Club Arnage

Wasnt there a post here about UK Audi second team for LM this year or was I pissed again?  ;D

You were not pissed again (or if you were, your memory is accurate) - there was a thread, 'cos I posted on it earlier today

No no no no no Yes.

Watch this space (or another nearby)

 ;D ;D ;D ;D Smokie master of spin...

"there was no thread, there is no thread, no such thread has exisited"

Sorry chaps, got a bit carried away and didn't see the embargo notice so asked Smokie to remove the post. Embargo is only until tomorrow (the 8th and as I type less than 30 mins away!  ;) )

Full press release will be on Maison Blanche in about 30 minutes then....

Cheers

Rick

 ;D

Apols for deletion of yesterday's thread. The Audi info is available here, along with other LM 2004 news.

http://www.maisonblanche.co.uk/news.html

That's all good news to start the season with. It looks like the big boy prototype grid will be extremly thick this year:
2 x Rollcentre Dallara
2 x RfH Dome
2 x Audi UK
2 x MG Lola
1 x Goh Audi
1 x Autosportif DBA
1 x Lister
1 x Pescarolo Courage + another one perhaps
1 x Goddard Reynard
1 x Jota Zytec
+ + + who else ?

It seems better news that a BIG team and succesful one are taking part in LMES.

Serious competition for the Lister.

Can they get the reliability to go with the big bangs .......

Spoke to the Lister engine man last year. He worked in a normal garage before getting that job. Asked why he hadn't tried Mclaren in portsmouth. He didn't know it existed, beside the fact he lived in the paulsgrove estate, only a bricks throw from the factory.

Add one more Goddard Reynard. They will need the nine more pits at LM by 2005. I wonder where they will put them.

Maison Blanche at a guess as they seem to enjoy building on spectator/fan areas.

Rhino , i drive past that Factory half a dozen times a week ( top keebab van out the front ) , and Never gave it a minutes thought. Always thought it was MacLaren baby buggies ??

Here's what  I found:
==========================
Smith Bids for Le Mans “Double” with New British Audi Team

Veloqx to run two Audi R8 sportscars at Le Mans and Sebring plus LMES

January 9, 2004

Source: Audi, UK

  Yorkshireman Guy Smith aims to become the first Briton in almost 20 years to win the Le Mans 24 Hour motor race in consecutive years.

Smith (28), from Beverley, has been handed the opportunity by newly-formed Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx.

The Brackley-based team will now run two all-conquering Audi R8 sportscars in 2004 with support from Audi UK, the British importer of the German prestige car manufacturer.

Britain’s five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell won the twice round-the-clock marathon in 1986 and ’87 while 2003 race winner Smith feels confident of a repeat victory in this year’s gruelling event staged on 12-13 June.

“I won last year’s Le Mans race with Bentley and I’m very confident of a second win this June - and with a British team again!” confirmed Smith. “Audi has finished in the top-three at Le Mans for the past five years and won the race in 2000, ’01 and ’02 and I aim to add to that already impressive tally.

“I raced an Audi R8 in 2001 and I’m relishing the opportunity of driving one again - it has become the most successful open-top sportscar of the modern day era.”

Smith will contest the Le Mans 24 Hours, inaugural Le Mans Endurance Series, and the Sebring 12 Hour race in an Audi R8 with previously announced driver Jamie Davies, from Yeovil.

Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx hopes to announce later this month, the final two drivers who will join Smith, Davies, triple Le Mans winner Frank Biela and fellow German Pierre Kaffer, in their quest for Le Mans glory with the British Audi team.

Team Principal Sam Li commented: “Veloqx is honoured to have been chosen by Audi Sport and Audi UK to campaign two R8s in the LMES Championship and at Sebring and Le Mans this year.

“Veloqx has always run two cars and has been preparing itself for this decision - we have the appropriate level of skill and commitment in place. We will be the only two-car Audi R8 team in 2004 which will present us with the best possible opportunity to achieve success for Audi UK. We also now present an ideal and unique sponsorship opportunity for European brands.

“Guy and Jamie have been racing against each other for over 15 years and so to get the 2003 Le Mans outright and class race winning drivers in the same car, teamed up with a third ‘Brit’ for this year’s race in France, is the best possible scenario.”

David Ingram, Audi UK’s Motorsport Manager, concluded: “As Britain’s most recent outright Le Mans 24 Hour race winner, Guy Smith’s inclusion in our driver line-up is perfect. His previous Audi R8 and prototype race experience gained in America and Europe will be a major asset to our team.”
 

They make the new Mercedes SLK there. Was meant to be at the new Mclaren Paragon factory but with the ever expanding formula 1 team they ran out of space so moved it to Portsmouth on the basis of there being lots of aerospace people about they could employ.

Here's a snippet of quite interesting news on this subject. Just to qualify this - the company I work for runs a 2 car Formula Renault team both in UK and here in USA (currently in US for Fran Am Winter Series) and one of our mechanics worked for Veloqx Group N Ferrari 360 team.
The second R8 that Veloqx have acquired is the 2002 Le Mans winning chassis, which is still in pieces in Germany. Veloqx has hired a number of team personnel who worked on Bentleys effort last season (all being laid off, of course). I think that combination will help the Audi UK effort significantly.

So instead of a Bentley pit team talking German we'll have teh Audi UK pit team talking German!!!    ;)

I thought the low mileage Audi UK car was the 2002 winner. And since Le Mans it's been at beulieu

Well they certainly didn't add many miles in 2003!!  :-\

Damn, was halfway through a lengthy reply and somehow lost all the text!! Here goes again.....

2003 Audi UK chassis was 603 (2002 no.3 - 3rd)

2003 Goh chassis was 602 (2002 no. 2 - 2nd)

2003 Champion chassis was 505 (2001 no.2 - 2nd)

2002 winner was 601 - presumably kept by Audi to do the show/PR circuit etc.

So it sounds like the UK chassis for 2004 will be 601 & 603, Goh will run 602 again and Champion? Haven't heard for sure but presume it will be an upgraded 505 again. Will check with my Champion chappie.

Yep, Champion still running 505 and "it was updated late in 2002, and is the same spec as all R8’s currently running".

I have a funny feeling in my water that there might just be some news on the Audi UK entries in the next few hours........  ;)

 ;D

Best not let the cat out of the bag this time Rick!

Hoping to hear that McNish is going to be a driver in the team, and what colour the cars will be, hope not to silver.

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=motorsportsnews&loc_code=index&content_code=02690389

It the 11th somewhere ???

We get the colour scheme photos on the 24th, but driver news might be closer to hand!!  ;)

Rick - you're such a tease  ???

Has this news got anything to to with chelsea?

How many is "a few" hours Rick???   ;)

Well, I'm now back from my evening of fun, cycling and ale and it's 23:36 and the news is embargoed until 00:01 tomorrow!!

 ;D

Yes, Allan McNish is back!!!!!!!!! And Herbie too!

The seven driver strong squad for Audi UK is McNish, Herbert, Smith, Biela, Davies, Kaffer and Darren Turner as reserve.

Testing to be conducted soon will dictate who drives with whom but either way, there is some serious talent in there and many good excuses to get those Union Flag boxers out!

http://www.maisonblanche.co.uk/n040211.html (http://www.maisonblanche.co.uk/n040211.html)

Frank Biela ? Hopefully they put a spare jerrycan into the car when they let him go.  ;D