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Quick 10 With…..Anna Rathe

Neil Simmons

This Quick 10 feature is a double-article as I caught up with a driver who raced at the 24 Hours of Dubai recently.

The feature is a unique one in terms of motor racing as Anna herself admits that she never followed racing but has always had an interest in cars.

At the end of her Quick 10 is her diary of the 24 Hours of Dubai. She is a bronze rated driver, finished 3rd in the 2013 Norwegian GT Championship, has competed in the Italian GT Championship and in the Gatebill Extreme Series.

Her name is Anna Rathe and these are her Quick 10 questions with me:

1. What is your favourite circuit and why?

To date I have never raced on a circuit which I didn’t like. There are circuits that suit me better, yes and therefore brings back better memories maybe, but as long as I can race on them I like them. I like to say my favourite circuit is the next one I am racing at (which at the moment means I don’t know!).

2. Who is/was your racing idol?

I don’t really have one. I never followed racing much to be honest, maybe I shouldn’t say.

3. Who would you regard as your toughest opponent?

Honestly, myself.

4. Considering racers of all time, you are a team principal and money is no object. Which two racers would you have in your team?

Oooh this is a question where my lack of motorsport interest bites me. I really don’t know.

5. If you could invite four famous people to dinner (past and present), who would you invite?

Barack Obama, Gloria Steinem, Simon Sinek and Aksel Lund Svindal.

6. Personal racing number? What is it and the reason behind it?

That is definitely #35. I haven’t raced with that in years (although now would be a good time considering my age), but it comes from my first race car. I kind of had two Nissan GT-Rs at one point.

7. What is the best race you have been involved in?

Definitely the Dubai 24h 2017! I have always been drawn to endurance racing, thinking it would suit me well. I was proven right.

8. Is there a race or series you have not competed in, that you would like to or had wanted to?

Blancpain Endurance Series. But for now, I’m hoping to do more 24H series.

9. How did you get into motor racing? What ignited that spark?

I just wanted to. I don’t know how better to explain it. Ask my family and I’ll promise you they will confirm to you they didn’t see it coming.

10. What is the best advice in racing you have been given?

“Go out there and smile!” From my team in Reiter Young Stars 2016. Awesome guys!

Race Report: My 24 hrs Endurance Debut by Anna Rathe

Last week I got to take on what has always been the ultimate challenge for a racing driver: a 24 hours endurance race. And it simply had it all: sun, smiles, hugs and laughter. But no secrets, it was also serious, busy, hard, tough, sweaty and exhausting. This is the story.

The 24Hseries event took place 9th-14th of January, in the desert-ish surroundings of Dubai Autodrome. Winter in Dubai means lovely weather and summer-like temperatures for a Norwegian. The 5399m long circuit was new to me, but I had done my homework meticolously, studying track notes and videos to be prepared. And already Monday afternoon I walked the full circuit for the first time. The track is a mix of everything; two long high speed long straights followed by hard braking, hairpins, elevation changes, high speed corners and a Sector 1 which I knew from my preparations would be the most difficult part.

My team Reiter Engineering, which I have been racing for since 2016, arrived early Tuesday morning and got everything ready for the race week: the pit box, the tools, the parts, and quite obviously the car. We were going to race the #246 KTM X-BOW GT4, the car I’ve learned to appreciate so much during the 2016 European GT4 Championship. We were competing in class SP3, which is more or less GT4 spec.

This was the first time me and my team mates for the race got together to start working. KTM and Reiter Engineering had made an all-female driver line-up for the first race of the season, consisting of Belgian Naomi Schiff, Australian Caitlin Wood, Swiss Marylin Niederhauser, and me. Naomi and Caitlin I both knew from Reiter Young Stars, Marylin being new to GT racing coming from Formula 4. We juggled seat position, mirrors, pedals, steering wheel and driver changes. We all got along really well, highly motivated to do a good race.

Wednesday morning, bright and early at 7AM, we met at the track again for a team track walk. Our team manager Tomas Enge, us girls and the team engineers inspected every corner, curb and surface to know what to expect when hitting the track for the first time in the afternoon.

After lunch it was time to get in the car. Both me and Caitlin got a few laps on the circuit, a few tweeks on the car and all four of us continued the testing on Thursday morning. I have to say, the Dubai Autodrome really is amazing. As expected, Sector 1 was the difficult one, but it was also giggleing fun. I’ve always loved jumping curbs and high-speed-to-slow-corners, and the circuit has plenty of that. I hadn’t yet found the rhytm or the pace I wanted, but it was coming together step by step. Plus, the other girls killed it and made me confident we could have a good result in the race.

For qualifying we did some strategic choices, and Caitlin went out and put us P8 in class for the race (P55 overall). We were fairly happy with that, it was more or less where Tomas wanted us to be and we were confident our race pace would be good.

Sun set, and it was time for night practice. Being in a mixed field of a tad short of 100 cars, half of them faster and half of them slower than us, made the night racing quite interesting. The dark itself was not so much the problem, it was the constant handling of all the traffic that put an extra dimention to it. I can’t claim I had it all fully under control after my night test, but I felt confident I would survive it.

Friday morning and race day. When I got to our pit box, Mr. Reiter himself had arrived and asked me how I felt. Honest, and with a twinkle in my eye, I responded “Well, I’m the driver who had to get here early on race day to do the warm up, so I’m the slowest”. We both laughed, and he said he believed us to be strong enough for a podium. I kind of secretly thought so too.

The remaining time before the race was like a calm before the storm. The atmospere in the pits were electric. And when Caitlin took our car to the starting grid, the excitement rose to a new level. The grid walk was full of people, spectators and team members, and us being an all-girls driver line up was an attraction in itself. I have no count of how many photos we did with enthusiastic racing fans, getting lots of thumbs ups’es for the race. The support felt a bit surreal.

Race start at 14:00, and Caitlin did a brilliant job for the first stint. She kept out of trouble in the huge grid of cars, she manuevered the car through the field, and by the end of her stint we were P4 in class and P46 overall! I jumped in the car second, driver change going perfectly to plan and I hit the track with a clear task in mind: To find a god rhythm in sector 1. And I did! At the end of my stint I had shaved 3 secs off my lap time and was consistently on race pace. You can actually see from the onboard me celebrating in the car on the long straight after my best laps. I was called in to hand the car over to Marylin.

As the driver change was done and Marylin headed out on track as the sun started to set, I was greeted by Mr. Reiter in the pit box. He was very happy about my performance, gave me a hug and congratulated me on an impressive stint. At some point I had been the third fastest driver in class out there. I couldn’t have been happier in that moment, knowing that what I had just done was some of my best work in a race car. Doing that in my first stint in my first 24 hours race was pretty good timing! I couldn’t wait to get back out there! First though, it was time for resetting and getting my feet back on the ground, I needed to drink, eat and rest until my next stint. My cave was a rental car in the parking lot.

Marylin hadn’t done many laps before she got hit by another car in a multiple-car crash and was sent off into a wall. Our car took some beating, and the repairs took just 1 minute short of 3 hours. No more realistic chances of a podium for us, but Reiter wanted to give us the opportunity to get as much experience as possible and put us back out there.

Unfortunately, before it was my turn to get back in the car again, our car had a second accident, which again put us in the pit for repairs. This time for 5 hours and 18 minutes. Now the only place we could possibly reach in class was last place, and I’m sure any other team would’ve called it a day and packed up. But everybody at Reiter Engineering went for it, the mechanics heroically putting the car back together, and about 4AM in the morning we were out on track again with Caitlin in the car for her second stint.

After Caitlin it was my turn to take on my first night stint in the race. I won’t claim I shined out there, constantly maneuvering traffic, but in the end I found some kind of rhytm and as I got quicker the task also got easier, obviously. But I took no risks, whatsoever, and brought the car safely home. I would have loved to have a second night stint in the race, but sun was already rising when I handed over to Naomi.

As I got ready to get back in the car again in the morning, Mr Reiter came to me and asked if I was ready for a double stint. Happy that he showed such confidence in me, and excited to get to test my stamina, I said I would love to try. An hour out in my stint our engineer Bernie Ehrlich called me up on the radio and asked if I was fit for another hour. I thought it through for a few corners, making sure I wasn’t taking any unecessary risks, and felt good about it. I confirmed I would do a double stint.

That second hour in the car was probably my best racing performance ever. I got consistently faster and faster, and found a great rhythm maneuvering thorugh the traffic. The last 20 laps was my fastest of the race, and I couldn’t help but smile ridiculously in the car. It’s like a dance, the symbiosis of the slower and faster cars on the track, all working together for a greater good. I have never had so much fun in a race car ever! In the end I set a 2.11.373, just 7 tenths off Caitlin who had the second fastest lap of the race. I can live with that.

By the time we took the chequered flag we were P16 in class and P72 overall. We had only done 336 laps, spending more than 8 hours in the pit box with repairs. Very, very far from the result we wanted, even very far from the result we had in us. But thanks to Reiter, who put us back out after both incidents, we all gained valuable 24 hours endurance racing experience. And I had fun. Lots of fun. And this is most certainly addictive!

I am forever grateful to Reiter Engineering and KTM for making the 24H of Dubai possible. Their support for this race has been massive from day one and I can’t thank them enough. Without them, this would have never happened.

24 hours endurance racing has an extra element to it, the extreme. I used to think it would suit me well. Now I know it suits me well. I really, really hope I get to do it again!

PS! For those of you who’d like an in-depth insight into our whole all-ladies team effort in the 24H of Dubai, check out the upcoming issue of Top Gear Magazine.

I will also be uploading lots of behind the scene footage over the next days, on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account. Join in if you like!

xx Anna

Photos: Joel Kernasenko (C)

For more information, please contact Anna Rathe
Email: anna@ratheoptimal.no

Facebook: AnnaRatheRacing
Twitter: @annarathe
Instagram: @anna_rathe

I would just like to thank Anna for taking the Quick 10 and would like to wish her the best for remainder of the season.

Neil Simmons
Twitter: @world_racing

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A new dawn- Rallye Monte Carlo 2017

WRC 2017 is here! On the 19th of January, a new era of the WRC will start in Monte Carlo. Volkswagen may have left, but lining up will be the reigning drivers champion Seb, who as you will all be aware has signed to drive M-Sport’s newest creation!

Citroen are back after their part season last year, with Kris leading their challenge to the French 4-times world champion. Their new car is based upon the brand new C3.

Hyundai return with another brand-new car based on the i20 Coupe and with an unchanged driver line

up, will be looking to win both the drivers and manufacturers championship. They can expect a big fight

with both Citroen and M-Sport.

Finally, Toyota return to the WRC after an absence of 17 years. With 4 times world champion Tommi

Makinen heading the team, and Jari-Matti in one of the cars, they have all the right elements in place to

have a very good season.

This was last year’s result, when Seb won Monte for the third year in a row.

01. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen, 3h 49m 53.1s

02. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jæger (N/N), Volkswagen, + 1m 54.5s

03. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (B/B), Hyundai, + 3m 17.9s

04. Mads Østberg/Ola Fløene (N/N), Ford, + 4m 47.7s

05. Stéphane Lefebvre/Gabin Moreau (F/F), Citroën, + 7m 35.6s

06. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí (E/E), Hyundai, + 10m 35.5s

07. Ott Tänak/Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST), Ford, + 11m 39.9s

08. Elfyn Evans/Craig Parry (GB/GB), Ford, + 18m 30.8s

09. Esapekka Lappi/Janne Ferm (FIN/FIN), Škoda, + 20m 41.0s

10. Armin Kremer/Pirmin Winklhofer (D/D), Škoda, + 20m 43.9s

Here’s a look at the stages that will make up this season opener. There are 17 stages in this year’s 85th edition of this classic event. Snow and ice can really make tyre choices very hard and there are stages that are run in complete darkness.

SCHEDULE FOR THE 85TH RALLYE MONTE-CARLO

WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY

4.00pm: shakedown (Gap)

THURSDAY 19 JANUARY

6.11pm: Start of day 1 (Monaco – Place du Casino)

8.14pm: SS1 – Entrevaux – Val de Chavalgne – Ubraye (21.25km)

10.57pm: SS2 – Bayons – Bréziers 1 (25.49km)

00.02am: Flexi service A (Gap – 48 mins)

FRIDAY 20 JANUARY

9.00am: Start of day 2 and service B (Gap – 18 mins)

10.11am: SS3 – Agnière en Devoluy – Le Motty 1 (24.63km)

10.44am: SS4 – Asprès les Corps – Chaillol 1 (38.94km)

11.47am: SS5 – St Léger les Mélèzes – La Batie Neuve 1 (16.83km)

1.02pm: Service C (Gap – 33 mins)

2.28pm: SS6 – Agnière en Devoluy – Le Motty 2 (24.63km)

3.01pm: SS7 – Asprès les Corps – Chaillol 2 (38.94km)

4.04pm: SS8 – St Léger les Mélèzes – La Batie Neuve 2 (16.83km)

5.14pm: Flexi service D (Gap – 48 mins)

SATURDAY 21 JANUARY

7.17am: Start of day 3 and service E (Gap – 18 mins)

8.08am: SS9 – Lardier et Valenca – Oze 1 (31.17km)

8.58am: SS10 – La Batie Monseleon – Faye 1 (16.78km)

10.07am: Service F (Gap – 33 mins)

11.13am: SS11 – Lardier et Valenca – Oze 2 (31.17km)

12.08pm: SS12 – La Batie Monseleon – Faye 2 (16.78km)

1.17pm: Service G (Gap – 33 mins)

3.03pm: SS13 – Bayons – Bréziers 2 (25.49km)

4.23pm: Service H (Gap – 48 mins)

9.11pm: Parc ferme (Monaco)

SUNDAY 22 JANUARY

7.40am: Start of day 4

9.22am: SS14 – Lucéram – Col St Roch 1 (5.50km)

10.12am: SS15 – La Bollène Vésubie – Peira Cava 1 (21.36km)

11.16am: SS16 – Lucéram – Col St Roch 2 (5.50km)

12.18pm: SS17 – La Bollène Vésubie – Peira Cava 2 (21.36km)

1.53pm: Parc ferme

3.00pm: Prize-giving ceremony (Place du Palais Princier – Monaco)

So, here’s the views of the drivers ahead of this iconic event!

Hyundai WRT

Hayden Paddon commented:

“I am feeling in good shape and raring to go for the season ahead. I am cautiously optimistic about the potential of the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC but we never really know where we stand until we’re out on the stages. Monte-Carlo is a baptism of fire for everyone, particularly with the new regulations, so it promises to be an exciting rally. However, it is also the most challenging event of the year so the focus for us is to finish and get more miles in the new car for the rest of the season.”

Thierry Neuville said:

“I am looking forward to starting the new season. My experiences in Monte Carlo have been mixed in the past, but I finished on the podium last season. Undoubtedly it’s a great event and a spectacular one for the fans. There is a lot of strategy to it, which makes it interesting as it means that everyone on the team is involved. With the increased power of the new car too, we are confident that we can challenge here!”

Dani Sordo said:

“It has been good to be back behind the wheel of our Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC in pre-event testing this week. I cannot wait for the new season to start properly. There have been a lot of changes with the regulations so it will definitely be exciting to see how everything unfolds in this first round of 2017. I am personally happy with the approach we have taken with our new car. I know the team has worked incredibly hard so now we want to get onto the stages and do our best for a good start to the new season.”

Citroen Abu Dhabi WRT

Kris Meeke said

“We’re getting close to the point where should be ready to start a rally in the best possible conditions! After our last test sessions, I can’t wait to move onto the next stage. I have the feeling that we’ll be in the spotlight here, but I hope I can concentrate on my driving. It’s never easy to compete at Monte-Carlo. At each service, we’ll need to put our heads together to come up with the right – or the least wrong – tyre choice. People have no idea of the mountains of work done during test sessions to acquire data and then work out whether a given option is the right one. In this area, Citroën Racing has a great deal of experience that I can make use of. For this first rally, my aim is pretty simple: stay relaxed and enjoy myself in the car. They do say, and rightly so, that anything can happen at Monte-Carlo.”

Stephane Lefebvre said

“Gradually, I realise that the day of reckoning is getting closer. What we have been talking about for months as being in the future is now here, in the present! We have been discussing all sorts of things with the engineers, every day, talking about the slightest detail related to my car. Nothing has been left to chance and it’s genuinely fascinating to be in the middle of this works team. On this, my first rally with this status, I will be aiming to finish in a good position and score as many points as possible for Citroën. I think I’m still short of time behind the wheel with the C3 WRC and I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I have to get to grips with the car in racing conditions before trying to drive on the limit. I think we’re all in the same boat to some extent, with a number of unknowns in all areas.”

Craig Breen said

“I will certainly be the driver under the least pressure this weekend! I’m pleased to start my season in an old car, because I don’t have a lot of experience at Monte-Carlo. This appearance will give me the chance to learn about the rally. It will also be an opportunity to note the gap between the two generations of World Rally Cars. My priority is to rack up the miles, but I will also be pleased if I manage to score a few points. They may come in handy in the final reckoning at the end of the season.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing

Jari-Matti Latvala, Driver (Yaris WRC #10)

Two months ago, I would never have imagined that I would be starting Rallye Monte-Carlo with Toyota, so that’s really exciting. In total I’ve done 12 days of testing: four days on snow, one day on gravel, and seven days on asphalt. That’s a good amount of testing and we’ve made some useful steps in that time. The car feels very strong but in terms of performance it’s difficult to say, as everyone comes with a new car. In any case this year is all about development: For Monte I would like to finish the rally well, then maybe towards the middle of the season we can start to think about podiums.

Monte-Carlo is so unpredictable that it’s not a good idea to set too many targets: in 2015 I didn’t have a particular plan and I finished second, so in 2016 I was aiming for the podium and then I ended up making a mistake! For any driver, Monte is quite a big stress during the event, because of all the unknown factors and tyre choices, but when you cross the finish ramp in front of the Royal Palace on Sunday, it is one of the best feelings you will ever experience in the sport.

Juho Hänninen, Driver (Yaris WRC #11)

I’ve done Rallye Monte-Carlo four times before, but just one time with a WR car. And actually the last rally I did was Finland in 2015 so as you can imagine I really can’t wait to get started now! I’ve had a very good feeling with the Yaris in testing but of course you never know what happens when you put numbers on the doors, and it’s been quite a long time since I last competed.

I’m not thinking so much about the result in Monte: I just want to have a relaxed drive and of course get to the finish. We still have plenty to learn but I think it will get easier once we are into the season.

This is the first rally I will drive with Kaj and he is a fantastic guy to work with: I think I have spent more time with Kaj than with my family over the last few months with all the preparation we have done. In fact the whole atmosphere within the Toyota team is very nice: It’s a family feeling, which is something that Tommi has taken care of. The guys have been working so hard, but they are still smiling and joking all the time. Like me, everyone is really looking forward to getting started.

D-Mack WRT

Elfyn Evans, DMACK WRC driver, said: “It’s a great feeling to be back at the top level of the world championship again and Monte Carlo is certainly a tough way to start the series. It’s unpredictable, a huge challenge but I’m very focused and motivated so really looking forward to getting the action underway.”

M-Sport WRT

Sébastien Ogier said:

“It’s a new season in every sense of the word – a new era, a new car and a new team. We all know that experience is an important factor in rallying and it would have been nice to have had more time with the team, but we have learnt a lot over the past month.

“Over the years, I have learnt to be pragmatic in my approach and to focus on the job in hand. That is exactly what we plan to do next week. We’ve not had a lot of preparation, but we go to this first event determined to do our best.

“We had two days of testing in typical Monte conditions last week and we all know the secret to doing well at this event – it’s all about making the right tyre choice, anticipating the conditions and judging the grip levels. If we can do all of that whilst continuing to grow as a team, then I think we could be in a good position.

“I’ve had a lot of success at Rallye Monte-Carlo, but I never fail to feel humbled in the face of such a historic and challenging event. It is an event like no other, and if you do well there then you know that you have delivered your best.”

Ott Tänak said:

“I can’t wait to start this season. There are a lot of new things happening and it’s a whole new challenge – I’m sure that it’s going to be interesting.

“So much hard work has gone on behind the scenes to get to this point. The work that the whole team has put into this car is incredible and there’s a real sense of excitement. It’s all new, and no one will really know where they stand until we get out there on the stages.

“The feeling is good, but we start with what is one of the most difficult rallies on the calendar – Rallye Monte-Carlo. It’s such a challenging event but actually the trick to doing well there is quite simple.

“Firstly, you need the experience from previously years. Secondly, you need to be consistent over all of the conditions. You need to avoid mistakes, make good tyre choices, and find a good set-up. If you can put that whole package together then you know you are going to have a strong event.

“The aim for this season is to be consistently strong. We’ve got quite a lot of experience now and we want to be scoring strong results, regularly. I’m so excited to chase my goals for this season, and there is not long to wait now!”

So, here we go! This is going to be amazing. New cars and drivers- A world champion out of his comfort zone, and Colin Mcrae’s former protégé in a top car! We’ve got new talent as well, with Juha Hanninen in the Toyota. It great to see Ott back with a top team and Elfyn Evans back in a top car.

Enjoy!

Warren Nel

18th January 2017

@Warren_S_Nel

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Lada Could Be Back – WTCC

Photo Credit: (c) Lada Sport

 

LADA could still race in WTCC despite no factory backing.

Just two months ago the factory LADA squad announced that the Russian manufacturer will not return to the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2017, even though driver contracts were already in place. The decision was devastating for the series and a secondary class had to be introduced in order to keep entries above the minimum 16. Thanks to the team boss Victor Shapovalov, we might see Vestas on the grid after all.

Shapovalov’s Russian Bears Racing team competed in WTCC as a privateer entry in 2008, before becoming a factory LADA squad the following year. This might happen again thanks to the agreement between him and the series promoter Eurosport Events, which is reported to be in place. Although LADA won three races in 2016 and established itself as a very competitive car, it is unlikely they will enjoy the same success this year, as without factory backing the team will probably not feature any front-running drivers.

Photo Credit: (c) WTCC

Lada Sport Rosneft finished third in the 2016 WTCC championship behind the strong Honda and Citroen teams. they secured three wins across the season winning both races in Russia courtesy of Nick Catsburg and Gabriele Tarquini and then in Qatar it was Tarquni who took the top step of the podium in Race Two. Dutchman Catsburg managed to finish seventh in the drivers championship with Tarquini two places behind him.

The full 2017 grid for the 2017 WTCC Championship is yet to be confirmed but the news that Lada could be back on the grid can only be good for fans of WTCC.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Tomasz Kubiak

Twitter: @tomekkubiak

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The Scent Of Dreams

It was as I watched the closing laps of the 24 Hours of Dubai, with the eclectic mix of amateur drivers and professionals from a broad series of racing, that I began to imagine the dreams and aspirations of the men and women who will be hurtling round a circuit near you.

We all have dreams and ambitions. Some of these can be quite simple and incorporate every day life. Other dreams are on a different, some will have you think unachievable, level. It is that last word that defines the ‘can-do’s’ from the ‘self-doubters’. I am quite vocal on the point of distancing yourself from those types of people who say a dream is unachievable. The only person who can make that dream come true or not is you.

Motor racing is full of dreams. to get on that kart track for the first time. To step up into a junior formula. Attract the attention of those who can progress a career. Finish that race. Get in the points. Step on the podium. Win that race. Lift that championship trophy. Become a world champion.

These are the kind of dreams that racers, the world over, of different ages in a variety of series are mulling over right now.

Yes, everyday in the racing family from teams, to drivers, to media personnel and fans, we all know full well that money and importantly sponsorship plays a huge part in achieving dreams. To attract that lucrative offering of backing, first you must have talent and a big ingredient of talent is ambition. It is what drives (excuse the pun) a racer. Without that hunger to succeed, the desire to be the best they can, to enjoy moments that many of us mere mortals can only imagine. That is the key.

So, as we all sit here, gazing at the racing calendar with excited glee, there are those chosen few who are also thumbing their way down the calendar with an equally excited feeling in the pit of their stomachs. They will be stepping out living their dream and in a quaint twist of solidarity, they are taking us with them on their journey, so we can live it too.

The fact is, as fans, we do live it, breathe the atmosphere and taste every emotion our favoured heroes encounter because they live the dream most of us were unable to conquer. This is the start of the dream, a beginning to the ambition which will last all season (for some).

Wafting through the air is the scent of dreams because these racers never believed it was out of reach and they refused to let doubters dampen their spirit.

Good luck to every single racer, in every single series who steps out on the fabled tarmac of every circuit in the world.

Please come back safely so we can continue to live this dream with you once more.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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The Top 5 Daytona 500s

Every February, in the midst of what is often the coldest part of winter, the first rays of sunshine are delivered with the roar of engines. The Daytona International Speedway opens its gates, brilliantly colored flags snapping crisply in the warm breeze, to fans and race teams alike. It is here that heroes will be made, legacies built, and dreams come true. It is a Speedway like no other, steeped in the rich history of American stock car racing, while offering the first glimpse of the season that lies ahead. As race fans prepare for the 2017 Daytona 500 let’s take a look back at the top five 500 finishes.

1. 1998: Dale Earnhardt finally wins the 500:

After 20 years of what seemed like the worst luck when it came to the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt finally won. For a multitude of years it seemed like everything that could go wrong for Earnhardt did—he had flat tires, wrecks, even a collision with a seagull. He won every other race at Daytona except the 500. He seemed to know how to run every line on the high banks except the one that would win the big race. Finally, on his 20th try, the checkered flag fell on the black No. 3 car and history was made. Every member of every team lined pit lane to congratulate The Intimidator on his way to Victory Lane. It was an epic end to an epic race for an epic Champion.

2. The 1979 Daytona 500—and the fight that followed.

In 1979 NASCAR had its first televised race—that year’s Daytona 500. The race was a wild one and as they neared the finish Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison were rubbing and racing side by side. The two wrecked and slid chaotically onto the grass. Tempers immediately flared and what ensued is one of the most famous—or infamous—events in NASCAR history. Allison and Yarborough threw down and started a fight that would be the envy of any Mixed Martial Artist: fists were swinging, helmets were used as weapons, and tempers rose in crescendo of fury much to the dismay of the broadcasters and the delight of fans everywhere. The fight helped to endear NASCAR in the hearts of Americans everywhere.

3. 1988: An Allison 1-2

In 1988, on the 30th running of the Daytona 500, Bobby Allison came across the line in first. What made the win so special was that his son, Dave Allison, came in right behind him in second. The win was an emotional one for everyone. The Allisons, often affectionately called The Alabama gang, were a beloved institution in NASCAR. On top of that, the win highlighted one of the pillars of the sport: family. Nothing like a father-son finish to make every fan feel like they are part of the NASCAR family.

4. 1976: Battle of Legends—Pearson Vs. Petty

In 1976 the Daytona 500 had one of its most famous finishes. It a race that had been a battle from the get go, Richard Petty and David Pearson banged their way through the race. As they came to the final lap both cars spun into the infield spewing grass and debris all around them. In the midst of the chaos Pearson managed to get his battered car started again and limp across the finish line as Petty watched helplessly from the wreckage of his mangled car.

5. 1959: The first official 500 and the Disputed Winner

The 1959 Daytona 500 was the first official race at the brand new Speedway. After years of racing on the fabled sands of the beach, now NASCAR had a state of the art facility and they were eager to show it off. The race did not disappoint and Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp fought hard the whole race, battling so closely that as they crossed the finish line it was almost impossible to see who the winner was. In fact, NASCAR named Johnny Beauchamp the winner on the spot and the call would have stood had Lee Petty not called upon reporters and photographers to dispute the decision. After days of pouring over the pictures the decision was reversed and Lee Petty was named the winner.

One thing is for sure, the Daytona 500 always delivers edge-of-the-seat, heart-pounding, engine-roaring excitement. From the very first race to this year’s chapter, the 500 is always history in the making.

Source: www.nascar.com

www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Daytona International Speedway

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The Vault

This letter hangs on the wall of my writing studio and is the next topic in “The Vault”

It is no surprise that motor racing took a back seat during the 1940’s. World War Two had ravaged every part of our world and the rebuilding process afterwards took some considerable time. However, this did not stop enthusiasts wanting to put motor racing back on the map.

Donington Park was the first permanent park circuit in England, it held the first motorcycle race along the narrow lanes of Donington Hall Estate in 1931 and later the track was widened to incorporate Grand Prix racing.

During World War Two the site was requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence as a military vehicle depot and it was from here the above photograph told the story of how one such person, John Dugdale, wanted to return this park circuit to its former glory.

This letter from Field-Marshal Montgomery hangs on the wall of my writing studio and it answers the questions posed with regards to ‘handing the park’ back or the idea of a dual control committee between Donington and the MoD. Montgomery felt Donington Park was not suitable to revert back to be a racing venue.

The letter, dated 21st May 1948, was addressed to John Dugdale, although Montgomery himself just addresses the journalist as ‘Dugdale’ at the beginning of the letter. John Dugdale was a a journalist for Autocar magazine, starting out in 1933. He served in World War Two and won the British Military Cross. He went to New York and became Western Manager for Jaguar, before eventually taking the role of Vice-President in 1966.

Montgomery explained in the letter that Donington Park was ideally situated for the purpose of a Vehicle Reception Depot and had been developed by the army even after the war. There had been much money spent on the location and the MoD had commissioned the construction of buildings which Montgomery himself quoted as costing £300,000. With the war only four years gone and the era, this was a huge sum of money.

Montgomery’s concerns for the army evacuating the site were listed as such:

– Finding alternative accommodation.

– A move of several thousand vehicles, all of which would have to be towed.

– The erection at the new site of workshop buildings, sheds, petrol pumps, etc.

– The army would probably get no return for the £300,000 which it has already spent and might have to face additional expenditure in putting the track in order.

The war hero believed that handing the park back would involve a great loss to the State and this just was not acceptable. He approached the option of dual control, which Dugdale had obviously mentioned in previous correspondence, saying he considered this to be impractical due to vehicle being parked at the edge of the track in regular, disciplined rows. It was not possible to move them further away due to tree lines and fencing which would mean it impossible for spectators to congregate on the grass to see any racing whatsoever. Montgomery was also concerned with what he stated as “pilferage” of army equipment if the public were allowed inside the venue. His trust in the public and the idea of racing at Donington was clear to see in the letter, he had no interest.

He suggested to Dugdale that he and the War Office took the view that there must be other parks in the country just as suitable to house a racing track. He conceded this would involve much capital expenditure but stated it would be far less than the loss of money to the State if the army were to give up the location.

In closing, Montgomery stated he sympathised with the desire to return motor racing to Donington Park but he was satisfied that the view of the War Office to keep the depot as it was being used for the correct decision. He felt he was not justified to intervene in the matter.

That was the end of the matter with regards to Donington Park hosting motor racing again until 1971 when Tom Wheatcroft funded the rebuilding of the circuit and the rest is history.

This letter is a fascinating insight into the thoughts of Montgomery who had no interest in assisting with Dugdale’s request of intervening with the War Office to return Donington to its former glory, it is difficult what Dugdale hoped to achieve by writing directly to a career military man asking him to side with the motor racing community against the army.

Every picture tells a story.

See You At The Chequered Flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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Herberth Motorsport Porsche Wins Hankook 24H DUBAI

With its Porsche 991 GT3 R, German team Herberth Motorsport has won the Hankook 24H DUBAI. In the twelfth running of the event, drivers Daniel Allemann, Ralf Bohn, Robert Renauer, Alfred Renauer and Brendon Hartley racked up a total of 578 laps of the 5.399 kilometres long Dubai Autodrome. “It was an awesome experience! My first race with a GT car, my first race in a 911, and my first victory in a 24-hour race. A great car, great team-mates and a great performance,” Hartley commented. “We have had some good success in the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook last year, but this certainly is our biggest success so far,” said Robert Renauer, who drove the winning car across the finish line. For Porsche, it was the fifth victory in the Hankook 24H DUBAI after earlier wins in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014. This time, it was even a 1-2 for the German manufacturer as the Manthey Racing Porsche (#12, Otto Klohs/Sven Müller/Matteo Cairoli/Jochen Krumbach) finished second, two laps down on the winning entry. A three times’ Dubai race winner, the Black Falcon team saw its Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#3, Abdulaziz Al Faisal/Hubert Haupt/Yelmer Buurman/Michal Broniszewski/Maro Engel) finish third. Buurman posted the fastest lap time of the race.

Between them, the Manthey and Herberth Motorsport Porsche teams spent more than three quarters of the race in the lead of the field. Driving the Manthey car around 5.30 hrs, Otto Klohs became involved in a collision with another vehicle, after which some repair on the left front side of the Porsche was required. That gave the Herberth team a slight advantage to which it held on for the final eight hours of the race. In total, the Herberth Motorsport Porsche led the field for 380 laps. The two Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG GT3 both were in contention for a podium finish, running in the top four until well after sunrise, but then local hero Khaled Al Qubaisi, driving the #2 car, spun and collected the #963 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini (Mirko Bortolotti/Christian Engelhart/Rik Breukers/Rolf Ineichen/Mark Ineichen). Both cars retired after the accident. Earlier in the race, the Austrian team’s #964 car (Mirko Bortolotti/Christian Engelhart/Ezequiel Companc/Rolf Ineichen/Adrian Amstutz) had already retired following a collision while the HB Racing Lamborghini (#7, Herbert Handlos/Norbert Siedler/Sam Tordoff/Florian Spengler/Andrea Amici) was out early in the race following a burst tyre that damaged the fuel line and led to a fire. Polish ex-Formula 1 racer Robert Kubica didn’t make it to the finish either in his first-ever 24h race as the car on which he was entered, the Forch Racing powered by Olimp (#29, Robert Lukas/Marcin Jedlinski/Wolf Henzler/Santiago Creel/Robert Kubica) retired with technical issues.

Reigning 24H SERIES teams’ champions, Hofor Racing, won the A6-Am class on the first competitive outing with its new Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#1, Michael Kroll/Chantal Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Kenneth Heyer/Christiaan Frankenhout) after a largely trouble-free run. GP Extreme finished second in class with its Renault RS01 FGT3 (#27, Frédéric Fatien/Tiziano Carugati/Nicky Pastorelli/Stuart Hall), followed by Car Collection Motorsport’s Audi R8 LMS (#34, Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff/Gustav Edelhoff/Max Edelhoff/Elmar Grimm/Ingo Vogler).

Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo cars scored a 1-2 in the SPX class with victory for GDL Racing Middle East (#87, Franck Pelle/Rory Penttinen/Vic Rice/Pierre Ehret), followed by Leipert Motorsport (#10, Oliver Webb/Jake Rattenbury/Jean-Charles Perrin/Harald Schlotter), a fine performance by the team that started from the back of the grid due to a chassis change following an incident in practice. The Fach Auto Tech Porsche (#51, Thomas Fleischer/Peter Joos/Marcel Wagner/Heinz Bruder/Martin Ragginger) came third in class.

The Black Falcon Team TMD Friction won the Porsche 991 Cup class with its #68 car (Saud Al Faisal/Saeed Al Mouri/Anders Fjordbach/Alexander Toril), from Prosport Performance (#85, Charles Putman/Charles Espenlaub/Joe Foster/Andy Pilgrim) and race:pro motorsport (#63, Stanislav Minsky/Murad Sultanov/Klaus Bachler/Carlos Rivas/Mark Wallenwein).

The SP2 class saw the Bovi Motorsport Brokernet Silversting (#207, Wolfgang Kaufmann/Kalman Bodis/Jaap van Lagen/Heino Bo Fredriksen) come out on top from the Reiter Engineering KTM X-BPW (#247, Anthony Mantella/Dore Chaponick jr./Brett Sandberg/Benjamin Mazatis) and the VDS Racing Adventures MARC Focus V8 (#58, Raphaël van der Straten/Joël Vanloocke/Grégory Paisse/Pierre Dupont/José Close).

British sports car brand Ginetta scored a 1-2 in the SP3-GT4 class. Optimum Motorsport (#231, Stewart Linn/Ade Barwick/Dan O’Brien/William More) won by a comfortable margin from Century Motorsport (#229, Nathan Freke/Aiden Moffat/Jack Mitchell/Ben Green). The GDL Racing Team Asia Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR (#267, Jonathan Hui/Frank Yu/Antares Au/Kevin Tse) came third.

Making its competition debut in Dubai this weekend, the Audi RS3 LMS scored a class win in the TCR category with the Cadspeed Racing with Atech entry (#108, James Kaye/Julian Griffin/Erik Holstein/Finlay Hutchison). A long-time class leader, the Modena Motorsport SEAT Leon TCR (#216, Wayne Shen/John Shen/Francis Tjia/Mathias Beche) came second, with the Zest Racecar Engineering SEAT (#105, Philippe Ulivieri/Gosia Rdest/John Allen/JT Coupal/John Weisberg) third.

A3 touring class honours went to the Team Altran Peugeot with the victory for the #308 Peugeot 208 GTi (Guillaume Roman/Thierry Blaise/Kim Holmgaard/Michael Carlsen) and second for the #908 sister car (Yusif Bassil/Thierry Boyer/Gonzalo Martin de Andres/Loïc Dupont). The PB Racing Lotus Elise Cup (#133, Stefano D’Aste/Stefano Pasotti/Lorenzo Pegoraro/Immanuel Vinke/Michele Bartyan) came third.

German team Sorg Rennsport scored a 1-2 in the CUP1 class with its #151 BMW M235i Racing Cup Car (Stephan Epp/Christian Andreas Franz/Michael Hollerweger/Heiko Eichenberg/Oskar Sandberg) in first and the #152 sister car (Ahmed Al Melaihi/Jesus Diez/José Manuel de los Milagros/George Richardson/Shawn Peh) in second, followed by the Bonk Motorsport entry (#146, Hermann Bock/Rainer Partl/Max Partl).

Danish Team Eva Solo/K-Rejser won the A2 class with its Peugeot RCZ (#171, Jacob Kristensen/Jan Engelbrecht/Thomas Sørensen/Jens Mølgaard/Henrik Sørensen) from the Team Cooksport Renault Clio Cup IV (#172, Alex Sedgwick/Shayne Deegan/Oliver Cook/Jonathan Maybin/Josh Cook) and the Team Sally Racing 1 Renault Clio Cup III (#52, Martin Sally Pedersen/Peter Obel/Steffan Jusjong/Sune Marcussen/Mads Christensen).

24H SERIES powered by Hankook action continues with the Hankook 12H MUGELLO (17-18 March) while competitors in the 24H TCE SERIES powered by Hankook will get their season underway with the Hankook 24H SILVERSTONE (31 March-2 April). Following the great success of the Hankook 3x3H DUBAI prototype races, the inaugural 24H PROTO SERIES powered by Hankook season starts with the Hankook 12H MAGNY-COURS (21-22 April). Further information can be found at www.24hseries.com.

CLASS PODIUMS

A6-PRO (mainly GT3 cars)

1st – #911 Herberth Motorsport – Porsche 911 GT3 R

Allemann, Bohn, Renauer, Hartley

2nd – #12 Manthey Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R

Klohs, Muller, Cairoli, Krumbach

3rd – #3 Black Falcon – Mercedes AMG GT3

Al Faisal, Haupt, Buurman, Broniszewski, Engel

A6-Am (mainly GT3 cars)

1st – #1 Hofor Racing – Mercedes AMG GT3

Kroll, Kroll, Eggimann, Heyer, Frankenhout

2nd – #27 GP Extreme – Renault RS01 FGT3

Fatien, Carugati, Pastorelli, Hall

3rd – #34 Car Collection Motorsport – Audi R8 LMS

Dr. Kirchhoff, Edelhoff, Edelhoff, Grimm, Vogler

SPX – Special Cars (mainly GT cars and Silhouette cars)

1st – #87 GDL Racing Middle East – Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo

Pelle, Penttinen, Rice, Ehret

2nd – #10 Leipert Motorsport – Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo

Webb, Rattenbury, Perrin, Schlotter

3rd – #51 FACH AUTO TECH – Porsche 911 Cup MR

Fleischer, Joos, Wagner, Bruder, Ragginger

991 – Porsche 991 Cup Cars (models 2014, 2015)

1st – #68 Black Falcon Team TMD Friction – Porsche 991 Cup

Al Faisal, Al Mouri, Fjordbach, Toril

2nd – #85 PROsport Performance – Porsche 991 Cup

Putman, Espenlaub, Foster, Pilgrm

3rd – #63 race:pro motorsport – Porsche 991 Cup

Minsky, Sultanov, Bachler, Rivas, Wallenwein

SP2 – Special Cars (mainly GT cars and Silhouette cars)

1st – #207 Bovi Motorsport – Brokemet Silver Sting

Kaufmann, Bodis, van Lagen, Bo Frederiksen

2nd – #247 Reiter Engineering – KTM X-Bow (SP2)

Mantella, Chaponick Jr, Sandberg, Mazatis

3rd – #58 VDS Racing Adventures – MARC Focus V8

vander Straten, Vanloocke, Paisse, Dupont, Close

SP3 – Special Cars (mainly GT4 cars)

1st – #231 Optimum Motorsport – Ginetta G55 GT4

Linn, Barwick, O’Brien, Moore

2nd – #229 Century Motorsport – Ginetta G55 GT4

Freke, Moffat, Mitchell, Green

3rd – #267 GDL Racing Team Asia – Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR

Hui, Yu, Au, Tse

TCR – TCR cars Petrol Touring Cars 2000cc Supercharged

1st – #108 Cadspeed Racing with A tech – Audi RS3 LMS TCR

Kaye, Griffin, Holstein, Hutchison

2nd – #216 Modena Motorsports – Seat Leon TCR V2 SEQ

Shen, Shen, Tjia, Beche

3rd – #105 Zest Racecar Engineering – Seat Leon TCR V2 DSG

Ulivieri, Rdest, Allen, Coupal, Weisberg

A3 – Touring Cars 2000cc up to 3500cc & Supercharged 1650cc up to 2000cc

1st – #308 Team Altran Peugeot – Peugeot 208 GTi

Roman, Blaise, Holmgaard, Carlsen

2nd – #908 Team Altran Peugeot – Peugeot 208 GTi

Bassil, Boyer, de Andres, Dupont

3rd – #133 PB Racing – Lotus Elise Cup PB-R

D’Aste, Pasotti, Pegoraro, Vinke, Bartyan

CUP1 – BMW M235i Racing Cup 3000cc Twin Turbo

1st – #151 Sorg Rennsport – BMW M235i Racing Cup

Epp, Andreas Franz, Hollerweger, Eichenberg, Sandberg

2nd – #152 Sorg Rennsport – BMW M235i Racing Cup

Al Melaihi, Diez, de los Milagros, Richards, Peh

3rd – #146 Bonk Motorsport – BMW M235i Racing Cup

Bock, Partl, Partl

A2 – Petrol Touring Cars up to 2000cc & Supercharged up to 1650cc

1st – #171 Team Eva Solo/K-Rejser – Peugeot RCZ

Kristensen, Engelbrecht, Sorensen, Molgaard, Sorensen

2nd – #172 Team Cooksport – Renault Clio Cup IV

Sedgwick, Deegan, Cook, Maybin, Cook

3rd – #52 Team Sally Racing 1 – Renault Clio Cup III

Sally Pedersen, Obel, Jusjong, Marcussen, Christensen

(c) photos courtesy of 24H Series

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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The Vault

The next post of “The Vault” comes from this photograph which hangs on the wall of my writing studio.

This is Rouen-Les-Essarts and it was the location for the 1968 French Grand Prix. The track was wet.

In this photograph, Denny Hulme in his McLaren-Ford leads John Surtees in the Honda followed by Bruce McLaren. Notice the lack of any run-off area whatsoever, the raised curbs on the edge of the circuit and the trees, branches hanging over the track. In the background, behind Bruce McLaren, to the left you will notice a clump of trees set on a bank. No barriers. No tyre walls. No safety. This was motor racing in the sixties.

This was the sixth race of the season. Graham Hill lead the championship with twenty-four points, Jackie Stewart was second on twelve and then came Pedro Rodriguez, Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren.

It was Jochen Rindt who took pole for the race, he had Jacky Ickx and Jackie Stewart behind him on the grid. This was not going to be Rindt’s race, he would retire on lap forty-five with a fuel leak. He faired better than his Brabham-Repco team mate, Jack Brabham, who retired on lap fifteen with a fuel pump problem.

These retirements paled into insignificance after the tragedy on lap two. Honda, who had their sole entrant John Surtees in the race, had been experimenting with an air cooled car which Surtees himself had tested. He would tell Honda that it was not ready to be raced and was a potential deathtrap. Honda, with financial assistance from Honda France, decided for reasons of their own to enter the car for the French Grand Prix and gave the drive to forty year old Jo Schlesser.

Schlesser started out in rallying in the 1950’s, he took a break from racing whilst working in Africa and then returned once again to drive for Mercedes in the Rome-Liege-Rome Rally. He would go on to compete in Formula Two, then Le Mans where he was involved in an accident. On his return to racing he competed in the European Formula Two Championship and joined the Matra works team. He raced at the 1966 and 1967 German Grand Prix, held at the Nurburgring, in a Formula Two specification car before Honda came knocking to invite him to drive their new experimental F1 car, against the advice of Surtees. He also competed in NASCAR at the 1964 Daytona 500.

 

On the second lap of the race, Schlesser’s Honda slid wide at the Six Freres curve, just before the tight Virage Du Noveau Monde right hander. He crashed into a bank close to the circuit and the car erupted in flames. It was laden with fifty-eight laps worth of fuel and the magnesium bodywork just ignited. Schlesser stood no chance of survival.

During the race, Jacky Ickx battled furiously with Pedro Rodriguez for twenty laps. Ickx had a brief spin, even though he was on full wets unlike the rest of the field. He lead from the opening lap to lap eighteen, Rodriguez briefly took over but after his spin Ickx was back in the lead and pulled away. Surtees, in the Honda, finished second and Jackie Stewart in third completed the podium positions.

This was a tragic reminder of the dangers which faced racing drivers in this era. In Formula One championship or non-championship sponsored events, fourteen drivers lost their lives from 1960 to 1969. It was an extremely dangerous period to be a racing driver.

Jo Schlesser was a good friend with Guy Ligier, the future team owner of the Ligier Formula One team and if you look at all the Ligier cars over time that raced in Formula One, you will notice the model numbers all begin with the letter “JS”. This was Guy Ligier’s tribute to his friend, Jo Schlesser.

Every picture tells a story, sometimes they are exciting and other times they are sombre and tragic. Whatever the outcome, this is the history of motor racing and these pioneers laid the foundations for the future of motor racing.

See You At The Chequered Flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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Dayinsure Agree extention with Wales Rally GB

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 -WRC Wales GB (GB) – WRC 27/10/2016 to 30/10/2016 – PHOTO : @World

International Motor Sports Ltd (IMS), organiser of Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, is delighted to announce today (Thursday) that Dayinsure has extended its title partnership of the event for the next two years.

Dayinsure Wales Rally GB is the latest name of the International Rally of Great Britain, one of the jewels of the UK motor sport calendar, which was previously known as the RAC Rally and supported by such brands as Lombard and Network Q.

The thrilling four-day event will take place from 26-29 October 2017 with the vast majority of the world-class competitive action staged in the legendary forests of mid and north Wales. The Welsh Government has been the event’s principal funding partner since the turn of the century, helping to deliver up to £10m of economic benefit to the country each year.

Established in 2005 and backed by industry giants Aviva and Allianz, Dayinsure is the UK’s premier provider of online, short-term vehicle insurance. It offers immediate short-term insurance cover for drivers of UK-registered cars and commercial vehicles. This provides a growing number of customers with an easy way to add an additional driver to their vehicle or a cost-effective way of insuring themselves on another vehicle on a temporary basis.

“We are absolutely delighted to continue this partnership with Dayinsure,” said Ben Taylor, Wales Rally GB Managing Director. “An event of this stature deserves a meaningful title sponsor and we really enjoyed working with Dayinsure in 2016. This renewal underlines perfectly the business return of an association with the rally and is an important part of the commercial strategy for the event.

“To have a long-term agreement is the best possible way to start to the next two years of our contract with the Welsh Government, whose support has been instrumental in the event since 2000, and we look forward to developing this project even further.”

Dayinsure’s high-profile title partnership has already enhanced the pioneering company’s reputation and visibility, with prominent exposure being generated through the rally’s far-reaching TV, media and online communications channels. This was supported by strong on-event branding which included the popular ‘Dayinsure Donut’ at Cholmondeley Castle, around which all competitors had to complete a dramatic, tyre-burning 360-degree spin during the stage.

“Partnering a world championship motor sport event was a totally new opportunity for Dayinsure, but the decision exceeded all of our expectations on many fronts – hence our enthusiasm to extend our involvement,” said Dennis Ryan, Dayinsure Founder and Chairman. “The availability of temporary vehicle insurance remains something of a new concept for many in the UK, and this partnership with Wales Rally GB provides us with the perfect platform to promote not only the availability of such short-term cover but also its simplicity. We are now looking forward to two more years of Dayinsure Wales Rally GB.”

The Welsh Government remains the World Championship round’s principal funding partner, having confirmed a three-year agreement to support the rally until the end of 2018.

Tickets for the 2017 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB will go on sale in the spring, when this year’s competitive route is announced. Full information can be found on the official www.walesrallygb.com website and via the event’s social media channels.

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 -WRC Wales GB (GB) – WRC 27/10/2016 to 30/10/2016 – PHOTO : @World
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24H Series – 24H of Dubai Qualifying

 

Photo Credit: (c) 24H Series

It was the moment cars in the classes of SP3-GT4, TCR, A3, CUP1 and A2 took to the track for the first of two half hour qualifying sessions. Mike Simpson in his #178 CWS Ginetta G55 was early on the pace and put in a time of 2:08.153 with Jann Mardenborough’s Nissan 370Z less than a second behind. Mardenborough did improve but it wasn’t enough to topple Simpson. In third place the Century Motorsport Ginnetta of Nathan Fricke waited, but he was taken over in the timings by Optimum’s Stewart Linn in his Ginetta who posted a time of 2;09.725.

In the TCR class it was Sebastiaan Bleekemolen who took the early lead and clocked a 2:12.327 in his Seat. He had a very big lead over James Kay in his #108 Audi with the Seat Leon of Red Camel’s Daniel Wheeler in third. Times were being swapped and by-passed throughout the TCR session but it was Mathias Beche who went to pole in the Modena Motorsports Seat. Bleekemolen and Kaye improved but for qualifying they had to settle for second and third in class.

Defending class champion Guillaume Roman held the early pace in the #303 Team Altran Peugeot with a time of 2:15.383 with his team mate Gonzalo Martin de Andres very close behind. Bernd Kupper sat third in the #131 BMW but not for long as Richard Verburg knocked him down in his Cor Euser Racing BMW.

The CUP1 class saw Stephan Epp put his #151 Sorg Rennsport BMW M325i on pole with another Sorg entry sitting in second courtesy of George Richardson and the QSR of Jimmy de Breucker in third. This was until the #146 Bonk Motorsport M325i of Max Partl jump up and take second in class.

Jacob Kristensen took the early lead in the A2 class in his Team K-Rejser Peugeot and stayed there. The Honda Integra of Ashan Silva sat second spot in class with Tanner Motorsport’s Andy Mollison pushing his Clio into third until Josh Cook put in an amazing lap which pushed him up to second.

It was time for the A6-Pro, A6-Am, SP-X, 991 and SP2 classes to take to the circuit and Christophe Haase managed the first flying lap of the day in his Optimum Motorsport Audi R8 LMS. His time only lasted for one lap as Mathieu Jaminet went below the two minute mark (1:58.917) in his IMSA Performance Porsche 991 GT3 R. It was then the turn of former Formula One ace Robert Kubica who posted a 1:59.116 in his Forch Racing Porsche 991 GT3 R to put him second overall and first in the A6-Am class, but this was cancelled due to exceeding track limits. Christopher Mies also broke the two minute barrier to go third in the A6-Pro class with other quick times coming from Paul Lafargue in the Mercedes AMG of IDEC Sport Racing and Michael Vergers in the Belgian Audi Club R8 LMS GT3.

Daniel de Jong was the early leader in SP-X, setting a 2:02.896 in the No. 19 Eurotrac Dodge Viper. Arnaud Gomez spooled up the exotic No. 204 “works” Vortex V8 to second in class with David Iradj Alexander next in the “customer” Vortex, No. 24 of the GPC team.

The venerable Porsche powered Silver Sting held the SP2 pole from start to finish, thanks to a 2:04.517 set by Jaap van Lagen. Mathieu Pontais was some distance further back with the older silhouette car, the No. 203 GC. Brett Sandberg was third in SP2 in the early part of the session with the No. 247 KTM X-Bow.

The fight for the top grid spots in 991 was fought by several teams. Initially the 2:04.623 of Christopher Zöchling (No. 92 MSG Motorsport) was good for top spot ahead of Klaus Bachler (No. 63 Race Pro Motorsport) and Anders Fjordabach (No. 68 Black Falcon). All were driving the requisite Porsche Cup cars comprising the one make class.

There was a new overall pole sitter halfway through the session when Jeroen Bleekemolen set a 1:57.705 in the No. 2 Black Falcon Mercedes AMG. Haase still held second but Maro Engel’s 1:58.248 in the other Black Falcon Mercedes was good enough for third. Kubica grabbed the lead in A6-Am with Lafargue next. Adding variety, Duncan Huisman moved to third in class with the No. 18 V8 Racing Corvette. In SP-X the No. 24 KTM moved into the class lead with a 2:02.533 by Iradj Alexander David. Van Laagen and Pontais maintained their 1-2 in SP2 while behind them Richard Verburg moved up to third in the No. 78 Speed Lover Porsche Cup car, opting for that category rather than the more restictive 991 class.

Things swapped around in the 991 class. Bachler improved to 2:03.566, good for the class pole. Zöchling slipped to third although his time improved slightly. Charles Espenlaub briefly held third in class with the No. 85 Pro Sport Performance Porsche until Bandar Al Esayi (No. 69 Black Falcon) eclipsed Espenlaub’s time.

Bleekemolen parked the Mercedes with several minutes left in the session. While his time held up for the overall pole, several cars behind him which had also stopped saw their cars demoted in the closing laps. Robert Renauer held second overall in the No. 911 Herberth Motorsport Porsche until the No. 963 Grasser Racing Lamborghini of Mirko Bortolotti bettered the mark. Fourteen cars ended with times under two minutes.

The No. 17 Mercedes, the No. 5 Audi, and the No 18 Corvetter held onto the top spots in A6-Am. Arnaud Gomez moved back into the SP-X lead with a 2:01.895 in the Vortex. Tom Dyer took over from Iradj Alexander and elevated the No. 24 Vortex to second in class while a late 2:02.771 by Ivo Breukers was just perfect to retain third place for the No. 19 Dodge.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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