In 2011 the British GT Championship caught the eye of motorsport fans with the variety of cars competing, the close racing and different winners. There can be no doubt the impressive impact made by debutants Scuderia Vittoria. The team ran a Ferrari 458 GT3 and Ginetta G50. Ahead of their second full season of racing, we spoke to co-founder Danny Buxton.

Q. Scuderia Vittoria was founded by yourself, Piers Masarati and Tom Ferrier back in late 2010. Could you tell us how it came about and whether running a team was something that you always wanted to do in your career?

A. Tom and I have always talked about running our own team, ever since we set up our driving coaching company a few years back. We have both known Piers for a long time, and he has an extensive contact list and good team manager experience from his A1GP days.

Q. Did you start Scuderia Vittoria with the sole aim of competing in the British GT Championship or was it a case that once the team was setup, you evaluated which race series you wanted to compete in?

A. We had been promised an all-new Ferrari 458 by our driving partners RS Academy, so this was always the plan. With my experience in Clios and the TOCA package, it was also always the intention to compete in the Clio Cup. I have good links with drivers in TOCA and was always confident that we would have at least 2 seats filled in year one.

Q. Let’s set the scene. It’s the first race meeting of the 2011 British GT Championship. The team grabs pole position on its first outing, and achieves a win in race two – after starting from the back of the grid. Even as an outsider that appears to be an amazing emotional weekend. How was it from your point of view given the hard work that went into getting ready for the season?

A. Considering the financial input and all the other sacrifices that each of us have had to make, in order to make this happen – the first GT weekend was just incredible, and meant so much. We should’ve won the first race, but unfortunately Charlie made a small mistake in the pit stop that cost us victory. I could never dream that we would win from last position in race two! That for me, is when having ex-drivers as team bosses can really help – making the right calls on strategy, reading the race from a drivers position, can really help – and was most certainly the key factor in that first win. The ethos running through or team is the passion to win.

Q. In 2011 the team finished 3rd in the GT3 class and 2nd in GT4. What are your hopes and expectations for this year?

A. The main aim in GTs, is to win the British GT3 Championship. We are nearly there with our driver pairings and should have some exciting news soon. With regards to GT4, there is a chance of another super pairing, meaning we can again challenge for class honours. The Blancpain Endurance Series is where we also intend to make a big impact in 2012, top three in GT3 would be a great success. If all our GT plans come to fruition – bring on the start of the year – I can’t wait!

Q. Last year the team ran cars in endurance series as well as the Clio Cup. Has participation in single seater formulae been considered?

A. Yes, certainly. It’s important we grind out a reputation first, then it would be appealing. There are initial talks being held about 2013, but I can’t reveal any more than that at the moment!

Q. 2011 saw the debut of the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA GT3 European Championship grow in stature and reputation. This year your team plans to run 458s in both, how are preparations going and what challenges do entering these series bring?

A. At the moment, unless something changes, it will be just one 458 in the British and one in Blancpain. However, there are plans to run another GT3 manufacturer in British alongside the 458 – watch this space! With regards to challenges, the main thing is logistics. With the Blancpain, the trucks are away for 10 -12 days, so we have to be totally organised and prepared. The calendar is challenging for all teams running cars in different series, we just have to be on top of our game!

Q. The structure of the team appears to lend itself to a ‘young driver’ programme. A young driver perhaps joining and involved in the Clio Cup and then being promoted within the team to high level endurance championship racing. Is this a notion that you wish to promote or do you wish to focus on other elements of racing?

A. I have always enjoyed working with young drivers, they have so much drive, determination and bravery – it reminds me of a junior Buxton! Saying that we have already signed two drivers in our Clio squad that are over 40 years old! It’s definitely part of the plan to ‘bring’ drivers through from Clio Cup to GTs – there is so much potential to make a good living in GTs, much more than any other form of motorsport in my opinion. However, it’s equally important for young ex-single seater drivers to gain initial experience with a roof over your head – and Clios are ideal for this. I also love the coaching side of the game, helping drivers to improve technically and to understand what it takes to win at this level.

We would like to wish the team all the best for 2012 and beyond, this year promises to be another exciting and successful one for Scuderia Vittoria.

Links:

• Scuderia Vittoria (website | twitter)
• British GT Championship (website | twitter)
• GridStars (website | twitter)

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About a month ago I saw a vacancy for a voluntary role at Motorsport Vision (MSV), the company who own and run a number of the UK’s motorsport circuits. The role was for a Press Officer for their Club MSV section. After pondering whether to apply or not, I went ahead and put my name forward, submitting some previous articles that I had written. About ten days later, I received an email inviting me to the MSVR weekend at Cadwell Park, along with the other applicants. The instructions were to arrive at the circuit for 9am and head to race control, where we would each be assigned a race series to report on. Immediately I thought not knowing what race series you’re going to be reporting on prior to the day was going to be tricky. I spent a few days browsing the various championship websites for info on the drivers, teams, and previous results, hoping to gain a suitable level of knowledge before race day. After writing copius amounts of notes, I felt my mind rest a little easier. At least I would have some idea what I would be talking about!

One of the series scheduled at the race weekend was the Track Day Trophy, a series that I had written an article on before. The series is aimed at novice drivers and those who have done track days and want to dip their toes into racing. There are four classes, based on power to weight. My previous article required me to research the series, finding out entries, rules and regulations and other useful information. I was hoping that I would be assigned to report on the Track Day Trophy.

Being based in Surrey, I figured that the trip to Cadwell would be a 378 mile roundtrip. With it being quite a way, I decided to treat myself a bit on the hotel. Hotel and route planned, the race weekend neared.

Travelling up on the Saturday, I checked in at the hotel before popping out to catch the last couple of races at the circuit. Having never visited Cadwell, I wanted to check its proximity to the hotel, where the good places to watch were, and get a general feel for the Lincolnshire track.

Race day arrived and I headed for the official’s office to meet Alex Baker and Nick Rice of Club MSV. Once I signed on, I was told that I would be reporting on the Track Day Trophy race. Good news. Shortly after, the drivers briefing took place, with Nick describing pitlane protocol and giving advice. Fifty minutes later, and the teams took their cars to the track. As a perk of the job, I was allowed to report on qualifying from the pitwall. With TSL timing on my phone and notepad ready, it was time to get reporting. The half hour session was lead from start to finish by an entry called Team Cream Slice, who run a Clio Cup Racer. Whilst on the pitwall, one of their drivers got chatting to me, so it was good to hear from his perspective about the racing, and to ask him some questions.

Qualifying ended and I took refuge in the cafe, figuring out who qualified where in each class. Once done, I headed up to the paddock where all the teams were based. In the paddock I caught up with a few teams and got chatting to them about their previous experience, thoughts about qualifying and if they were going to make any changes for the race. With a bit of spare time between tasks, I caught some of the Northern Saloon and Sports Car Championship race. This race also had a good mix of cars, and seeing a Ford RS200 and Metro 6R4 in action was a personal highlight. The race started on a bone dry track but a few minutes in, a sharp heavy shower completely changed the race. It was interesting to see how the various car types coped, the 4wd driven cars now picking up the pace and taking advantage of the conditions.

At lunch I was taking around the circuit in the safety car. I have seen onboard footage of cars racing round the circuit but to feel and see it for yourself just made it. The safety car was a BMW X6M, and even in a high riding car, you still experienced the blind summits and the camber/gradient changes. With that in mind, driving something like a single seater must be pretty immense.

Two more races from the Production BMW Championship and VW Golf GTI Championship followed, and then it was time for the Track Day Trophy race. The race would take the form of 45mins in duration, with a mandatory timed pitstop (2m45s for teams with two drivers, 3m for single drivers). For the race I took position at the top of race control, providing me with a privileged and wideview of the circuit. My camera and notepad were ready to go.

The race stayed dry throughout and the safety car made an appearance on a couple of occasions. The battle for the lead was excellent and the racing remained clean. At the podium presentations, I did get sprayed in champagne by happy drivers but managed to get a couple of photos in the process.

I made my way back to the hotel and laid out my notes, displayed my photos and the timing sheets, and began to type up my race report.

A very enjoyable weekend and a good introduction into the world of race reporting.

The race report I wrote is available here.

For many with an interest in motorsport it is an ambition to take part and race, although the high costs associated with doing so prevent many from taking their interest any further. At the end of 2009, MotorSport Vision setup the Track Day Trophy, a series that is aimed at track day fans and motorsport enthusiasts and allows competitors to race at a relatively low price. Julie Sturrock is one such enthusiast looking to compete in this year’s MSV Track Day Trophy.

As a customer of many driving day experiences at circuits like Silverstone and Thruxton, Julie decided to take the ARDS test, in order to gain the National B race license.

“Originally I decided to do National B license as a milestone or goal for self achievement never thinking I could actually go racing. I also wanted my trackdays to lead somewhere. Due to costs of going racing & having no experience of karting or similar at a younger age never thought I could consider racing.”

The format of the series is 30 min practice & 30 mins qualifying, followed by a 45 minute race with a mandatory pitstop. Many teams have two drivers for each car. Drivers wanting to take part in the series can use their own race-prepped car (the rule book requires a rollcage, fire extinguishers etc), or go down the arrive and drive route, and drive an already race prepped car and concentrate on the driving aspect of taking part. Sturrock attended last November’s Racecar Live event and after speaking to MSV and Track Day Trophy representatives on the day, this led her to Faze1 Motorsport, a company which provides a number of motorsport services including the hire of Porsches for use in the Track Day Trophy.

“I am not mechanically minded & would not be able to do own car prep/maintenance between races so hiring seemed best option. I also have no garage or means of transport – costs include tyres/brakes/fuel etc/race team & transport to from track.”

Julie will be driving a Porsche 944S2 for this year’s trophy. This was the car that was driven by Jonny Smith in Channel Five’s Fifth Gear programme, as you can see below.

Last year was the debut season for the Track Day Trophy and one that saw a good number of entrants and close racing. The first race of the 2010 season took place at Brands Hatch. Twenty two cars took part in the debut race and the winner of the first race won by just 0.5 seconds. This year MSV is looking to build on that success by lengthening the race calendar to six races. Cars entered into the series are put into one of four classes, based on power to weight. These range from Class A (176bhp-200bhp ton) down to Class D (upto 125bhp ton). Slick tyres are not permitted and MSV has a list of the eligible tyres that entries can use. The emphasis on low cost regulations has enabled the trophy series to host a range of race cars, from Ginettas, E30 M3 BMWs to late 80s Golf GTIs.

The calendar for this year is as follows:

Race 1 – Snetterton (300 circuit) – Sat 19th March
Race 2 – Cadwell Park - Sat 21st May
Race 3 – Brands Hatch - Sun 17th July
Race 4 – Donington Park (National) – Sun 14th August
Race 5 – Anglesey (International) – Sat 10th September
Race 6 – Oulton Park – Sat 22nd October

Whilst Julie has had track time at Silverstone and Thruxton, she has only driven Brands Hatch of the circuits that are on the Track Day Trophy calendar. Sturrock, aims to get out in the car at the end of this month at Snetterton, shortly before the first race there on March 19th. Racing on the new ‘300′ circuit will be new to everyone taking part and Julie cannot wait for the lights to go green. All the best Julie and Faze1!

Links

MSV Track Day Trophy (link)
Julie Sturrock (Twitter)
Faze1 Motorsport (link)

[Images courtesy of MotorSport Vision]

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Last March I decided to restart Track Talent, a project that started off as a university final year project. Like most motorsport websites I run this one because of my interest in motorsport and to enable me to have an online presence, a place for me keep my web and writing skills in check. I’m unable to dedicate the time to run an up to date news based website so I focus on writing articles and features instead.

Just before this website launched, I registered the project’s twitter name (@TrackTalentUK) with the aim of engaging with fellow enthusiasts and to make contacts. Throughout the past year it’s been really good to speak with some of the people who read the content on this site, it makes it all worthwhile. So with this in mind, i’ve put together a fictional motorsport company and listed Track Talent’s twitter followers, and the role they could play.

Driver Management:
Jonny Restrick (@jonnyrestrick)

Driver:
John Williams (@JWilliamsRacing)
Julie Sturrock (@buff_s)
Anyone of you!

Physio:
Simon Ward (@physio2)

Promo:
Steffi Crouch (@Steffi_Crouch)

Designer/Architect:
Matt Clinch (@mattclinch)

Team photographers:
Pete Mainley – (@petemainey)
Nick Dungan – (@SportsStockcouk)
Tom Hughes – (@TomHughes_Photo)

Journalists / Copywriters / Press Office:
Peter Allen – (@Pete93Allen)
Michael Trusler – (@Mike_Trusler)
Leandra Graves – (@leandragraves)
Nikki Thompson – (@nikkii98)
Bexcci – (@Bexcci)
Grace Cunningham – (@GraceF1Fanatic)

Media Partner:
The Checkered Flag – (@TheCheckerFlag)

Tyres:
Goodyear (@goodyear_uk)

Fuel:
Anglo American Oil Company (@RacingAAOC)

Academic link up:
Cranfield University (@CranfieldUniSAS)

So as you can see, quite a range of followers from various motor-racing angles. We’re lacking a bit on the engineering side though for a motorsport company! Just a bit of fun but fancied doing it as a thank you to our Twitter followers. If only there was some cash around the place to set up for real eh?

If you do want to contact me (Andrew) about anything, please click here.

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A couple of months ago through word of mouth (well, a retweet on Twitter actually), an organisation called PureTech Racing came to my attention. The news piece reported that Mike Conway, who suffered a broken leg and back injuries after his huge crash at the Indy 500 in May, visited PureTech Racing to help him with the recovery process.

PureTech Racing offer members of the public the chance to use advanced computer driving simulators, which aim to deliver the feel and thrill of real life motorsport. The organisation has an emphasis on making motorsport more engaging to a new and wider audience. This it may well do, but sim-racing aficionados and motor racing drivers will also want to be satisfied and feel engaged.

Based in Surrey, the Pure Tech Racing racing centre is home to 10 full motion simulators. The simulators were made by Ball Racing Developments, whose clients include iSport and Carlin.

Paying a visit

A stressful day at work made me want to do something and take my mind off things after work. A quick call to PureTech Racing and I was booked in to do a ‘test session’ that same day at 9pm. The centre is open until 22:30 which on a personal level is good as it allows you to get home from work and get sorted, before going out.

On arrival at the centre, I got signed in and ticked the box of ‘first time visit’. The building, a former showroom, is light and airy giving a good sense of space. At the time of my visit a 1988 Tyrrell Formula One car and a 2008 McLaren model adorned the centre area of the building. A number of motor racing pieces including spare wings, fuel hoses, and framed photos are also on show and add to the environment. Once signed in, I sat in PureTech Racing’s cafe while I waited to be called to the briefing room. There were to be 10 of us taking part in the session, 3 (including me) using it as a test session, and the remaining 7 using it as a qualifying session for a race. Our names were called and we were lead into a room to be briefed by Nick Dunn, PureTech Racing’s centre manager.

Nick gave us an informal and friendly briefing and introduced us to the concept of PureTech Racing and what is involved in using the simulators. We would be racing on a fictional circuit called Aviano, a circuit initially developed in NetKar Pro. After the briefing we moved into the simulator area. Once assigned our own simulator, I got in the ‘car’ and found out the ‘lie down driving like an F1 driver’ line proved to be true. It was a bit strange getting comfortable at first but then it became quite natural. A quick adjustment of the pedals later, I was strapped in (4 point race harness), and ready to go.

The simulators are set to manual gears with paddle shift on the back of the steering wheel, so just two pedals, no clutch. Fine with me! We all started the session in the pitlane and proceeded to go out on track. The feeling of movement (and force feedback if not experienced before) is initially quite surprising and unusual but after a couple of laps, it felt natural. For your first test session, there’s a lot to take in, the simulators, the track, the experience. After 3 or 4 laps of the Aviano circuit, I felt I was able to push further, brake later and enjoy myself more. I have to say that a personal favourite was driving turn 10, a slightly uphill left hander, where you really feel the feedback in the wheel, your arms needing to be strong to keep on the racing line. Great stuff.

Naturally the 15 minute test session flew by and as a group, we sat down together in the cafe area to chat about our thoughts and to share notes. Nick provided everyone with a print off as part of the debrief. The paper displayed laptimes and a potential optimum laptime. Along with that was some telemetry information. Nick spent time going through the telemetry with each driver and giving advice on where they could improve. It was a nice touch and a good idea, as i’m sure that it encourages continual custom. Owners of kart tracks take note!

The test session was an enjoyable experience made by the fact that it is a friendly and professional setup. To me it appears that PureTech Racing can deliver whatever you want it to. From a one-off visitor looking for a bit of fun, to those who regularly take part in motorsport and wish to spend some time in a simulator.

Links

• PureTech Racing (link)

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The driving experience day industry has ballooned over the past ten years, an internet search on the term will display many providers of driving experiences, be it the circuits themselves or third party companies. The appeal of such days of course is the chance to drive that supercar you’ve longed for, a chance to drive on a racing circuit, and the buzz of adrenalin that it provides. This article covers my experiences of driving days and the options for people who want more from their experience. 

The first time

The experience I have had with driving experience days has been mixed. The first occasion I had with these types of events was back when I was 16, a relative had bought me a passenger ride in an Audi TT at Brands Hatch. Come the day, my parents and my relatives attended to watch me go around the Indy circuit. As this was my first exposure to a driving experience, I went home with mixed feelings. The feeling of getting strapped into a semi-prepped car was new to me and enjoyable, receiving my first taste of going round and down Paddock Hill bend was excellent and finding out just how late the instructors brake and turn in was a surprise. The downside to the day was that I went round for only 3 laps, a disappointed relative who just spent £100 commenting ‘was that it?’. The choice of a more track focused car for passengers to go round in would of enhanced it greatly.

The second opportunity

Seven years later in 2007 my partner bought me a supercar driving experience voucher. The voucher allowed me the chance to drive one of the following: Aston Martin DB9, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911, Ferrari 360. The car I opted for was the Ferrari 360, not because it was my preferred one (a Gallardo), but because it was the only car that was based at a race circuit. The circuit in question was Silverstone. I felt that the combination of a Ferrari and a track that I knew the layout of, thanks to televised racing/computer gaming, was the best choice. After a briefing of around 20 minutes in length, I donned a helmet, slipped on my kart boots, posed for a photo and started up the 360. The instructor who sat in with me asked whether I had any prior experience, I responded by telling him that although I had not driven a supercar before, I had karted. I believe this allowed him to have a little more faith in me, and he was an instructor who allowed me to push the Ferrari, after a couple of laps. Part of the excitement of doing a driving experience day is the opportunity to drive the car to somewhere near its potential, too often I have read of disappointed customers who participated in driving experiences and have complained that the instructor wanted them to take the circuit in a high gear and change gear at relatively low revs. While I understand the reasons for such measures – instructor getting in a fast car with a total stranger / durability and maintenance concerns, a higher level of tolerance at some venues would be a positive.

A more advanced driving experience

The bug had bit me, I wanted another driving experience day. This process proceeded to researching and crossing off suitable cars and driving days. Put into the mix the restrictions of cost, time and circuit choice and you start to get a headache, as I’m sure some of you can vouch for. As a gift, my next experience would be the “Single Seater Experience” on the Stowe circuit at Silverstone. The format of the event was a 30min briefing followed by 20mins out on circuit behind a pace car, a quick break, and then back out for 20 more minutes but with no pace car. So early on a Sunday morning in May I drove to Silverstone and looked up at the skies. It was getting dark. After signing on I was lead into the briefing room. The instructor then asked us quick fire questions, this felt like being back at school, afraid to give a wrong answer. The tone of the briefing was a step up from the Ferrari experience I did, but this is in part to the fact that you (obviously) do not have an instructor going round with you providing tuition. Every driver in the briefing had experience of track day/motorsport experience, some drivers had done the same single seater experience three times before and came back for another go. The instructor asked whether we had taken out the £10 insurance/liability option. Everyone answered with a yes, to which he nodded and described how a customer on the previous day had t-boned their single seater into an innocent driver at the hairpin. The customer did not have the insurance cover and the damage he caused was £3500. We were informed that if we spun the car, that would be the end of the experience for us. As a single seater virgin, I was a little concerned but thought I would be sensible enough to take it easy and judge my limit. We exited the briefing and the heavens opened. The mix of a slightly depressing briefing and wet weather for my first time in a single seater did not bode well but I had to smile, nervously.

We were allocated a car and strapped in by a member of staff. Once secured I was shown the layout of the cockpit and given information on the dials on the display. The gear stick was on the right and because it was on a metal joint, it moved around a bit, but unlike a normal roadcar, the actual moving the stick into the next gear took very little movement. The pace car was a Clio Cup and the use of a pace car in the first session was handy, the Clio driver progressively getting faster as the laps went by. The first session was excellent, learning the car, learning the track and learning the conditions. We had a quick break of 5 minutes and then went back out. This time no pace car, and we were allowed to overtake (on the straights only). Despite the rain, I enjoyed driving and overtaking other drivers. The essentials of driving, learnt in karting, were benefitting me, and it gave me the confidence to push further. On one lap, my rear left tyre was on a wet painted line, I felt a loss of traction, felt the notion of oversteer through the wheel and corrected accordingly. I loved it.

This particular single seater experience, while open to all, is an excellent option for karters who have never experienced a driving a single seater before. The ability to go as fast as you want, change gear when you want and take the corner how you see best, adds up to a driving experience that produces on a value for money basis.

Looking for more

As anyone who has done a driving experience will tell you, after doing such a experience you feel an immediate loss of adrenalin and look for higher/faster experiences. At a personal level, I always look for an experience that gives you a good amount of track time and little regulation. Finding an experience that gives you that in a real racing car is rare and expensive. Some enthusiasts take their car out on track days, or hire track day cars such as Caterhams through organisations like BookaTrack.com. A well regarded experience day is Palmersport at Bedford Autodrome. The experience used to be available exclusively for corporate guests but now allows individuals to participate. The day runs from 08:00 til 17:30 and involves participants driving 6 track based race cars, on a mix of circuit layouts. Drivers who have attended Palmersport days have praised the instructors who provide good tuition and allow you to push the car to the limits, tales of drivers taking corners in a Clio Cup racer at 70mph wet the appetite. The amount of time in each car is around 20 minutes. The day is not the cheapest (at just under £900 inc VAT) but if you view any of the onboard videos of the cars on the Palmersport website, you might find yourself justifying popping along.

Links

• MSV Circuit driving experiences (link)
• Silverstone driving experiences (link)
• PalmerSport (link)
• BookaTrack.com aka BaT (link)
• PistonHeads Track Day Forum (link)

(Photo credit: 4 Caterhams, BookaTrack.com)

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Photos of Sunday’s inaugural Chelsea Auto Legends event have been uploaded to our Flickr collection.

Flickr link – Chelsea Auto Legends 2010

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The inaugural Chelsea Auto Legends event set in the gardens of the Royal Hospital was deemed to be an excellent addition to the motorsport calendar. The show boasted a blend of vehicles both old and new, from classic 50s road cars to modern day LeMans prototypes. The event was the brainchild of Michael Scott, founder of the ‘96 Club’. Motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss welcomed visitors and signed autographs for the many enthusiasts. Also in attendance was 5x LeMans winner Derek Bell and Richard Attwood.

Visitors experienced classic Ferraris on entry, a display of LeMans racing cars and modern supercars. There was also a high number of private exhibitors who drove to the event in their own sportscars and then put them on display for others to view. An auction organised by Bonhams took place where motorsport memorabilia was sold, with the proceeds going towards the Royal Hospital’s modernisation programme.

By the looks of it, a 2011 Chelsea Auto Legends is a certainty, given that the bags handed out to visitors, had the date of the 2011 event on them. A good thing indeed.

A selection of images from the event can be seen below, more shall follow on our Flickr page in the coming days.

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National Motorsports Week runs from tomorrow (7th August) til the 15th of August and the aim of the project is to promote motorsport to the public and introduce new people and fans to the world of racing. National Motorsport Week is a joint initiative between the M.I.A (Motorsports Industry Association) and the Motorsport Foundation.

This year includes events such as live motorsport competition, displays, talks by the people involved in the industry and open days. The showcase event for this year are the open days for the Renault F1 factory based in Enstone, Oxfordshire. The open days include:

• Tour of the factory
• A visit to the heritage centre where you can see Renault F1 cars of the past
• Taking part in a pit-stop challenge
• Being able to sit in Renault’s 2010 F1 car, and get your photo taken.
• Meeting F1 mechanics and drivers from Renault’s young driver programme (World Series/Formula Renault)

If you would like to know more about National Motorsports Week and see a full list of events (book yourself on the Renault factory tour!), visit http://www.nationalmotorsportweek.co.uk.

The race finished with an Audi 1-2-3, a result that few would have predicted half way through the race. Leading 1-2-3 throughout most of the race were the Peugeot 908s but due to engine failures, the victory was handed to Audi, whose R15 TDIs lacked the speed of the Peugeots but were ultimately, more reliable.

The #9 Audi driven by Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard and Mike Rockenfeller took victory, followed by the sister cars of #8 and #7 in third, driven by Allan McNish. The Scot took the accolade as the highest finishing Brit. Andy Meyrick drove the Oreca Matmut Peugeot to 4th place, a result that pleased the 24yr old Welshman.

5th overall and 1st in the LMP2 class was Strakka Racing with an excellent performance and will hope to continue their good form in the next round of the LMES at the Portimao Circuit in the Algarve. Strakka outpaced rivals Highcroft for most of the race, and experienced better reliability than the US based outfit. RML finished 8th overall and 3rd in the LMP2 class.

Beechdean Mansell and Drayson Racing had an eventful weekend. Nigel Mansell crashed his team’s Ginetta on lap 4 and the car retired from the race. The former F1 champion was taken to hospital as a precaution. The Lola of Drayson Racing suffered a number of faults but completed just enough laps to be classified as a race finisher, a result that pleased an emotional Lord Drayson. Aston Martin Racing had an indifferent weekend, the #007 car finished 6th overall but the #009 car failed to finish and retired on lap 368. Team Bruichladdich did well and put in a strong performance to finish in 10th.

WTCC driver Andy Priaulx experienced a disappointing Le Mans debut in his BMW M3 ‘art car’. The team encountered suspension and steering issues and retired on lap 53. A better experience was had by Richard Westbrook who finished 3rd in the GT2 class and 14th overall, after starting 44th.

The teams:

Beechdean Mansell [LMP1], car #5 – Started 18th, retired on lap 4

Drayson Racing [LMP1], car #11 – Started 14th, finished 28th

Aston Martin Racing [LMP1], cars #007 Started 8th, finished 6th and #009 Started 9th, retired on lap 368

RML [LMP2], car #25 – Started 20th, finished 8th / 3rd in LMP2

Team Bruichladdich [LMP2], car #41 – Started 25th, finished 10th

Strakka Racing [LMP2], car #42 – Started 15th (best qualifier in the LMP2 class), finished 5th / LMP2 class winner

JMW Motorsport [GT2], car #92 – Started 51st, retired on lap 71

The drivers:

LMP1

Nigel Mansell, Leo Mansell, Greg Mansell [Beechdean Mansell] – Started 18th, retired on lap 4

Anthony Davidson [Team Peugeot Total] – Started 2nd, retired on lap 360

Andy Meyrick [AIM Team Oreca Matmut] – Started 10th, finished 4th

Paul Drayson, Jonny Cocker [Drayson Racing] – Started 14th, finished 28th

Guy Smith [Rebellion Racing] – Started 19th,  retired lap 143

Oliver Jarvis [Kolles] – Started 13th, retired lap 331

Darren Turner, Sam Hancock [Aston Martin Racing #009] – Started 9th, retired lap 368

LMP2

Mike Newton, Andy Wallace [RML] – Started 20th, finished 8th / 3rd in LMP2

Jonathan Kennard [KSM] – Started 26th, finished 26th

Marino Franchitti [Highcroft Racing] – Started 17th, finished 25th

Warren Hughes [Quifel ASM] – Started 21st, finished 20th

Tim Greaves [Team Bruichladdich] – Started 25th, finished 10th

Nick Leventis, Danny Watts, Jonny Kane [Strakka Racing] – Started 15th, finished 5th / LMP2 class winner

GT2

Oliver Gavin [Corvette Racing] – Started 37th, retired lap 255

Andy Priaulx [BMW] – Started 48th,  retired lap 53

Ryan Dalziel [Jaguar RSR] – Started 55th,  retired lap 4

Peter Dumbreck [Spyker Squadron] – Started 50th, finished 27th

Rob Bell, Tim Sugden [JMW Motorsport] – Started 51st, retired lap 71

Richard Westbrook [BMS Scuderia] – Started 44th, finished 14th /  3rd in GT2

[Photo credit to 'phunkshon' -  http://www.flickr.com/photos/phunkshon]