Juniper Racing will represent the first Australian entry to the FIA GT
Vitaphone Racing
JMB Aucott Racing
Juniper Racing
CR Scuderia
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Vitaphone Racing
Victorious at Spa in 2005 and 2006, and currently leading the GT1 Teams and Drivers classifications, we caught up with Michael Bartels before he left for Spa. So what is his recipe for a successful Spa ? “Discipline, discipline, discipline. The team that makes the least mistakes will win the race.”
“We know how important this race is for the Championship,” Bartels continued. “So far we have done a good job, preparing hard for the Total 24 Hours of Spa. I think we are looking good. We did well in testing, without pushing to the maximum. I am quite confident. However, we all know how a 24-hour race can develop, and a lot can happen. The weather is a big factor, especially if it rains – the tyre strategy becomes vitally important. We know everything can happen. However, Vitaphone has showed over the past three years that we are capable of doing a good job over the 24 hours. We have a good line-up, stronger than ever before. However, anything can happen, and for me discipline is the main factor. If you do very few mistakes, you will do well.
As for me, I am looking forward to the race. I have been preparing myself physically for the past two weeks, biking in the mountains of Germany and Austria. The Spa race is a bit easier with four drivers – with three it was really tough. It is very hard if it remains dry for the whole race. But I think it is also difficult psychologically – you are there all week, with late nights, lots of work. But we are all in good shape, and have worked hard to prepare with Maserati, so I am looking forward to it !”
JMB Aucott Racing
Ben Aucott, Alain Ferte and Stephane Daoudi are aiming for a top three finish in the GT1 class at the fifth round of the FIA GT Championship at Spa this weekend, behind the wheel of their JMB Aucott Racing Maserati MC12.
Ben Aucott finished just off the podium at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2007 and he, along with Alain and Stephane were disappointed not to go at least one better in the race this year. They know that a reliable race on the Belgian circuit, famed for its unpredictable weather and unpredictable results over 24 hours, could play into their hands.
"We know that we will not be the fastest car out there, but we certainly aim to be reliable throughout and not take big risks in traffic," says reigning Citation Cup champion Ben Aucott. "This is our best chance of finishing on the podium, and we think this strategy is the right way to go."
The race is the jewel in the crown of the 2008 FIA GT Championship season, and carries double points in the battle for the drivers' and teams' titles. Scoring half points at the six hour mark and at 12 hours, and full points at 24 hours, gives great incentive to remain consistent.
Stephane Daoudi believes that he is owed a podium having raced in the 24 hours three times, finishing fourth in class in 2002 in a Porsche,
Ferte has a racing record stretching back to 1977 and he has competed many times at Spa. He finished second in the 1985 Formula 3000 race before he became a factory driver for Ford, Nissan, Jaguar (with which he held the outright lap record at Le Mans in 1989), Opel, Mercedes and BMW. He first drove in what is now the FIA GT Championship back in 1995, when it still ran as the BPR series, driving a Ferrari F40 in the same year that he competed at Le Mans and Suzuka for Toyota.
JMB Aucott will be back with their Maserati MC12
Juniper Racing
Juniper Racing is looking forward to becoming the first Australian team to compete in the FIA GT Championship. Juniper Racings number one driver and team owner, Shaun Juniper says he is very excited and very proud to lead an Australian assault on such a prestigious and historic race as the Total 24 Hours of Spa.
The team's principal sponsor, Juniper.com.au is a developer of premium resorts and apartment complexes on Australia’s Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. Juniper’s current flagship project is Soul, which when completed will be the largest and most prestigious resort and retail complex on the Gold Coast, which is Australia’s tourism capital.
Driver Profiles
Shaun Juniper: Shaun has been competing in Australian Carrera Cup for 3 years in addition to racing in various tarmac rallies. Last season he had his first taste of 24hr racing when he raced the Nurburg 24hr in a Porsche 996 GT3. That experience led to him setting up his own team to contest more long distance races running an 07 spec Porsche 997RSR. Last year he entered the Sepang 12hr in Malaysia, finishing 6th overall and in January of this year the team raced at the Dubai 24hr where they finished 5th. Shauns last outing was at the 2008 Nurburg 24hr where he was running 9th overall at the 10 hour mark when an engine problem forced his retirement. Shaun has purchased a brand new 2008 spec Porsche RSR for the team’s attempt at the Spa 24hr.
Max Twigg: Max is a former Australian motorcross champion who has turned his attention to car racing in the last three years, competing in Australian Carrera Cup as well as the Sepang, Dubai and Nurburg races with Juniper Racing.
Rodney Forbes: Rodney is a very experienced driver having spent many years driving V8 Supercars in Australia’s premier touring category, and has achieved many top results in the Southern hemisphere’s most famous race, the Bathurst 1000.
Craig Baird: Craig is the sole New Zealander amongst his Australian team mates. Craig, a former works driver for Ford in the BTCC, has won multiple championships in Formula Ford, Formula Pacific, New Zealand Touring Cars, Trans Am, Carrera Cup New Zealand and Carrera Cup Australia as well as having top level drives in F3000, V8 Supercars, South African Touring Cars and Australian Super Touring. Having a driver of Craig’s calibre on the team is a major asset and gives the team high hopes of a good result in qualifying and the race.
CR Scuderia
The CR Scuderia team faces its toughest test yet next week in the shape of the ‘Total 24 Hours of Spa'. The epic race through the Ardennes is a true test of drivers, cars and teams; the combination of one of the most daunting racing circuits in the world and rapidly changing weather conditions providing the setting for a classic battle between the FIA GT competitors every year.
The Spa 24 Hours is vitally important to each team's championship campaign as points can be scored at the six, 12 and 24 hour marks. To gain the maximum from this event you have to be at the front all the way.
CR Scuderia has entered a strong driver line-up comprising Chris Niarchos, Tim Mullen, Andrea Piccini and Gordon Shedden in CRS Ferrari no.55.
"We can be as competitive as any other car out there," said Niarchos. "Three of the four drivers in the no.55 car have extensive experience of running successfully in 24 hour races; myself, Tim and Andrea understand the dynamics of it and I'm sure that Gordon will find his place fast and settle in. It's about preservation of equipment, not all out speed, and I think we are all smart enough to do a great job at Spa."
CRS Ferrari no.56 will be raced by Andrew Kirkaldy, Rob Bell and Dirk Mueller, with James Sutton as reserve.
"I think we have a very strong line-up with Rob and Dirk and it's great to have such a strong reserve in James," Kirkaldy commented. "All of us are quick, we all know Spa and we all know the Ferrari 430 so there's no reason why we can't get a good result. As always with these 24-hour events you need things to go your way but we ha ve all the right ingredients so let's see what we can make out of it."
This is the first 24 hour race for CRS but by no means the first for all the experienced personnel on the team. Between them they have competed in and won, both at Spa and in the Le Mans 24 Hours. Chris Niarchos is confident that his team can put on a great show at Spa.
"I have very high expectations for the team," he said. "I'm not saying that to apply pressure; 24 hour races are what they are and of course you need a bit of luck sometimes, but we are more than ready for the challenge. Aside from a top driver line-up, the engineers standing behind the cars all know what's required. As a team we may not have done a 24 hour race before but as individuals we have proven ourselves in this field. The competition is going to be extremely tough - we are up against some of the biggest names in GT2 - but we are going to go out there and do a soli d job, making sure we don't over-drive as it's a long 24 hours."
The Spa event starts next Wednesday with the traditional parade of GT cars from the circuit into Spa town, where the drivers take part in an autograph session before heading off to the Casino for their pre-race briefing. Then it's a quick blast back up to the circuit to give the cars back to the crews who will prepare them for the first day of running on Thursday. Qualifying takes place on Thursday night and Friday morning, with the pole time traditionally being set at night, and then the fun really starts when the big race gets underway at 1600hrs on Saturday.
TELEVISION SCHEDULE
The FIA GT Championship is broadcast in the UK on Motors TV with highlights programming on Sky Sports and Channel 4. The live coverage of the Spa 24 Hours is intermittent so please check TV listings on the day for up-to-date timings.