2011 FIA GT3 European Championship

Friday, June 24, 2011

United Autosports Seeks Fairer Balancing Of Performance In Spain

·Anglo-American team hopes for change of fortune in maiden FIA GT3 races at Navarra

The Circuito de Navarra (Spain) located near Pamplona hosts the fifth and sixth rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship with United Autosports hoping that it will be allowed to compete on “level” terms (July 1-3).

In the opening four events, only once has an Audi R8 LMS claimed a top-three podium result in either qualifying or a one-hour race. In comparison, the BMW Z4, Ferrari 458 Italia, Mercedes SLS and Aston Martin have amassed eight, seven, four and three top-three results which would seem to question the FIA’s Balance of Power restrictions aimed at ensuring close racing.

United Autosports tested at the 2.42-mile Spanish venue in March – although Zak Brown was not present – while all four drivers will be making their race débuts at the relatively new facility.

Provisional Timetable:

Friday 1 July – 1510-1610 Practice; 1830-1930 Practice
Saturday 2 July – 0915-1005 Qualifying; 1345-1445 Race 1
Sunday 3 July – 1015-1115 Race 2
* All times are “local”

#22 Draper Tools – Audi R8 LMS

Joe Osborne (GB). Age: 22. Born: Bedford, GB. Lives: Olney, Buckinghamshire, GB:

“Navarra features high speed, demanding corners combined with slower and technical ones. Turn One is my favorite – flat in fifth gear which tightens to a second gear hairpin. It’s frustrating currently for a driver like me trying to make a career in motorsport. The ‘Balance of Power’ is making me look slow. I brought Draper Tools to United Autosports’ FIA program as a team partner and I can only thank them for their understanding and being patient in terms of waiting for the results we deserve.”

Mark Patterson (USA). Age: 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, SA. Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA:

“I’ve only tested at Navarra but it seems the track has something for everyone – high speed and technical stuff. Although an Audi R8 LMS won in Portugal, the other top R8 LMS race finishes have been a P9, P14 & P7. In comparison the BMW Z4 has been on the race podium 5 times with Ferrari, Merc and Aston two apiece. The 458 has qualified in the top-three 5 times out of six. I don’t need a math PhD to determine if we [Audi] are competing on a level playing field.”

#23 Legends of Motorsport – Audi R8 LMS

Matt Bell (GB). Age: 21. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GB. Lives: Barningham, North Yorks, GB:

“The circuit is really nice with some challenging corners without any particularly long straights so it'll be hard work physically. Hopefully the weather will be warmer [than Silverstone] to help our tires but it’s going to take more than a higher ambient temperature to make the Audi R8 LMS competitive. Not only has the R8 LMS lost performance from the end of last year due to BoP measures but the other new cars appear too fast for the GT3 class.”

Zak Brown (USA). Age: 39. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“I've never been to Navarra but have heard it’s a fantastic track. I'll have some benefit of having access to my team-mates’ telemetry from our tests there. Our tires definitely suit warm weather conditions. We need a better Balance of Power from the organizers sooner rather than later.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“We tested at Navarra for two days in March this year with two cars. We did over 400 laps but the ambient temperature was even colder than it would have been at Knockhill in Scotland! I sincerely hope the weather will be kinder to us for the race allowing our Dunlop tires to work a whole lot better than they have in the opening two FIA events. For me and everybody else watching in Portugal and at Silverstone, those four races clearly demonstrated that there are not equally performance balanced cars from all manufacturers competing. So I’m hoping that the FIA were watching too!”

United Autosports

Created in 2009, United Autosports is co-owned by American Zak Brown and Briton Richard Dean, both successful entrepreneurs and international race car drivers. The unique Anglo-American racing team fields GT3 class Audi R8 LMS sports cars from its United Kingdom headquarters in Leeds. It also races a fleet of “Legends of Motorsports” historic racing cars from its US facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2011, the team competes in full seasons of FIA GT3 European Championship, Avon Tyres British GT Championship and the “Legends of Motorsports” series. It will additionally contest selected GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series events, the 24 Hours of Spa (Belgium) and Macau GT Cup race (China).

Audi R8 LMS

V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, 365-412 kW (496-560 PS), emission control by two racing catalytic converters, rear-wheel-drive, traction control (ASR), sequential pneumatic activated 6-speed sport gearbox with shift-paddles, Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum with bolted steel roll-cage, carbon-fiber composite/aluminum bodywork, Dunlop radial tires. Start weight 1,300kg. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won seven championships across Europe in 2009-2010 plus Spa 24 Hours class victory in début 2009 season and Nürburgring 24 Hours class victories in 2009-2010 and scoring a total 64 victories.

* Bell, Brown, Osborne & Patterson biographies plus team & car profiles are available on the United Autosports website http://www.unitedautosports.com/

A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports/sets

For further information, please contact:

Martyn Pass

Audi UK Sport Press

T +44 1564 824600

M +44 7801 859502

E audiuk-motorsport@earthlink.net

Skype martyn.pass

www.unitedautosports.com

www.audi-press.co.uk

Monday, June 6, 2011

United Autosports Out In The Cold At Home Silverstone FIA GT3 Races

Unseasonably cold weather thwarts Anglo-American team’s glory bid
Famous English venue proves to be a difficult track for Audi R8 LMS teams

“Flaming June” it was not at Silverstone (England) for United Autosports’ “home” FIA GT3 European Championship races of the year this weekend (June 4-5).

Consequently the unseasonably low ambient temperatures which decreased as the three-day event went on, wrecked any hopes the Anglo-American team had of scoring top finishes on “home soil”. Its Dunlop tires, normally excelling in the latter stages of the hour-long races as opposed to short qualifying runs, were unable to generate the necessary heat required for optimum grip leaving the drivers powerless.

Nevertheless the #22 Draper Tools sports car of Joe Osborne (GB) and Mark Patterson (USA) was the second-highest Audi R8 LMS in both one-hour races around the 3.67-mile “Arena” Grand Prix track.

Upcoming . . .

The fourth round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. A two-hour race staged at Brands Hatch, Kent (England) on June 19 which Matt Bell (GB) & Mike Guasch (USA) start as championship leaders after winning the last race at Snetterton. Fifth & sixth rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship at Navarra (Spain) on 2-3 July.

Race 1 (Saturday, duration 60mins)

Qualifying: 19^th #22 Patterson, 2m 06.259s; 22^nd #23 Brown, 2m 06.990s. Weather: Dry, cloudy.

Race Result: 15^th (#22) +51.477s P1; 21^st (#23) +70.767s. Weather: Dry, sunny, cool.

Patterson and Brown lined up 19^th and 22^nd respectively on the 27-car grid – both frustrated when cool morning conditions did not help generate heat in to the temperature sensitive Dunlop tires during the 20-minute qualifying session. Both dropped places during the hectic start with Patterson, who had incredulously been hit before the green light, was back in to 19^th by the fourth lap while Brown lay 26^th after a harmless spin at Becketts on lap eight.

Mark, having set his personal best time the previous lap, and Zak pitted from 19^th and 23^rd positions respectively with 33mins to run, Osborne and Bell resuming in 23^rd and 24^th positions separated by less than seven seconds.

With 10mins remaining Osborne moved up to 18^th – a mysterious handling imbalance severely handicapping Bell’s pace in 21^st. Joe was the quickest car in the field on the final lap, as his Dunlop tires came into their own, enabling him to take the checker in 15^th – one position and less than five seconds behind the best placed Audi, Osborne having set the eighth fastest lap time in the race – with Bell 21^st.

Race 2 (Sunday, duration 60mins)

Qualifying: 12^th #22 Osborne, 2m 04.230s; 22^nd #23 Bell, 2m 5.020s. Weather: Dry, cloudy, light rain.

Race Result: 16^th (#22) +69.334s P1; 17^th (#23) +82.508s. Weather: Dry, overcast, cool, breezy.

Osborne started from row six – the second best-placed Audi R8 LMS – with Bell on the 12^th row but optimistic further suspension changes overnight would solve the handling issue on the #23 Audi. A multi-car accident at the first corner moments after the green light resulted in a 10min Safety Car period – Osborne making up two places despite being forced wide to miss the carnage with Bell, who ran over on-track debris, 19^th.

Osborne was embroiled in a five-car dice over seventh at the re-start while Bell, enjoying a more consistent balance, impressively moved up to 15^th prior to pitting at mid-distance – five places behind Osborne.

Patterson resumed 13^th but Zak coasted to a standstill on his out-lap, a full ignition re-set getting the American underway almost immediately but having slipped back to 21^st. Further woes afflicted the #22 Audi when Patterson was forced wide dropping to 18^th – one place ahead of Brown with 16mins remaining.

At the checker, Patterson and Brown claimed 16^th – a spin on the penultimate lap costing Mark a place – and 17^th respectively – both United Autosports’ Audi sports cars recording some impressive lap times in the closing stages culminating, once again, with each driver setting their best laps at the finish.

#22 Draper Tools – Audi R8 LMS

Joe Osborne (GB). Age: 22. Born: Bedford, GB. Lives: Olney, Buckinghamshire, GB:

“I had a lot of work to do in Race One but just got my head down. The tires came in towards the very end and I managed to claw back some places which was encouraging. I was reasonably happy with my qualifying performance on Saturday, claiming P12 although it could have been a top-eight but I lost out in traffic on what was looking to be my quickest lap. I was close to getting wiped out at the start of the second race with the first corner accident, having to go way off onto the run off area. It’s frustrating as we [Audi] shouldn’t be in a position whereby the R8 LMS is fighting for positions in midfield – it would seem that the Balance of Power is not right.”

Mark Patterson (USA). Age: 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, SA. Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA:

“I qualified P19 for Saturday’s race which was the best I could manage. Amazingly I was hit three corners before the race had even started which caused me to be slow away at the green light and then I had to be a little careful until I knew if the car had been damaged. It wasn’t a particularly rewarding stint which gave Joe a lot to do when he took over. Having driven the Audi on full tanks on Saturday, I enjoyed Sunday’s race far better. Joe handed me over a nice racecar. Unfortunately I had a spin near the end.”

#23 Legends of Motorsport – Audi R8 LMS

Matt Bell (GB). Age: 21. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GB. Lives: Barningham, North Yorks, GB:

“We tested at Snetterton before we came here and the Audi R8 LMS was excellent but here, the handling has not been good. We’d made an overnight change to the suspension set-up on Friday resulting in the back end being too loose for me in qualifying on Saturday so we reverted back to the previous set-up for Race One but the handling was still not to my liking. Further changes were made for Sunday’s race and it was more consistent but not perfect. I made a good start but then had to stand on the brakes to avoid the opening corner accident. With the cool conditions, the opposition’s Michelins didn’t drop off in terms of grip as much as normal while our Dunlop tires, didn’t give us a second half of the race advantage that they normally give us.”

Zak Brown (USA). Age: 39. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“Frustrated – no other word sums up how Matt & I feel, and the entire team for that matter, feel after this weekend. With United Autosports coming off recording its first outright win [British GT Championship] combined with us racing here at Silverstone for a second time, we expected to be very competitive this weekend. The set-up clearly didn’t suit the conditions we’ve had over the past three days. Our Dunlop tires excel as a race progresses but they need the ambient temperature to be warm. At Silverstone, it got colder each day so we couldn’t enjoy the advantage that we normally enjoy as a race progresses. We therefore qualified poorly and I’m afraid that continued in to both races when we had one of those days in the office that is best forgotten. We all have bad weekends, this was ours, and all we do now is look ahead to the next races and hopefully some hotter weather!”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“Although the weekend was a huge disappointment to everyone in the United Autosports team, we will learn from the experience for future races. The cold ambient temperature in both races negated the advantage our Audi R8 LMS has of being easy on its tires as well as the actual performance of our Dunlop tires from the mid-race stage. We now look forward to an upturn in fortune in Spain next month and replicate the success we are enjoying in the British GT Championship.”

United Autosports

Audi R8 LMS

For further information, please contact:

Martyn Pass

Audi UK Sport Press

T +44 1564 824600

M +44 7801 859502

E audiuk-motorsport@earthlink.net

Skype martyn.pass

www.unitedautosports.com

www.audi-press.co.uk

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

United Autosports Looks To Build On Success In “Home” FIA GT3 Races

· Team targets top-10 qualifying positions to fully exploit race tire strengths

· British GT race victor Bell aiming to continue winning ways

United Autosports arrives at Silverstone (England) for its “home” FIA GT3 European Championship races aiming to take forward the momentum the Anglo-American team has generated after its maiden race win.

The historic Silverstone venue situated 130-miles from United’s British raceshop in Leeds, stages the third and fourth rounds of the FIA series (June 3-5) with the GT3 squad buoyed by its victory in the British GT Championship last month (May 15).

Matt Bell (GB) and United’s 2010 FIA driver Mike Guasch (USA) steered their Audi R8 LMS in to victory lane making Bell doubly determined for a repeat dose of success at Silverstone – the scene of the team’s FIA race baptism 13 months ago.

Bell partners United Autosports’ Chairman Zak Brown in the #23 Legends of Motorsport Audi R8 LMS with Joe Osborne (GB) and Mark Patterson (USA) in the “sister” #22 Draper Tools R8 LMS looking to challenge for honors around the 3.67-mile “Arena” Grand Prix track. A new $43million pit and paddock complex, unveiled by HRH The Duke of Kent this month (May 17), will be used for the first time over the FIA championship weekend.

Bell, Brown and Patterson each drove the Audi in the corresponding Silverstone races last year while Osborne, who lives less than 20-miles away, netted a fifth place – in a Porsche 911 GT3 R. The quartet is determined to improve on their qualifying positions which they deem is the key to success at Silverstone. The Audi R8 LMS and its Dunlop tires are a strong race combination – its major asset being the longevity of its rubber in the latter stages. United Autosports has tested at Spa (Belgium) and Snetterton since the Algarve races.

2011 FIA GT3 Drivers' Championship (after two races):

11^th= Bell/Brown, 2pts

2011 FIA GT3 Teams' Championship:

10^th United Autosports

Provisional Timetable:

Friday – 1220-1320 Practice; 1730-1830 Practice

Saturday – 0940-1030 Qualifying; 1330-1430 Race 1

Sunday – 1145-1245 Race 2

* All times are “local”

#22 Draper Tools – Audi R8 LMS

Joe Osborne (GB). Age: 22. Born: Bedford, GB. Lives: Olney, Buckinghamshire, GB:

“Silverstone takes on added importance for me as I was born and bred just 20 minutes away so I have got no excuse for not having track knowledge! I’ll be pushing hard and after the Portugal race, I’m only too aware that qualifying will be critical. We must start races from inside the top-10 to be in a position to push for podiums. I desperately want to score a top-three result in these races.”

Mark Patterson (USA). Age: 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, SA. Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA:

“Joe and I will be trying to make up for our ‘sins’ in Portugal and get on to the championship scoreboard. If we get ‘typical’ English summer weather that’s not a problem – our Audi is fine in the cold and wet! I raced at Silverstone last year and am looking forward to going back to the ‘home’ of British motor racing.”

#23 Legends of Motorsport – Audi R8 LMS

Matt Bell (GB). Age: 21. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GB. Lives: Barningham, North Yorks, GB:

“I love being at Silverstone. I had my first ever GT win with my brother there last year in a one-off British GT race. Our Audi R8 LMS was quick there in testing earlier this year and so I am definitely looking to achieve better results than in the opening races in Portugal.”

Zak Brown (USA). Age: 39. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“We must qualify better at Silverstone – grid positions are critical for a good race result. Our Dunlop tires probably aren’t as quick as Michelin rubber over a single lap but are a better race tire. But a better grid slot would mean we need to take less risks in the race.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“Silverstone is the team’s ‘home’ race in that it’s the only round of the FIA series staged in England so it would be additionally good to achieve good results as we’ll have a large number of sponsor and partner guests throughout the weekend including Draper Tools and West London Audi. We put a lot of effort in at the Algarve and got scant reward. Our drivers, the team and our tire partner must all improve in qualifying. Top-10 grid positions would mean we’d be able to comfortably run in the top-six in the race so that has to be our target.”

United Autosports

Audi R8 LMS

For further information, please contact:

Martyn Pass

Audi UK Sport Press

T +44 1564 824600

M +44 7801 859502

E audiuk-motorsport@earthlink.net

Skype martyn.pass

www.unitedautosports.com

www.audi-press.co.uk

Sunday, May 8, 2011

United Autosports Opens Points Tally In Portugal While Also Enduring Frustration On Algarve Return

·Anglo-American team show race competitiveness only for bad luck to strike
·#23 Audi scores championship point in both opening rounds of FIA series
·#22 Audi misses out on top-five result in closing stages of Race Two

United Autosports scored a valuable FIA GT3 European Championship point in both opening rounds of the series at the Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve circuit near Portimão this weekend (May 7-8).

Having netted a “podium” finish in the corresponding Portuguese races last year, the Anglo-American team had high hopes of repeating the feat around the challenging 2.92-mile track staging rounds one and two of this year’s series.

But poor qualifying results, due in the main to lack of front-end tire grip, ensured it was always going to be a struggle to record top places in the one-hour races. Ultimately the Matt Bell (GB)/Zak Brown (USA) #23 Legends of Motorsport Audi R8 LMS netted 10^th place in both races while the #22 Draper Tools R8 LMS of Joe Osborne (GB)/Mark Patterson (USA) posted two retirements – a top-five placing looking likely in today’s race.

2011 FIA GT3 Drivers' Championship (after two races)
11^th= Bell/Brown, 2pts

2011 FIA GT3 Teams' Championship

10^th United Autosports

Race 1 (Saturday, duration 60mins)

Qualifying: 17^th #22 Patterson, 1m 48.064s; 19^th #23 Brown, 1m 48.303. Weather: Dry, cloudy.
Race Result: 10^th (#23) +77.083s P1; Retired (#22), -31 laps. Weather: Dry, sunny.

Patterson started 16^th but having made up positions, was punted out of the race at the third corner on the opening lap – the American ultimately managing to bring his Audi with broken right rear suspension back to the pits to post the #22 Audi’s first retirement in its 13^th FIA race.

At the green light, a determined Brown made up an incredible six places on a hectic opening lap and into 11^th by lap 11 despite getting hit a number of times in the opening laps which damaged a wheel. He pitted from just outside the top-10 just before mid-distance, handing the Legends of Motorsport Audi over to Bell who was obliged to serve a stop-go penalty by race officials for completing the mandatory driver change pit-stop two tenths of a second under the 75secs minimum “stationary” time – a decision organizers 24 hours later suggested was incorrect due to a timing malfunction. Bell recovered to take the checker placed 10^th – the second highest Audi R8 LMS – despite sustaining a broken engine mount.

Race 2 (Sunday, duration 60mins)

Qualifying: 17^th #22 Osborne, 1m 46.828s; 20^th #23 Bell, 1m 46.996s. Weather: Dry, cloudy.
Race Result: 10^th (#23) +41.569s P1; 18^th (#22) Not running at finish -3 laps P1. Weather: Dry, sunny.

Overnight repairs finished at 3.30am after a fantastic effort by the crew to get both Audi sports cars race ready for Race Two – the drivers looking to reward their hard work with top finishes. Osborne and Bell hovered just outside the top-10 line astern before a Safety Car period prompted the pit-stop phase, both United Autosports cars stopping together on lap 15.

Patterson was placed eighth when the race action resumed and went for fifth place with three laps to go but collided with an Aston Martin which tore off the Audi’s front wheel. A slightly tardy pit-stop saw Brown lose contact with the “sister” Audi but worked his impressively through the field and up to 10^th by the end – despite being spun around in the closing stages – his “attacker” receiving a drive thru penalty for the ambitious overtaking maneuver to underline the team’s competitiveness.

Upcoming . . .

The third round of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. A two-hour race staged at Snetterton, Norfolk (England) on May 15 – on the new “300” track. Matt Bell & Mike Guasch are placed joint third in the standings after a “double” podium in the opening races at Oulton Park (April 25). Third & fourth rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship at Silverstone (England) on 4-5 June.

#22 Draper Tools – Audi R8 LMS

Joe Osborne (GB). Age: 22. Born: Bedford, GB. Lives: Olney, Buckinghamshire, GB:
“This weekend has been so frustrating after what had been a successful winter testing program in which the Audi was mega. I was gutted after qualifying. We’d been in the ‘mix’ in practice but on new tires, we had no front end grip which wasn’t helped by the track being ‘greener’ due to overnight rain.

“The start of Race Two was crazy – we were four wide going in to Turn 1 and I just waited for a hit. I made up around five places and had Matt as a ‘rear gunner’ for me before the Safety Car and handing over to Mark. I’d tried to hold back so as to get in the pits early – which worked perfectly for the ultimate winner because he was way behind Matt and I before the Safety Car. For us it was a second DNF of the weekend but we’d shown in this race that we were competitive. I must thank the crew who were up until the early hours making repairs to our car – made courtesy of sponsor Draper Tools’ range of pit equipment!”

Mark Patterson (USA). Age: 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, SA. Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA:
“The cooler temperatures in qualifying didn’t help our cause while a Red Flag interrupted my run. Race One got no better for me when I posted our car’s first-ever DNF. I’d made a pretty good start and picked up a place or two, took a bump at turn two then a guy turned in on me aggressively at turn three, hitting my back wheel which broke the suspension.

“Joe did a great job in Race Two before handing to me in the Safety Car phase during which I picked up some ‘cheap’ positions. I guess I was a little over anxious and tried a pass that was too aggressive and that was the end. A little more patience from me would have been a great asset for the team but I will learn from this.”

#23 Legends of Motorsport – Audi R8 LMS

Matt Bell (GB). Age: 21. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GB. Lives: Barningham, North Yorks, GB:
“We didn’t have the ultimate pace in qualifying, struggling massively for grip, but our race pace was good in both races. However, starting where we did on the grid meant it was always going to be impossible to make up a massive amount of time and despite coming through to 10^th in Race One, I was still disappointed. Zak made a good start and put in a great stint, handed over to me and I went back out in P11, caught a group in front of me only to get a stop-go penalty – there was potential for a top-six no question.

“I made a great start in Race Two – it was a complete mêlée out there. I couldn’t describe how I got to where I did – I was just praying no one would hit me because there was so much going on – and ended up behind Joe in the ‘sister’ Audi. We got stuck behind an Aston Martin which held us up before he made a mistake due to our pressure just before the Safety Car. In the end, it was another point for 10^th place. A big thanks to our car crew – they did a great job overnight in giving us a good racecar.”

Zak Brown (USA). Age: 39. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“I’ve not done as much pre-season testing as I would have liked. I had minor surgery after the 24 Hours of Daytona that took me out of action for a month so I’m a little short of miles. I was disappointed with my qualifying performance for Race One but put that behind me and made a mega start, making up a load of places with some neat overtaking. Unfortunately we got a penalty, which later turned out to be an incorrect decision by the organizers, otherwise I think we would have been inside the top-six.

“Unfortunately in Race Two another Audi hit me on the back section of the track which spun me around costing about four positions. If we compare our FIA début at Silverstone 12 months ago to this weekend, we’ve shown in both races to be competitive and potential top-six finishers. Mark and Joe did a great job today and were very unfortunate not to post a top-five.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:
"I can’t help being disappointed – especially for the team who have worked incredibly hard and tirelessly this weekend and through no fault of our drivers, were not rewarded with the race results we deserved. Last year we started a race here from the front row. Our best this weekend was 17^th – our qualifying performance was a major frustration. Our Dunlop tires are superb in a ‘used’ condition and over a race duration – as was shown in both races – but for qualifying, the grip level is not there. In Race One, Zak got hit a number of times not far away from where Mark’s race was wrecked with suspension damage while the #23 Audi, despite a bent rear wheel and what we later found to be a broken engine mounting, registered 10^th place after strong performances from both Zak and Matt.

“Joe and Mark deserved to get a top-six finish in Race Two today and although Mark’s attempted pass wasn’t successful, I’m glad he went for it as it shows we are competitive. Matt and Zak should have recorded another top-six finish for us. The #23 was sat bumper-to-bumper with the #22 Audi in the pit-stop but was a little slower during the driver change procedure. So we come away with a 10^th yesterday – organizers today admitting that the timing was wrong for a number of cars including our #23 so we shouldn’t have had any penalty – and another 10^th today. Scant reward for every member of the team. But we leave Portugal knowing that an improvement in qualifying will enable us to regularly fight for top-six placings this season.”

United Autosports
Created in 2009, United Autosports is co-owned by American Zak Brown and Briton Richard Dean, both successful entrepreneurs and international race car drivers. The unique Anglo-American racing team fields GT3 class Audi R8 LMS sports cars from its United Kingdom headquarters in Leeds. It also races a fleet of “Legends of Motorsports” historic racing cars from its US facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2011, the team competes in full seasons of FIA GT3 European Championship, Avon Tyres British GT Championship and the “Legends of Motorsports” series. It will additionally contest selected GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series events, the 24 Hours of Spa (Belgium) and Macau GT Cup race (China).

Audi R8 LMS
V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, 365-412 kW (496-560 PS), emission control by two racing catalytic converters, rear-wheel-drive, traction control (ASR), sequential pneumatic activated 6-speed sport gearbox with shift-paddles, Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum with bolted steel roll-cage, carbon-fiber composite/aluminum bodywork, Dunlop radial tires. Start weight 1,320kg. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won seven championships across Europe in 2009-2010 plus Spa 24 Hours class victory in début 2009 season and Nürburgring 24 Hours class victories in 2009-2010 and scoring a total 64 victories.

* Bell, Brown, Osborne & Patterson biographies plus team & car profiles are available on the United Autosports website http://www.unitedautosports.com/

A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports/sets

For further information, please contact:

Martyn Pass

Audi UK Sport Press

T +44 1564 824600

M +44 7801 859502

E audiuk-motorsport@earthlink.net

Skype martyn.pass

www.unitedautosports.com

www.audi-press.co.uk

Thursday, April 28, 2011

United Autosports’ “Happy Return” To Portuguese Venue For FIA Opener

· Bell, Brown & Patterson all have good memories of 2010 Algarve race

· Osborne to make race début for Anglo-American team in Audi R8 LMS

United Autosports begins its second season in the FIA GT3 European Championship at the Autodrómo Internacional do Algarve circuit near Portimão (May 7-8) – a Portuguese track which proved to be a very happy “hunting ground” for the Anglo-American’s maiden visit last season.

Zak Brown posted the FIA GT3 team’s first front row start. Mark Patterson, with co-driver Michael Guasch, scored United Autosports’ maiden championship point in the opening race. Brown and co-driver Matt Bell, who had his personal best qualifying position of the season, collected the team’s first championship silverware with third place – a mere 8.356secs behind the winner in the second race.

So the pleasant memories of last September’s exploits around the technical 2.92-mile Portuguese track combined with a “new term” getting underway, the start of the 12-race 2011 series which concludes in October after “double header” races in England, Spain, France, Russia and the Netherlands, sees United Autosports looking to build on the experience and momentum from its promising maiden 2010 season.

Patterson is joined by United Autosports “newcomer” Joe Osborne in the #22 Audi R8 LMS for 2011 with Bell who, along with United Autosports began a busy 2011 GT3 season with second and third position finishes in the opening rounds of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship at Oulton Park (England) last Monday (April 25) and Brown continuing in the “sister” #23.

Provisional Timetable:

Friday – 1145-1245 Practice; 1635-1735 Practice

Saturday – 0900-0950 Qualifying; 1415-1515 Race 1

Sunday – 1115-1215 Race 2

* All times are “local”

2010 Formguide:

Sep 18/19 – FIA Rds 9 & 10 – Algarve, Portugal (#22: Guasch/Patterson; #23 Bell/Brown)

Rd 9 Qualifying: 2^nd #23 Brown, 1m 46.575s; 6^th #22 Guasch, 1m 47.176s. Weather: Sunny, hot.

Rd 9 Result: 10^th #22; #23 Retired. Weather: Sunny, hot.

Rd 10 Qualifying: 6^th #23 Bell, 1m 46.095s; 20^th #22 Patterson, 1m 47.442s. Weather: Sunny, hot.

Rd 10 Result: 3^rd #23; 14^th #22. Weather: Sunny, very hot.

#22 Draper Tools – Audi R8 LMS

Joe Osborne (GB). Age: 22. Born: Bedford, GB. Lives: Olney, Buckinghamshire, GB:

“I love the Portimão track. Every corner is a challenge while the gradient changes keep you awake. You must force yourself to carry the speed through all the quick corners. I don't think it should be too hot ambient temperature wise so hopefully we can go on a full out attack! It’s been a good track for me as I won the 2009 European GT4 championship there. I was also in attendance as a spectator at the corresponding FIA weekend so witnessed United Autosports’ maiden podium. Testing has been very good but nothing comes close to going wheel to wheel in race action. I’m aiming for a top-six in both races – I've been fortunate to get Draper Tools and Engage sponsorship so I need to make sure I do the business to try and repay their faith in me.”

Mark Patterson (USA). Age: 59. Born: Port Elizabeth, SA. Lives: Bronxville, New York State, USA:

“After being restrained by the FIA homologation stranglehold for the first half of the 2010 season, being set free to compete on equal terms at the Algarve last year made us all feel like we were in the field for the first time - and proved it with our inaugural season's first points of the year. So obviously we're roaring to get back there to see if we can do it again. This is a real driver's track – demanding, punishing and exciting with wonderful elevation changes and a ‘gulper’ of a final turn when attacked. Apart from the Rolex 24 in January and an FIA GT3 test in February, I've been chomping at the bit and can't wait to get into full race mode in the Audi again. This time last year us drivers hadn’t seen the majority of tracks or done much mileage in the R8 LMS so it’s a very different recipe this season. United Autosports has achieved endurance and a sprint race podiums – a race win is our goal this year.”

#23 Legends of Motorsport – Audi R8 LMS

Matt Bell (GB). Age: 21. Born: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GB. Lives: Barningham, North Yorks, GB:

“Portimão holds great memories for us from last September. I'm excited to get back there and aim for a couple of steps higher on the rostrum! It’s a very difficult track from a driver’s perspective, particularly the second sector which is very technical and incorporates huge elevation changes which adds to the challenge of being quick. With a full year under my belt plus a good pre-season testing program I am confident we can be serious contenders for the top step at every race this year. But this depends on the Balance of Performance which crippled our Audi for eight out of 12 races last year so hopefully things will be more even from the start and we can compete on a level playing field.”

Zak Brown (USA). Age: 39. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“I'm very excited for the first event to be at the Algarve track. We were very competitive there last year and I qualified on the front row and enjoyed our first podium of the season there so I have high expectations for us on our return. It’s a fantastic track featuring every type of corner you can imagine – very challenging but hugely rewarding. I cannot wait for the season to start – it’s been a long break since October. It’s going to be another very competitive year in which I hope United Autosports achieves a number of podium results although my concern is that the organizers immediately get the ‘Balance of Performance’ right. The Audi’s handicap for the first half of the season was such a disappointment. With 12 months of FIA racing under our belts, assuming the BoP is fair, we will not have any excuses.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“The opening rounds of the 2011 FIA GT3 couldn’t be starting at a better track for us. It was the moment we seemed to turn a competitive corner in our first year, Zak qualifying on the front row and Matt backing that up with a great podium for the pairing. I think we all love the circuit layout, the facilities and more often than not the weather. Racing in the Algarve for me underlines everything I love about motorsport and how lucky we are to work in this profession. A good result in Portugal will set the tone for the year and hopefully we can start the season where we left 2010, on the podium – especially having got off to a flying start in the British GT Championship recently.”

United Autosports

Audi R8 LMS

* Bell, Brown, Osborne & Patterson biographies plus team & car profiles are available on the United Autosports website http://www.unitedautosports.com/

* A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports/sets

For further information, please contact:

Martyn Pass

Audi UK Sport Press

T +44 1564 824600

M +44 7801 859502

E audiuk-motorsport@earthlink.net

Skype martyn.pass

For further information on-event, please contact:

Jay Ashton

M +44 7919 186291

E jay@unitedautosports.com
www.unitedautosports.com

www.audi-press.co.uk

Friday, March 4, 2011

World-renowned Ex-F1 Engineer Joins United Autosports’ GT3 Program

Ultra-Experienced Trevor Foster Who Engineered F1 World Champions Schumacher & Hill To Success commits to British-based team’s future
United Fronts Up For 2011 Avon Tyres British GT Championship Media Days
Blundell/Valiante Ford-Riley Starts “Grand Prix of Miami” from Fourth Row
Success Ballast Out, Compensation Times in for FIA GT3

Ultra-experienced Trevor Foster (GB) has joined United Autosports as Race Engineer & Technical Director. Foster's illustrious career spans over 40 years, running teams in Formulae Ford 1600, 2000 and Three before working in Formula One with Tyrrell, Team Lotus, Jordan and BAR.

Foster has worked with the likes of Formula One World Champions Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill plus Jean Alesi, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert. Trevor, who was at Zytek Engineering since 2003, will engineer the Zak Brown/Matt Bell Audi R8 LMS in the FIA GT3 European Championship.

Trevor Foster (GB). Age: 59. Born: Leicester, England. Lives: Loughborough, Leics, England:

“I am delighted to be joining Richard [Dean] and Zak [Brown] at United Autosports. The results the team achieved in its first year during 2010 were truly exceptional. They both have very clear goals regarding the future and I am very excited to be part of those plans. United Autosports already has a strong team of people and I aim to integrate my experience with them to enable the success story to continue.”

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“Securing the services of Trevor Foster at United Autosports is fantastic news. His CV makes a huge statement for the team and is a genuine effort by Zak and myself to add top class experience to our staff. I had the pleasure of working with Trevor, sitting on the Board with him at Zytek. The opportunity to secure the services of somebody of this stature doesn’t come around often. Timing is everything and ours was perfect on this occasion!”

John Bintcliffe (left) and Jay Palmer at Silverstone today (March 4).

United Fronts Up For 2011 Avon Tyres British GT Championship Media Days

British GT Championship newcomers John Bintcliffe (GB) and Jay Palmer (GB) had their first spell behind the wheel of their Audi R8 LMS today (Mar 4) when the Yorkshire duo tested on the “National” circuit at Silverstone (GB).

Bintcliffe and Palmer return to the Northamptonshire venue next week (March 8-9) along with team-mates of the “sister” United Autosports Audi Matt Bell (GB) and Michael Guasch (USA) for the series’ Media Days.

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“Despite a weather forecast suggesting snow, it turned out to be a bright, sunny if cold day in which we enjoyed a very successful test. It was a ‘general’ test day so traffic was not great but John and Jay completed around 80 trouble-free laps between them and as importantly, thoroughly enjoyed their first track experience of our Audi R8 LMS. Both of them loved the car, took to it straightaway and cannot wait until their runs next week.”

Blundell/Valiante Ford-Riley Starts “Grand Prix of Miami” from Fourth Row

The United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley of Mark Blundell (GB) and Michael Valiante (CAN) start tomorrow’s (March 5) “Grand Prix of Miami” from the fourth row of the 30-car grid.

Blundell set a personal fastest time of 1min 15.117secs, an average speed of 110.228mph on his third “flying” lap, in today’s (March 4) 15mins qualifying session around the 2.3-mile, 11-turn Homestead-Miami combined speedway/road course. This marked Mark’s first-ever GRAND-AM qualifying run and his first since the 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Mark, along with United Autosports’ Chairman & Co-Owner Zak Brown (USA), Martin Brundle (GB) and Mark Patterson (USA), finished an excellent fourth in the Rolex 24 At Daytona (January 29-30). The second round of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is scheduled to begin at 12noon (Eastern) and is screened “live” on SPEED TV.

#23 Johnnie Walker / UBS / Legends of Motorsports / Just Marketing International / GAC Logistics / Thunderhead / FXI – Riley-Ford

Mark Blundell (GB). Age: 44. Born: Barnet, England. Lives: Royston, England:

“I’m a little disappointed, especially for the team, with only P8. It was the first opportunity we’d had to run new tires and it just didn’t quite come together – perhaps I got a little too greedy and asked too much as I made a mistake on both ‘flying’ laps and paid the price. That said, with a little bit more work in the final practice session, we should have a strong racecar for tomorrow’s race.”

Success Ballast Out, Compensation Times in for FIA GT3

Success Ballast, which has been a feature of the FIA GT3 European Championship since 2009, has been replaced with Compensation Times for the 2011 season. Instead of the top three cars and drivers being awarded +20kg, +15kg and +10kg in each race, they will receive a time of +15 seconds for 1st place, +10 seconds for second place and +5 seconds for 3rd, which will be added to the minimum pit stop duration set for the following race in the Championship.

The 2011 Avon Tyres British GT Championship has also abandoned the success-ballast system with a time penalty formula. Thus the front-running cars in Oulton Park’s first round on Easter Monday (Apr 25) will find themselves forced to spend longer in the pits during the second-race driver change. Championship promoter SRO Motorsports Group has made a minor alteration to the proposed 2011 Avon Tyres British GT Calendar, introducing a two-hour endurance race into the June Brands Hatch round and revising the format of the season-opener at Oulton Park to feature two one-hour races.

Audi R8 LMS

V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, 523 PS, emission control by two racing catalytic converters, rear-wheel-drive, traction control (ASR), sequential pneumatic activated 6-speed sport gearbox with shift-paddles, Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum with bolted steel roll-cage, carbon-fiber composite/aluminum bodywork, Dunlop (for FIA) and Avon (for BGT) radial tires. Start weight TBA. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won seven championships across Europe in 2009-2010 plus Spa 24 Hours class victory in début 2009 season and Nürburgring 24 Hours class victories in 2009-2010 and scoring a total 64 victories.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Three-Car, Two-Day Test Successfully Completed At Navarra This Week

United Autosports successfully completed its first test of 2011 earlier this week (February 15-16) which saw its new FIA GT3 European Championship recruit Joe Osborne (GB) make his team début and complete his first laps in an Audi R8 LMS.

Osborne was joined by his co-driver Mark Patterson (USA) while Matt Bell (GB) also drove at the new Navarra (Spain) facility near Pamplona which hosts rounds five and six of the FIA series in July. Matt’s older brother, Rob, was also in attendance as team “driver coach” and had a short run in the Audi.

The team ran all three of its Audi R8 LMS during the “exclusive” two-day test, accumulating over 1,000-miles. British GT Championship newcomers Jay Palmer (GB) and John Bintcliffe are scheduled to complete their first laps in the GT3 category Audi on Silverstone’s “National” circuit on March 4.

Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:

“The track was wet each morning but we were able to run slicks before lunchtime each day. Matt, Mark and Joe each set good, competitive times while Rob [Bell] did 10-laps at the end of the first day in his role as an official Dunlop ‘test’ driver. In general, a good test which unfortunately Zak [Brown] couldn’t attend due to a prior business commitment but importantly it allowed Joe to get some decent mileage in his first run at the wheel of an Audi.”

Audi R8 LMS

V10 5.2-liter engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, emission control by two racing catalytic converters, rear-wheel-drive, traction control (ASR), sequential pneumatic activated 6-speed sport gearbox with shift-paddles, Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum with bolted steel roll-cage, carbon-fiber composite/aluminum bodywork, Michelin radial tires. Start weight 1,335kg. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won FIA GT3 European Championship, ADAC-GT Masters and Belgian GT Championship plus Nürburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours class victories in début 2009 season scoring a total 23 victories.