The Van Merksteijn Porsche overtaking the BMS Ferrari on the way to "P2" Pole
Van Merksteijn
Zytek
RML
Quifel ASM
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Van Merksteijn
Van Merksteijn Motorsport to start from pole position in Le Mans
LE MANS - Jeroen Bleekemolen, Peter van Merksteijn and Jos Verstappen will be starting from pole position in the LMP2 class for the 76th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours. In Thursday's qualifying for the classic French endurance race, Jos Verstappen took the Porsche RS Spyder of the team Van Merksteijn Motorsport by Equipe Verschuur to a fastest lap time of 3.32.301 minutes at the 13.629 kilometres long circuit. That was enough to claim the best starting grid position in class.
As usual in Le Mans, qualifying was split up into sessions on Wednesday and Thursday evening with four hours of practice time each. On Wednesday evening, the Dutch Porsche team concluded qualifying second in class and 13th overall with Verstappen's lap time of 3.34.078 minutes. All drivers completed their laps without any major problems. Only Jos Verstappen once suffered from a puncture on the left rear tyre following a collision with a car from the slower GT2-class. Because this happened just ahead of the pitlane entry, Verstappen was able to come in for a tyre change right away without losing too much time. Qualifying on Wednesday evening had to be interrupted twice after drivers had come off the track with their cars. After the second red-flag, shortly before midnight with approximately ten minutes remaining, the clerk of the course decided not to re-start the session.
On Thursday evening, Jos Verstappen managed to improve his own lap time first to 3.33.192 minutes and then even to 3.32.301, after the team had changed the engine to be completely on the safe side and to avoid any unnecessary risks for the race. That was also sufficient to claim the best grid position in class. "It went very smoothly. Yesterday, I knew that I could do better and today, I did", Verstappen said. "The car is getting better every time we go out and I get to learn the track better all the time as well. My fastest lap wasn't perfect as I lost some time in traffic twice. Thanks also to the mechanics who have greatly contributed to this achievement with their quick and perfect work during the engine change." Team owner, Peter van Merksteijn said: "This is what we had hoped for, but it is great that we have actually pulled it off! A great performance for our team. Thanks to Porsche for a perfect car, to Michelin for outstanding tyres and to all team members for their effort." Jeroen Bleekemolen, who has his maiden race with the Porsche RS Spyder at Le Mans this weekend, said: "After I only could do four laps in the rain in testing a fortnight ago, I have now got quite some experience with the RS SPyder. The car is going really well, that is giving me a lot of confidence for the race."
Friday is traditionally the day of the drivers' parade in the city centre of Le Mans from 18.00 till 20.00 hours. On Saturday, the action starts with warm-up from 9.00 till 9.45 hours, followed by the start of the race on Saturday at 15.00 hours.
Zytek
Le Mans 24-Hours * Second Qualifying Session
Zytek’s customers mainly used yesterday’s, second qualifying session for the 2008 Le Mans 24-hours to ensure that both cars and drivers are in the best possible shape for this weekend’s contest.
32 Barazi-Epsilon Zytek-Zytek 07S (Juan Barazi/Michael Vergers/Stuart Moseley)
Michael Vergers 3m 35.344 (3rd in LMP2)
The second day’s qualifying was very much a routine event for Barazi-Epsilon with the team firmly in race mode. The race engine was installed earlier in the day and the two sessions used to complete a race systems set-up check and to test the lighting. Everything appeared fine and the drivers are reported to be happy with the car, Juan, Michael and Stuart having each ran three flying laps.
41 Trading Performance Zytek-Zytek 07 (Karim Ojjeh/Claude-Yves Gosselin/Adam Sharpe)
Karim Ojjeh 3m 43.148s (9th in LMP2)
The Trading Performance 07S was the one Zytek ZG348-engined car to attempt an improvement on its time from the previous day’s qualifying, Karim Ojjeh taking over three seconds off his quickest Thursday lap. Having carried out three laps on old tyres Karim saw an opportunity to move up a place in the LMP2 order and so had new, soft tyres fitted to the car. “I went out with them and it worked well,” he recalled. “I’m getting to know the car better and better. It’s just excellent.” Unlike the other two Zytek engined entries, which had their race engines installed yesterday, the Trading Performance will be installing its power unit for the weekend today, ready to make its debut here at Le Mans.
45 Embassy-Zytek (Warren Hughes/Jonny Kane/Joey Foster)
Jonny Kane 3m 39.926s (5th in LMP2)
“We settled down our race suspension and the complete rear end including a crisp, new engine,” reported Embassy team manager Jody Firth. “Everything appeared perfect and we chose to finish early.”
11 Dome S102 (Daisuke Ito/Yuji Tachikawa/Tatsuya Kataoka)
Daisuke Ito 3m 26.928s (8th overall and in LMP1)
The three Zytek-engined cars are not the only ones in the field to be using product from the innovative Repton-based company. The Japanese Dome is fitted with the Zytek Electronically-assisted Gearshift System (EGS). This all-electric system requires no hydraulics or pneumatics. It has already proven its worth over three seasons of the A1GP series as well as in Zytek, Acura, Embassy and WR prototypes. For this year it is also fitted to the entire Formula Nippon field.
RML
RML Looking Comfortable for Le Mans 24 Hours
The RML MG Lola EX265 will line up sixth in class for Saturday's start to the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours, with Thomas Erdos setting a time of 3:40.027 on very second-hand rubber and a full race set-up. "We did that time with old tyres really old tyres and a full tank of fuel. Given a chance on qualifiers, I think we could easily have dipped into the low thirty-sevens," said Erdos. "Clearly, the grid position we will occupy doesn't reflect the true pace of the car, but it places us in a strong position, knowing that we're quick enough to cope with all the cars around us."
An accident during the first of Wednesday's two qualifying sessions had cost the team dearly in terms of track-time, and with a priority to ensure that all three drivers achieved their regulatory minimums, the team's serious attempt at a fast lap had to be postponed until Thursday. Having set his time of 3:40, Erdos had been preparing for a run on qualifying rubber, with a suitable fuel load, when the session was red flagged and then terminated early.
"Going for a qualifying run after the break would have compromised our second session plan," explained Adam Wiseberg, Motorsport Director for AD Group. "However, we're confident in the knowledge that there is much more pace in the car than we've demonstrated today. Allowing Tommy to have a run on qualifying tyres might have achieved a more representative time, but we now know that we're in excellent shape for the race."
Phil Barker, RML's Team Manager, was happy with the situation. "We didn't get the chance to run on soft tyres, but we're not concerned about that. Even if we'd found three or four more seconds, which certainly looked on the cards, it would not have changed our strategy for the race. It was more important to give the other two drivers more time in the car, and they tell us we've created a well-balanced car that's easy to drive. In the long term scheme of things, that's more important."
There is recognition that the MG Lola, which claimed pole at Le Mans in 2006, is no longer the swiftest car in the LMP2 category, but it enjoys a well-proven record for reliability and as an inspiring driver's car. In a twenty-four hour race, these qualities generously compensate for any lack of outright pace. "I know that I'm comfortable with the car, and the longer I stayed out there, the more confident I felt," said Mike Newton, who set the fastest lap he has ever recorded round the Le Mans circuit on Thursday evening.2008 will be his sixth Le Mans start.
Sharing the car with Le Mans Series regulars Erdos and Newton is Andy Wallace. This same driver combination won the LMP2 class at Le Mans in 2006, and is now looking for a third win for RML in four years. "We're more-or-less where we expected to be," suggested Wallace, "and we're quite happy with that. I was particularly pleased to string together a lengthy run of fast race-pace laps in the final hour, carrying out fuel and gearbox tests that complete the data collection process that we'd had planned for these sessions."
Ray Mallock, founder of RML, was in confident mood. "Apart from missing out on the qualifying run because of the red flag, everything has gone to plan today. That's been very satisfying, and I believe we're in a strong position now for the race."
The team's next duty is to lead out the drivers' parade through the centre of Le Mans on Friday evening, where RML's trio will spearhead a tribute to Lola, celebrating 50 years of race car construction in 2008, and also as a mark of respect to the late David Leslie, who not only owned and raced Lola cars, but was also an RML driver for many years. "This is a great tribute to David," said Thomas Erdos, "and I'm both humbled and delighted to be part of this acknowledgment to what he did for motorsport, and to Lola's immense heritage as a sportscar manufacturer. It's a great honour to lead out the parade." The Grande Parade begins at 6:00pm on Friday evening.
Quifel ASM
Ready for race of the year
The Le Mans 24 hours is prepared for day by day
The Quifel-ASM Team is anxious to put a year's worth of work onto the track. "The Le Mans 24 hours is the culmination of a lot of work and dedication from the whole team, a race like this is always awaited with anxiety and enthusiasm," said team director, Antonio Simões, demonstrating the spirit seen ahead of the race.
"The Lola B05/40 AER is very well prepared and adjustments made in qualification practice give us all the security we need to do well in the race." Miguel Pais do Amaral, also noted that, "we know that competition in the race is huge, but our first aim has been fulfilled because we are taking part."
British driver, Guy Smith, who joins the team for this race, is at ease: "the car is well adapted to the track and the rainy conditions expected for the race could help to achieve good balance between cars. All the tests have been carried out and we are confident that we've done everything to prepare for the race. We hope to have a clean race and if we do that we have a chance of winning." Smith is a previous winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours and a habitual presence at speed races.
In his turn, Olivier Pla, taking part in the race for the first time, felt: "fulfilled by achieving a dream I have had since being a child. Taking part in this race and with this team, raises my wish to drive at my best. I like the track a lot and hope to get a good result."
Antonio Simões, concluded, "The team that we have this year gives us hope of a good result within the class. A winning driver gives us a very special view of the track and teaches us some important things. Miguel and Olivier have the great advantage of already being on their fourth race of the year and knowing the car very well, and are a perfect match for Guy."