Let Battle Commence As United Autosports Sets Out On Maiden 24 Hour Race

·       Dean and Johansson record team’s fastest times in darkness

·       Sole American team prepared for 24 Hour race début in famous European race

The American owned United Autosports team starts its maiden twice-around-the-clock endurance race on Saturday (July 31) from 10^th and 13^th positions in the GT3 category for the Spa 24 Hours (Belgium).

Richard Dean (GB) set a personal quickest time of 2m 25.745s in the #68 Audi R8 LMS around the magnificent 4.35-mile Belgian venue with Stefan Johansson (Sw) at the wheel the “sister” #67 Audi posting a 2m 27.220s. The United Autosports Audi GT3 sports cars start the prestigious annual race from the eighth and 11^th rows of the 40-car grid.

Both “times” were set in total darkness on soft compound “slick” dry weather tires in the dying moments of the final 45mins session which finished 10mins before midnight. Spa and rain have always been traditionally and intrinsically linked and the weather Gods did not disappoint throughout the day which began at 0900hr.

The opening practice session for the 2010 Total 24 Hours of Spa took place in torrential rain which eased off midway through although the track remained wet. The afternoon pre-qualifying trial saw less than one third of the 90mins practice run using “slicks”.

The 63^rd running of the 24 Hours of Spa on Saturday at 1600hr after a 20mins warm-up (0910-0930). 

Racefans can follow the progress of United Autosports throughout the race:

Twitter: @unitedautosport or Facebook: unitedautosports

* Times quoted are “local” Central European Time.

#67 Cerutti / FXDD / Roger Dubuis Watches / Road & Track / Legends of Motorsports / LG Electronics – Audi R8 LMS

Emil Assentato (USA).Age: 61. Born: New York City, N.Y., USA. Lives: Locust Valley, N.Y., USA:
Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: None. Other 24Hr races: Daytona (2000 26th, 2001 34th o/a/9th, 2002 28th/10th, 2004 37th/16th, 2005 11th/2nd. 2006 21st/10th. 2007 19th/7th, 2008 13th/5th, 2009 17th/9th, 2010 28th/16th).
 

“This is my first visit to Spa [apart from the test earlier this month] and there is no doubt that it’s a difficult place to learn – particularly at night. It’s certainly a massive challenge for me to drive a new car at a new venue and in constantly changing weather conditions – it’s been something of a baptism of fire. The team is great, it’s an awesome car and I can’t wait for the green flag on Saturday.”

Stefan Johansson (Sw).

Age: 53. Born: Växjö, Sweden. Lives: Los Angeles, California, USA:

Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: Début August 9 1981 (F2/14^th). F1 (1983, 85-91 – 1986/3^rd, 1987/2^nd), F2 (1981-2 – pole-position 1982/F2), GpC (1982-4), 1,000km sports cars (1988/1^st). Last race at Spa: August 19 2007 (LMS/Ret). Other 24Hr races: Le Mans (1983/6^th, 1984, 1990, 1991/6^th, 1992/5^th, 1997/1^st, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003/3^rd, 2006, 2007, 2008). Daytona (2000 23^rd, 2002 36^th/13^th, 2005/4^th, 2006/22^nd).

“We steadily improved the Audi throughout the day and the times have come down. We’ll take on some set-up changes from the #68 Audi which that car benefitted from at the end and I’m sure we’ll have a pretty good race car. Incredibly after three qualifying sessions taking us up to almost midnight I had traffic on every lap. But for 24 hour race grid positions are pretty academic. It’s just fantastic to be back at Spa and driving a 24 hour race again.”

Alain Li (F).

Age: 50. Born: Caen, France. Lives: Hong Kong:

Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: Début 1998, Ferrari Challenge Series (1994-8). Last race at Spa: 1998. Other 24Hr races: None.

“It’s been a very changeable day in terms of the weather, which is exactly what you expect here, but it’s meant each time I’ve gone out on track the conditions have been completely different. I’m confident that I’ll improve on my lap times during the race with every lap but it’s just great fun for simply being here at Spa. Apart from the test day this is only my second time in the Audi and there is plenty to learn about this car. There’s definitely a lot for me to take in.”

Mark Patterson (USA).
Age:58. Born: Port Elizabeth, S Africa. Lives: Bronxville, N.Y., USA:
Spa 24Hr: 2009 17th o/a (Ferrari 430 GT3). Spa History: Début 2001. Lamborghini Super Trophy (2001). Last race at Spa 2009 (24hrs). Other 24Hr races: Daytona (2004 38th/13th, 2005 23rd/14th, 2006/2nd, 2007/9th, 2008/6th, 2009/41st, 2010/7th)

“I think we’re in pretty good shape for the race having survived all conditions Mother Nature has thrown at us during the course of 15 hours of on-track action today. We’ve steadily worked through the day to improve the Audi. This weekend marks my second Spa 24 Hours and I just can’t wait for the race to start. This place is what dreams are made of.”

#68 Remington / Singapore Exchange / Road & Track / Legends of Motorsports / LG Electronics – Audi R8 LMS

Mark Blundell (GB). 
Age: 44. Born: Barnet, England. Lives: Royston, England:
Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: Début May 16 1987 (F3000/2nd). F3000 (1987-89 – 1987/2nd), F1 (1991-95 – 91 scored first-ever F1 point, 94/5th, 95/5th), sportscars (1989/3rd). Last race at Spa: August 27 1995 F1/5th. Other 24Hr races: Le Mans (1989, 1990, 1992/1st, 1995/4th, 2001, 2002, 2003/2nd).

“It’s been a typical day at Spa in terms of the varying weather conditions and a good warm-up for a 24 hour race in respect of ever-changing track conditions with gravel and oil on the surface. I had my first run in the opening morning session and my last stint behind the wheel gone 11pm so it’s been a long day. We’ve continued to hone the R8 LMS in preparation for the race so we’re looking in pretty good shape for the race.”

Zak Brown (USA). 

Age: 38. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: Opel Lotus Formula (1993/3^rd). Other 24Hr races: BritCar (GB), Daytona (1997/8^th, 1999, 2000, 2010/33^rd o/a/20^th) .

“I got out on track for the first time in Q1 so haven’t had many laps today but that’s okay, it’s an endurance race afterall! I was pleased with my times in Q2. I’m thoroughly enjoying the event with our incredible driver line-up. To have Eddie, Mark and Stefan onboard for United Autosports’ maiden 24 hour race is indeed a privilege. The Audi has slightly more horsepower since our last FIA GT3 races which is very good news while our engineering guys are doing a great job. The aim is for a reliable run to a GT3 podium finish come Sunday afternoon.”

Eddie Cheever (USA). 

Age: 52. Born: Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Lives: Indianapolis, USA:
Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: Spa début May 22 1983 F1/3rd, F1 (1983, 85-89 – 1983/3rd, 1987/4th, 1988/6th), GpC (1986/5th, 1987/4th. Last race at Spa: 1989/Ret (F1). Other 24Hr races: Le Mans (1980/19th, 1981/8th, 1986/24th, 1987/5th. Daytona (2
006/17th, 2007/32nd)
 

“This is my third day in the Audi R8 LMS after tests at Snetterton [GB] and here last month and I’m getting more and more comfortable with it. Conditions have been strange in that it’s been wet, dry, damp then daytime, then nighttime. But every time I drive, the times are a little quicker. The balance is better than at the test day and that’s exactly what you need for such a physically demanding track like Spa which is a dream to come back to after all of these years. Team co-owners Zak [Brown] and Richard [Dean] have a superb outfit here, they should be complimented on what they have achieved in a short space of time.”

Richard Dean (GB). 

Age: 45. Born & Lives: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England:
Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: Début August 29 1992/Ret (F3000). F3000 (1992), FIA GT (1997/24th/12th), British GT (1998/6th/2nd 1999/2nd). Last race at Spa: September 26 1999 (British GT). Other 24Hr races: WillHire (GB), BritCar (GB), Nürburgring, Le Mans (2006/15th/1st, 2007/23rd/5th, 2009), Mondello Park (IRL), Daytona (2010/33rd/20th), Dubai
 

“Both Stefan and I managed to improve our grid positions right at the end of the final qualifying session. I thought we were going to be thwarted in achieving a representative time having encountered a Red Flag, rain or oil on the track all at the wrong time for us in the previous sessions. There was still a lot more time to come as incredibly, at the stage in the session, traffic was a major problem. But the most pleasing aspect is that we made changes prior to my final run which improved the Audi massively. We will now have a more consistent and easier car to drive for the race which is very good news.”

Audi R8 LMS (Sportscar according to Spa 24 Hour race regulations)
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.

United Autosports Prepare for Maiden Round the Clock Encounter

·       American team attends Spa 24 Hour race test day at famous Belgian circuit

·       New high-profile sponsors for prestigious European round-the-clock encounter  

(Left to right) Emil Assentato, Stefan Johansson, Alain Li, Zak Brown, Richard Dean, Mark Blundell and Eddie Cheever

The United Autosports team trucks now return to its base in Leeds, England, after a hectic four-week, 5,000-mile excursion which culminated in a one-day “official” test at Spa-Francorchamps today (Wednesday July 7) at the legendary Belgian venue in readiness for the annual 24 Hour race.

The American owned team enters two Audi R8 LMS sports cars in the twice-around-the-clock encounter. The #67 Audi was piloted by Emil Assentato (USA), Stefan Johansson (Sw) and Alain Li (F) today – Mark Patterson (USA) completes the quartet but was unable to attend the eight-hour test today due to prior business commitments.

Mark Blundell (GB), Zak Brown (USA), Eddie Cheever (USA) and Richard Dean (GB) were aboard the “sister” #68 R8 LMS. Both cars completed a combined near total of 200-laps around the magnificent 4.352-mile, 21-corner track considered to be one of the most challenging race circuits in the world due to its fast, undulating and twisting nature, recording the sixth and eighth fastest times in the GT3 class combining the morning and afternoon sessions.

Season-long United Autosports’ sponsors Remington, Cerruti and LG Electronics are joined by Roger Dubuis Watches, FXDD, Road & Track, Legends of Motorsports and the Singapore Stock Exchange for the famous Belgian race staged over July 31-August 1 which will mark the team’s maiden 24 hour event.

The United Autosports team has been on the road since June 11 with tests at Albacete (Spain) and Nogaro (France) plus FIA GT3 European Championship races at Jarama (Spain) and Paul Ricard (France) before arriving at Spa.

United Autosports’ Co-Owners Brown and Dean fly to North America tonight for the Legends of Motorsports historic races at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec (Canada) this weekend (July 10-11). The American will race his 1979 ex-John Watson/Patrick Tambay Formula One McLaren M28 Cosworth while Dean is re-united with his Oulton Park (GB) 1990 Gold Cup race winning Reynard 90D Cosworth.

Legends of Motorsports is a race series owned by Historic Motorsports Productions whose principal owners are Brown, Bobby Rahal and Peter Stoneberg. Canada’s motor racing hero Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula One Champion and 1995 Indy Car World Series Champion, will serve as Grand Marshal at the event.

#67 Cerutti / FXDD / Robert Dubuis Watches / Road & Track / Legends of Motorsports / LG Electronics – Audi R8 LMS (running as #112 today)

Emil Assentato (USA). Age: 61. Born: New York City, N.Y., USA. Lives: Locust Valley, N.Y., USA:

“The car is totally new to me – today was the first time I’d ever sat behind the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS. With more miles the confidence will come. The track is what you believe a Grand Prix track should be and is exactly what I had dreamt it would be like – it’s challenging and dramatic with huge elevation changes. I’d love to conquer it but not sure I ever will. I flew in to Belgium having finished fourth in the latest Grand-Am GT race at Daytona (July 3) which retains Jeff Segal and I the GT championship lead.”

Stefan Johansson (Sw). Age: 53. Born: Växjö, Sweden. Lives: Los Angeles, California, USA:

“I’d driven the R8 LMS for the first time at Snetterton [GB] last month. There were a few niggles today but that is what testing is all about, finding these problems before the race and resolving them. I’m certain we’ll be on the pace when we return here at the end of the month.”

Alain Li (F). Age: 50. Born: Caen, France. Lives: Hong Kong:

“Today was my first drive in the Audi while it’s my first time back at Spa for around 12 years or so. The weather was superb today and the track was in good condition – just fantastic to be back. I’m learning about the Audi with every lap. I found it comfortable and nice to drive. I just need to find the car’s limits which will come with more mileage.”

Mark Patterson (USA). Age:58. Born: Port Elizabeth, S Africa. Lives: Bronxville, N.Y., USA: 

·       Not present at today’s test.

#68 Remington / Singapore Stock Exchange / Road & Track / Legends of Motorsports / LG Electronics – Audi R8 LMS (running as #111 today)

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

“I had a brief outing in the Audi at Silverstone [GB] in May and Snetterton last month but it’s great to get out at Spa again. We experienced an imbalance in the car this afternoon but made changes which found us speed and consistency. Eddie and I then finished off the test with a tire program. It’s been a very productive test.”

Zak Brown (USA). Age: 38. Born: Los Angeles, California, USA. Lives: Carmel, Indiana, USA:

“There were a lot of fans lined up outside our garage to get a glimpse of Eddie, Mark and Stefan – it was a fantastic sight. It’s a huge privilege for me to have them in the United Autosports team. I raced here in the early 1990s so today was valuable to become re-acclimatized to this hugely daunting Spa track. We can now go away and study the data which can be put to good effect come the race week.”

Eddie Cheever (USA). Age: 52. Born: Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Lives: Indianapolis, USA:

“This was my first proper run in the Audi having had a brief acclimatization at Snetterton in wet conditions last month. We had some handling issues this afternoon which we worked on. But it was good to get in some mileage before the race. I’m looking forward to racing again at Spa and to be back behind the wheel for a 24 Hour race.”

Richard Dean (GB). Age: 45. Born & Lives: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England:

“I raced the Audi R8 LMS in the team’s début races at Oulton Park (GB) in April and did 20 laps at our  Nogaro test last week so I’ve had a couple of decent runs in the car prior to today. Having spent the day at Spa, we’ll now go back to the workshop with a big job list to tick off so as to make the car more comfortable and consistent in preparation for the race. It was amazing to see the reaction of the officials when Eddie, Mark and Stefan signed-on this morning – everyone just stared – they’re still regarded as heroes.”

Audi R8 LMS (Sportscar according to latest 2010 FIA GT3 regulations)

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. Approx 500 hp (reduced power). Start weight 1,320kg. 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.

* An Editorial Copyright Free photograph gallery from the Spa test can be accessed at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports

* Detailed biographies on each of the United Autosports drivers are available on request.