MazdaSpeed

The United Nations of Mazdaspeed
18 Countries Represented At Mazda Formula X Weekend
IRVINE, California (June 19, 2009) --  Over the past decade Mazda has become the dominant force in grassroots road racing. Expanding upon that core base of club racers, Mazda developed the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Driver Development Ladder. The ladder allows talented young racers to advance to the next level based upon skills and results, not their ability to write a big check.

The ladder includes four Mazda exclusive series:

• The Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda
• The Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear
• SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup
• BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda.

For the first time in 2009, all four series shared a race weekend – Formula X presented by Cooper Tires at the New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). Each of the four series held a pair of races in the Garden State this past weekend. On Friday evening, prior to the races, all 84 competing drivers, representing 18 different nationalities, gathering for a class photo.

In addition to strong attendance at the track, the Atlantic, Star, and MX-5 Cup races were broadcast live on HDNet in unique three-hour flag-to-flag shows on both Saturday and Sunday.

On the previous weekend the new Mazda Coupes raced at La Sarthe in the most prestigious sports car race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In addition to the enthusiastic comments by the drivers, notable among them Chris Dyson whose Dyson Racing team runs identical cars in the American Le Mans Series, there was much comment by SPEED Channel announcers and Radio Le Mans about the commitment Mazda and Mazdaspeed has made to racing, not only all over America but overseas.

If you drive a Mazda, check the internet for a car club and watch for a Mazda Corral at a track near you. At the track we say “Mazda: the car that comes with built-in friends!”

FIA-GT

24 Hour Nürburgring Race Exhilarating for Andreas Wirth
By Gail Shankland
Photo © Autosport Inc.
HEIDELBERG, Germany (May 26, 2009) – On the heels of BMW ALPINA’s announcement last week that Andreas Wirth would join their line up, the team packed their tools and whisked their racing machines away to the Nürburgring where the team would field two BMW ALPINA B6 GT3’s in the 37th running of the ADAC Zurich 24h race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Nicknamed “The Green Hell” by Jackie Stewart, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is widely considered the toughest, most dangerous and most demanding race track in the world – what better place for an eager young driver like Wirth to get his feet wet in his very first 24 hour race!

With a starting line up that included 173 sports cars from twelve renowned automakers, Wirth and the ALPINA team proudly made their presence known - a small team among giants. The #26 BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 crew of Franz Engstler, Patrick Bernhardt, Andreas Wirth and ALPINA Team Boss Andreas Bovensiepen qualified their brand new race car with a time of 8minutes 47seconds on the 25.4km long Nordschleife, earning them a well-deserved starting position of 11th place.

Commenting on the weekend, Wirth began, “It was a very exciting weekend! The 24h of the Nürburgring is a huge event – it’s like nothing you’ll ever see. The fans are having a lot of fun, and every grandstand is full-full, the straights and fields and corners around the track – they’re all full, and as a driver, that makes the atmosphere even more amazing – very impressive.”

“The Nordschleife is a very challenging track, and I hadn’t driven there a lot before this. There are a lot of blind corners, so during my first stint on the first couple of laps I was being really cautious, but then it got fun as I got into a rhythm and flow, and I learned a lot!

Remarking on the 24 hour aspect of the event Wirth said, “It’s a totally different experience, but very cool. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but it’s really hard. Just knowing when to eat and rest and sleep ... or try to sleep. All these things add a completely different dimension – it’s very different. But most challenging is racing in the dark! Going into those blind corners at night at 200km/hr or more in complete darkness, plus all of the smoke from the race fans camping in the woods around the track with huge campfires, barbecues and fireworks – you couldn’t see a thing! There were a lot of different things to worry about, but it was really cool!”

“Overall my stints went well,” concluded Wirth, “We had some bad luck with blown rear tires and a problem with a wheel bearing, but we fought our way back and were doing pretty well again near the end. I managed to make up four positions in my last stint and we were overall 13th and running right behind the favourites. Unfortunately we had problems with the differential and had to pit to change it which took over an hour, leaving us to finish 27th. That’s just one of those things though – it’s nobody’s fault. For us it wasn’t a very lucky race, but we’ve gained a lot of experience in a lot of things and on the car. I feel bad for our guys because they worked really hard just to have the car ready for the race. The first time the 26 saw a race track was when they rolled it out for practice this weekend – I think that says a lot for this team and what ALPINA can do. We were pretty disappointed because we came so close to a much better finish – but this was a huge accomplishment and I’m pretty proud of it.
After an exciting 24 hours of challenging racing the #26 BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 and her sister car crossed the finish line together with feelings of deep emotion and great accomplishment. With 135 laps - 3,429kms behind them, this little team with huge potential was greatly rewarded knowing they endured 24h of the Nürburgring – no small feat for the #26 on her maiden journey or for Andreas Wirth in his first 24 hour race.

In less than two weeks time, on June 7th, 2009 Andreas will compete in the GT Masters Series at Hockenheim-Ring in Germany. For complete details visit www.GTMasters.org
 

Drayson Racing Earns Best Le Mans Series Finish with 7th at Spa
News from Drayson Racing

Photos © Regis Lefebre
FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM (May 11, 2009) - The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps seldom disappoints and Sunday's 1000Km de Spa was no exception. Drayson Racing came to the legendary track for the final Le Mans Series race prior to the 24 Heures du Mans with the focus to perform well at the Belgium facility and learn for Le Mans. They did both! Drivers Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) earned the team its best career Le Mans Series finish. The result bettered their first Le Mans Series outing, held at the Circuit de Cataluña in Barcelona, by one position taking seventh in GT2 class, 29th overall.

The race, scheduled for 1000Km/621.3 mile or six hours, never saw the clock expire. Unlike the first event of the season in Spain, the Belgium round finished just under the six hour time limit as the overall leaders took the chequered flag on lap 143, nearly ten minutes ahead of the maximum time allowed.

The finish was not without its trials. Cocker got off to a dramatic start jumping from the team's seventh-place grid position to fifth before the conclusion of lap one. The Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing (AMR) held the position through its first of seven pit stops. They would drop a lap to the class leaders on the second stop. While they made ground up impressively, they were not able to overcome the lap deficit but never gave a position away to those near them either.

As challenging as the 7.003 Km/4.35 mile Spa course is, the weather is often more so. The rain, forecasted to come as soon as hour two, never materialized. Instead, warm and sunny conditions prevailed which proved another obstacle. The air conditioning unit in the car - used to lower the cockpit temperatures generated by the front-engine V8 - weakened towards the end of the race. Drayson, who had driven a long, two hours and 19 minutes during his first stint, had to race for nearly an hour in the growing temperatures of the cockpit of the closed sports car. All combined, Drayson's performance at the end of the nearly six hours of racing impressed and showed the programmes readiness for the grueling 24 hours around the longer and faster French circuit. Marino Franchitti (Edinburgh/London UK) will join Drayson and Cocker at Le Mans for the team's first visit to Le Mans, 13-14 June.

The team will now return to its Banbury, UK headquarters to make final preparations for France. The race will mark not only the team's 24 Hour but also the first Le Mans visit for Drayson and Cocker. Franchitti has one LM GT2 class start, coming in 2005, in the greatest sports car race in the world.

Formula Renault

Josh Scott Moves up to Third in Championship Fight
News from CRS Racing
THRUXTON, Great Britain (April 27, 2009) — Two solid race results for Josh Scott at Thruxton this weekend have elevated the CRS Racing driver to third place in the battle for the 2009 Formula Renault UK Championship.

The first qualifying session was hard for all the drivers as it took place on a dying track. The Australian racer was disappointed to only qualify in eighth place for race one but when the race began he took off like a rocket and was up four places by the end of lap one. With fourth place finishes in both the races Josh is now in a healthy position on the leader board.

“Josh drove very well this weekend,” said Team Director Andrew Kirkaldy. “He is a very good racer so we need to make him a very good qualifier too so he can take the top results.”

After finishing seventh in race one (from 10th on the grid) Harry Tincknell got it all together in the second race. Starting from third place he led for 16 laps of the 19-lap race and looked like he was heading for his first Formula Renault victory. On lap 17 he had a tussle with Jesse Krohn, the Finn coming off better, and Harry slipped to second. Momentary confusion with the timing system meant that Harry thought he was then on the last lap of the race so that when he crossed the line he backed off. Unfortunately there was still a lap to go so Dean Stoneman sailed past, taking second place. Harry quickly got going again and came home in third.

“Timing issues aside, Harry is having an incredible start to his season,” said Kirkaldy. “Out of four races he has led two, had fastest lap, pole position and two podiums. It’s actually a better start than Adam Christodoulou had in his rookie season.”

Formula Renault is where drivers really learn their craft. Lewis Williamson learnt about timing when he came in a minute before the end of first qualifying and ended up 13th. He drove will in race one though and made his way up to 10th for the finish. Race two was better. He started 10th and got all the way through the field until he found himself battling for fourth place with Josh (Scott) and Oli Webb. Going into the complex the young Scot got a wheel on the grass and that was all it took to send him into the wall. Lewis drove well this weekend; his troubles were all down to inexperience so he will improve quickly as he learns.

Andrew Kirkaldy had a novel solution to the drivers ‘timing issues’ this weekend. He went shopping and bought them all a Casio watch, which he then fixed to their steering wheels so they knew exactly when a session would end!

Mick Lyons had much better time in qualifying than he had at Brands Hatch. He started race one from 12th and was running well until he was taken out by another driver, under yellows! He had struggled again in qualifying for race two but made his way from 25th to 15th. It was a good drive from Mick but it shows how important it is to get qualifying right.

Matias Laine was the best of the CRS drivers in the first qualifying session, taking seventh on the grid. In race one he was lying fifth until he had a fuel pump problem that dropped him a place. Still, a good result for the Finn. For race two he had only qualified 16th so had to fight his way through and finished 11th.

All in all it was a positive weekend for CRS Racing. The rookie drivers still have a lot to learn but the more they learn the quicker they’ll go!

LMS

Audi “legends” to compete at the Nürburgring

Innovation

Michigan-made Deronda Type G racecar rates big with The Tonight Show's Jay Leno
News from Crystal Bay Communications
TRENTON, MI (February 26, 2009) -- Fielding phone calls from celebrities isn’t how David Moxlow, president of Trenton Forging and Deronda USA, typically spends his workdays. A recent Thursday was an exception, however, when Jay Leno phoned him to talk cars.

The popular host of The Tonight Show, a well-known auto aficionado, wanted information on the Deronda Type G, a street-legal, track-day racecar that Moxlow manufactures at his Trenton, Michigan facility in conjunction with Illinois-based Sirius Motorsports.

“We talked about the car, its performance, how our company got started, etc.,” said Moxlow.

Moxlow mentioned to Leno that he had tried to contact him last New Year’s Eve when the comedian had a scheduled appearance in nearby Windsor, Ontario. Moxlow wanted to invite Leno over to test-drive the car.

Although they didn’t connect then, Leno expressed interest in driving the Deronda during the phone call so Moxlow arranged for his shop foreman to transport the car from Michigan to Burbank, California. Burbank is home to Leno’s famous “Big Dog Garage,” a 17,000 square foot facility that houses his vast collection of cars spanning a 100 years of automotive history.

An experienced auto mechanic and driver, Leno got behind the wheel of the Deronda and tested the racecar’s performance on the streets of Burbank. He took full advantage of the car’s swift zero to 60 in under four seconds’ acceleration and demonstrated its agility and strength on turns.

He liked the car said Chris Trapp, Deronda USA shop foreman, who rode shotgun with Leno.

“He said the car handled well, had plenty of power and the ride was really smooth.”

For Trapp, it was a memorable experience to drive around southern California with an icon like Leno. While Trapp remains mum about details concerning speed, he shared a few anecdotes that further exemplify Jay Leno’s renowned reputation as an “ordinary guy.”

“We drove to a local gas station and everyone that worked there knew him.”
While Leno fueled up the car and showed it off to the staff, Trapp noticed the other people at the pumps “drooling” over the car.

Moxlow and the entire Deronda USA crew are excited by the opportunity to bring a little Hollywood to Trenton, Michigan and talk shop with Jay Leno. They welcome the high-profile exposure his interest brings to their car.

“He is a great "car guy" and really down to earth,” said Moxlow. “I’ll be going to Burbank to meet Jay myself and pick the car up in the next few weeks.”

“Incredibly fast. A lot of fun. Raw power," are just a few of the positive attributes Leno used to describe the Deronda in a just released video posted on his website: www.jaylenosgarage.com

LMS

RML AD Group Braves Chilly Snetterton
News from RML
SNETTERTON, Great Britain (February 7, 2009) — Sub-zero temperatures and overnight snow were not enough to deter RML AD Group from carrying out a first shakedown of the team’s new Mazda-powered Lola B08/80 LMP2 Coupé. The two-day test at Snetterton was also an opportunity to finalise the car’s revised livery for the 2009 season, with Mazda’s distinctive corporate blue now a significant element of the familiar colour scheme.

The long-range forecast had threatened heavy snow for both days, but the team’s faith was rewarded with at least one perfect day. Wednesday was dry and bright, although bitterly cold, and Brazilian Thomas Erdos managed sessions in both the morning and afternoon. “Under the circumstances, we achieved some very good running, and the car looks gorgeous!” he said. “It was too cold to get any real warmth into the tyres, and they never felt as if they were biting the road, but we learned a great deal about the car. Now I’m just looking forward to being allowed to run at full throttle,” he grinned.

In addition to the new Mazda 2-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, the car is also running the new-for-2009 aerodynamic package, revealed last week by Lola. “My experience with the engine has been very reassuring indeed,” observed Erdos. “It feels very responsive, picks up power earlier than the old engine, and then kicks out more torque. Bearing in mind we run a smaller restrictor this year, that’s very encouraging and a very positive first impression.”

Overnight snow and early-morning fog reduced Thursday to a half-day, with no running possible until half-one. “The conditions were very difficult, and we were forced to curtail the second day, but over the two days we’ve learned a lot about the new car, the engine and the modifications we’ve introduced over the winter, explained Team Manager Phil Barker. “It’s been very productive, and good to have this shakedown opportunity ahead of our next full test in a few weeks’ time, when we’ll hopefully have the benefit of warmer conditions.”

Recovering from a viral infection, AD Group CEO Mike Newton was unable to drive, but attended the test. “We have had a very encouraging first run with what is effectively a new car,” he said. “Due to the conditions, we were unable to complete all our planned running, but what we did accomplish was enough to resolve several preliminary installation issues, and make it a very worthwhile test.”

The team was particularly grateful to the circuit staff. “The guys at Snetterton were fantastic,” said Thomas Erdos. “They had the tractor out and brushed the entire circuit, and over the last two days they’ve worked so hard to make the track user-friendly. They tackled snow and ice and they made every effort to ensure the track was safe to drive. I’ve only got the highest praise for them. Fantastic.”
 

GARRA

Spirit of Daytona Racing Ready for Rolex 24 at Daytona
News from Guy Cosmo Racing

Photos © John Thawley
DAYTONA, Florida (January 24, 2009) — The Spirit of Daytona Racing No. 09 Porsche V8-powered Coyote will start the 47th Rolex 24 At Daytona from the eighth row after Guy Cosmo set a fast lap time of 1:42.475-seconds around the 3.65-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway. Cosmo will be sharing the driving duties with a triumvirate of motorcycle champions as Jeff Ward, Scott Russell, and Jason Pridmore will take on the Rolex 24 starting on Saturday afternoon in the AMA Motorcycle Team-liveried Coyote.

The fifteen-minute qualifying session set the top 20 positions for both the Daytona Prototype and GT Class grids, with the final qualifying spots up for grabs on Friday. The Rolex weekend is a home event for Spirit of Daytona Racing, and the team is looking to improve on their performance in the 2008 race event, which saw the team score the highest Porsche-powered finish in the Daytona Prototype class. With new faces in the car, and a new look outside of it, Spirit of Daytona is focused on doing well in the big battle over 24 hours starting on Saturday.

"The car is still not where we want it to be yet, but we made some solid strides again today," said Cosmo. "We're focused on having a car that is not only good over a long tire run, but also one that's good for all four drivers. So we might compromise a little on one-lap speeds, but at the end of the day that doesn't really matter for this race. We just need to be able to run lap after lap at a sustainable pace, so where we start really won't factor into that."

The lap time was over two and a half seconds faster than the team went in qualifying last year as the development program for the Coyote-Porsche V8 continues to increase pace.

"This is the first time we're racing with this new bodywork, so we are learning what the car likes and just trying to find a balance that's good for all four guys," said team owner Troy Flis. "We were hoping to be a little bit closer to the front with some of the times we did in practice, but we're happy to have made the progress that we have so far. The car has run like a train so we've been able to make good use of the track time we've had available and that's vital for us to be ready for Saturday. This race is a huge challenge, and we're just looking to get going, set a pace, and learn as much as we can."
 

FIA GT

Red, White & Blue...And Green!
News from CRS Racing
LEICESTERSHIRE, Great Britain (January 23, 2009) — The red, white and blue livery remains the same but CRS Racing is now a ‘green’ team after being awarded CarbonNeutral® status. Since the formation of CRS just over a year ago the team has been aware that it has a responsibility to be environmentally-efficient so, now that the pace has eased off a bit, CRS has taken the necessary steps to become a carbon neutral race team.

In addition to the obvious areas such as recycling waste, making sure power is used efficiently at the CRS Technical Centre and minimising emissions across the company’s operations, CRS is working with The CarbonNeutral Company to measure and reduce the team’s carbon emissions. This has been achieved through carbon offsetting which takes place via investment in climate friendly projects which include hydro and wind power initiatives across the globe. Every tonne of CO2 is ‘neutralised’ by a tonne saved somewhere else.

“We’re not doing this to be trendy and we’re certainly not about to start preaching to everyone about being eco-friendly,” said Team Principal Chris Niarchos. “This is about CRS, as a group of people, wanting to do the right thing. We all have a responsibility not to waste resources and we are pleased to be in a position to help others develop new ways of harnessing the power of nature.”

Sue Welland, Founder & Creative Director, The CarbonNeutral Company said, “Companies such as CRS are leading the way in their field by taking full responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint to ‘net zero’. Communicating what they have done will hopefully encourage others individually or collectively within companies to follow suit.”

All the CRS race cars will now display the CarbonNeutral® logo to demonstrate the team’s commitment to the environment.

LMS

Audi Sport is honoured for best teamwork
News from Audi Motorsport
Photos © Audi
 

INGOLSTADT (January 17, 2009) – In the 2008 season Audi won everything the brand had set its sights on: The Four Rings stood for the four victories in the DTM, the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Series in Europe and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in what has so far been its most successful racing season. Audi now received special recognition for its string of successes with the R10 TDI and the A4 DTM by the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA), an important organisation of the British motorsport industry.

At the "3rd European Cleaner Racing Conference" held at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham Audi received the "MIA Teamwork Award" for the best team performance in motorsport. Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport at the Neckarsulm location, received the accolade on behalf of Audi Sport.

Some 500 guests attended the awards dinner at the British trade fair at which Baretzky as a member of an expert panel explained the technology transfer between motorsport and production vehicles at Audi. In the laudatory remarks read in the presence of the British Minister of Science and Innovation, Lord Paul Drayson, the jury emphasised that Audi successfully completed all motorsport programmes of the 2008 season, thus having shown the strongest team performance in motorsport as well. Audi won the award, competing against nominated teams of renown, including – among others – teams from Formula 1.

"It fills us with particular pride to have received this international recognition by such a prestigious association," said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "On the circuits as well as at the MIA awards presentation we prevailed against the strongest of rivals. This is a special honour for all who have had a part in Audi’s exploits."

In the past season the Audi A4 DTM and the Audi R10 TDI were fielded in a total of 28 races as part of the factory involvement. Timo Schneider with Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline celebrated the title in the DTM. Alexandre Prémat, Mike Rockenfeller and Audi Sport Team Joest won the Le Mans Series in Europe, Lucas Luhr, Marco Werner and the Champion team the American Le Mans Series. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Audi Sport Team Joest achieved the third consecutive Le Mans victory of the Audi R10 TDI.

In the 2009 season AUDI AG’s motorsport commitment again encompasses three pillars: With the new R15 the brand with the Four Rings will return to the starting grid at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the DTM with the A4 DTM. In addition, Audi – with the R8 LMS – for the first time offers a racing sports car that has been specially developed for use in customer sport.

Star Mazda

Andersen Racing Signs Kent
For 2009 Star Mazda Campaign
News from Restart Communications
PALMETTO, Fla., (Jan. 7, 2009) - Defending team champion Andersen Racing is pleased to announce that it will field a car for 20-year-old Richard Kent of Clifton Reynes, England in the 2009 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.

Kent hopes he can begin the 2009 season just as he finished 2008. He stunned the series regulars last October at the 2008 season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., when he posted his first victory in the series in his initial start. Driving an Andersen Racing entry sponsored by Traka and Allied Interior Products, he led every lap of that race from the pole, which he'd won a few hours earlier by setting a new track record.

Kent had never driven at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca prior to that event. He's already tested with the Palmetto, Fla.-based team at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla., site of the 2009 Star Mazda season opener on March 20, the first day of spring.

"It's fantastic to be returning to Andersen Racing for 2009, following the success we had at Laguna Seca at the end of last season," Kent said. "I hope we can continue the form we showed at Laguna throughout the year in the Andersen Racing/Allied/Traka car."

"After his stellar performance at Laguna Seca, Richard was definitely a 'must-have' driver for Andersen Racing's 2009 squad," said team co-owner Dan Andersen. "We knew how good he was prior to Laguna, but if anyone had any doubts, he erased them in brilliant fashion. I'm very happy to have him on board for a full season. We believe he will be a front-runner for the driver championship from the first race."

 Formula Renault

CRS Formula Renault Silverstone Preview
SILVERSTONE (June 29, 2009) — The Formula Renault UK Championship rolls into Silverstone this weekend for the biggest race meeting of the season. The CRS Racing drivers are all excited about racing on the world-famous Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, which is a firm favourite with all of them. This event forms part of the popular World Series by Renault which regularly sees capacity crowds so the drivers will have to maintain their focus throughout the weekend.

The team made good progress at last week’s Snetterton test so Silverstone will give them their first opportunity to make the most of developments. One other factor to take into account is the weather. Will the current heat wave run into the weekend? Or will it break and make for a very wet Silverstone?

Here are the thoughts of the CRS racers in the build-up to Silverstone:

“I was quite pleased with how the Snetterton test went,” said Harry Tincknell. “The weather was good and this allowed us to do a lot of testing over the two days. I think both my driving and car set up improved a lot and I ended up third fastest in the afternoon session on Thursday. It will be great to be back racing on the GP circuit at Silverstone because we don’t get a lot of running there. The track is another one of my favourites; taking corners like Copse, Maggots and Bridge at over a 100mph is a real buzz! At the official test there I was only a second off on old tyres and, with the track being so long, if I can reproduce that sort of form I hopefully should be right up there when we go out on new tyres for qualifying. The atmosphere this weekend should be really good with an expected crowd of over 150,000 people throughout the event but I will treat it as just another meeting. I led the race and came second in front of a sell-out crowd at Oulton Park a couple of rounds ago so I know I will be able to handle the extra pressure. Hopefully the sun will be shining and I will be able to put on a good show for the crowd and my sponsors who will be in attendance this weekend.”

“The test at Snetterton went really well for me,” said Josh Scott, “especially as I was P1 for most of the morning on the second day. We have taken a good step forward and this has put me in great spirits for the races at my favourite track on the calendar. I think we could do very well on the GP circuit. At this race last year I was running third until the second to last lap when I had a gearbox problem and slipped to fourth, so I am quietly confident of a good result here. The spectator numbers do make a difference, especially when you are in the pits as it really heightens the experience. Having dealt with this last year and also at home in Australia, supporting the V8 Supercars, it doesn’t faze me. It just makes it more exciting!”

“We had a very productive test at Snetterton where we found a really good set-up for the car,” added Matias Laine. “Silverstone is going to be tough as I am also taking part in the Eurocup race but, after seeing what we could do at Snetterton, I’m really looking forward to this weekend.”

“I really can’t wait for this weekend,” said Lewis Wiliamson. “It will be great to race on the GP track in front of a full house and I think Formula Renault will really deliver for the spectators. I hope that I will be able to maintain a level of consistency this weekend and get two good race results as this will help me move up the points table. Time will tell!”

And Michael Lyons concluded, “I am looking forward to the opportunity to race at the World Series event on the GP circuit at Silverstone as it offers a rare opportunity to race on what is, in my opinion, one of the best circuits in the UK. In the weeks leading up to this event there was an official test at Snetterton where I was able to make some good improvements, showing some good speed, despite what the results may have showed. We had a few issues with the car, which have now been resolved so it’s all go for this weekend.”

In Memoriam

Services Set for SCCA Champion Tom Thrash
Photo © SCCA/Weber 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (June 24, 2009) – Funeral services have been set for Championship-winning Sports Car Club of America driver Thomas B. Thrash Jr., of Houston, Texas, who died Saturday after a single-car incident during qualifying for the Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

The cause of Thrash’s incident is still unconfirmed, although witness reports stated that he appeared to make no attempt to slow the car entering Turn Eight before leaving the track and impacting the tire wall. A member of Thrash’s team stated that the car had functioning brakes and steering after the incident.

A family representative said Monday that no further investigation would take place to determine the exact cause.

Thrash, 48, was the 2007 SCCA Club Racing National Champion in the E Production class and was believed by many to be the favorite for that title again this year in his Mazda RX-7.

Thrash is survived by his wife, Patty; daughters Haley Buck and Lesley Whitley; parents Thomas “Ben” Sr. and Joyce; and sisters Teresa Granhold and Michele Adams. A lifelong Texan, Thrash graduated from Houston’s Pearland High School and graduated from Texas A&M, class of 1983, where he was a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. Thrash was a mechanical engineer and a partner at DTL Engineering.

Services for Thrash will be held at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77079. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, June 26 from 6-9 p.m., with the funeral Saturday, June 27 at 10 a.m.

The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the youth camp/ministry that Tom Thrash attended as a child and supported since. Donations can be made to R.B. Thieme Jr., Bible Ministries; PO Box 460829, Houston, TX 77056-8829 or visit http://www.rbthieme.org/
 

LMS

Déjà vu for RML AD Group in Spa
Photo credits: Images 1 & 3 - David Lord / Dailysportscar, Image 2- Peter May / Dailysportscar
FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (May 13, 2009) — A month after retiring from Round 1 of the 2009 Le Mans Series in Barcelona with engine problems, Mike Newton and Thomas Erdos in the RML AD Group Lola Mazda pulled out of Round 2 at Spa when a second engine failed to go the distance. Just as he had in Barcelona, Thomas Erdos drove a faultless first stint, and worked through to be running third in class from a pitlane start in under half an hour. There appeared to be every chance of challenging for a podium finish until, eight minutes into Mike Newton’s mid-race stint, the engine died.

The retirement came at the end of an arduous three days for Wellingborough-based RML. Fastest in class by the end of Friday free practice, the prospects had looked excellent, but a first-lap accident for Mike Newton on Saturday morning left the team with extensive repairs to complete and no chance of participating in qualifying.

This meant starting the race from the pitlane, but having been penalised ten positions on the grid for replacing the blown engine after Barcelona, starting the race from the back of the field hardly mattered. However, when thick fog forced the abandonment of official warm-up on Sunday morning, the drivers faced a six-hour race in a car that hadn’t turned a wheel since a ground-up rebuild. It was testament to the skill and meticulous work of the RML mechanics that the car was on the button from the moment the lights turned green.

One car spinning off on the warm-up lap, followed by a first-corner incident, brought out the safety car and allowed Tommy to catch up on the tail-enders before the restart. He then sliced through the 50-car field, taking half of them inside five laps and reaching third in LMP2 within half an hour. “The car was just such a delight to drive,” said Erdos. “It was handling perfectly, and even though I didn’t have the top-end speed of some of the others, it felt strong, and I could challenge. It’s just amazing what the team did, rebuilding the car completely in an afternoon, and then to have it perform so well without any time to test it was remarkable.”

Early in his second stint Tommy caught a patch of oil at Rivage and took to the gravel, but he and the team recovered well from that, and the Brazilian went on to set the car’s fastest lap just before handing over to Mike Newton. The CEO of AD Group would manage a mere four laps before the engine let go on the run up towards Les Combes. “We’re so disappointed for the guys that our race ended this way,” said a disconsolate Thomas Erdos. “After all their efforts, they deserved so much better than this.”

The depth of RML’s disappointment and frustration is emphasised by the undeniable potential of the team’s Lola Mazda Coupé. Setting fastest lap in free practice on Friday and battling through to third in class from the back of the field confirms that the car has the pace, but so far the engine reliability that brought two class wins at Le Mans in 2005 and 2006 eludes RML in 2009.

The team plans to introduce a series of additional track tests before heading for the Le Mans 24 Hours in June, and has little over four weeks to seek a way through the problem.

FIA-GT

First International Podium of the Year for CRS
News from CRS Racing
SILVERSTONE, England (May 3, 2009) — CRS Racing leaves Silverstone tonight with the first GT silverware of 2009 after Andrew Kirkaldy and Rob Bell finished today’s FIA GT race in third position. Chris Niarchos and Tim Mullen finished in ninth place, which was no reflection of the great pace they showed in both the race and yesterday’s qualifying session.

Tim Mullen started the race in the No.55 Ferrari from third on the grid but the Ulsterman soon took second place, with Rob Bell not far behind in the No.56 CRS car, in fourth place. The positions remained unchanged for most of the first stint, until Tim radioed in just over half an hour into the race to say he had a problem with his power steering. He pitted soon after to hand over to Chris and the power-steering was reset before Niarchos took to the track.

Just before the halfway point of the race Bell pitted from third to hand over to Kirkaldy. Just as the Scot joined the race the safety car came out while a stricken car was cleared from the track. At this point Kirkaldy was fourth and Niarchos was 10th. With the safety car picking up the GT1 race leader, the GT2 field was split up and both CRS Ferraris lost out on time.

After the final pit-stops Bell was back out in No.56 and Mullen was running in No.55. An off for GT2 race leader Gianmaria Bruni boosted the positions of both CRS Ferraris with Bell taking the flag in third place and Mullen in ninth.

At the post-race press conference, Andrew Kirkaldy said: “This is going to be a tough year. Qualifying was incredibly close and a tiny amount of time made a big difference to grid positions. Having said that we made some good improvements to the car over the weekend. The guys did some great work for us and we’ve proved we are competitive. We definitely have a tough year ahead but it will be a great fight.”

Over in GT3, CRS finished the day as top Ferrari team when Phil Quaife and Robert Hissom brought their Ferrari 430 Scuderia home in 12th place. Chris Goodwin and Chris Niarchos also had a good run but their final result was scuppered by a seat-belt problem. The belts came loose at the end of Goodwin’s run so he pitted early and Niarchos headed out. Unfortunately Niarchos had to then pit again to fix the belts and too much time was lost to challenge for any results.

The CRS GT team will be back on track in two weeks’ time at Adria Raceway in Italy.

Let's Go Racing!
News from CRS Racing
SILVERSTONE (Apr 24th, 2009) — The long off-season is finally over as the FIA GT and FIA GT3 Championships race into action next weekend at Silverstone. It is going to be a busy weekend for CRS Racing, with many new challenges to face as the team adapts to running in two series in one race weekend.

In GT2 little has changed, apart from the level of ambition. Chris Niarchos and Tim Mullen team up again in GT2 Ferrari No.55, while Andrew Kirkaldy and Rob Bell are together in No.56. In terms of success, 2008 produced some top results for the fledgling CRS team, but in 2009 the team has its sights firmly set on the championship title.

“We want to win the FIA GT title this year,” said CRS Team Director, Andrew Kirkaldy. “We have as good a chance as anyone. The opposition are hard to read at the moment as we haven’t done much testing alongside them but judging by our performance towards the end of last season we are as quick as anybody!”

Kirkaldy also has a personal target at Silverstone: to get his fourth GT2 pole position in a row at this event. A stunning lap last year gave the Scot the hat trick but can he make it four-in-a-row next weekend?

The FIA GT3 Championship is new to CRS but the GT3 category isn’t. As the current British GT Team Champions, CRS knows a thing or two about GT3 racing. The team is thrilled to be running the brand new Ferrari 430 Scuderia, and with a top driver line-up has high expectations for some good results this year.

The pair of Scuderias will only arrive next week so the team will have to learn fast, but luckily Andrew Kirkaldy has some insider knowledge as he tested the car at Imola a few weeks ago.

CRS GT3 Ferrari No.56 will be raced by Robert Hissom and Phil Quaife; both drivers who know the GT3 Championship well. No.55’s line-up is Klaas Hummel and Chris Goodwin. Unfortunately Klaas has clashing commitments during the Silverstone weekend so the team has made a substitution: Chris Niarchos! Chris is pretty handy in a Ferrari so it made sense for him to step in, although this means the CRS Team Principal is going to have a very busy weekend.

“It was a great privilege when Klaas (Hummel) asked me to take his GT3 seat for this race,” said Chris. “GT3 is incredibly competitive but usually, the more I drive the better I get, so this could be really good. I think Chris (Goodwin) and I will make a strong pairing.”

As Team Principal at CRS, Chris has seen his team grow over the last 12 months, not in terms of size, but in level of performance, and he’s confident that 2009 will be a vintage year for the team.

“This year our expectations are higher but so is our confidence level,” he said. “We know where we made mistakes last year but we have made changes and are now stronger than ever. Now we are into year two, the team infrastructure is all fully set-up and running smoothly. It has certainly been good to go off and do our pre-season testing without having to worry about whether or not the walls are up in the workshop or the desks have arrived!”

The FIA GT race takes place on Sunday 3 May at 1415hrs. The GT3 racing season starts earlier though on Saturday with race one at 1430hrs. Race two is on Sunday at 1130hrs.
 

Scuderia Ecosse Turn Their Attention To 2010
News from CR Scuderia Ecosse
(April 6, 2009) — Scottish race team Scuderia Ecosse has today announced that they will not be racing in this season’s FIA GT Championship. Despite having been offered a number of exciting opportunities to participate in this year’s Championship the team will now focus their attention on preparing for a return to competitive international GT racing in the 2010 FIA GT World Championship.

Team Principal Stewart Roden explained the reasons behind the decisions:

“As well as managing the Scuderia Ecosse race team myself and my senior management team are also responsible for running a highly successful prestige Bodyshop Repair business. As such we have a moral and financial responsibility to the employees of that business to ensure that we are on hand to steer the company through what is, as everyone recognises, very difficult times for the economy.

“At the beginning of this year we secured a major new contract from one of the country’s most respected insurance groups. On the back of this contract we have committed a considerable amount of capital investment to expand our existing state of the art facilities, which will allow us to continue to grow and expand the business this year and beyond.

“Although we are disappointed not to be racing this year we felt that it was important in the short-term to focus 100% on our core business. We will however continue to support and attend our clients and friends at Ferrari Owners track days throughout the year at home and abroad.

“My commercial staff are already working flat out preparing for next season. We are currently in discussions with a number of potential sponsors and technical partners that are interested in supporting the team when we return in 2010 as a serious contender for both the FIA GT World Championship and Le Mans 24 Hrs.

“I would very much like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have worked with and supported the team in recent seasons and in particular our sponsors, technical partners, employees and to wish Stephane, the SRO and all participating teams a successful and enjoyable season in 2009.”

Mazda MX-5

Justin Piscitell Wins Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout, Signs with Alara Racing
Photo © Alara Racing
IRVINE, Calif. (March 19, 2009) – With only 16 career race starts, Justin Piscitell, of Patterson, N.Y., still had what it took to beat out eight other Mazda champions and win the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout. As a result, Piscitell has won a full ride in the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and has chosen California-based ALARA Racing as his team.

Eleven Mazda-powered champions from SCCA, Skip Barber and NASA were invited to Bunttonwillow Raceway in December to compete in the MX-5 Cup shootout, with eight drivers taking up Mazda’s offer to compete for one coveted race seat. In addition to being judged on their driving abilities and technical feedback, the candidates were asked to create a sponsor proposal and partake in a mock media interview. Judges for the shootout included previous winners Brad Rampelberg and Jason Saini, professional Mazda driver Charles Espenlaub, SpeedSource Engineering owner, driver and engineer Sylvain Tremblay and Dan Edmunds, editor for Edmunds.com.

After several hours tabulating scores and sharing subjective opinions, the judges selected 19-year-old Piscitell, the 2008 Skip Barber MAZDASPEED Challenge Series Champion, as the winner.

“Winning the shootout has opened up the world to me,” Piscitell said. “As a 19-year-old boy from Patterson, N.Y., who has only been racing for one year, I was elated to even have the opportunity to attend the Mazdaspeed shootout. Winning it is beyond comprehension.

“The greatest thing about the Mazda ladder is that it gives a novice racer like me something to strive for and the opportunity for advancement. It provides an organized sequence and opportunity to advance a racing career. If I win the Playboy MX-5 Cup I can automatically move up to the SPEED World Challenge Series with a factory-supported ride from Mazda. Mazda has given me the chance to pursue my dream in racing in a Pro series.”

“The feedback from the judges was great,” MAZDASPEED Competition Manager Steve Sanders said. “They noted that the overall quality of the contestants was excellent. Many of these drivers have the potential to make it on a professional level. The key word of the shootout was ‘potential’ and the judges saw a great deal of that in Justin. We look forward to working with him in 2009.”

Piscitell’s prize package is valued at more than $70,000 and includes $10,000 in parts support, a custom Sparco racing suit and helmet, 10 free sets of tires and 10 free race entries courtesy of SCCA Pro Racing. The newest member of the MAZDASPEED Driver Development Ladder will race for ALARA Racing in 2009.

“I selected ALARA as I see them as a team that is dedicated to winning the MX-5 Cup and also in advancing my skills as a driver,” Piscitell said. “It is a very competitive series, and is going to take a lot of hard work and commitment, but it is what I have always wanted and I am dedicated to the challenge and opportunity that I now have. I couldn't imagine doing it any other way.”

“We are very excited that Justin has selected ALARA Racing as his team for the Playboy MX-5 Cup series,” ALARA Team Principal Ara Malkhassian said. “Justin quickly impressed us with his natural speed and smoothness in his first test with us. Under Ken Murillo’s tutelage, he continues to strengthen and mature as he goes through ALARA Racing’s pre-season development program. We expect him to be a strong contender for the championship this year.”

Piscitell’s first MX-5 Cup race will take place at Road Atlanta on May 2, when the 2009 season kicks off at the Classic Motorsports Mitty.

SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup

Stepping up in place of the former MAZDASPEED Miata Cup, the Mazda MX-5 Cup made its debut in 2006. Featuring identical Mazda MX-5s on spec tires; MX-5 Cup gives drivers the opportunity to run on high-profile weekends in an economical, entry-level racing series. The 2009 MX-5 Cup schedule features 10 races at prestigious events across North America, and with grids composed of roughly 30 cars at each race, MX-5 Cup has become one of the best shows in motorsports today. For more information, visit www.mx-5cup.com

 
LMS

Lemeret signs as Full Speed Racing confirm FIA GT campaign
News from Full Speed Racing
February 23, 2009 -- Full Speed Racing has confirmed its intentions to contest a full FIA GT Championship campaign in 2009, with Belgian Stephane Lemeret (pictured) announced as part of its two-car driver line up.

Last month, the team revealed plans to compete in the Le Mans Series and, subject to an invitation from the ACO, at the Le Mans 24 Hours with American racer Emerson Newton-John and has now added the world’s premier GT racing series to an exciting sporting programme.

Full Speed will enter a pair of GT1 Saleen S7Rs in the SRO-run series, with the experienced Lemeret signed to drive one of the American-built muscle cars.

The 36-year-old has a wealth of experience in GT racing and has twice finished second overall in the FIA GT Championship’s blue riband event, the Spa 24 Hours, including last year when he drove for the all-conquering Vitafone Maserati squad. He has also won numerous domestic titles in his native Belgium, including the Renault Megane Trophy, Renault Clio Cup and Belgian Touring Car Championship.

Lemeret admitted he had several opportunities for the new season, but was swayed by the involvement of Full Speed Racing Team Principal Graham Nash and the chance to race the Saleen S7R.

“I’m delighted to finally get the chance to race full-time in the top category of the FIA GT Championship,” he said. “I have worked with Graham before and he is someone I have a lot of respect for. I got in touch as soon as I found out that he was back in international sportscar racing and I’m thrilled that everything is now signed. I raced the Saleen in 2005 and I loved driving the car, so I can’t wait for the season to start at Silverstone in May.”

Lemeret’s 2009 co-driver has yet to be decided and while the team is still looking for one driver for their second entry, they are close to announcing a deal for one seat with a respected German professional.

Team Principal Graham Nash said: “We’re thrilled to have Stephane on board and to be adding a full two-car FIA GT Championship programme to our Le Mans Series and, subject to invitation, Le Mans 24 Hours campaigns. We’re still interested in speaking to drivers to complete our line-up, but 2009 is already shaping up to be a very exciting season for the team.”

Full Speed Racing will reveal more details about their Le Mans Series and FIA GT Championship campaigns soon.