home after only a couple of laps. The team has changed the exhaust system from last season and the engine note from the V12 is fantastic, especially on the long straight here at Paul Ricard. I am looking forward to the first race; it will be interesting to see where we are against the diesel cars. We had a good result at Barcelona in 2008 so I hope we can repeat this and get another podium this year.”

Car 009
Harold Primat: “My first test was ok, the car was good out of the box and it was impressive to see that it is running trouble free straight away. The team did a great job of preparing the car. I think the car has got great potential; we tried a few different set-ups finding a good solution for all of the drivers. The aim of the test was to get mileage under our belts, to understand the car and to find ways to improve it which is exactly what we did. My height can cause me trouble as I am pretty tall for a driver but I’m working with the team to improve the comfort.”

Miguel Ramos: “The LMP1 feels great, the speed on corning is great, I’m not yet used to it as I normally drive a GT car but it is getting easier. I am taking everything step by step and I’m trying to understand the car and how it reacts rather than pushing too hard. I’m comparing my lap data with the more experienced drivers and making adjustments each time I drive which means I’m improving every lap. My last lap was my fastest of the two days. The Paul Ricard circuit is really challenging for someone who is just starting out in LMP1 and the g-force is really tough physically.”

Darren Turner: “The test has been really good, the car has run like clockwork and it is fitting reward for the guys from Aston Martin Racing who have put so much effort in over the last few weeks that we have managed to complete lots of miles. The main focus right now is to put miles on the new car and to allow me and my team mates to get up to speed. For me it is a big step from the DBR9 to LMP1 but I’m happy that after two days of testing I am starting to feel comfortable and I’m really looking forward to the first race in Barcelona and the rest of the year.”

2009 sees the 77th running of the Le Mans 24 hours, but there are a number of other anniversaries that will be remembered & celebrated.

Take a look at our list and see how many you can remember??

It is 70 years since Bugatti last secured a victory at Le Mans
It is 60 years since the resumption of the Le Mans 24 hours following the Second World War.
It is 60 years since Ferrari first recorded victory at the Le Mans 24 hours.
It is 50 years since Aston Martin last recorded an outright victory at Le Mans
It is 40 years since the great Jacky Ickx’s first victory at Le Mans
It is 40 years since the last “Le Mans Style” start began the great race.
It is 40 years since the last success at Le Mans for the Ford GT40.
It is 20 years since Merdedes last won outright at Le Mans.
It is 10 years since BMW’s only race win at the Le Mans 24 hours.
With Audi looking to make 2009 their ninth success at Le Mans & Aston Martin trying to emmulate their success of 50 years ago, this year’s Le Mans 24 hours could be another record setting year.

If you haven’t yet secured your place at Le Mans, there are just a few spaces available in our various packages. Call us now on (08700) 339923 to book your place!

Travel Destinations have teamed up with Stingray RV to offer an inclusive package providing you with the very best possible accommodation actually within the Le Mans Circuit. We are able to offer a variety of exclusive VIP travel packages all of which include your very own American style luxury motorhome waiting for you at the circuit. The Motorhomes sleep between 2 & 7 people and are available on circuit from the Thursday before the race until the Monday afterwards. All the luxury motorhomes will be located in the Beausejour campsite in the centre of the circuit.

These packages offer the equivelent of 5 star luxury in the centre of the track. They are ideal & make great value for small groups wishing to stay at the circuit but not wishing to camp.

For more details on the motorhomes on offer please click here.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest received 82 entries for the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours for the 55 places at the start. The list of the 55 accepted entries designates the teams that will be present on Wednesday 10th June. It shows the healthy state of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the large number of potential winners in the overall classification as well as in each of the 4 categories: 21 cars in LM P1, 12 in LM P2, 8 in LM GT1 and 14 in LM GT2.

LM P1:
The major surprise on the list comes in LM P1, the top endurance category for overall victory in terms of distance, thanks to entries from 3 major manufacturers with considerable resources.

Aston Martin has chosen the 2009 race to leave the LM GT1 category (previously victorious in 2007 and 2008), and enter LM P1 with 3 completely new prototype Lola-Aston Martins powered by V12 engines. The aim is to repeat the win from 50 years ago in 1959, when the Aston Martin DBR1 snatched victory from Ferrari, the out-and-out favourite at the time. Can history repeat itself?

Audi has stacked the odds in its favour to score its ninth victory. The German manufacturer has entered 3 of the new R15s, as well as entrusting two of the older R10s to a private team. The message is clear. With 5 cars, Audi is out to fend off other potential winners like Aston Martin, and its most dangerous rival over the past 2 years: Peugeot.

And this is the reason for the biggest surprise on the list of the 55 invitations: 4 Peugeot HDi FAPs including one entrusted to a private team that is an integral part of the Le Mans legend – Pescarolo Sport! Even if the diesel has not always been in the team’s good books, nobody can contest the enormous experience and the unflagging determination of Pescarolo Sport.
It’s an exciting challenge and one that will be very popular among Le Mans 24-Hours aficionados. If Audi has a numerical advantage, the level of Peugeot’s riposte underlines its desire for revenge and victory.

But the ambitions of these 3 manufacturers should not obscure the fact that so much happens in 24 hours, that all the top teams can have their stroke of luck on the day. Among them, the know-how of the Team Oreca-Matmut must be taken into account, as the team has entered 2 very well prepared Courage-Orecas with considerable backing from the Japanese engineering company, AIM.
Among the other outsiders capable of upsetting the applecart is the Pescarolo-Judd entered by Pescarolo Sport independently of the Peugeot operation, the Epsilon-Euskadi-Judd, the Ginetta-Zyteks, the Creation-Judd and the Courage-Judd from Signature, a new arrival in the world of endurance, which has built up an excellent reputation in single-seater championships. And wearing no.13 at the start will be the Speedy Racing Sebah Team’s Lola-Aston Martin powered by the V12 petrol engine, whose aim is to upset the diesels and do better than the Lola-Aston Martin’s ninth-place finish last year.

LM P2:
Three Porsche RS spyders are among the entries in LM P2 including last year’s category winner (bought by the Navi Team Goh, the only Japanese team to have won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2004 with an Audi R8).
They will be up against strong opposition in the form of 2 Lola coupes with Judd power (Racing Box SRL, Speedy Racing Team Sebah), and above all the 4 Mazda-powered cars: 2 in Lola coupes entered by the RML and KSM teams, and 2 in the Oak Racing (formerly Saulnier Racing) Pescarolo-Mazdas. Added to this battle of engines are outsiders like Zytek, Radical, AER and Ginetta-Zytek, so the battle for the top positions in LM P2 is going to be a hard-fought one!

LM GT1:
The big GT1s have not deserted Le Mans as proved by the presence of 8 cars – and what cars!
The 2 private Aston Martin DBR9s will be locked in battle with their sworn enemies, the Corvette C6.Rs (2 works entries and 2 from the Luc Alphand Adventures stable), plus 2 Lamborghini Murcielagos to add a touch of exoticism, one from Russia and one from Japan.

LM GT2:
Out of the 14 LM GT2s invited Ferrari has a numerical advantage with nine F430 GTs (including five automatically selected entries), but the 3 Porsche GT3 RSR 997s will not let the Italian cars have things all their own way.
A great scrap in perspective to which can be added a singleton Spyker Laviolette and a newcomer to the category, the V8 Aston Martin driven in particular by its well-know owner, Lord Drayson, the minister of science and innovation in the United Kingdom.

10 reserves!
Exceptionally, the number of reserves is increased from 8 to 10 cars in case of unexpected withdrawals so that the figure of 55 starters can be more easily respected. Should a reserve be called in, it will be picked in the order of the list designated R1 to R10 no matter what category is concerned by the withdrawal. Reserves will be not allowed in after 22nd May 2009. If R1, the Ferrari F430 GT entered by the Seattle Advanced Engineering team (which carries the colours of Cardiac Surgery sponsorship), is at the start, it will attract fans of the TV series “Grey’s Anatomy” as the actor Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Shepherd) will be at the wheel.

With the Le Mans 24 hours getting nearer by the day, availability on many ferry crossings is getting tight. However we have negotiated a special offer with Brittany Ferries so that any new bookings travelling from Portsmouth to either Cherbourg or St.Malo will no longer have to pay the advertised supplements.

Traditional routes such as Portsmouth to Caen with Brittany Ferries are always popular and at this time availability particularly on overnight crossings with cabins can be difficult to come by. However with this special offer you can now choose to travel overnight to St. Malo or on the fast craft to Cherbourg for the same price as the Caen route. Making these routes even more attractive for people wishing to cross the Western channel.

Space for this year’s Le Mans 24 hours race is going fast. To reserve your place call (08700) 339923 now!

With the Le Mans 24 hours getting nearer by the day, availability on many ferry crossings is getting tight. However we have negotiated a special offer with Brittany Ferries so that any new bookings travelling from Portsmouth to either Cherbourg or St.Malo will no longer have to pay the advertised supplements.

Traditional routes such as Portsmouth to Caen with Brittany Ferries are always popular and at this time availability particularly on overnight crossings with cabins can be difficult to come by. However with this special offer you can now choose to travel overnight to St. Malo or on the fast craft to Cherbourg for the same price as the Caen route. Making these routes even more attractive for people wishing to cross the Western channel.

Space for this year’s Le Mans 24 hours race is going fast. To reserve your place call (08700) 339923 now!