The Team Modena Aston Martin had another strong race
Team Modena
Strakka Racing
Rob Bell
Guillaume Moreau
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Team Modena
Spa Podium for Team Modena
A frustrating Spa 1000km round of the Le Mans Series saw the Team Modena Aston Modena DBR9 record a podium finish in third place after more than five hours of intense racing, but the race had promised more, the car suffering an electrical problem when leading the class early in the race. The team fought back from the early delay and were for much of the race the quickest LM GT1 car lapping the high-speed Belgian circuit, but the initial deficit was too much for drivers Antonio Garcia and Tomas Enge to catch the flying leaders.
"It was a tough race," said Team Principal Graham Schultz. "We had a pulley belt go, and twice were caught in the wrong place as the Safety Car came out. That meant we had a deficit that however quick we went it was just too much to claw back, but all weekend the team worked well and put on a professional display."
The race started under the Safety Car with a prototype off the track on the formation lap, and that set the tone for a race punctuated by caution periods. Antonio was in the DBR9 for the start, and was second at the end of the opening lap, starting a close battle with the quickest of the rival Corvettes.
Antonio took the class lead on lap sixteen, and pitted a lap after the Corvette on lap 23. In Antonio's final laps the team picked up via the telemetry that the voltage on the car's battery was falling, and correctly diagnosed that a crucial belt drive was not working. That made the stop longer than a scheduled driver, tyres and fuel stop as the team had to bring the DBR9 into the garage to fit the new belt - and when Tomas rejoined the car had fallen to fifth in the LM GT1 class.
Some rapid laps by Tomas saw Team Modena back up to third by the end of his stint - which saw him the quickest LM GT1 car for much of his time.
"The track was low on grip for everybody," said Tomas, "and I just tried to gain back some of the time we lost in the pits. The car was sliding - but the others seemed to be struggling even more and I was able to lap faster."
The team took advantage of more Safety Car periods to make quick pit stops and regain track position, both drivers lapping very quickly in an attempt to close on the two class leading cars. An opportunity to pull back a lap with a well timed pit visit did not quite come off as after a rapid stop under the Safety Car, Tomas was held at the end of the pit lane and not allowed to rejoin before the train of cars reached him.
In the final laps the Aston Martin was once more the quickest LM GT1 car on the circuit, and closed on the car in second place, only for a final late Safety Car period to catch Tomas just behind the overall race leader, losing him ground on the road on the LM GT1 cars ahead. Under that Safety Car Tomas radioed the pits to say that the car's engine was sounding rough, and the experienced Czech racer nursed the car home to ensure Team Modena took the final LM GT1 podium position.
"We could not pull back the time we lost, even with so many Safety Cars," said Antonio. "Each time the Safety Car came out it reset the race, and however quick we went we couldn't get better then third."
"That was a messy race," summed up Sporting Director Rik Bryan, "but we could have predicted that after all the red flags in the practice sessions over the weekend. Lots of cars went off, and we were unfortunate to lose the alternator belt early on, and it was catch-up from then on.
"The Safety Car only worked in our favour on one occasion, more than once it came out just as we had been passed by the overall race leader so we couldn't gain any track position. We were the fastest car for most of the race, but then under the final Safety Car it became clear we had an engine problem and from then on were nursing the car home. We went from being disappointed to take third, to being relieved to finish the race."
Next race for the Team Modena Aston Martin DBR9: Le Mans 24-Hours, June 14th and 15th.
Strakka Racing
Valuable Experience for Strakka Racing at Spa
Strakka Racing made a very creditable debut in the highly competitive Le Mans Series at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium yesterday. The team's driver pairing of Peter Hardman and Nick Leventis steered their Aston Martin DBR9 to a high of second in class before finally crossing the line to take fourth place in GT1.
An entry in Round 3 of the 2008 Le Mans Series at Spa was the first stage in major new endurance racing programme for the Silverstone-based outfit, and offered dress-rehearsal opportunities ahead of the two drivers' participation in the Le Mans 24 Hours next month. The news that Peter Hardman and Nick Leventis will co-drive the Vitaphone-entered Aston Martin DBR9 in the 24 Hours was confirmed earlier today, and taking part in the Spa 1000 Kilometres was the perfect introduction to the level and intensity of competition they will face at Le Mans. "This weekend has been a fantastic experience for me," said Nick Leventis. "It's all part of the learning curve as a driver, and just getting used to this amount of traffic has been invaluable."
With more than forty cars taking part in four different classes, the pressure on any driver is intense, with significant speed differentials and braking capabilities between one category and the next placing additional demands upon a driver's awareness and resources. "The plus side is that the track conditions here [at Spa] are much more demanding than those at Le Mans, from the traffic point of view, and we've coped here very well," said Peter Hardman. "After this, Le Mans might not even seem so challenging!"
In a demanding five-and-a-half hour race punctuated by safety car periods, typically initiated by driver error and contact, the Strakka Racing pair coped well with the difficult conditions. Peter Hardman took the rolling start from fifth in class, and moved through to fourth on lap twelve. By lap 22 he was up into third, and after the first driver change to Nick Leventis, the Aston briefly held second place in class under the pitstops. However, a couple of minor errors included a spin at Les Combes that ended in the gravel and cost valuable time, with Nick relying on assistance from the marshals to regain the track. "I just locked up under braking, simple as that," he admitted. "I was stuck in the gravel for ages!" Peter, who has mentored Nick for the past four years, was sympathetic of his protege's predicament. "The car wasn't at its best today," he conceded. "We were struggling to carry speed into the corners and there was no margin for error. Even the slightest mistake and the back end just snapped away from you."
Despite the handling difficulties, the pair pressed on to the flag, with the car running faultlessly in every other respect. "I'm very proud that we've finished, but I know there's a lot more to come," said Nick Leventis. "It's a great start for the team, and it sets us up well for the Le Mans 24 Hours next month." Peter Hardman agreed. "In the end we just needed to keep going to the finish, stay out of trouble, and take fourth place. We know there's so much more to come from this car, so to get a result under these conditions is quite an achievement."
The team's next challenge will be the official Le Mans test day, to be staged at the famous Circuit de la Sarthe on the 1st June.
Rob Bell
Rob Bell scored a superb victory this weekend in the fourth round of the 2008 Le Mans Series at the renowned Spa Circuit in Belgium. Bell and team mate Gianmaria Bruni in the Virgo Motorsport no.96 Ferrari 430 GT2 fought hard for their class win, crossing the line only a tenth of a second ahead of the chasing Porsche.
With a 35,000 strong crowd watching under the warm Belgian sun, Bell and the Virgo Motorsport Team started the 1000km race from pole in the GT2 category. Bell made a clean start to the race and as the first hour progressed he managed to pull away by nearly seven seconds from the leading Porsche in second place. As the first round of pit stops approached, Bell pitted from the lead and handed over to team mate Bruni, after which the lead gradually increased to nearly 15 seconds.
The charge by the Virgo Ferrari was halted during the middle stint of the race, as a series of safety car periods eliminated the advantage the no.96 had pulled out. As Bell got back in the car, he pushed hard and created a superb 35 second advantage over the leading Porsche, still behind in second place. Unfortunately the no.4 Saulnier Racing Pescarolo hit the back of the Virgo Ferrari car at the bus stop and spun it round, causing substantial damage to the handling of the car. The advantage evaporated with Bell losing nearly 20 seconds from the incident. Virgo’s main rival, the Porsche of Marc Lieb and Alex Davison chased him down to within a tenth of a second, but a tenacious drive from Bell ensured he maintained his position until the chequered flag.
Bell commented, "The race was really tough, it was a really close battle between us and the Porsches today, but we came out on top. Our car was really well balanced and nimble in the tight and twisty corners, but the Porsches were faster in a straight line, so we were very evenly matched in the different sections of the Spa Circuit. That made it all the more challenging for us, and we had to work hard to keep ahead of them.
"The safety car periods added to the pressure, as it made it difficult for us to sustain the margin we had built up. Towards the end of the race we were conserving fuel, so we couldn’t use the full power of the engine; it added to the excitement, but was a bit nail-biting for us. . After the incident with the Pescarolo the car was a bit of a handful to drive, so I was pleased to be able to reach the chequered flag to score another victory for the team.
"Overall we had some pretty hairy moments today, but we started on pole and finished with a win, so we’re really pleased with the weekend’s results. Winning by a tenth demonstrates how tough and close the race was, and how hard we’ll need to fight at the Le Mans 24 Hours." Rob Bell will be in action once again in just under a week, racing with the CR Scuderia team in the FIA GT Championship at the Monza Circuit in Italy.
Guillaume Moreau
Ready for the Le Mans 24 Hours!
A week after Spa-Francorchamps hosted the World Series by Renault the Belgian circuit resounded to the sounds of the third round of the Le Mans Series. It was the last event before the Le Mans 24 Hours and Luc Alphand Adventures team confirmed its superiority in LM GT1. Guillaume Moreau together with Luc himself and Patrice Goueslard scored their second victory in three races.
On Thursday, Guillaume was on the pace immediately in the first free practice session. After only 8 laps he set the best time of the day 7/10s quicker than the Team Modena Aston Martin. He then handed over to Luc Alphand and Patrice Goueslard. "We realised that our basic set-up was good in terms of performance. The team then decided to give my team-mates as much running time as possible to ensure that we were all on the same rhythm in the race."
On Saturday, several red flags upset the team's programme in the third free practice session. "I wasn't able to drive the car even though we'd decided to validate the qualifying set-up." So the lead driver in no.72 went out without being able to test the car in qualifying trim. "The car's set-up could have been improved and I wasn't able to match the pace of the Aston Martin. I was a bit disappointed so we got down to work to prepare for the race."
On Sunday morning the team took advantage of the warm up to fine-tune the Corvette's set-up even further. "We didn't have much time to react but we were on the right track. Then Luc got into the car and he too found it easier to drive."
At the start it took Guillaume only a few metres to take the lead in LM GT1. "Antonio Garcia missed his braking at La Source hairpin and I got past. A few laps later he tried to attack me after Le Raidillon but I was able to stay in front." As they reeled off the laps the gap between the two opened up to five seconds shortly before the lead changed hands. "Just before the end of my first stint I came upon a car going slowly in Le Raidillon. I went through a corner in fourth that we normally go through flat out in sixth, and the Aston took the lead."
After a quick pit stop to fill up and put on four new tyres Guillaume began another stint. The Aston Martin ran into a technical problem and Guillaume got back in front before handing over to Patrice Goueslard.
At that moment a third car joined in the battle for the lead. The Kox/Rusinov Lamborghini took advantage of an excellent strategy under the safety car and went to the front. Luc Alphand used his stint to stabilise the gap and then handed the car back to Guillaume.
The "Masked Avenger" went out with the bit between his teeth for another double stint. And he soon let his rivals know he meant business! In 10 laps he reduced the gap from 50 to 26 seconds. Under pressure the Lamborghini collided with a prototype making it easier for the white Corvette to retake the lead. Guillaume couldn't have asked for more, and all he had to do was to bring the car home to the chequered flag to score the team's second victory in three races.
"Like the first two races we showed exemplary steadiness," was how Guillaume analysed the race. "Since the start of the season we haven't put a foot wrong nor have we run into the slightest technical problem in the race, and that's paid off. There was a lot of responsibility on my shoulders as I drove for almost 3h 30m, and I'm delighted to have transformed the team's excellent work into another victory."
Guillaume and Luc Alphand's team lead the overall classification and now they've set their sights on the Le Mans 24 Hours. "The LMS events are good preparation, but the 24 Hours race has its own specific demands that we have to integrate, so we're heading off to Dijon for a test session."
Next rendezvous for Guillaume: the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in Monaco (22nd-25th May).