Archive:2/25/00-9/14/01


September 14,2001 Kelleners In Konrad Lola:



Photo Coutersy:ALMS

Konrad Motorsport will run Ralf Kelleners at this weekends penultimate FIA Sportscar Championship round at the Nurburgring.

The 32 year old ex Toyota and Audi driver will race the Lola B2K/10 at his local circuit with sportscar stalwart Franz Konrad. Ralf, who has been without a drive since being replaced by Johnny Herbert at the Champion Audi squad is relishing the opportunity to drive the 6-litre Cosworth powered car. "We should be competetive this weekend. The car finished 3rd here last year and I took pole in Kremer's car so that will put us in a good position from a morale point of view," he said.


September 14,2001 Bob Beridge For GLV Brums:


GLV Brums have signed multiple Thoroughbred and Boss Formula One champion Bob Berridge to share their Ferrari Judd V10 with team principal Giovanni Lavaggi this weekend at the Nurburgring.

Berridge will make his International Sportscar debut with the Monaco based team on the track that he knows well from his F1 exploits and the Middlesborough based racer is relishing the opportunity. "I'm looking forward to racing in a 333SP and seeing how I go against some good quality drivers. I'm very much going in to the unknown but that will not stop me," he said.

Berridge won the Thoroughbred F1 title three years running in 1997,1998 and 99 and in a RAM March and a Williams FW08B.This season he has competed in a 1981 Arrows Cosworth.


September 7,2001 Konrad Lola Back For The Ring:



Photo Coutersy:ALMS

Franz Konrad will make his 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship debut at the Nurburgring next weekend when he brings his Lola B2K/10 out for his home race.

The Austrian is looking to compete in the championship full time in 2002 and is all set to announce a high profile team mate to partner himself in the Ford engined car for Nurburgring.

Franz and his team from Verl will looking to repeat there 2000 performance when they finished 3rd with Sascha Maassen and Jurgen Von Gartzen bringing the Lola home in diabolical conditions.


September 7,2001 Dereichebourg Rejoins Pescarolo:


Boris Dereichebourg will replace Laurent Redon in the Pescarolo Sport Courage C60 next weekend at the Nurburgring. The 23 year old Frenchman who raced for the team at this years Le Mans 24 Hours stands in for Redon who races at Fort Worth in Texas in the latest round of the Indy Racing League.

Boris will take place in his second race at the Ring in a week as he is also competing in the GT race there this weekend with Belmondo Racing.

Boris made his prototype debut at La Sarthe with the team this year and more infamously starred in the Estoril 1000kms when he was involved in an accident with Tom Coronel's Audi. After being reinstated, he, Boullion and Redon were credited with the win.

With an impressive F3 and F3000 career behind him that includes being team mate to current F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya at Super Nova in 1998. His best result in the ultra competetive series was 3rd at Barcelona.


August 20,2001 Stirling For Kremer:


Canadian Robbie Stirling will link up with Britain's Sam Hancock in the Kremer run Lola B98/K2000 at Donington Park this weekend.

The experienced former Group C and Interserie racer has penned the one off deal and is also at looking to achieve a unique feat in commuting from Donington to Silverstone where he is aiming to dovetail the Group C revival race with his Lola commitments."I have also been asked to drive at Silverstone in the historic Group C race

in a Porsche 956 and will just try to look at the logistics of travelling between both circuits on the same weekend," he said.

Stirling,who previously raced in the McNeil run Lola 981 Judd in 1998, is relishing the opportunity of racing once again in the championship and he will link up with McNeil engineer Brian Ireland who joined the team on a freelance basis at Magny Cours." I'm looking forward to joining up with Kremer to stand in for Jean Marc Gounon due to his other commitments with Ferrari, and will enjoy driving the Kremer Lola at one of my favorite tracks. It is also my first UK race since the ISRS round a couple of years ago, as I have been mainly driving a Group C Lola T92/10 in Europe," he said .


July 24,2001 Wolfgang Kaufmann In Tampolli:


Wolfgang Kaufmann will make his debut in sports prototypes this weeekend when he joins the Renauer Tampolli squad at Magny Cours. T

he 37 year old who finished 3rd overall in this years Daytona 24 Hours has agreed to join Hanness Gsell and fellow debutant Norbert Groer in the bright yellow SR2 racer.

Wolfgang started his career in single seaters,racing against the likes of Bernd Schneider, Heinz Harald Frentzen and even Michael Schumacher in the German F3 championship. After finishing third to Schumacher and Otto Rensing in 1990, Wolfgang turned his attentions to GT racing and became a stalwart at the Freisinger Porsche team.

Numerous top 3 finishes in class at Daytona and Sebring followed and last year he competed in a full tear of the FIA GT championship.

Ludovico Manfredi has also become a late entry for the race this weekend as he will replace Arturo Merzario at PiR Competition.


July 23,2001 Gounon For Kremer At Magny Cours:


Jean Marc Gounon has temporarily shifted his allegiance back to Lola for his home event at Magny Cours this weekend. The lanky Frenchman will partner fellow six footer Sam Hancock in the 6 litre Lola K2001 Roush for the 5th round of the championship. G

ounon was scheduled to race in the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari but had to make way for Christian Pescatori at Spa and Brno.Now though, 'Pesca' will be back in a prototype for the first time since his heroics at Le Mans and will be helping Marco Zadra to increase his lead in the championship.

For Gounon it will be a welcome return to one of the Huntingdon built cars as he won 4 races for DAMS in a similar B98 in 1999.The 1989 French F3 champion and former F1 driver also won the 1992 Formula 3000 race at Magny Cours and is relishing the opportunity of getting back in one this coming weekend;"It will be nice to race in the Lola again and after the Ferrari it will be interesting to compare."


July 23,2001 Durango Names Driver Lineup:


Team Durango will take part in their first FIA Sportscar Championship race of the year at Magny Cours this weekend with the GMS Mader that they raced in five events last year.

Soheil Ayari and Andrea De Lorenzi will once again be partners in the 4-litre car that scored a best of 5th place at the Kyalami finale last November.

The team will be managed by Amselmo Cosmo who has previously engineered one of the teams F3000 cars.
July 18,2001 More SR1's for Magny Cours :


Up to four more SR1 racers are set to bolster the ranks at Magny Cours next weekend.Pescarolo Sport will be back in action on home turf with Jean Christophe Boullion and Laurent Redon taking charge of the Peugeot powered C60.

The Le Mans based team have skipped the last two rounds to concentrate on their Le Mans effort, where they finished after mechanical problems robbed then of a certain top 6 placing.

Conrero will take part in their first race of the year with the trusty longtailed Riley & Scott Cosworth.The team were entered for the Monza 1000kms in April but failed to start.Team regular Angelo Lancelotti will be partnered by Felice Tedeschi who raced with the team in the later part of 2000.

Redman Bright will be back in action at Magny Cours with regular drivers Peter Owen and Mark Smithson in the Reynard 01Q Judd.The Leicester based team are looking to add more points in addition to their superb 4th place they earned at Monza.

Team Durango are also on the verge of a deal to bring back the GMS-Mader back in to the SR1 fray.Frenchman, Soheil Ayari who drove the car last year is thought likely to lead the driving attack.


July 18,2001 Ascari Snetterton Test :


Ascari completed two days of successful testing at Snetterton yesterday and the teams driver Werner Lupberger is confident that improvements made to the car can push them towards that illusive first victory.

"We did a lot of laps and are improving the car in small stages and with little bits and pieces such as a new differntial," said the 25 year old South African,"we got down to a 59.8 but really we were not testing our outright pace.There were no problems and this gives us renewed confidence for Magny Cours where we had a great start to the race last year."

In 2000, Werner hauled the car up in to 2nd place before the teams founding father spun at half distance.Now, reliability is not a worry for the team and after three consecutive top 5 placings they are out to challenge for outright honours in France.Still only 20 pionts behind Marco Zadra in the championship, nobody are betting against the Kent based team starting a mid season push to get them back on level terms.


July 18,2001 Pescatori Joins BMS At Magny Cours :


BMS Scuderia Italia are going all out to protect their championship lead at Magny Cours with Christian Pescatori and Jean Marc Gounon joining Marco Zadra in the Barcelona and Spa winning 333SP.

The three pronged attack is a clear message from the Brescia based team that they are going to take the fight to the newer cars of Dome,Ascari and Courage in France despite the fact that they certain to lose a little time with an extra driver change pit stop. However the team did exactly this at Brno in the last round when Jean Marc enjoyed the 1st and 3rd stints in the car.

For Pescatori it will be his first race in a sports prototype since his stirling Le mans effort where he finished 2nd with team mates Laurent Aiello and Rinaldo Capello in the Joest Racing Audi.

The diminutive Italian joins up with the lofty Frenchman who took victory with at Spa and scored a superb pole position at Brno.The two were scheduled to team up at the Monza 1000kms as a trio with Zadra jounior but that came to nought at the last moment.

Marco Zadra leads the championship by 20 points with five races remaining and the team currently have a 19 point cushion in the teams title race.


July 11,2001 Ferrari Restrictor Changes :


After assessment of qualifying results,race lap times and ballast carried by each car at the last event, Brno it has been decided by the FIA Sportscar technical department that an additional 0.5mm in single restrictor size allocated to the Ferrari 4 litre V12 engine fitted to the 333SP Ferrari from the beginning of the 2000 season will be brought in line with the other 4 litre engines at the following sizes:

Single restrictor - 46.8mm

Twin Restrictor - 33.4mm

These sizes will be implemented for the 5th Round of the FIA Sportscar Championship at Magny Cours on 28/29 July 2001 and onwards.


July 6,2001 Latest News :


Redman Bright who missed the Brno round will be back for Round 5 of the championship at Magny Cours later this month.The teams driver Peter Owen had to miss the race for personal reasons.

Next years FIA Sportscar Championship will feature a race at the famous Zandvoort track in Holland.The race, that is likely to take place in July will be the first time top line sportscars have raced at the venue since the track was refurbished in the early 90's. The former home of the Dutch Grand Prix still features the awesome Tarzan corner at the beginning of the lap and with Jan Lammers such a star in his homeland, the event is sure to be a big one.

New sports car regulations for 2004 are being framed by a commission including the ACO, the FIA, engineers and team owners, John Mangoletsi confirmed to the FIA Sports Car Championship teams at Brno. "Ninety per cent of the rules will be finalised by the end of this year" he said, and will include the basic elements that cars must meet very high safety standards, have two seats in the cockpits and full width rollover bars. Any new cars ready in time will be eligible for championships in 2003.

The FIA's World Council will be asked at its next meeting to agree to admit LMP675 category cars into the Sports Car Championship's SR1 category next year. Cars such as the MG Lola and Reynard Judd would compete directly against such cars as the Ferrari 333 SP and Dome S-101, subject to the same $620,000 price cap.


June 28,2001 Dome To Debut Hign Downforce Bodywork:


A new high downforce aerodynamic package will be used by the Dome teams this weekend at Brno for the first time. Both teams have run in low downforce trim to this point. John Nielsen is hopeful that the developments will bring his and the cars first win in the championship: "It should make a lot of difference to the car at Brno which is essentially a tight circuit. The package has been tested in the wind tunnel in Japan with positive results so we should be in good shape."


June 25,2001 Kremer Racing Update:


Kremer Racing prepared for the Brno race yesterday at Spa with a successful test in their Lola K2001 Roush.

The team that has been be-set with problems so far this season was greatly encouraged after a race simulation on the Ardennes track went ahead without any dramas.The teams driver Sam Hancock showed why he is regarded as one of the championships emerging stars with a best lap of 2m 09.8s which is almost a second faster than the pole time set in last months race.

Hancock, who will be partnered by Gary Formato in Brno said of the test:"Hats-off to the team and to the Roush guys who's hard work seems to have solved all of our engine problems because the car ran faultlessly today, which enabled me to really focus on my driving. We have always felt that if the car works then we have the pace to win races - and the times today prove it. Hopefully we can continue this form at the race in Brno next weekend and open our account on the championship points table!"


May 30,2001 New Entrants For BRNO:



Photo Coutersy:SRWC

There will be up to 5 new entrants and drivers for the 4th round of the FIA Sportscar Championship at Brno.

The Ascari team could be fielding their second chassis in the Czech Republic,where they made their European debut last year.Team boss Ian Dawson hinted at Spa that the second A410 could make an appearance but that it would depend on how the teams Le Mans race would go.

Another SR1 addition will be the Tampolli entered Ferrari 333SP that is owned by longtime championship supporter GianLuca Giraudi.The Italian has not raced since Magny Cours last year but will see out the season in the venerable 333SP that has so far scored three wins from three in the 2001 championship.

GianLuca's team mate is likely to be former F3000 racer Rori Parasiliti, but could not as yet be confirmed.

The Audisio & Benvenuto team will once again field their second Lucchini in Brno with Monza drivers, Giuseppe Chiminelli and Bruno Corradi sharing the duties.With Team Swara's expansion to a two car team (see previous news article)and the return of the Martin Henderson owned Pilbeam, the grid will once again be strong and varied on the undulating circuit east of Prague.


May 9,2001 Latest Team & Series News:


The third round of the FIA Sportscar Championship takes in the majestic and much fabled Spa Francorchamps this weekend with a clear message from the opening two rounds at Barcelona and Monza - this years championship is wide open.

After what was without doubt one of the best ever Monza 1000kms three weeks ago, the championship is poised between the new and the old in the shape of a scrap between the Ferrari/Riley & Scott/Lola generation and the latest breed of sportscars that includes the Domes, the Ascari and the Reynard.

Going in to Spa, the team brimming with confidence will be the GLV Brums Ferrari Judd outfit who scored that unforgettable win at Monza. After driving the race of his life, Giovanni Lavaggi and team will be looking to sustain that momentum and his team mate, Christian Vann is sure that this is the start of a prolonged championship claim; "As you can imagine we are all still quite high after Monza but realise that we can not let ourselves lose focus," said the 25-year-old. "I think at this point we have a very realistic chance of increasing our points margin over the other teams which is why everybody at GLV is working doubly hard to ensure our performance is 100% at Spa."

Scuderia Italia Ferrari have always gone well at Spa and came just 2 seconds away from winning last years race in appalling conditions. That day, Angelo Zadra was chasing for the win and he will once again be looking for that elusive first sportscar victory with regular team mates Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner. Still jointly leaders in the championship with the Brums team drivers is Marco Zadra, courtesy of that Barcelona win. Marco, who is enhancing his reputation race by race, will be joined by ex Mercedes and BMW works driver Jean Marc Gounon who subs for the indisposed Christian Pescatori this weekend. Jean Marc is one of the very quickest drivers over a single lap and the Frenchman’s acrobatic skills could just be the thing to compensate for the Ferrari V12 engine's lack of straightline speed compared to the ultra powerful Judd V10’s.

The C60 Pescarolo run Courage was all set to clean up at Monza until a broken oil pump intervened, but at Spa the sleek Yves Courage designed car could be the thing to have. Jean Christophe Boullion and Laurent Redon are entered to drive, as the impressive Sebastien Bourdais has Formula 3000 commitments in Austria. The turbocharged Peugeot engine has shown consistently in the first two rounds that it has the legs of the Judd powered cars and the ‘green machine’ underlined that at Le Mans last weekend with a time good enough for the top ten. Boullion loves Spa and his move on Frank Lagorce on the outside of Blanchimont during the F3000 race in 1994 has already gone in to circuit legend.

Team Ascari finally registered their first finish at Monza and although they should have won the 1000kms the team were pleased to get points on the board. With one of the strongest driver line-ups in the championship in the form of Ben Collins and Werner Lupberger, the Kent based team are on the verge of doing great things in the FIA Sportscar Championship. Lupberger is the unofficial master of Eau Rouge and his performance during qualifying in the SR2 Pilbeam last year were nothing short of heroic. With his helmet baring an uncanny yet unintentional similarity to the late, great Stefan Bellof, Werner is making a real name for himself as a hard charging, hard racing fighter, very much in the same vein as the much missed German.

The Dome S101’s has made an immediate impact on the FIA Sportscar Championship with both cars showing there potential at the Monza race last month. The Den Bla Avis car seems to have had more than its fair share of bad luck so far, but with reliability on their side, both John Nielsen and Hiroki Katoh are sure to be at the front of the field. ‘Big John’ adores the Spa track and will be out to clinch his first sportscar win in three years; "" I love racing at Spa and there is real satisfaction in getting a lap absolutely right. The key to a good lap is to get a flow going, as the majority of the corners are quick ones where the driver can make a lot of time. " said the great Dane.

Jan Lammers and his Racing For Holland team that also includes the youngest racer in the field, 19 year old Val Hillebrand, are on a high at the moment after a well earned third place at Monza and a competitive outing at last weekends Le Mans test days. With the Dome quicker than any other car in a straightline (including the factory Audi’s at La Sarthe) the chequered S101, like the Den Bla car will be right up there. For Val Hillebrand it is kind of a home race as the teenager actually races under a Belgian licence. " Like everyone else I love this track and I was quick here in F3 last year when I qualified close to guys like Schektar and Pizzonia. I think the Dome will be up there at Spa as like Monza the track is so quick, so we have a lot of positive feeling for this weekend," said the youngster.

One of the stars of last year’s race, Didier De Radigues returns for another crack at his home race with the Kremer Racing Lola B98/K2001 Roush. After leading for much of the race last year, Didier and his team mate - Sam Hancock could be the dark horse for outright victory. Sam showed his promise at Monza when he lapped quicker than the more experienced Didier at stages of the race, but with so little dry running in the car, the 21 year old is still learning all about sportscars. Highlighting just how committed the Londoner is to making a name for himself in the FIA Sportscar Championship, he entered a race at Spa last weekend to learn the circuit more as it is the first time he had driven there since his Formula Palmer Audi days in 1999. The Lola car is certainly one of the best handling cars around the arduous Spa circuit and if reliability can at last be found from the team then another front runner will be added to the over subscribed list of potential winners.

Alex Caffi is the third driver in as many races to partner Mauro Baldi at the R&M Riley & Scott team and the diminutive Italian is keen to make the most of his chance to re-acquaint himself with the team whom he raced for in 1999. "I finally have the chance to express myself again in the FIA Sportscar Championship. I have been friends for many years with Fabio (team boss, Mancini) and I would like to repay their confidence. I think that, together with Baldi, we could start to have great satisfaction already from Spa Francorchamps," said the ex Arrows F1 star. A test at the Dijon circuit in Burgundy this week is hoped to iron out the problems that has so far be-set the team in the early stages of their 2001 campaign.

Off the back of their best ever race at Monza, the Redman Bright squad will have renewed enthusiasm for the Spa event after Guy Smith gauged the true pace of the 01Q with that stunning pole lap and race performance in Italy. There will be no Guy at Spa however, but Mark Smithson and Peter Owen will be looking forward to the exhilaration of making their SR1 debuts at Spa.

The SR2 battle will rage on again at Spa with the Rowan Racing Pilbeam and the Sportsracing Team Sweden Lola locking horns once more after a close finish in the first round at Barcelona. After the Swedes (not forgetting Seattle’s Larry Oberto) scored a crushing win in Rowans absence at Monza, the two are neck and neck in the points tables and with two Spa virgins in Oberto and Bjork, the upper hand could be Rowan’s as O’Connell is regarded as a Spa ace after some famous F3 performances here.

The rest of the pack is likely to be playing catch up on the above two, with the new Lucchini seemingly the best of the rest. ‘Checco’ Tonetti and Massimo Saccomanno were on the podium here last year and their 2001 spec Lucchini was near to the pace of the Lola. As yet, overheating problems has blighted the ‘works’ Lucchini of Francioni/Raimondi but with that incredible victory last year still fresh in the mind of Giorgio Lucchini and Filippo Francioni, a turn around in the teams fortunes is much anticipated this weekend. Other Lucchinis that could show well at Spa are the second Lucchini Engineering car of Piergiuseppe Peroni and championship newcomer Jean Bernard Bouvet. The SCI team will have an unchanged line up from Monza with team principal Ranieri Randaccio sharing duties with 1999 Enna winner Leonardo Maddalena.

BM Autosport have not had any better luck in 2001 than they had in 2000 with mechanical problems hindering strong results, which could have included a win at Monza. Massimo Monti is among the very quickest at Spa and the nimble Tampolli Alfa is a good bet to mix it with the Lola and leading Pilbeam, in qualifying at least. The Renauer Motorsport team who so sadly failed to start their first FIA Sportscar Championship race in Spain are back with a brand new Tampolli and Manfred Jurasz and Hanness Gsell in the cockpit once more.

Other likely pace setters could be the Mike Millard entered Rapier 6 Nissan that showed so well at Barcelona.Despite missing the Monza round the team are confident that in the hands of Ian Flux, the car could be the surprise package at Spa, a circuit where the chassis good handling characteristics could come to the fore. Team Swara are another British team with big ambitions and Simon Wiseman is looking to strike up a solid partnership with his young but quick team mate Michael Mallock.

The familiar Debora of PiR Competition will be at Spa and team principal and driver Pierre Bruneau will be hoping to at least equal last years third place position. As ever countryman Marc Rostan and former Spa 1000kms winner Arturo Merzario will join the Parisian. The sportscar legend first raced at Spa in 1970 and his win came in 1975 aboard the gorgeous Alfa Romeo 33TT.

Two and half-hours of the worlds greatest circuit lies ahead for the FIA Sportscar Championship field and many more questions are about to be answered in this wide open season. With spectacular drivers like Nielsen, Lupberger, Caffi, Lammers and Gounon attacking the 6.698 kilometre track, another mouth-watering weekend of sportscar action is all set to take place.


May 4,2001 Caffi To Partner Baldi:


R&M have signed Alex Caffi to partner Mauro Baldi in their R&S Judd for the remainder of the season.

Caffi will get his first experience of this particular R&S chassis at Dijon next Tuesday when the team stop off on their way to Spa for the race on May 13.

The team will also be introducing some subtle aerodynamic changes on the car for the test and if all goes well they will be raced in Belgium.

Team boss Fabio Montani explained the changes that are being undertaken on the car;"We are fitting a new rear diffuser on the car and we will also use some bits from the Rafanelli team, primarily the engine cover.We hope that this will improve the handling of the car from the first two races, and we also hope to introduce a new rear wing at Spa too."

Asked if the team would adopt a similar 'long tailed version' like Conrero did at Monza, Montani would only say,"It is something that we are looking at, but will probably not introduce until later in the season."


May 4,2001 Michael Mallock To Stay With Swara Pilbeam :



Photo Coutersy:SRWC

Michael Mallock will partner Simo Wiseman at Team Swara for the entire FIA Sportscar Championship season. The 19 year old son of RML boss, Ray Mallock,Michael had his first taste of the Pilbeam MP84 at Monza last weekend and is relishing his first steps in to International Motorsport;"It's great to have such a busy season ahead of me,driving in the FIA Championship will be a big step forward in terms of speeding up my career."


April 18,2001 Kremer Names Strong Lineup For Monza :


Gary Formato and Didier De Radigues will join Sam Hancock in the Kremer Racing Lola B98/K2001.

Formato, who left the R&M Riley & Scott team last week, it will be a return to the team for whom he scored a memorable win at his home track of Kyalami last November.

De Radigues has also been drafted in to the team, after he impressed with a virtuoso display at Spa last May, when in dreadful conditions he led for much of the early race.

Kremer’s full time driver Sam Hancock will be hoping for more competative lappery at Monza after his early stint in the Lola was blighted by a misfire. "Both Gary and Didier have experience of the car and that will only have a positive effect on me and the car. The team have been working hard since Barcelona and with one of the units having been checked out by Roush then I believe we will have a much more competetive proposition in Monza."


April 16,2001 Guy Smith To Drive For Redman Bright At Monza :


Guy Smith has joined Redman Bright for the Monza 1000kms.

Smith will be the teams third driver alongside Peter Owen and Mark Smithson.Guy, who drove in the Johansson/Matthews Reynard last year will be comparing the developments on the 01Q which is a direct decendent of the 2KQ that raced last year.

"I’m really looking forward to it," said the 27 year old,"I’ve raced at Monza once before in Formula Renault and it was pretty awesome in that, so in the Reynard it should be quite spectacular.I’ve obviously worked with Mark (Smithson) before and as it is a 1000kms race,they wanted to bolster their driving attack.I really can’t wait."


April 14,2001 Ivan Capelli Replaces Gary Formato At R&M :


Ivan Capelli is replacing Gary Formato at the R&M Riley & Scott team for the Monza 1000kms. The announcement was made today by R&M boss Fabio Montani and will see Ivan pair up with Mauro Baldi who won the corresponding race at Monza last year with Formato.

Of the decision, Montani would only say,"We are sorry that Gary has decided to leave the team but we wish him all the best for the future.Ivan will race at Monza and then we will see who will partner Mauro for the rest of the season."


April 6,2001 Racing for Holland Barcelona:


The Racing For Holland Dome completed its first laps of the Barcelona track in this mornings test sessions which saw the culmination of a race against time for the team that is fronted by 1988 Le Mans winner Jan Lammers.

Team Manager Mark Koense was delighted that the team arrived last night after two weeks of non-stop work to get the car ready for the first race of the year.

"The Dome Company have been amazing." said Mark.I can’t speak highly enough of them. They said our car would arrive on the 23rd of March and it did. They sent over some meachnics to help us build the car, because it arrived in crates, nine of them. It went together beautifully! It was like a huge chess game; every time I walked into the workshop, I could see the progress being made, stage by stage. It was all being built to a schedule, and it was finished on time.

"Jan shook the car down at Zandvoort on Tuesday, and the car just ran. He took it very carefully, as we only had slicks, the wets were waiting for us in Spain. And here we are in Spain, testing it this morning in unofficial practice. Amazing."


April 5,2001 Racing for Holland Dome Barcelona:


The Racing for Holland Dome Judd undertook its first shakedown laps of Zandvoort this morning completing 7 laps .

A spokesman for the team said,"We didn’t experience any problems and it was more for the benefit of the Dutch media to see the car and our new driver."

The new driver is 19 year old Belgian Val Hildebrand, who has raced German F3 the past two years.


April 4,2001 Kremer Names Barcelona Drivers:


Sam Hancock has agreed a late deal to race for the Kremer Lola team at the inaugural FIA Sportscar Championship race at Barcelona this weekend.

The 22 year old who competed in the Stateside Barber Saab series last year, will partner Ralf Kelleners in the Roush prepared V10 Lola B98/K2001 for this race and the remainder of the season.

The deal which sees Sam make his sportscar debut was struck only yesterday (Tuesday)and the team has immediately set off for the Catalan F1 track in time for testing on Friday.

An excited Sam said of the deal;"I am absolutely delighted to be making my debut in the FIA Sportscar Championship with such an illustrious team as Kremer Racing. Their track record speaks for itself and the Lola showed it is a race winner last year. However, with the deal coming together so late, it will be very much a learning curve for me in the first couple of races.My aim is to take in as much as possible and to do everthing step by step.Partnering Ralf in the team will be fantastic and I look forward to working with such a quick and established sportscar racer."

Sam has earned a reputation as a quick and consistent racer throughout his career and has caught the eye of many pundits and talent spotters, including ex Tyrell F1 driver Jonathan Palmer who said of Sam;"He is one of the few drivers that comes as the complete package and is therefore destined for a very bright future."


March 29,2001 Driver Updates:


Ian Khan and Mark Peters will join Martin Henderson in the Schroder Pilbeam Nissan. Whilst Ian raced briefly with the PiR Bruneau team in 1998, Mark has been based in South Africa for the past three seasons racing in the South African Touring Car Championship. Both drivers have proved quick in sportscars in the past and are ready to handle the Pilbeam that in the hands of Redman Bright, took the title last year and by some margin.

Another new driver will be Ben McLoughlin,who will team up with Simon Wiseman in the Pilbeam Nissan entered by the Roy Baker run Swara Racing. Ben briefly tested the Pilbeam at Donington last week before preparing for the two day test at Barcelona next Thursday and Friday.


March 23,2001 Christian Vann Signs With Brums:


Christian Vann will partner Giovanni Lavaggi in the GLV Brums Ferrari Judd for 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship season. " To me the biggest thing is just driving a Ferrari. " said the former GT front runner, " I’m a massive fan and have been for years. To race the 333SP has been an ambition of mine ever since the car came out in 1994. Even now that it has become reality I still feel quite overwhelmed. I can’t wait to get the overalls on and sport the badge, then I can die happy. "

" I am a little sad that the car won’t have the Ferrari engine, but the Judd is so competitive and it sounds just as good as the Ferrari too. "

Christian’s team mate of course will be Giovanni Lavaggi is excited about the new powerplant; " The Judd is said to have reasonably more power and good reliability, so it was quite a logical decision. "

The team will also work on the venerable Dallara built 333SP chassis and Lavaggi too is looking forward to these modifications, " We will introduce these soon as we have found the reliability of the new package, then we will be in a strong position to win races, hopefully in the second half of the year.


March 19,2001 Redman Bright Pleased With Reynard Test:


John Bright the team manager of reigning SR2 champions Redman Bright expressed himself to be delighted with the first serious running of the Reynard O1Q Judd at Monza yesterday.

The Leicestershire based team completed over 600 kilometers at the Autodromo without any problems leaving Bright in bullish mood; " It went like clockwork and whilst we weren't going for times the potential is most definitely good. Both Mark (Smithson) and Peter (Owen) shared the duties and are really getting in to the swing of SR1.Mark coped well after breaking a bone in his arm last month skiing and now we're all set for Barcelona."

Mark Smithson who is also the Managing Director of Reynard Motorsport took time out from his testing duties at Monza to outline Reynards plans for the O1Q in 2001, saying, " We continue to be totally committed to the sportscar market and over the last year have been actively developing our product and planning a long term strategy. The O1Q is the next step in our programme and we are confident it will be a competitive package within the marketplace. We've learnt from our recent entry into sportscars and with a clearer understanding of customer expectations and needs have produced a low cost package for racing series on both sides of the Atlantic."

Reynard has concentrated on improving mechanical reliability and aerodynamic performance with the 01Q. The chassis will gain increased stiffness, improved aerodynamics and an improved engine installation. An all-important weight reduction will be achieved by using fewer components and a simplification of the designs, particularly in the rear chassis sections and the gearbox casing.

The Gemini longitudinal gearbox unit is retained, with the housing design allowing rapid adjustment and accessibility. The aerodynamics of the car have been refined to improve its efficiency, with a new splitter design providing more front downforce, reduced weight and greater rigidity. The rear wing has been developed to complement these changes. At the end of the 2000 season Reynard had indicated that the sportscar project would continue, when Kieron Salter, Reynard Motorsport, summed up the year, commenting, " We moved this project forward at an intensive pace, reacting quickly to the initial engineering problems and addressing the needs for increased reliability. We've achieved an enormous amount in a very short space of time and the car is of a very high standard, with the ability to challenge the manufacturer entrants."


March 6,2001 Latest News:


Formato Re-signs With R&M:

Gary Formato has re-signed with R&M to join Mauro Baldi once more in the Riley & Scott Judd. The South African was one of the stars of the championship in 2000 and with Baldi was the only real challenger to the JMB teams superiority.

The ‘Springbok’ was delighted to have linked up with Fabio Montani’s team once again and is looking to challenge for outright honours once more in 2001; " I’m really fired up for the coming season. I’ve been working as hard as I ever have in the gym and just want to get out there and drive. The new car looks exciting and with Mauro and myself working so well together last year it is good to keep the continuity for the first FIA Sportscar Championship season and with more consistency I think we'll be right up there again. " said the determined winner of last years Monza race.

The team hope to be introducing their new car, which is based on the Riley & Scott that they will begin the season with at Spa in May.


Rowan Racing Shakesdown Pilbeam:

Rowan Racing shook down their new Pilbeam MP84 Nissan on the Silverstone national circuit last Friday and both the teams drivers expressed immediate delight in the SR2 racer.

Both Martin O’Connell and Warren Carway completed a handful of laps in the Mike Pilbeam designed car and left them confident for the season ahead. " It was just a shakedown as the car had come directly from the factory in Lincolnshire. " said O’Connell, " but I still got a good feeling for the car and we just can’t wait to get started for what is going to be a full years racing for us. "

Carway, who has been Martin’s team mate for the past two seasons was just as ebulliant about the forthcoming year. " Martin and I have been training as hard as ever for this season as we know the races will be a lot more physically demanding than F3. The car looks and handles great and we’re all geared up for Barcelona. "


Project 2000 Adds Driver

Roy Baker's Project 2000 team have added former MGF and International GT racer Ian Gibbons to their driving strength for the Monza 1000kms on April 22nd.

The Bournemouth based team have signed Gibbons to share the Tampolli Alfa with Simon Wiseman in the classic event that will see a bumper entry for the SR2 category.

It will be the 32 year olds first race in a prototype after impressing in his outings in Harlow Motorsports Porsche GT3R last year. The North East based racer is impatient to get behind the wheel of the Italian built car; " I can't wait to get stuck in to the 1000kms. It's a race with so much history and just to be able to race at that great track will be a fantastic challenge. I'll be testing the car at Silverstone shortly and I hope to take in more races throughout the season.

Gibbons, a close friend of fellow Sunderland racer and works MG driver Warren Hughes will no doubt be gleaning advice from his mate who scored a famous victory at the Autodromo in a F3000 race there last year.


March 6,2001 Late News From Last Months Barcelona Test:


Although Ascari set the pace at Barcelona, Italians BMS Scuderia Italia and Conrero were close behind with 2000 champion and BMS old boy Christian Pescatori lapping in 1m34. Team regular Marco Zadra also shared the car which will race as number 1 in 2001 in deference to ‘Pesca’s’ achievement last year.

Angelo Zadra/Enzo Calderari/Lilian Bryner combination was at Barcelona and recorded a best of 1m 35.75s. Both cars were running with carbon brakes that have been allowed in to the regulations for the 2001 season. Sporting manager Tiziano Minuti was more than satisfied with the test; " We got some very good running in and completed 2000kms. The drivers quickly adapted to the new brakes and of course the Goodyear tyres which are very new to us. We will be testing some new aerodynamic modifications at a local airport next week before another test at Monza on March 14th before the first race. "

The Desio based Conrero team completed just as many miles in their pair of Riley & Scotts. Alex Caffi, Andrea Chiesa and 1999 SR2 champion Angelo Lancelotti shared the driving, putting miles on the newly installed Roush V8 engine that the team were testing for the very first time.

Team boss Oscar Bersili said of the test; " It was a very worthwhile test for us and we learnt many things from so much running. We were not competing for times and despite a few very small problems the whole team is very encouraged by the reliability that the new engine showed. "

Conrero are also likely to be at Monza next month with both their cars before heading back to Barcelona for the first race of the season.

Team Sovereign were also present albeit with team owner Mike Millard's old Prosport 3000 chassis. The Rapier 6 which will be on the grid at Barcelona in April was still being worked on after a heavy off at Silverstone before Christmas. Both Millard and Ian Flux were learning the circuit in preparation for their 2001 assault.


March 1,2001 REYNARD INVESTS IN SPORTSCAR DEVELOPMENT FOR 2001:


Reynard Motorsport has developed its 2KQ-LM sports racing car in preparation for this year's race season with the new car, the 01Q, set to be out on track in Europe and the USA. The original model, launched in autumn 1999 for the 2000 season, has had intensive development over the last year, with an R & D programme improving the 2KQ-LM and providing feedback in readiness for the next evolution of the car. Building on the developments of the 2KQ-LM, the 01Q will be used for both LMP 900 and LMP 675 classes of endurance sportscar racing with engine installation and aerodynamic packages available to suit customer requirements.

Mark Smithson, Managing Director, Reynard Motorsport, explains the plans for the O1Q, saying, "We continue to be totally committed to the sportscar market and over the last year have been actively developing our product and planning a long term strategy. The O1Q is the next step in our programme and we are confident it will be a competitive package within the marketplace. We've learnt from our recent entry into sportscars and with a clearer understanding of customer expectations and needs have produced a low cost package for racing series on both sides of the Atlantic."

Reynard has concentrated on improving mechanical reliability and aerodynamic performance with the 01Q. The chassis will gain increased stiffness, improved aerodynamics and an improved engine installation. An all-important weight reduction will be achieved by using fewer components and a simplification of the designs, particularly in the rear chassis sections and the gearbox casing.

The Gemini longitudinal gearbox unit is retained, with the housing design allowing rapid adjustment and accessibility. The aerodynamics of the car have been refined to improve its efficiency, with a new splitter design providing more front downforce, reduced weight and greater rigidity. The rear wing has been developed to complement these changes. At the end of the 2000 season Reynard had indicated that the sportscar project would continue, when Kieron Salter, Reynard Motorsport, summed up the year, commenting, "We moved this project forward at an intensive pace, reacting quickly to the initial engineering problems and addressing the needs for increased reliability. We've achieved an enormous amount in a very short space of time and the car is of a very high standard, with the ability to challenge the manufacturer entrants.

"In the ALMS, Johansson Matthews Racing were classed 4th overall for the year, the highest placed privateer team. With five examples of the car at Le Mans 24 Hour race, the 2KQ had a promising debut, with strong pace and the ROC Auto team displayed this at Nurburgring with a convincing win in the LMP675 class. The Reynard 2KQ has been quick right from the outset, but we've been let down by small problems which have masked the true potential of the car. That's all behind us now and we're moving on to 200l, with a comprehensive update kit to prepare ourselves for another season. We are looking forward to some exciting announcements for our 2001 programme."

The 01Q is expected to be seen in sportscar racing on both sides of the Atlantic and it is planned for the marque to be represented at Le Mans 24 Hour Race for the second year running. Further announcements are due to be released shortly.




February 27,2001 Ben Collins Signs For Ascari :


After an impressive debut test at the Circuit de Catalunya (Barcelona), Ben Collins has been signed by Team Ascari to compete in the FIA Sportscar Championship and Le Mans.

"We knew Ben was quick before we tested him, he's proved that, and he's got the hunger and approach for racing we need to be successful this year", Ian Dawson (Ascari Team Manage

"Ben did a great job in the test under some difficult conditions with oil on the circuit. He did a very good time on old tyres after only 10 laps in the car and he's got the right kind of attitude", Brian Ireland (Team Engineer).

"This is a really great opportunity for me and I've always dreamt of racing at Le Mans. Ascari is a fantastic team and the car is awesome to drive, so I expect to see us running at the front this season!",

The 25 year old Collins will most likely partner Werner Lupberger in the lead Ascari A410-Judd.

Photo Coutersy:ASCARI



February 21,2001 Barcelona Testing- Ascari :


Team Ascari set a blistering pace at an unofficial test at the Circuit Du Catalunya on Monday and Tuesday. Their test however included a frightening re-fuelling fire that left one of the mechanics needing hospital treatment.

The pit drama took place on Monday when in a mock pit stop, fuel spilt on to the engine cover.Despite it being dealt with immediately, New Zealander Don Flemming was caught in the blaze and had to be treated for superficial burns. Driver, Werner Lupberger also had a lucky escape. " It was really scary " said the 'Springbok', " my arm and helmet were well alight but I must say that these nomex racing suits really do the job well and I wasn't hurt at all. I feel for Don, but after he was treated he flew home with us and I'm sure he'll recover okay."

The team were forced to miss the rest of the day but returned on Tuesday morning where Werner took the wheel once more and set consistent times in the mid 1m34's before peaking at 1m32.200s,which is over a second inside the official lap record."

Werner was more than happy with the performance of the A410 which was running with carbon brakes for the duration of the test. " Apart from the obvious it was a good test and we did a lot of running on Tuesday.The carbon brakes don't feel that different to the steel ones, maybe a bit more consistent but we're pretty happy with the way the potential of the car is being unlocked.

The South African handed over to Ben Collins on Tuesday afternoon and the former F3 race winner settled in well to his new environs. " It is one superb car, " said the Exeter based racer "." It feels a lot like a single seater and after playing myself in, I got to know it really quickly and despite being on old tyres I was regularly in the low 1m 36's and that was with a lot of oil on the track, which of course didn't help my cause. But the whole package greatly impressed me and the Judd guys are really pushing that V10."

The 25 year old is keen to get a race seat in the FIA Sportscar Championship after years in F3 and the stateside Indy Lights series.

Photo Coutersy:ASCARI



February 19,2001 New Name For Nielsen Dome Team:


John Nielsen will run his Dome S101-Judd under the RN (Ree/Nielsen) Motorsport banner this year and is set to be the first to shake down the all new protoype in the next two weeks.

The former Le Mans and Daytona winner is teaming up with former Panoz works racer Hiroki Katoh and the first tests will take place on March 8th and 9th at Aida in Japan.

The new team will be based in Newbury and the team manager will be Karl Patman who has been Nielsen’s chief mechanic since the McLaren GTR days in the mid nineties when John won the BPR GT title with Thomas Bscher.


February 19,2001 2001 FIA Sportscar Testing:


Several FIA Sportscar teams are currently testing at Barcelona in preparation for the beginning of the 2001 season. Ascari, BMS Scuderia Italia, Conrero, Team Sovereign and BM Autosport are all taking part in the two day private test organised by former entrant Gigi Taverna.

Team Ascari will have regular pilot Werner Lupberger in the car today before the South African will hand over to Ben Collins tomorrow. The former F3 and Indy Lights front runner is looking to lay a claim for a race seat alongside the rapid ‘Springbok’but the team are likely to test at least one more driver besides Collins.

BMS and Conrero are shaking their cars down after the winter months and BM Autosport will have regular pilots Renato Nobili and Massimo Monti on hand. Team Sovereignwill use the test to shake their car down as it has been rebuilt after a testing crash at Silverstone just before Christmas. Ian Flux and Mike Millard will share the duties.


February 15,2001 Avon Tire To Support SR1:


Just days after announcing support for the european ELMS Avon Tire will noww support the SR1 class in the FIA Sportscar Championship.

The company are working to get the new tyres ready for the pre season test that takes place at Barcelona on 6th April.

" Avon Racing has supplied competitive SRII tyres for the past 2 years and now look forward to complement the SRWC tyre programme with the new SR1 product range ", said Avon Racing's, Sales Liaison Manager - Robert Meaton.

Avon's SRII tyres were generally praised last year for their durability and grip in the greasy conditions that accompanied most of the World Cup races.


February 13,2001 Project 2000 Pilbeam and Tampolli :


The Roy Baker run Project 2000 team could run two different chassis in this years FIA Sportscar Championship SRII division.

That is the hope of racing veteren Baker, whose team finished third in last years finale at Kyalami. " We could run a Pilbeam in tandem with the Tampolli, both with Nissan engines, and as I have had a lot of interest from prospective drivers then I don't see why that won't happen in at least some of the rounds. " said the former Group C2 entrant

The Bournemoth based team have been in negotiations with 'Frederico Careca', Simon Wiseman and Bernardo Sa Nogueira, all of whom competed with the team in 2000. All three are expected to race for Project 2000 at stages throughout the year and with other drivers also being attracted to the team it looks like the Pilbeam that is owned by GT racer Rob Schirle will be seen in the FIA Sportscar Championship from Monza onwards.


February 8,2001 BMS Scudeia To Run Revised Ferrari 333SP:


One of the teams scarlet cars will have revised radiator intakes and other aerodynamic mods that will dramatically change the look of the classic prototype that has won over 50 races in its seven year history.

The teams chief engineer Marco Gadola said: " We are unlikely to have the new developments before the Monza 1000kms but we are sure that when we introduce them they will help the weight distribution of the whole car. "

Christian Pescatori has now been confirmed as a driver in that car along with Marco Zadra who stays with the team for a third season after failing to pen a F3000 deal. The partnership will be together for all bar 3 of this years races, as Christian will be away on FIA GT duty. Philipp Peter or Fabrizio Giovanardi could deputise for the 2000 champion in those rounds.


February 8,2001 Conrero R&S Drivers:


Alex Caffi, Beppe Gabbiani and Andrea Chiesa will all race for the Conrero team in this years FIA Sportscar Championship. Caffi who raced together with Chiesa in the Target 24 Riley & Scott in 1998 are however unlikely to link up again. Alex is set to partner 1999 SR2 champion Angelo Lancelotti who raced briefly with the team last year.

Swiss born Chiesa will link up with Gabbiani who has been a regular for the Desio based team in the last couple of seasons. Beppe, who is a former works Lancia driver will not contest all the races and Ettore Bonaldi will deputise for his fellow Italian in at least three events.

Conrero, which has recently undergone a change of ownership, are confident that both their Riley & Scotts will challenge for outright victories from the very first race.

Photo Coutersy:SRWC



February 8,2001 New AJEC-BMW SRII:


Another new chassis the AJEC-BMW will make its debut in the FIA Sportscar Championship.

The car has been built by David Brunsdon at his Gloucester workshops and will embark on testing this week at Pembrey in Wales. Brunsdon himself will race the car together with Howard Spooner, a Pro Sport 3000 and Radical race winner.

The attractive looking chassis is powered by a V6 BMW engine that the team has also built up with some advice from BMW Motorsport themselves. " They have been very helpful with this project, " said Brunsdon, " and now we are embarking on a test programme to see the true potential of the car. "

AJEC has prepared BMW’s for years in British Championships and will continue the link with the SR2 racer. AJEC Racing also build and develop vehicles for the Film and Television industries. Working with the Production team, providing the vehicles, re-modelling, and adapting vehicles with all safety aspects for stunt sequences.

Brunsdon plans to have the car at the first race in Barcelona but much will depend on the tests in the forthcoming tests.

Photo Coutersy:SRWC



February 1,2001 Five Tampollis For 2001 ?:


There could be as many as five Tampolli chassis in this years FIA Sportscar Championship after it was announced in Neunkirchen, Austria yesterday that the Renauer Motorsport team will field one of the 1999 Championship winning cars this year. Other Tampolli's that are set to be on the grid in Barcelona are the BM Autosport car that won at Magny Cours last year, a Project 2000 run chassis and two of the 'works' examples from Raffaele himself.

The team which is run by Josef Renauer has been a successful operation in the Austrian F3 series and the SCC CN series that runs cars similar to the SR2 division that they are competing in this year. The team will shortly take delivery of the new RTA 99 and their all Austrian driver line up includes the experienced Manfred Jurasz who has previously raced in the FIA GT series. Other drivers set to compete throughout the year will be Hannes Gsell, Gottfried Cepin, and 18 year old Victoria Schneider who has been causing a stir in the German Formula Konig series.

The team will be backed by Castrol Austria and Remus Sport and team boss Josef Renauer is looking forward to the challenge ahead, " To take the step up to the FIA Sportscar Championship is a big one for us but in the first year it is our intention to get as much experience as possible in this series, and to achieve a few surprises for an Austrian Racing Team with the Tampolli chassis. "


January 29,2001 BMS Scuderia Italia News:


Enzo Calderari, Lilian Bryner and Angelo Zadra will embark on a second year with BMS Scuderia Italia in 2001 at the wheel of the same Ferrari 333SP that they finished equal sixth in the drivers standings last year.

For the Swiss pair it will be a fourth consecutive season in the championship and with the consistancy they showed in 2000 (only one none finish, in the series finale in South Africa) another strong showing is almost certain.

Sporting Director Tiziano Minuti was delighted that the trio had been re-signed, " All three drivers do an excellent job and know the chassis very well. We hope to score as many points with that car as we did last year. ".

Concerning the other 333SP that will race alongside this car, the team would only say that they are in negotiations with a host of drivers.It is also believed that BMS oldboy and last years champion Christian Pescatori could return to the Brescia based outfit for limited races in 2001, supplementing his GT outings with JMB and their Ferrari 360. Philipp Peter is also considering embarking on a similar schedule, dovetailing the Porsche Supercup with a limited programme of FIA races.


January 29,2001 MBR's New 2001 Chassis and Drivers:


MBR's New 2001 Chassis and Drivers Mark Bailey Racing will compete with a new chassis in 2001 and a pair of newly signed drivers. Rob Croydon and Scott Stringfellow will pilot the new car from the Chippenham based constructor. Team founder and boss Mark Bailey has pushed ahead the building of the new car and reckons to be testing it by early March. " It's essentially an evolution of the MBR972 but with an all new suspension and roll bar structure. We will keep the Rover engine for the first part of the season but we are not ruling out other options in the future."


January 29,2001 Arturo Merzario To Drive:


Former works Ferrari F1 and sportscar driver and all round racing legend Arturo Merzario will be back in the FIA Sportscar Championship this year at the wheel of Pierre Bruneau's Debora BMW. He will partner Bruneau himself and ex F3000 racer Marc Rostan.

The impish veteren renowned for his stetson and obligatory cigarette ppreviously raced in the ISRS with Centenari and Giudici and then the SportsRacing World Cup with Tampolli. He also had a one off race with the PiR Debora at Kyalami in 1999.

PiR boss Pierre Bruneau was delighted by the signing " To have a driver with the reputation and charisma of Arturo is a big boost to the team and I am sure that with all his experience he will be a big asset."

Pierre will embark on his third full year in the category and will as ever be backed by his own Orphee marketing business.He will contest all the FIA rounds and has indicated that this year he will not be entering Le Mans.


January 18,2001 Ascari News :


Ascari will enter one of their A410-Judds in the FIA Sportscar Championship with Werner Lupberger and an up and coming youngster driving.

The team are geared up to challenge for championship honours in the striking Judd engined machine and team boss John McNeil has hinted that Werners team mate is going to be a young charger in a similar vein to the Silverstone domiciled 'Springbok' who impressed so mightily last year.

A shoot out test is scheduled to take place in Spain next month and a short list of 3 to 4 drivers is thought to have been drawn up. McNeil says that he " wants someone on Werners pace who wants to make a name for themselves. Young guys like Werner are hungry and keen to make an impression and that is the whole philosophy of the team. "

Team principal and founder Klass Zwart also plans to run up to three cars at Le Mans this year where it is believed that Werner and his future FIA team mate will also race. Of the news, Werner said " Obviously I'm delighted to have a drive at this early stage in the season. It shows good faith the team has had in me from my races last year. The plans are exciting and I am sure that we can turn the promise of last year in to solid results this year. "


January 15,2001 Redman Bright Reynard 2KQ :


SR2 champions Redman Bright will shortly take delivery of their new Reynard 2KQ that they will race in the SR1 division of this years FIA Sportscar Championship. Two of the teams mechanics are completing the build up of the car at Reynards Bicester headquarters and the team plan to test the car at the beginning of February.

Team boss John Bright was looking forward to the task ahead and commented, " It should be at the (Redman Bright) factory by the end of the month and we will then get to know the car with some tests at home and abroad before the Barcelona race. Everyone in the team is looking forward to moving up in to the top category and from what I hear the competition is going to be even tougher this year. "

The 2000 SR2 series winning partnership of Peter Owen and Mark Smithson will stay together in the Reynard and the Redman Bright team is currently in negotiations with drivers for the SR2 Pilbeam which they plan to run alongside the Reynard.




January 15,2001 Conrero To Run 2 Cars :


The Conrero team will have two Riley & Scott cars in this years FIA Sportscar Championship. The Italian team that is run by Oscar Bersili will run two of the American chassis but with differing engines installeed. One will have the Roush V8 engine whilst the other will be powered by a Heini Mader tuned Cosworth V10.

There will be some familiar faces in the cockpits of the Conrero cars with Beppe Gabbiani, Felipe Ortiz and Felice Tedeschi having already inked deals. Bersili is also talking to Alex Caffi about a seat for the ex Dallara and Osella F1 driver.

The team plan to test the new Roush engine at Misano at the end of the month before undertaking more running at Magione.

Photo Coutersy:SRWC


January 12,2001 2001 Den Bla Avis To Campaign Dome:


John Nielsen announced yesterday at the Autosport International Auto Show that Team Den Bla Avis will switch from its Panoz to the all new Dome S-101, in partnership with Team Goh in 2001. The car will run with a Judd V-10. His co-driver will be Hiroki Katoh in the FIA Sports Car Championship and at Le Mans where the two looked to be joined by Casper Elgard.

Photo Coutersy:Dome


January 12,2001 2001 Sporting and Technical Regulations:


The 2001 Sporting and Technical Regulations for the FIA Sportscar Championship have been released. You can view them with Acrobat Reader here.


December 20,2000 Mauro Baldi Re-signed for R&M:


Mauro Baldi has re-signed for R&M for 2001. The Italian veteren will continue the relationship with Fabio Montani's team after a successful partnership this year which saw them win at Monza and score two other podium positions. Baldi explained yeterday that,

I have developed a good relationship with Fabio this year and the new car is progressing well. I am confident that like this year we can challenge for race wins and do some good development with the new chassis, and of course we know that the Judd engine is the probably the most powerful out there at the moment. "

R&M will run the Riley & Scott for the first race before introducing their new car, possibly for Monza or Spa. Mauro is also " 99% sure " to be racing the new Crawford at Daytona in February.


December 8,2000 Rule Changes and Schedule:


Rules changes instituted for the cars include rear underfloor diffusers and carbon brakes, which means that the series will not include the Daytona 24 Hours in February, since diffusers and carbon brakes are not permitted in the Grand-Am.

For the Sports Racing Cars Light Class the minimum weight is 720 kg, the engine must be normally aspirated derived from a volume production engine with a maximum of six cylinders. Cylinder capacity must be between 2700 and 3000 cm3.

The 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship schedule will be as follows: April 8, Barcelona; April 22, Monza; May 13, Spa; July 1, Brno; July 15, Misano; July 29, Magny-Cours; Aug. 26, Donington; Sept. 16, Nurburgring; Nov. 25, Kyalami.


December 6,2000 Latest News:


- BMS Scuderia Italia are likely to stick with their pair of Ferrari 333SPs next year before possibly embarking on " an exciting project" for the 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship. The Brescia based outfit were known to have had discussions with Audi about running privateer R8’s but it is thought that the teams close relationship with Dallara (who built F3000 and F1 cars for them) could result in a pair of the Chrysler engined cars being run the year after next.

- Ferrari stalwarts GLV Brums are talking to Lola about running one of the Huntingdon built B2/K10’s next year. Team principal and driver Giovanni Lavaggi though is still keen to race the 333SP that took pole position and finished 3rd at Kyalami last weekend but it is unlikely that the Monaco based team will run both.

- Former F1 entrant Guido Forti is also rumoured to be interested in the B2K and was at Kyalami with the Durango team at the weekend.

- Kenyan domiciled Brit, Simon Wiseman had a superb SportsRacing World Cup debut at Kyalami last weekend. The former Renault Clio V6 front runner harried the Lola of Stanley Dickens in the early stages but eventually finished third in the SR2 category with the Tampolli Alfa, much to the satisfaction of Roy Baker who plans to run the car with a Nissan engine in 2001.

- Redman Bright will take delivery of their new Reynard 2KQ sportsracer at the beginning of January and start testing at the end of that month. Peter Owen is scheduled to do the bulk of the initial shakedowns but as yet there is no decision on what engines the teams will mate to the Bicester built chassis. The popular opinion is that the Judd V10 will be powering the SR1 car and a decision just after the New Year should be announced at the cars launch.

- The Imola date for the 2001 SportsRacing World Cup has been confirmed for the 15th July 2001. Surprisingly it will be the first time that a major sportscar race has been held at the home of the San Marino Grand Prix. The securing of the Imola race means that all bar one of next years calender will be held on Formula One tracks.

- The FIA Sportscar Championship will be pleased to welcome the genial Gabriele Rafanelli back to the series that he competed in with the BMW engined Riley & Scott's in 1998. The Italian is returning to Europe with 2 or possibly 3 cars to take the challenge to the regular competitors in SR1. One of Gabriele’s targets is sure to be the Monza 1000kms where the team will relish challenging for honours on their home track.

- The Promec car designed by Giuseppe Angiulli should also make it debut at the Monza 1000kms event after recently passing its crash test.The car is designed by Giuseppe Angiulli who for the past couple of years has engineered for the Rafanelli squad.

- The Italian constructors are hard at work over the winter building more of the popular chassis such as the Lucchini that will expand the Audisio & Benvenuto to two cars. That will also be the case for the ‘works’ team and sometime Siliprandi racer Mauro Prospero has just ordered one for his new outfit to run for the whole 2001 season.

- Mark Bailey will be in charge of a new outfit in the FIA Sportscar Championship in 2001 and like the Den Bla Avis team in SR1 the new look team will have a Danish flavour to it. Running a development of the MBR Rover that he ran sporadically this year, Mark has signed two, as yet unnamed drivers to contest the whole series. Known as Jess Racing, Mark will head up the engineering of the car that will still bare his name and a move from rocker to push rod front suspension will be the most striking tweak on the chassis. The outfit is set to be launched sometime in the New Year.


December 5,2000 Kremer Racing tests developed Roush engine:


After the victory at Kyalami/ZA on Sunday, 26.11.00, the Kremer Team tested the following day on the same track Roush's latest evolution for sport prototypes. Due to thunder and lightning test driver Ralf Kelleners could not run a full race distance. Nevertheless all participants were satisfied with the first results and are hopping to continue as soon as possible. But winter time delays the next step. It is planed to power also the Kremer K9 with the developed Roush engine.


November 29,2000 2001 Reynard 01Q:


New Reynard christened The 2001 model Reynard LMP900/SR1 sports-racer will be dubbed the 01Q says managing director Mark Smithson. It will be stiffer at the rear, around the gearbox, have revised front suspension geometry and a new splitter. Smithson will race the O1Q with Peter Owen in the FIA Sportscar Championship.

November 29,2000 Ferrari 333sp Teams To Continue:


Both the BMS Scuderia Italia and GLV Brums teams plan to run their Ferrari 333 SP sports cars for a further season in the FIA Sportscar Championship, although the 1994 design is showing its age. "The chassis is excellent, the problem is that the 4-litre engine is no longer really competitive" said Giovanni Lavaggi after claiming pole position at Kyalami. "The engine is at the end of its development, but I think we will continue for another year."

Tiziano Minuti, sporting director of BMS Scuderia Italia, says he hopes to keep the entire team intact for the '01 season. "We will continue with the Ferrari chassis and the Ferrari engine, and I hope with the same drivers," he said.

Photo Coutersy:SRWC


November 26,2000 Kremer Victory - Dramatic Finale:


Local ace Gary Formato and long time Kremer driver Ralf Kelleners scored a dramatic victory at Kyalami this afternoon making it the Cologne based teams first International sportscar win since the Monza 1000kms in 1998.

Photo Coutersy:SRWC


After taking the lead from pole position winner Nicolas Filiberti in the GLV Brums car, Johannesburg resident Formato stretched in to a comfortable lead before handing over to Ralf. The former Porsche works driver continued toward the flag with a 50 second lead before a fuel pick up problem slowed him with just three minutes of the 2 hour 30 minute race to go.

Quick thinking by the Kremer mechanics saw Ralf come in for a top up of fuel in an effort to cure the mystery problem and as he exited the pits his cushion had shrunk to 20 seconds. Despite what seemed like a clean getaway from his pit, the problem continued and the fast approaching Marco Zadra in the number 23 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari was baring down on the Roush powered car all the while on that last, very long lap.

In to the final corners Ralf just had enough momentum to hold off Zadra and less than four seconds covered the two as they passed the flag. For Kelleners it was a heart stopping few laps, " That was really scary. I just could not believe what was happening and I radioed the team to get ready to put more fuel in as I thought it might cure the misfire. I was certainly aware that Zadra was catching me and there was absolutely nothing I could do. ".

Team boss Erwin Kremer embraced both drivers as the Lola just made it back to parc ferme. It was a great win at last for Kremer and also the Roush company whose V8 motor is being developed further in a test at Kyalami tomorrow. Roush engineer and project manager Thomas Albert was ecstatic with the win. " We have had a great weekend here and just about everything has gone right, apart from that small problem at the end. But it is our first win in the World Cup and it feels fantastic.

If there was joy in the Kremer garage the atmosphere in the BMS Scuderia Italia pit was slightly more subdued, although Philipp Peter who did the opening two stints was happy with a relatively trouble free race to the runner up position and an overall second place in the drivers points standings. " We had a good strategy on the tyres as I think we were the only ones who changed at the first stop and that gave us a little more grip in the middle section of the race. It was a shame that Kremer's problem did not happen a couple of laps sooner, but really it is a very cruel way to lose a race, I know as it has happened to me before. "

Rounding out the podium places was the GLV Brums car that led the opening laps before succumbing to the Lola. Nicolas Filiberti lost second gear after just 12 laps and from there on in it was always going to be a struggle for the Achim Stroth led team.

John Nielsen came home in a slightly disappointing fourth place after a unique strategy of filling their car up in three earlier than usual pit stops and going the last hour without stopping. This may have paid off but the Dane lost time when he exited the pits with an airgun still attached to the car. Luckily for him it eventually flew off at Clubhouse Corner but the slow lap had cost the team dear and they finished a lap down from the top three.

Another good performance on home ground came from Earl Goddard in the Team Durango GMS Mader. The youngster handed over to Soheil Ayari in fifth place and the rapid Frenchman finished just 14 seconds from the fourth placed Panoz.

The only retirement in the SR1 category was the normally reliable Ferrari 333SP of Enzo Calderari/Lilian Bryner and Angelo Zadra. In fact this was their first retirement of the year after a clutch and jamming throttle problem caused them to park after 12 laps. The Simpson Matrix had a clean race after all their problems in qualify and both Robin Smith and young American Marcos development driver, Dan Schryvers were happy to get a full race distance in, after set up time was limited to the 15 minute warm up session this morning.

The Lola of Stanley Dickens and Fredrick Ekblom won SR2. The Swedish pairing’s Nissan engined B2K/40 didn’t miss a beat and headed the Redman Bright Pilbeam by a lap. For Stanley, the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours winner it was more than he had expected, " We had no significant problems all weekend and the race went very smoothly for us today. Fredrick should take a lot of the credit for the win as he did the majority of the running here this weekend. I hope he can do some of the races with us next year. "

Photo Coutersy:SRWC


Rounding out the SR2 podium was the Tampolli run by longtime Sportscar entrant Roy Baker. The Italian built chassis in the hands of former Renault Clio V6 racer Simon Wiseman battled with the Lola in the early stages and the team were satisfied with an eventual third place.

SCI had a frustrating time in the race with an early electrical problem losing them five laps in the pits. The all-Italian pair did not lose heart however and Raniere Randaccio and Massimo Perazza battled on to an eventual 14th place overall.

The full grid of 25 cars saw only eight retirements in the scorching late morning sun and with the two invitation classes enjoying exciting battles throughout the field the action was spread all over the 4.257 kilometre track.

In one of the classes, the Wesbank V8 series, 1980’s Group C regular Sarel Van Der Merwe and his team mate Riian Botma dominated with a convincing display to see off the challenge of the father and son team of Larry and Terry Wilford. The Vodacom Sports Prototype series was much closer with Donovan Roscoe and Wotjek Pieron battling with the Groger brothers, eventually taking what was their seventh win of the season.

A more dramatic finish could not have been scripted today and with Gary Formato delighting the hordes of his home fans it was an appropriate way to finish a spectacular SportsRacing World Cup season. There will of course be much more to come in 2001 when the FIA Sportscar Championship will bring more teams, constructors and world class drivers to battle it out on some of the worlds best circuits.

KyalamiSportsRacing Car - Race Results

1 10 Formato Kelleners Kremer Racing Lola B98 K2000 Rousch Ford 2:30:55.835 88

2 23 Peter Zadra BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 333 SP 2:30:59.135 88

3 3 Filiberti Lavaggi GLV Brums Ferrari 333 SP 2:31:37.818 88

4 8 Neilsen Elgaard Team Den Bla Avis Panoz Spyder LMP 2:31:20.992 87 5 21 Goddard Ayari Durango GMS LMP1 Mader 2:31:34.839 87 6 18 Smith Schryvers Simpson Engineering Matrix XP 2:31:26.031 79

SportsRacing Lights - Race Results

1 76 Dickens Ekblom Sportscar Racing Team Sweden Lola B2K 40 Nissan 2:31:21.961 85

2 63 Owen Smithson Redman Bright Pilbeam MP84 Nissan 2:31:11.658 84

3 71 Wiseman Careca Project 2000 Tampolli RS-RT A99 Alfa Romeo 2:31:26.969 83

4 72 Randaccio Perazza SCI Lucchini Alfa Romeo 2:32:09.208 75




November 25,2000 Kyalami - Qualifying :


Monaco based GLV Brums scored their second pole position of the year in a thrilling qualifying session at a sweltering Kyalami this afternoon. Giovanni Lavaggi left it until the dying minutes of the 40-minute session to narrowly beat the Kremer Lola by just two tenths of a second.

Photo Coutersy:SRWC


After changing the set up of their 333SP, Lavaggi used all the kerbs and a little bit more to head a four car train that is covered by less than a second. In third and fourth places are the Nielsen/Elgard Panoz and the Peter/Zadra Ferrari but it was the ex Minardi F1 racer who was the star of the session, " It was a very hard lap, the track is very slippery here and it is difficult to know exactly where the limit is. The Goodyear tyres have helped us a lot so far and we think that they have the edge over the others at this circuit. I hope that advantage remains in the race. "

The drama began at the start of qualifying when local ace Gary Formato and the BMS Ferrari of Philipp Peter exchanged times at the head of the field. Gary tried his hardest on his home track but ultimately had to yield to the spectacular Lavaggi. " I am not too disappointed as it is a long race tomorrow and I’m confident that we have a great race set up. It looks like it will be a very close four way battle in the race and the fact that it is in the morning in cooler conditions could make the opening few laps very entertaining indeed. " said the South African

If Giovanni was on the limit in the later stages of the session, then John Nielsen was right on the edge. The ‘Great Dane’ delighted spectators with a classic display of car control that saw him use every inch of kerb and on more than one occasion some of the singed Kyalami grass. It wasn’t quite enough though and the Den Bla Avis backed car starts in third, just four hundredths of a second behind the Lola.

Photo Coutersy:SRWC


Philipp Peter was not happy to be back in 4th place after being one of the pacesetters in free practice. The blonde Austrian had experimented with set-ups this morning and felt that he had not re-found the speed that his 333SP had yesterday. The sister car of Angelo Zadra/Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner wound up 6th after some typically consistent lappery.

Sandwiching the Brescia based Ferraris is the Durango GMS Mader of Soheil Ayari and local ace Earl Goddard. Soheil hurled the distinctive car around the 4.26 kilometre track and was only half a second behind the Peter car.

The Lola B2K/40 of Stanley Dickens and Fredrick Ekblom claimed pole on their World Cup debut. Ekblom, the former Courage works driver at Le Mans was delighted with the performance of the Nissan engined car that beat the already crowned SR2 champions Redman Bright. " The car feels really stable out there and finding a base set up has been no problem over the past few days. The presence of Brian Anderson who has worked in the States with the car this year has helped us a lot and no it just remains for us to have a good clean race. "

Photo Coutersy:SRWC


Mark Smithson was only half a second behind the Lola and the Reynard Cars Managing Director felt he could have got the SR2 pole had he been on new tyres. The Tampolli Alfa run by Roy Baker and driven by Simon Wiseman and ‘Frederico Careca' was third in class and Wiseman was relishing his first time in the SR2 category. " These cars are fantastic to drive and I can’t wait for the race tomorrow. There is so much more grip than I thought there would be and now that I have found the limit of the car I think we can improve another second at least after the warm up. ".

Team SCI and the Simpson Matrix bring up the rear of the SportsRacing grid with both cars troubled by a lack of running in the free sessions. A sticking throttle that spun Dan Schryvers in to the wall compounded the Matrix’ problems after ECU problems yesterday. The light impact knocked the rear wing askew, effectively ending his session.

Joining the SportsRacing World Cup field is the Wesbank V8 and VSP sportscars and South African sportscar legend Sarel Van Der Merwe claimed pole for the V8 category. The ex Kremer Group C pilot shares his V8 beast with Riaan Botma and they were a second ahead of father and son team, Larry and Terry Wilford.

The smartly turned out Vodacom Sports Prototypes were headed by the Donovan Roscoe and Wotjek Pieron car that set a best of 1m50.554s, half a second up on the Alan Eve and George Ferreira machine. Both these invitation classes are sure to match the close battles that look set to thrill a big crowd tomorrow morning.

With four different constructors in the first five places on the SR1 grid another classic dice on the sweeping circuit where International Motorsport thrives on the track known in Zulu as ‘My Home’ and where tomorrow Gary Formato fans will be willing their man on to recreate his victory here in 1998.

Qualifying Times:

SportsRacing Car

1 3 Lavaggi Filiberti GLV Brums Ferrari 333 SP 1:36.126

2 10 Formato Kelleners Kremer Racing Lola B98 K2000 Roush Ford 1:36.796

3 8 Nielsen Elgaard Team Den Bla Avis Panoz Spyder LMP 1:36.624

4 23 Zadra Peter BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 333 SP 1:36.939

5 21 Goddard Ayari Durango GMS LMP1 Mader 1:37.587

6 22 Zadra Calderari BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 333 SP 1:38.651

8 18 Smith Schryvers Simpson Engineering 2:17.184

SportsRacing Lights

1 76 Dickens Ekblom Sportscar Racing Team Sweden Lola B2K 40 Nissan 1:41.648

2 63 Owen Smithson Redman Bright Pilbeam MP84 Nissan 1:42.159

3 71 Careca Wiseman Project 2000 Tampolli RS-RT A99. Alfa Romeo 1:44.464

4 72 Randaccio Perazza SCI Lucchini. Alfa Romeo 1:45.135




November 24,2000 Kyalami - Free Practice News :


Ferrari and Lola shared the top spots in today’s two free practice sessions in readiness for tomorrow’s battle for pole position on the sweeping AA Kyalami circuit.

The first session saw Gary Formato set a quickest time in the Kremer Lola B98/K2000, and the rapid ‘Springbok’ surprised everyone with a 1m38.258s on only his 9th lap in the car. Gary knows the track like the back of his hand but the Vodacom backed driver still impressed everyone by getting to grips with the Roush powered car.

The first four were separated by no more than half a second in both sessions with the Panoz of Nielsen and Elgard just over a tenth behind the German car. Philipp Peter in the second of the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari’s was third, but the Austrian got his own back in the second session with the days quickest time of 1m37.983s. Another of the Maranello V12’s driven by Kyalami debutant Nicolas Filiberti wound up 3rd in the later session with an impressive 1m39.506s.

In SR2 the new Lola of Stanley Dickens and Fredrick Ekblom just edged the series winning Pilbeam of Mark Smithson and Peter Owen, whilst the Tampolli entered by former Group C entrant Roy Baker bedded in new drivers, Simon Wiseman and ‘Frederico Careca’.

Team Durango like most teams worked on set up throughout the sessions and Soheil Ayari set there best of 1m40.185. Matrix had ECU dramas and failed to register a lap whilst the SCI Lucchini lapped consistently in the 1m48’s to head up the Sportsracing field.


November 17,2000 Team Rowan Join Series :


British Formula Three team, Rowan Racing will compete in the 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship with a 2001 Pilbeam MP84 Nissan. The Walsall based team is led by former hillclimb champion Ray Rowan and the Midlander will run his nephew Martin O’Connell and Irishman Warren Carway.

Ray said, " This is a new programme for us in a highly competitive international series and it will require a concentrated effort on everybody’s behalf. It is new to us all and we are going in to this season with realistic expectations of winning races and the championship. It is with this in mind that we have decided not to contest the Daytona 24 hours in February, instead concentrating on being fully prepared for Barcelona on April 8th. "

The team will continue to be backed by loyal sponsors thealphaclub.com who are an Internet based lifestyle organisation. They backed the team in Formula Three this year, taking on more established teams like Stewart Racing and Fortec Motorsport. The team also plans to seek an entry for the classic Le Mans 24 Hours race in June.


November 14,2000 Konrad In Negotiations With Baldi :


Franz Konrad is negotiating with Mauro Baldi to drive at Kyalami. Baldi who has run the year with R & M Riley Scott team would partner Konrad in the Austrians Lola B2/K10-Ford.

Photo Coutersy:ALMS


November 13,2000 Kremer Testing New Engine:


13.11.2000:
Kremer Racing tests new Roush V8 engine:

Directly after the final race of the SportsRacing World Cup 2000 at Kyalami/South Africa, Kremer Racing will test a developed Roush V8 engine for next years prototype round. The test is dated on Monday and Tuesday 27th and 28th of November. In view of the forthcoming Le Mans 24 hours this opportunity from Roush Industries is very welcome. The target is to see there the Lola B98/K2000 version 2001 for prototypes and the new Porsche GT3 RS for GT cars on the grid. Both in absolut competitive condition. These underlines the engagement of Kremer Racing in the scene of prototypes. Media & Marketing Coordinator Günter Steinbach is looking forward for very interesting talks with drivers and sponsors. "We are speaking about six possible driver seats for a number of really great races during the 2001 season. A challenge for all pilots and a promising platform for sponsors especially because of our new marketing conception:"

Photo Coutersy:John Brooks


June 13,2000 Magnussen To Replace Thyrring In Den Bla Avis Panoz :


It has been announced that Jan Magnussen will replace Thorkild Thyrring in the Den Bla Avis Panoz LMP-1 Roadster for the remaining rounds of the SRWC. He will partner John Nielsen giving the team input of a factory driver.

Photo Courtesy:John Brooks



May 31,2000 Team Durango Formula Signs Second Driver for GMS:


Team Durango officially announced Fabrizio De Simone as the second driver for its GMS-BMW that will race in the Sports Racing World Cup. De Simone will partner Emanuele Naspetti. Two weeks ago the drivers carried out two days of testing at the Hungarian Circuit Pannonia Ring. The team came away with very positive results especially with the long distance performance. 70 laps and a total of 300km were completed, verifying the reliability of mechanical parts after such a long distance. Even though Naspetti and De Simone were very satisfied with the test the Durango Formula Team decided to skip their initial debut at Spa, in order to do more testing. The team will now make its debut in the August 6 round of the championship at Brno.


Photo Courtesy:GMS Motorsports


May 4,2000 Ascari To Run Two Cars At Daytona:


Team Ascari are planning to have their second Ascari-Judd built by early June and are looking to run two cars at the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona. The team is currently getting over the dissapointment of missing out on Le Mans and will be running the ALMS round at Silverstone and SRWC round at Spa this month.

Photo Courtesy:Ascari



April 28,2000 Durango Formula Tests GMS LMP-1:


First laps for Durango with GMS Sport Car

On 26th and 27th April, Durango Formula took the first steps in the development phase of the GMS-Lmp1 at Vallelunga.

Behind the wheel was Emanuele Naspetti who was previously announced as the Venetian teams driver.

On the first day, after some minor problems, the team successfully completed a number of laps. The objective of the test was to verifying that everything mechanically on the GMS was working reliably.

Yesterday morning the car lapped the Vallelunga track in competitive lap times, creating a good early feeling between the car and driver.

Emanuele Naspetti was very satisfied with the work and the lap times of the two day test.




Photo Courtesy:GMS Motorsports


April 22,2000 Durango Formula To Run GMS LMP-1:


Durango Formula announces its participation in the SportsRacing World Cup (SRWC). The partnership with GMS - constructor of sportscars for FIA competitions - allows the team to race with the LMP1, powered by BMW Heiny-Mader, 4L. Ivone Pinton's team, already involved in the Italian F.Renault and F.3000 Championships, will line up Emanuele Naspetti as a driver. Shortly the other driver's name will be announced. The LMP1 will race in the remaining European SRWC events and Kyalami (South Africa).




Photos Courtesy:GMS Motorsports


April 16,2000 Monza Results:


R&M Riley & Scott-Judd Winning SR2 Pilbeam








Mauro Baldi and Gary Formato won the second round of the SportsRacing World Cup in their R&M team Riley & Scott/Judd at Monza after a thrilling race that saw each of the podium finishers leading the race as late-race light rain threw strategies out of the window. The R&M team had set the car up for changing conditions and the rain played into their hands, Formato eventually taking the flag by 34sec ahead of Christian Pescatori and David Terrien's JMB Giesse Ferrari 333SP that had led before its own stop to fit rain tires. The SportsRacing Lights category was won by the Redman Bright team of Peter Owen and Mark Smithson, after a brilliant drive up from the back of the grid following an almost complete rebuild of the car overnight. They were followed home by Lucchini Engineering, with Ronca and Francioni in the SR2, with Prospero and Amadori coming in third for the GPM Racing Team and their BMW powered Picchio MB1.

  NO DRIVERS CAR TIME LAPS GAP KPH BEST
1 5 "Baldi
Formato"		 R & M
RILEY & SCOTT		 02:42:31.807 87 -- 87 laps -- 01:40.797 -
2 1 "Pescatori
Terrien"		 JMB GIESSE
FERRARI 333 SP		 02:43:15.079 87 43.272 01:40.775 -
3 8 "Neilsen
Thyrring"		 TEAM DEN BLA AVIS
PANOZ SPYDER LMP		 02:43:19.914 87 48.107 01:40.867 -
4 12 "Tinseau
Goosens"		 MOTOROLA DAMS
CADILAC NORTHSTAR		 02:43:24.951 86 -- 1 lap -- 01:43.152 -
5 22 "Zadra Calderari
Bryner"		 BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA
FERRARI 333 SP		 02:42:47.429 84 -- 3 laps -- 01:42.584 -
6 6 "Waaijenberg
Van Der Lof"		 D.N.R.T
FERRARI 333 SP		 02:44:31.503 83 -- 4 laps -- 01:45.780 -
11 28 "Giraudi
Lancelotti"		 TAMPOLLI ENGINEERING
FERRARI 333 SP		 01:58:55.337 58 -- 29 laps -- 01:41.606 -

SportsRacing Lights - Race Results
  NO DRIVERS CAR TIME LAPS GAP KPH BEST
7 63 "Owen
Smithson"		 REDMAN BRIGHT
PILBEAM MP84 NISSAN		 02:43:36.502 81 -- 6 laps -- 01:48.666 -
8 60 "Ronca
Franciioni"		 LUCCHINI ENGINEERING
LUCCHINI ALFA ROMEO		 02:44:07.519 79 -- 8 laps -- 01:49.482 -
9 53 "Prospero
Amadori"		 GPM RACING TEAM
PICCHIO MB1 BMW		 02:42:38.872 75 -- 12 laps -- 01:53.652 -
10 66 "Saccomanno
Tonetti"		 AUDISIO & BENVENUTO
LUCCHINI 99 ALFA ROMEO		 02:43:48.490 68 -- 19 laps -- 01:52.119 -

SportsRacing Car - Fastest Lap
NO DRIVER CAR TIME KPH
1 "Pescatori JMB GIESSE
FERRARI 333 SP		 01:40.775 -

SportsRacing Lights - Fastest Lap
NO DRIVER CAR TIME KPH
69 Lupberger" REDMAN BRIGHT
PILBEAM MP84 NISSAN		 01:47.071 -

SportsRacing Car - Not Classified
NO DRIVERS CAR TIME LAPS KPH BEST REASON
3 "Lavaggi
Filiberti"		 GLV BRUMS
FERRARI 333 SP		 01:43:59.663 57 - 01:41.036 Differential
10 "Glasel
Kelleners"		 KREMER RACING
LOLA B98-FORD		 01:41:47.271 55 - 01:40.872 Engine
15 "Konrad
Coronel"		 FRANZ KONRAD
LOLA B2/K10 FORD		 00:23:59.217 12 - 01:41.209 Engine
23 "Zadra M
Peter"		 BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA
FERRARI 333 SP		 00:22:28.294 11 - 01:41.642 Engine
11 "Bernard
Collard"		 MOTOROLA DAMS
CADILLAC NORTSTAR		 00:22:42.633 11 - 01:43.655 Off the Road

SportsRacing Lights - Not Classified
NO DRIVERS CAR TIME LAPS KPH BEST REASON
51 "Peroni
Ligonnet"		 TAMPOLLI ENGINEERING
TAMPOLLI ALFA ROMEO		 02:33:29.639 - 58 01:49.228 -
99 "Bruneau
Rostan"		 PiR.BRUNEAU
DEBORA BMW		 01:54:25.680 - 56 01:53.154 -
59 "Nobili
Massimo"		 BM AUTOSPORT
TAMPOLLI ALFA ROMEO		 01:24:35.630 - 43 01:48.333 Collision
69 "Mildenhall
Lupberger"		 REDMAN BRIGHT
PILBEAM MP84 NISSAN		 01:30:14.407 - 38 01:47.071 Gearbox
52 "Blom
Sa Nogueira"		 TAMPOLLI ENGINEERING
TAMPOLLI ALFA ROMEO		 00:54:42.239 - 26 01:53.215 Engine
57 "Giudici
Raimondi"		 SCUDERIA GUIDICI
PICCHIO BMW		 00:36:35.449 - 17 01:49.449 -
65 "Barberio
Perazza"		 SILIPRANDI
SIGHINOLFI 1999 BMW		 00:15:44.097 - 6 01:58.744 -
58 "Henderson
Merche"		 EBRT SCHRODER
PILBEAM MP84 NISSAN		 00:13:17.101 - 5 01:53.880 Engine
54 "Peroni
Maddalena"		 SILIPRANDI
LUCCHINI ALFA ROMEO		 00:00:00.000 - 0 --:--:--.--- DNS



April 15,2000 Monza Qualifying:


Tom Coronel put Franz Konrad's brand new Lola B2K/10 Ford on the pole at Monza in wet conditions that have been persistent all weekend. Coronel who was called in last night to replace Jan Lammers turned a lap at 1:52.241 edgeing Mauro Baldi’s 1:53.098 in the R&M Riley & Scott/Judd, but Baldi ran out of fuel on his final flying lap. In the SR Lights class, the Redman Bright Pilbeam/Nissan of Owen Mildenhall/Werner Lupberger set the fastest time, ahead of the BM Autosport Tampolli/Alfa Romeo of Renato Nobili/Massimo Monti.

SportsRacing Car
  NO DRIVERS CAR TIME LAPS GAP KPH BEST
1 15 KONRAD /
CORONEL		 FRANZ KONRAD
LOLA. FORD		 1:52.241 16 - 185.066 -
2 5 BALDI /
FORMATO		 R & M
RILEY & SCOTT. JUDD		 1:53.098 15 0:00.857 183.663 -
3 3 LAVAGGI
FILIBERTI		 GLV BRUMS
FERRARI 333SP		 1:53.166 8 0:00.875 183.634 -
4 8 NIELSEN
THYRRING		 DEN BLA AVIS
PANOZ SPYDER		 1:54.754 14 0:02.513 181.013 -
5 23 ZADRA M/
PETER		 BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA
FERRARI 333SP		 1:54.936 13 0:02.695 180.726 -
6 11 BERNARD /
COLLARD		 MOTOROLA DAMS
CADILLAC NORTHSTAR		 1:55.892 13 0:03.651 179.235 -
7 12 TINSEAU /
GOOSSENS		 MOTOROLAS DAMS
CADILLAC NORTHSTAR		 1:56.511 14 0:04.270 178.283 -
8 1 PESCATORI /
TERRIEN		 JMB GIESSE TEAM FERRARI
FERRARI 333 SP		 1:57.299 13 0:05.058 177.085 -
9 28 GIRAUDI /
LANCELOTTI		 TAMPOLLI ENG.
FERRARI 333SP		 157.884 12 0:05.643 176.207 -
10 22 CALDERARI /
ZADRA A /BRYNER		 BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA
FERRARI 333SP		 2:00.353 13 0:08.112 152.592 -
11 10 GLASEL /
KELLENERS		 KREMER RACING
LOLA.ROUSH FORD		 4:02.144 1 2:09.903 85.783 -
12 6 WAAIJENBERG /
VAN DE LOF		 DUTCH NAT RACING
FERRARI 333SP		 - - - - -

SportsRacing Lights
  NO DRIVERS CAR TIME LAPS GAP KPH BEST
1 69 MILDENHALL /
LUPBERGER		 REDMAN BRIGHT
PILBEAM. NISSAN		 2:04.294 - 11 167.119 -
2 59 NOBILI /
MONTI		 BM AUTOSPORT
TAMPOLLI. ALFA		 2:04.537 0:00.243 8 166.793 -
3 54 PERONI P/
MADDELENA		 SILIPRANDI
LUCCHINI. ALFA		 2:07.075 0:02.781 11 163.462 -
4 51 PERONI F /
LIGONNET		 TAMPOLLI ENG.
TAMPOLLI. ALFA		 2:07.878 0:03.584 8 162.436 -
5 66 SACCAMANNO /
TONNETTI		 AUDISIO & BENVENUTO
LUCCHINI. ALFA		 2:08.691 10 0:04.397 161.409 -
6 52 BLOM /
SA NOGUEIRA		 TAMPOLLI ENG.
TAMPOLLI. ALFA		 2:09.754 10 0:05.460 160.087 -
7 65 BARABERIO/
PERAZZA		 SILIPRANDI
SIGHINOLFI. BMW		 2:11.398 10 0:07.104 158.084 -
8 99 BRUNEAU /
ROSTAN		 PiR BRUNEAU
DEBORA. BMW		 2:11.552 8 0:07.258 157.899 -
9 53 PROSPERO /
AMADORI		 GPM RACING TEAM
PICCHIO. BMW		 2:11.613 8 149.952 - -
10 58 HENDERSON /
MERCHE		 EBRT SCHRODER
PILBEAM. NISSAN		 2:121.262 7 0:07.968 157.051 -
11 63 OWEN
SMITHSON		 REDMAN BRIGHT
PILBEAM.NISSAN		 2:15.185 2 0:10.891 153,656
12 57 GIUDICI /
RAIMONDI		 SCUDERIA GIUDICI
PICCHIO.BMW		 - - - - -
13 60 RONCA /
FRANCIONI		 LUCCHINI ENG.
LUCCHINI. ALFA		 - - - - -
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March 24,2000 DAMS SRWC Debut:


The French Motorola-DAMS Cadillac team will make its SportsRacing World Cup debut in Barcelona on Sunday - just one week after the Sebring 12 hours. for its European debut the team will increase its efforts and enter two Cadillac Northstar LMPs with the Bernard/Collard and Goossens/Tinseau behind the wheel. On top of some stressful logistics to get the Sebring-car to Spain in times came the task of converting both cars from ALMS-spec to SRWC-spec. This means the single roll hoop, the rear diffuser and the carbon brakes had to disappear and be changed to full width double roll hoop at the front and the back of the cockpit, steel brakes and no diffuser. "It will just be a continuation of our development work" says team boss Jean-Paul Driot, "the next step of quite a few we will have to take in order to become fully competitive. the fact that one car was still in the US just five days before the first practice session doesn't make it easier of course, so we will again be fighting against time." Lead driver Eric Bernard confirms that the going will be tough in Barcelona, despite the fact that the factory teams of Audi, BMW or Panoz will not be entered in the SRWC. "I fear we will be in more or less the same situation as we were in Sebring - you mustn't forget that there are some very good Ferrari's, a Panoz and some Lolas entered. and we just haven't had time yet to really sort the car out. But we knew all that from the start - so we just take it one step at a time. I am sure that once Le Mans is run we will get more and more competitive." For Marc Goossens and Christophe Tinseau it will be the first competitive outing in the black Cadillac Northstar LMP. Tinseau was reserve driver in Sebring but didn't drive the car in the race, while Goossens was an observant tourist. "I can't wait to go racing again," says Goossens, who only tested in Le Mans in February. "The results so far clearly show that the potential of the Cadillac Northstar LMP is there to be developed - it is now up to us."
February 25,2000 Scuderia Italia Racing News:


Sportscar World are reporting that Scuderia Italia will run the Autosport Ferrari alonside their own.Scuderia Italia has confirmed its two entries. No. 22 will be driven by Lilian Bryner and Enzo Calderari together with Angelo Zadra. No. 23 will be driven by Marco Zadra and Philip Peter







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