End of an era

[Grand_Fromage]

So TK is going to announce retirement today.

I'm sad but not surprised.

[aricus654]

Yes indeed, especially after Allan.  In article in Motorsport earlier this year he talked about how the g-forces twisted his jaw. It's clearly a young man/woman's sport.

Personally, I grew up (in my endurance racing life) with these guys.

I'm sure that it's been said many times over the last 90 years, but the young racers obviously don't have the same depth of character. Oh, and KitKats don't taste as good, the policeman look too young these days......

But the racing is just as close.

But I really will miss TK. But am sure to see him showing his stuff at Goodwood revival driving a Cortina or Austin A40!

Aricus

[lofty]

Aricus you did'nt mention the price of beer. TK still has'nt won the ROC after 9 trys it could be he want's to concentrate on that! So will we have more space at Le Mans of somw of the Danes stay at home?

[Grand_Fromage]

Audi press release:

Audi factory driver Tom Kristensen ends unique professional career
•   Le Mans record winner to become representative and partner of Audi
•   Last race on November 30 in WEC finale in Brazil
•   Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Ullrich: “We’re happy that Tom Kristensen has been and continues to be an ‘Audian.’”

Ingolstadt, November 19, 2014 – One of the really big names in sports is retiring: Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen will contest his last race as a professional race driver in São Paulo (Brazil) at the end of November. The 47-year-old Dane will be retained by the brand with the four rings as a representative and partner of Audi Sport.
 
“Naturally, the retirement of a remarkable personality like Tom Kristensen is a great loss for Audi Sport Team Joest and the entire endurance racing scene,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “We can understand his decision to quit at the pinnacle of his career. He’s the last member of the generation that Audi began with in prototype racing. Tom has been competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) as the reigning World Champion this year and shown that he’s still one of the world’s fastest and best sports car drivers. We’ll miss him as a driver but he’s going to continue to support us with his wealth of experience and his personality. We’re happy that Tom Kristensen has been and will continue to be an ‘Audian’ with his heart and soul.”
 
“I’ve had the privilege of driving for the best team and the world’s coolest automobile manufacturer for 15 years,” emphasizes Tom Kristensen. “I’ve had great team-mates and worked together with fantastic people. With Audi, I’ve been able to win many titles and numerous races as well as experiencing some unforgettable, emotional moments. My string of victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours would not have been possible without Audi. Leaving this team as a driver is hard for me. But the day had to come at one time or another. I can only thank Audi and the entire staff for the great time I’ve had and look forward to my new tasks for the brand and the team of Audi Sport.”
 
Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich got the Dane to join Audi at the end of 1999. Together with Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro, Tom Kristensen, in the 12-hour race at Sebring (USA) in March of 2000, achieved Audi’s first victory in a sports car race, plus the brand’s first victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June of 2000. In the Audi R8, the trio Biela/Pirro/Kristensen was the first driver team in history to win the world’s most famous endurance race three times in succession.
 
With Bentley and two Audi customer teams, Kristensen, from 2003 to 2005, celebrated three more triumphs at Le Mans, marking six consecutive wins – the iconic endurance race had never before seen such a string of victories. In 2008 and 2013, the Dane took two more victories, in the new Audi R10 TDI and the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. With a track record of nine victories in total, Tom Kristensen is the most successful Le Mans driver of all time. Seven of these wins he celebrated with Audi.
 
In 2002, Kristensen won the American Le Mans Series in the Audi R8. And in the DTM the Dane showed his class as well. With nine pole positions, four race victories and 18 podium places, he was one of the most successful and best drivers of the Audi A4 DTM from 2004 to 2009. However, the DTM, at the beginning of 2007, was also the series in which he had the most severe accident in his career that kept him from racing for several weeks.
 
Kristensen owed his ability to make a quick comeback to his outstanding fitness back then. The Dane is still a role model in this respect and will increasingly support Audi Sport in this area in the future.
 
His last race as a professional race driver will be the finale of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Brazil on November 30. Tom Kristensen will be tackling it in the car bearing the number that fits him best: car number ‘1.’

[garyfrogeye]

an "Audian"

[Grand_Fromage]

FIA/WEC release:


MR ‘LE MANS’ TOM KRISTENSEN WILL DROP THE CHEQUERED FLAG ON HIS RACING CAREER IN SÃO PAULO

      
2013 FIA World Endurance Driver’s Champion and nine times winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Tom Kristensen today announced his retirement from professional racing after the final round of the FIA WEC in São Paulo on the 30 November. 

The 47-year-old Dane is one endurance racing’s greatest ambassadors and his racing career is the envy of many in motorsport.

His many accolade’s include receiving a knighthood, the Order of the Dannebrog, from Denmark's Queen Margarethe II this summer for his contribution and achievements in sport.

“We heard the news today that Tom Kristensen will retire from professional motorsport after the 6 Hours of São Paulo, and as it is his personal decision, we have to respect this announcement.” said FIAWEC CEO Gerard Neveu.

“Tom represents the very best about our sport. Always the consummate professional both behind the wheel and in the paddock, but he equally makes time for the fans and the media.  To win the 24 Hours of Le Mans is an achievement in any driver’s career, but to win the greatest race in the world nine times is legendary.  Last year he became world champion with Loic Duval and Allan McNish and it is very fitting that the Audi will display the no1 for Tom’s last race in Brazil.  Everyone at the FIA World Endurance Championship would like to wish Tom the very best of luck for the future. We sincerely want to have him with us at the centre of the Endurance family for many years to come because Tom is the absolute reference point in our world. More than a Champion, he is a fantastic person; we just love him and need him to be part of the endurance racing world in the future.”

The final weekend of the 2014 season will start on Friday 28 November in Brazil, with the 6 Hours of São Paulo taking place on Sunday 30 November from 13:00 (local).

[Grand_Fromage]

ACO Release:

Today Wednesday 19th November, Tom Kristensen, the record-holder for the number of outright victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours with nine wins, announced his retirement from motor sport. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest would like to pay homage to this living legend of the Le Mans 24 Hours who has decided to hang up his helmet.

 
After a promising career in single-seaters (German and Japanese F3 Champion) he took part in his first Le Mans 24 Hours in 1997 winning the race. This victory sealed his sporting destiny. In 2000 he joined Audi as a works driver and quickly became one of the spearheads of the German manufacturer’s attack with a mind-boggling series of six consecutive victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours between 2000 and 2005 setting a new record in the process!

If he is called Mr. Le Mans he has always had the good manners to point out that this flattering title belongs to Jacky Ickx, his predecessor as victories record-holder in the Le Mans 24 Hours with six successes. Thanks to his skill behind the steering wheel, his charisma and his simplicity Kristensen has not only built up one of the greatest set of results in the history of endurance (and in motor sport in general), but he has also won the hearts and the affection of the general public.

Tom Kristensen: “I’ve had the privilege of driving for the best team and the world’s coolest automobile manufacturer for 15 years. I’ve had great team-mates and worked together with fantastic people. My string of victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours would not have been possible without Audi. Leaving this team as a driver is hard for me. But the day had to come at one time or another. I can only thank Audi and the entire staff for the great time I’ve had and look forward to my new tasks for the brand and the team of Audi Sport.”

Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO: “A giant has retired! Tom Kristensen will remain indelibly linked to the Le Mans 24 Hours, a legendary race that has forged his legend. His nine victories will remain forever engraved on the trophy, and above all in our hearts. Tom is a marvellous driver and a gentleman, a man full of panache and passion as well as somebody who combines generosity and simplicity. He’s a real, a great champion, and we will be sorry not to see him on the grid for the Le Mans 24 Hours and all our other endurance races. But he will always be the best possible ambassador for this event which, like him, we all adore. Bye, bye Tom and thanks for everything!”

Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport: “Naturally, the retirement of a remarkable personality like Tom Kristensen is a great loss for Audi Sport Team Joest and the entire endurance racing scene. We can understand his decision to quit at the pinnacle of his career. He’s the last member of the generation that Audi began with in prototype racing. Tom has been competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) as the reigning World Champion this year and shown that he’s still one of the world’s fastest and best sports car drivers. We’ll miss him as a driver but he’s going to continue to support us with his wealth of experience and his personality."

* See you Tom and thank you for everything !

Tom Kristensen

Born: 7th July 1967 in Hobro (Denmark)
Début: karts in 1984

18 starts in the Le Mans 24 Hours: nine victories (1997-2000-2001-2002-2003-2004-2005-2008-2013), five top-3 finishes.

FIA World Endurance Championship: world champion in 2013:
23 races, four victories (Sebring 12 Hours in 2012, Silverstone 6 Hours, Le Mans 24 Hours and the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas in 2013)

Thirteen starts in the Sebring 12 Hours: seven victories (1999-2000-2005-2006-2008-2009-2012), four top-3 finishes.

American Le Mans Series: Champion in 2002.

[Boorish Grobian]

His career will make for some lively debate now that is wrapped up.  Obviously he's one of the all-time sportscar greats, and statistically it would be easy to argue he is the greatest endurance sportscar driver all them all, but you can't help but look at his career and think so much of that success is the product of being a Audi driver vitually his entire career.  Regardless of what he was driving, he had to get the job done, which he did, but I've just never thought of him in the same light as Jacky Ickx, probably the driver he's most compared to.  TK always seemed enormously reliable & consistant, but never shatteringly quick.  For my money the Belgian is still the best sportscar racer in history, to me his six LM wins are more impressive than TK's nine.  As great as Tom has been, I could never see him replicating Jacky's epic comeback drive in 1977, but then again driving a Audi he never had to.
Fax

[jimclark]

Agreed.

[landman]

I am led to believe that Tom and Allan are camping with us on BN next June.

[Canada Phil]

I am led to believe that Tom and Allan are camping with us on BN next June.

Hi Landman,
                  While Allan may well join us on BN I expect Tom will be over on the semi deserted Karting Nord with the few remaining Danish fans.  Seriously though I am interested to see how many Danes make the trek in the next few years.
They have been great supporters of Tom and a pleasure to have around I just wonder how many are "hooked" on Le Mans.
Phil

[landman]

I am led to believe that Tom and Allan are camping with us on BN next June.

Hi Landman,
                  While Allan may well join us on BN I expect Tom will be over on the semi deserted Karting Nord with the few remaining Danish fans.  Seriously though I am interested to see how many Danes make the trek in the next few years.
They have been great supporters of Tom and a pleasure to have around I just wonder how many are "hooked" on Le Mans.
Phil

They'll all switch their allegiance to the AMR car #95 aka "The Dane Train"

[Kristof]

His career will make for some lively debate now that is wrapped up.  Obviously he's one of the all-time sportscar greats, and statistically it would be easy to argue he is the greatest endurance sportscar driver all them all, but you can't help but look at his career and think so much of that success is the product of being a Audi driver vitually his entire career.  Regardless of what he was driving, he had to get the job done, which he did, but I've just never thought of him in the same light as Jacky Ickx, probably the driver he's most compared to.  TK always seemed enormously reliable & consistant, but never shatteringly quick.  For my money the Belgian is still the best sportscar racer in history, to me his six LM wins are more impressive than TK's nine.  As great as Tom has been, I could never see him replicating Jacky's epic comeback drive in 1977, but then again driving a Audi he never had to.
Fax

Couldn't agree more !