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About in Racers <-> Olds and News
"The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT returned to the track this weekend at the FIA GT championship in Valencia for its first race of 2004 and quickly displayed promising form among strong competition.
Development drivers, Oliver Gavin and Peter Kox, both produced strong performances from the car in the practice and qualifying sessions and the team will line up fifth on the grid for tomorrow's race. The extensive development work undertaken by Reiter Engineering over the winter was immediately evident with the No.29 Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT posting the fifth quickest time in the first practice session on Friday in heavy rain conditions.* Set up changes for the afternoon improved the car further, resulting in Dutchman, Peter Kox, posting the fastest time of the day in the second session, as the heavy rain continued. In the first qualifying session the Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT proved to be as strong in the dry as it is in wet conditions, with this new sports racing car finishing third fastest with a lap of 1 minute 32.537, just over one second behind the provisional pole sitter.*In the second session, although the team was unable to improve on their morning times, they continued to gain valuable data for the race. The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT, jointly developed by Automobili Lamborghini and Reiter Engineering utilising the expertise of Audi Sport, is eligible for racing in FIA GT and ACO-governed series and cars are currently being preparing for competition in championships around the world. The car, together with a customer support programme, has been designed to provide an exciting, but affordable, customer racing package. The duo of Peter Kox and Oliver Gavin last drove for Reiter Engineering in the final round of the FIA GT championship in 2001, racing in a Lamborghini Diablo R-GT and finishing fifth on that occasion. * Peter Kox "For me the car is as fast as we expected, it is a big step forward, and our fifth place on the grid shows just how much development has been put into the car. Most of the car's development was done over the winter and we were not so lucky with the weather, so we have had more wet weather experience than dry. "This weekend, in the dry, we have been able to identify more areas of improvement including the handling of the car, and there is a lot of potential in the car which we're gradually exploiting.*For tomorrow, we're optimistic and will try to go as quickly as possible and have a good race." Oliver Gavin "We're heading in the right direction with the set up of the car, although I found that the car in the dry was more unstable on entry into the corners. The traction was still very good, but, of course, we still have to work on things.* "We've been working with different set up options and in the afternoon, I think we did go in the right direction, perhaps this wasn't reflected in the times, but this maybe due to minor tyre issues, which should be resolvable. The plan for tomorrow is to have as good a race as possible and to stay clean in the first few laps. It is very important to finish, and it will be a race of attrition, so we need to be there at the end.*We know what we need to do, and the team will work hard tonight to be ready for another big test with this development programme, the first long-distance race for this car." Manfred Fitzgerald, Lamborghini Marketing Manager "Before coming here if someone had told me we would be fifth fastest I would not have thought this or expected it. It has been a very positive start to the weekend, especially when we were fastest yesterday. "Over the last two days we've proved that we have a highly competitive car. The level of competition is exceptionally high, so for us to be on the pace so quickly is particularly encouraging. Tomorrow it will be a long race, which we aim to finish, and finish well, to further prove the potential of the car."" Result |
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Shit that picture is almost satanic man ... it looks so badass
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"18 April 2004…/The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT entered the history books today, with the first ever podium finish for a Lamborghini in an international motor racing event. The third place finish for the Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT at the FIA GT championship in Valencia, Spain, was the race debut for this new sports racing car, and demonstrated its performance potential against strong competition.
The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT has been developed over an intensive nine-month period, which has taken this new sports racing car from the drawing board to a podium finish. The race weekend saw the car impress rivals with consistently strong performances in practice and qualifying sessions, lining up fifth on the grid and leading the race and finally finishing a creditable third. Manfred Fitzgerald, Marketing Manager, Automobili Lamborghini, sums up the early success of the race programme saying, "We set out to build, develop and race the Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT in less than a year, and prove its performance potential for prospective customers. We have worked hard to achieve this, but the results speak for themselves – we have produced a highly competitive car for today’s international sports car racing series. "The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT has shown its reliability, consistency and the strong performance we needed to have for delivering to our customers a car that we are proud of, and we are moving forward with our customer programmes which will see this car compete around the world." Developed jointly with renowned race engineering company Reiter Engineering in Germany, and the expertise of parent company Audi’s sports division Audi Sport, the Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT will offer Lamborghini clients a highly competitive car with which to participate in global professional motorsport. Ends." |
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Reiter Engineering, with the new Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT, put in a magnificent performance in Valencia, and without a long second pit-stop, could have fought for the overall win. Peter Kox and Oliver Gavin finished in third place, to give Automobili Lamborghini its first international podium.
"I'm very pleased! " Peter Kox said afterwards. "To come in third in their first race here is an amazing result for Lamborghini. It's good to drive with Ollie, who's a really good driver and has done a great job here." "I really enjoyed the weekend very much," Oliver Gavin continued. "There have been a few issues with the car, but that's normal for a new car. It certainly has a great potential, and we will work very hard to improve it. Third is a great result, if you consider that this is our first race and that we didn't have a lot of testing. When I got into the car at the second pit stop, I must have hit a fuse and it took a while to sort that out. That has possibly cost us the win! We had a bit of a lead then, and we would have been just as fast as the Ferraris, but maybe not as consistently." Manfred Fitzgerald, Marketing Manager of Automobili Lamborghini, was also delighted. "We hope that we will have a client program running in the Championship by mid-season," he explained. " However, It is not only up to us, it is also up to the clients. This was a major step of the whole programme. We proved the car in the wet and in the dry; the performance is there, and we have showed that our car is reliable. Since Lamborghini exists, it has never been on the podium in an international race, so this is an historic moment for us." |
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STOKELL & LAMBORGHINI ROMP TO FIRST-LEG WIN IN NATIONS CUP ROUND
15/5/2004: MELBOURNE – Defending Australian Nations Cup Champion Paul Stokell boosted his lead in the 2004 series with a flag-to-flag win in his Lamborghini Diablo in the opening race of round three at Sandown International Motor Raceway today. Stokell led the field from pole position and was unchallenged in the 16-lap event, while Nathan Pretty, in a Holden Monaro, and Allan Simonsen, in a Ferrari 550 Maranello, battled each other for the entire distance. Simonsen eventually beat Pretty to second place and Peter Brock came fourth in another Holden Monaro. The Nations Cup was one of three races on day one of the PROCAR Champ Series program at the track in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. Holden GTS driver Peter Floyd won the Australian GT Performance race and Damien White, in a Holden SS utility, took the V8 BRutes Series race and the lead in the points table. Tomorrow’s program features a further 13 races for the Nations Cup, GT Performance, V8 BRutes, Production Cars, Porsches and Futureracers, plus a trackside Ute Muster. Stokell last raced the Lamborghini at Sandown in 2002, when he won the Sandown 500 with co-driver Anthony Tratt. Today he was equally dominant, pouring on the pace in the big black Italian coupe to slash 1.3 seconds from Jim Richards’ two-year-old lap record. Pretty, with the Bathurst 24-Hour Monaro in its best form so far this season, slotted close behind Stokell at the rolling start but soon was defending his position from Simonsen. The young Dane squeezed his Ferrari past in a clean, copybook move on lap four but said later poor suspension set-up had hindered any pursuit of Stokell. Stokell now has 197 championship points, Pretty is second with 164 and Simonsen third with 102. Melbourne driver Peter Floyd scored Holden’s first win of the GT Performance season, leading all the way from second on the starting grid. In a field featuring nine different makes, Floyd’s 400 horsepower Holden clearly had an advantage on Sandown’s long straights, but there were close contests throughout the rest of the top 10. Ric Shaw could not sustain his Mazda RX-7’s pole-winning speed over the race distance and slipped gradually to seventh. Justin Hemmes made the best of the start in his all-wheel drive Subaru Impreza, rocketing from fourth on the grid to second, but then lost his place first to Shaw and then Stokell. Hemmes finished third and increased his lead in the points standings over Mitsubishi driver Garry Holt. John Falk, in a Ford Falcon TE50, got the better of Holden GTS driver Steve Cramp from South Australia, after a close race-long contest. Tomorrow, the GT Performance teams afce a 26-lap, double-points race with a compulsory pit stop. Team Brock Holden drivers Damien White and Benn Wilson took an impressive 1-2 in the first V8 BRutes Series race of round three. The pair had qualified second and third behind fellow Holden driver Gary Baxter, but started down the field after a ballot to decide grid order. Pole winner in the ballot Matt O’Grady (Holden) was swamped at the start as South Australians Charlie Kovacs and Chris Smerdon swapped the lead over the first few corners. However, the Holden-mounted pair collided just after Kovacs hit the front on lap two. Both ran off the track and Smerdon retired as White and Wilson surged past. The Team Brock drivers ran in close formation for the rest of the 12-lap race, with Marcus Zukanovic third outright and the first of the Ford runners. In qualifying for tomorrow’s two Australian Production Car Championship races, defending Scott Loadsman in a Commodore SS took pole position. However, his effort was overshadowed by Newcastle school student Drew Russell, who at only 15 years old set the second-fastest time in a Honda S2000. |
looks like Lamborghinis is winning some races..... thats a first :D
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Yeah he has been winning races with Lamborghini the past couple of seasons and last year he finally won the title. The Holden that races in the Nations Cup is a one off non road car with the Corvette Lemans engine, soo its not really a production car as with the other cars in the series. Its sorta to get the locals coming to the events but most know its really cheating the fans...
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14.06.2004 MALAYSIAN OUTFIT AMPREX MOTORSPORTS, WHO ARE TARGETING LE MANS NEXT YEAR, WILL RACE THEIR NEW LAMBORGHINI R-GT FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THIS WEEKEND'S ROUND OF THE JGTC AT SEPANG.
Malaysian-based team Amprex Motorsports on Sunday launched their new team and car, a Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT for their entry in the GT500 class in Round 3 of the Japan GT Championship 2004 at Sepang Circuit this coming weekend. An official launch by Amprex Motorsports was held at the Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur to coincide with the Japan GT road show.The R-GT was developed for racing by the sports unit of Audi, who own Lamborghini. Audi Sports captured the 24hrs Le Mans in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and also was champion recently in the American Le Mans Series.The company that build the car, which is powered by an V12 6.0 litre engine is Reiter Engineering of Germany who has also been racing with Lamborghini cars in the FIA GT, one of the biggest endurance races in Europe where many famous ex Formula 1 drivers participate.In April this year, Reiter Engineering entered the Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT in the FIA GT Round 2 in Valencia, Spain and finished third.The team director of the Amprex Motorsports Team, Hong Heng Soon said that their late entry into Japan GT 2004 which had Round 1 in April and Round 2 in May would hamper their chances in the championship. "We are still learning the new car as a new team. The car was prepared one week before the race so any good result will be a bonus for us".The drivers for the car are first driver Kuala Lumpur-based Genji Hashimoto, who is also owner of Team Amprex Motorsports and their new driver, Norman Simon who has been racing internationally for many years including F3, F3000 and also 24hrs Le Mans."Our experience first driver Hashimoto is familiar with Japan GT, having participated in the GT300 class while Norman though young is quick and was test driver for Lamborghini".Hong said the car was built according to FIA regulations and had to get special approval from Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) to race in the Japan GT Championship. "We cannot modify the car to Japan GT specification. Obviously there is a big difference technically where the FIA rules will have a disadvantage on the car." "For example in terms of engine power, our car might be better than the top teams like Toyota, Nissan and Honda but will loose out in the cornering speed because of the aerodynamic and suspension layout".Hong said the ultimate target for the team, which has five Malaysian mechanics, is to participate in the 24hrs of Le Mans next year, which is the greatest endurance race of all time. "We want to make history for a Malaysian team to participate in this event. Many Japanese teams have been there for some time but definitely none from Malaysia."He said the team had participated in Japan in 2002 and 2003 with a different car and in the GT300 class and will continue to participate in this championship this year but in the GT500 class. There are seven rounds in JGTC remaining, all to held in Japanese circuits except the race in Sepang."Our main reason for participating is to test and develop the car further while racing. Sometime in August this year we are intend to do a 24 hours endurance test to prepare ourselves for the 24 hours of Le Mans next year, as we need to prepare the car for a longer distance race".After two rounds in Japan, Toyota are leading both categories in the Japan GT championships with the Cerumo Supra partnership of Yuki Tachikawa and Seiji Ara heading the GT500 class and the Wedsport Celica duo of Takayuki Aoiki and Nobuteru Taniguchi topping the GT300 class. In Round 1 (Aida-April 3 and 4) and Round 2 (Sugo-May 22 and 23), chilly, misty and wet tracks were the order of the races. In Sepang, which has hosted three Japan GT races since 2000, the hot and steamy tropical weather with temperatures at the track leading to 40 degrees will have an effect on the performance of both drivers and cars participating. However the race will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 19 with the temperature a few degrees cooler. The remaining Japan GT 2004 schedule will also include, Round 4 (Tokachi Speedway - July 17 and 18 ), Round 5 (Twin Ring Motegi - Sept 4 and 5), Round 6 (Autopolis Ota - Oct 30 and 31) and Round 7 (Suzuka Speedway Mie - Nov 20 and 21). |
TEAM AMPREX MOTORSPORTS ENTERS ROUND 3 OF JAPAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP 2004 WITH NEW TEAM AND CAR
Malaysian-based team Amprex Motorsports today (Sunday, June 13) launched their new team and car, a Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT for their entry in the GT500 class in Round 3 of the Japan GT Championship 2004 beginning at Sepang Circuit on June 18 & 19 2004. An official launch by Amprex Motorsports was held at the Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur to coincide with the Japan GT road show.. The car was developed for racing by the sports unit of Audi, who also own Lamborghini. Audi Sports captured the 24hrs Le Mans in 2000, 2001 and 2002 and also was champion recently in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The company that build the car, which is powered by an V12 6.0 litre engine is Reiter Engineering of Germany who has also been racing with Lamborghini cars in the FIA GT, one of the biggest endurance races in Europe where many famous ex Formula 1 drivers participate. In April this year, Reiter Engineering entered the Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT in the FIA GT Round 2 in Valencia, Spain and finished third. The team director of the Amprex Motorsports Team, Hong Heng Soon said that their late entry into Japan GT 2004 which had Round 1 in April and Round 2 in May would hamper their chances in the championship. " We are still learning the new car as a new team. The car was prepared one week before the race so any good result will be a bonus for us". The drivers for the car are first driver Kuala Lumpur-based Genji Hashimoto, who is also owner of Team Amprex Motorsports and their new driver, Norman Simon who has been racing internationally for many years including F3, F3000 and also 24hrs Le Mans. "Our experience first driver Hashimoto is familiar with Japan GT, having participated in the GT300 class while Norman though young is quick and was test driver for Lamborghini". Hong said the car was built according to FIA (Federation Internationale Automobile) regulations and had to get special approval from Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) to race in the Japan GT Championship. " We cannot modify the car to Japan GT specification. Obviously there is a big difference technically where the FIA rules will have a disadvantage on the car." "For example in terms of engine power, our car might be better than the top teams like Toyota, Nissan and Honda but will loose out in the cornering speed because of the aerodynamic and suspension layout". Hong said the ultimate target for the team, which has five Malaysian mechanics, is to participate in the 24hrs Le Mans in 2005 , which is the greatest endurance race of all time. "We want to make history for a Malaysian team to participate in this event. Many Japanese teams have been there for some time but definitely none from Malaysia." He said the team had participated in Japan in 2002 and 2003 with a different car and in the GT300 class and will continue to participate in this championship this year but in the GT500 class. (There are seven rounds in Japan GT till November --- all held in Japanese circuits except the race in Sepang). "Our main reason for participating is to test and develop the car further while racing. Sometime in August this year we are intend to do a 24hrs endurance test to prepare ourselves for the 24hrs Le Mans next year, as we need to prepare the car for a longer distance race". After two rounds in Japan, Toyota are leading both categories in the Japan GT championships with the Cerumo Supra partnership of Yuki Tachikawa and Seiji Ara heading the GT500 class and the Wedsport Celica duo of Takayuki Aoiki and Nobuteru Taniguchi topping the GT300 class. In Round 1 (Aida-April 3 and 4) and Round 2 (Sugo-May 22 and 23), chilly, misty and wet tracks were the order of the races. In Sepang, which has hosted three Japan GT races since 2000 , the hot and steamy tropical weather with temperatures at the track leading to 40 degrees will have an effect on the performance of both drivers and cars participating. However the race will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 19 with the temperature a few degrees cooler. The Japan GT 2004 schedule will be Round 4 (Tokachi Speedway - July 17 and 18), Round 5 ( Twin Ring Motegi - Sept 4 and 5), Round 6 (Autopolis Ota - Oct 30 and 31) and Round 7 (Suzuka Speedway Mie - Nov 20 and 21). ISSUED BY AMPREX MOTOR SPORTS |
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Saturdays JGTC results:
http://www.jgtc.net/race/2004/04rd3/043result_en.shtm Amprex R-GT finished 12 in class but more importantly they were quicker than the F550GTS. JLOC RG-1 struggled all weekend. :? |
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20.06.2004 PAUL STOKELL CLAIMED THE OPENING AUSTRALIAN NATIONS CUP HEAT AT WINSTON TODAY IN HIS LAMBORGHINI DIABLO, BUT TWO WINS FOR HOLDEN'S RICHARD PRETTY HAS CLOSED DOWN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAP.
Holden Monaro driver Nathan Pretty boosted his chase for the Australian Nations Cup Championship with a double victory in round four at Winton Motor Raceway today. Pretty, driving for the Garry Rogers Motorsport team, won two of three races in cold and damp conditions to narrow the gap to series leader Paul Stokell to 34 points after four of eight rounds in the 2004 championship. Stokell won pole position and today’s first race, but Pretty was confident the Monaro would deliver the goods again after winning the round here last year. “This is our second round win of the season and it’s great to do it here on my home track,” said Pretty, from Albury-Wodonga. “We’re now well and truly in with a chance to challenge Paul for the championship and I’m looking forward to the fifth round at Eastern Creek next month.” While Stokell ran away with the first Nations Cup heat, the highlight was an eight-lap battle for third place between David Stevens' Porsche GT2 and a pursuing Peter Brock, in the first race for his new 7.0 litre Monaro. Charging up from 10th on the grid, Brock tried everything to pass the Porsche but was unsuccessful. In race two, he made sure the Porsche was behind by the first corner and then focused his attack on Stokell in second spot, passing him briefly on the third lap. Stokell had surrendered the lead to Pretty around the same time and appeared content to sit back until late in the race. The pace built as Pretty, then Brock then Stokell recorded fastest lap times. Three corners short of the flag, Stokell had the Lamborghini’s low nose wedged literally under the the tail of the Pretty Monaro but he could not convert the move into a pass and the Holden scored the win. Brock came home strongly in third and as a result would have been in a good position for race three, but for a wrong tyre choice. The Monaro appeared to be the only car running dry tyres on a wet track and Brock worked hard to take fifth place. Pretty won the race from Stokell by 15 seconds, with Allan Simonsen third in his Trophy class Ferrari Challenge and Ian Palmer fourth in Brock’s previous Monaro. Simonsen consistently raced among the outright cars throughout the weekend and wrapped up the class round win. Round five of the PROCAR Champ Series will be at Eastern Creek circuit, near Sydney, on 16-18 July. __________________________________________________ _____________ 20.06.2004 THE JAPANESE GT CHAMPIONSHIP'S ITALIAN CONTINGENT WAS SWELLED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE AMPREX LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO R-GT, AS THE SERIES HEADED OVERSEAS TO MALAYSIA THIS WEEKEND. The Japanese GT Championship's Italian contingent was swelled to three as the series headed overseas to the Sepang International Circuit this weekend. Forty two cars arrived at the home of the Malaysian Grand Prix to take part in yesterday's 54-lap race around the 5.542 km track. Malaysian outfit Amprex Motorsport took delivery of a customer Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT just in time to make a series debut at their home race. They were joined by a second Murcielago R-GT, run by Team JLOC, which briefly appeared in practice last time out at Sugo, and the Hitotsuyama Racing-run Prodrive-built Ferrari 550 Maranello. With the first qualifying session hit by driving rain, the three teams, all struggling to get their evolving machines onto the pace, were left with only the second warm, dry session to fully prepare for what was to be a hot, dry race. The brand new Michelin-shod Amprex Motorsports Murcielago R-GT, piloted by newcomer Norman Simon, led the way, his 2:05.056 fastest lap, just five seconds off pole position. Two places further back, and bringing up the rear of the GT500 field, came the similar car run by Team JLOC, which in the hands of Koji Yamanishi and Wada-Q, posted 2:10.571 best. In the middle of this Murcielago sandwich was the Dunlop running Hitotsuyama Racing Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello, lining up 17th. At the front GT500 pole went to the Calsonic Nissan Z which set an unbeatable 2:00.16, just ahead of the two Tom's Toyota Supras, while in the GT300 class, the JIM Rodeo Drive Ferrari 360 driven by Hideshi Matsuda and Ichijyo Suga, could only managed 10th place, four slots ahead of its sister car. After starting down in 13th place, the Denso Sard Toyota Supra GT pulled off a brilliant win following an intense battle in blistering Malaysian heat. The car had been quick throughout the weekend, lead driver Jeremie Dufour setting the fastest in time the wet first official qualifying session on Friday morning. The second session had been a completely different story however, as their hard-compound tyres slowed the car to the seemingly unlucky number 13 spot in the warmer conditions of the afternoon session. Further back the Amprex Murcielago R-GT fared very well in its first ever race. After starting from 15th, Genji Hashimoto and Norman Simon, steadily all the way to the flag to be classified 12th overall, three laps behind the winner. It was pretty impressive considering the car had to make an unscheduled pit stop early on. Contrastingly, the Team JLOC Murcielago RG-T, running on Dunlop compounds, was plagued by the same woes that had afflicted the black supercar during the morning's warm up session. A broken left rear suspension unit after 20 laps stranded the car out on track. It was an identical repeat of a fault first seen earlier in the day. Fourteenth overall, and also three laps adrift, came the Ferrari 550 Maranello piloted by Hidetoshi Mitsusada and Tado Uematsu, while back in the GT300 class, the JIM Ferrari 360 Modenas crossed the line in fifth and ninth places. Meanwhile, in mid December the JGTC will travel to the US for a one-off non-championship race at the Fontana Speedway in California, which will see the series' top 25 cars take on local entries. The event, known as 'GT Live', will also include a "JGTC Against The World" team time attack competition in which the top 6 finishers of the race on Saturday compete against 6 top cars from around the world. |
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26.06.2004 THE OPENING TEST SESSION AT MID-OHIO SAW THE FIRST ON-TRACK ACTION FOR TWO CARS THAT HAVE ATTRACTED A GREAT DEAL OF ATTENTION IN THE PADDOCK, THE KROHN-BARBOUR LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO R-GT RACERS!!!
http://www.jabbasworld.net/photopost.../602mur103.jpg James Weaver unofficially smashed the existing American Le Mans Series track record as he led Friday's test session for Sunday's American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Weaver, driving the Dyson Racing Lola EX257-AER/MG that he will share with Butch Leitzinger, turned the 2.25-mile circuit in a time of 1:13.448, faster than the official ALMS track record of 1:14.169 set by Frank Biela the last time the series raced at Mid-Ohio in 2002. Drivers will try to officially break the record in qualifying that will be held Saturday. Only .199 second behind and also faster than the record was the ADT Champion Racing Audi R8 of JJ Lehto and Marco Werner at 1:13.647, followed by the second Dyson entry of Chris Dyson and Andy Wallace at 1:14.686. Yesterday's test session saw the first on-track action for the two cars that have attracted a great deal of attention in the Mid-Ohio paddock, the Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT machines of Krohn-Barbour Racing. David Brabham, Peter Kox, Scott Maxwell and Tracy Krohn ran their first laps in the cars yesterday. The new racing team only took delivery of the two cars this week from car builder Reiter Engineering in Germany. The two-hour testing session ended 10 minutes early due to a crash between turns nine and ten involving the Murcielago of Tracy Krohn and the GT class Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Lonnie Pechnik. Though neither driver was injured, the session was brought to a halt due to the time required to pick up the cars and the debris from the crash. http://www.jabbasworld.net/photopost.../602mur102.jpg The Flying Lizard car was damaged beyond repair and the team will replace it for this race with a 2003 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, while the Lamborghini team was still trying to effect repairs. http://www.jabbasworld.net/photopost.../602mur101.jpg "The car picked up a little push and I ran wide onto the curbs," said Krohn. "I was coming back off the curbs onto the racing line when I felt a thump; I don't know where he (Pechnik) came from, it's kind of blind there anyway. After that the car half-spun." "When I saw the Lamborghini with two wheels off the track on the fast downhill, I moved as far right as possible," said Pechnik. "The Lamborghini came across the track and took us into the guardrail. "It really is a shame; the team worked extremely hard to prepare no44 and have done a spectacular job. The R-GT will not be quite as competitive but we are looking forward to getting back into competition." After qualifying today decides the grid order, the GTS runners have a 30 minute single session in which to chase a grid position around the 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course at Lexington, the 2 hour 45 minute race then starts tomorrow at 1pm local time. GTS Friday practice times from Mid-Ohio: 1st GTS/5th Overall Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (GTS), 1:20.017, 2ndGTS/7th Overall Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell, Chevrolet Corvette C5-R (GTS), 1:21.232, 3rdGTS/8th Overall Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem, Saleen S7R (GTS), 1:21.245. 4thGTS/10th Overall David Brabham and Peter Kox, Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT (GTS), 1:23.773, 5thGTS/11th Overall Scott Maxwell and Tracy Krohn, Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT (GTS), 1:24.118, 6thGTS/12th Tom Weickardt and Jean-Philippe Belloc, Dodge Viper GTS-R (GTS), 1:24.531. |
27.06.2004 KROHN-BARBOUR GAVE THEIR NEW LAMBORGHINI R-GT A PROMISING COMPETITION DEBUT IN YESTERDAY’S ALMS QUALIFYING AT THE MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE.
The all-new Krohn-Barbour Racing team gave one of the world’s most glamorous sports car marques, Lamborghini, a promising competition debut in yesterday’s timed qualifying for round two of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Krohn-Barbour Racing’s Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT, driven by sports car stars David Brabham and Peter Kox, goes to the start of today’s 2-hour 45-minute race after running faultlessly in yesterday's timed track session and Friday’s non-competitive test runs. In long-distance sports car racing, reliability is often as important as pace. Team manager Dick Barbour, successful since the late-1970s as both a sports car team owner and driver, said: “The Lamborghini is completely new, straight-out-of-the box, yet it’s given us no problems at all. That’s a great start, because the more uninterrupted track time we can get with the car, the more we can learn about how to set it up for optimum performance.” The number five Lamborghini of Brabham and Kox lapped the twisting 2.25-mile Mid-Ohio track in 1min 21.695 sec, at an average speed of 99.5mph, putting it fifth among the GTS class runners. The class-leading Corvette turned a best time of 1min 18.622 sec. Barbour said: “We’re not as fast as the class-leaders, but at this stage in the game we didn’t expect to be. The Corvette’s been racing for five years, the Lamborghini has raced only once [in an FIA GT race in Valencia, Spain, this April]. But every time we run the car we take another step forward.” Krohn-Barbour Racing’s second Lamborghini race car, driven by team co-founder Tracy Krohn and Canadian Scott Maxwell, was unable to participate in today’s timed qualifying because of accident damage sustained Friday. Just ten minutes before the end of a 90-minute test session, with Krohn at the wheel, the number six Lamborghini ran wide through a turn, bumping along the curbs at the circuit’s edge; as Krohn steered the car back towards the ideal ‘racing line’, it was hit hard by a following Porsche 911 GT3. Both cars half-spun to a halt. The blow taken by the Lamborghini was severe enough to damage its right rear suspension and chassis. The car will miss tomorrow’s (Sunday’s) race and probably also next weekend’s (July 2-5) third round of the ALMS at Lime Rock, Connecticut. Krohn, who escaped the impact unhurt, shrugged it off: “It’s disappointing, but this kind of thing happens in racing. A photographer who saw the collision said he knew it was the team owner in the car when I got out and started picking up all the pieces!” On a more serious note, Krohn said later: “I’m quite new to racing, but I know what it takes to win in business, and racing’s no different. We’ve gathered the best people we can and we’ve made a serious commitment with this team. There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re not afraid of that.” Kox commented: “If we were slower than the class leaders but didn’t know how to improve the car, we’d have a problem. But we have lots of ideas how to go faster, which really encourages us.” Looking ahead to tomorrow’s race, Brabham said: “At the moment we’re just throwing what we can at the car [in suspension set-up] to see what it does. Every time we go out there we learn something. With a car this new, we’ll be happy to reach the finish.” |
Competition Debut Confirm's Lamborghini's "Massive Potential"
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Lamborghini comes close to debut podium.
http://www.crash.net/pictures/thumbs/97868.jpg In a tense battle, fought all the way to the finish line at Mid-Ohio, the Krohn-Barbour Racing Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT proved that the reliability seen over the opening two days of competition was no fluke. Peter Kox and David Brabham missed out on a third place finish by just 0.679secs after two hours and 45 minutes of racing, having challenged more established runners throughout. The race, round two of the 2004 ALMS, marked the first appearance of the Krohn-Barbour team and the US race debut of the Lamborghini, but that didn't stop the newcomers from threatening an upset. The crew qualified in fifth place in the GTS class, and moved up to third early in the race as Kox drove a strong first stint. Helped by the rival Saleen S7R of Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem - the car that Brabham had shared at Sebring - enduring a lengthy pit-stop and then going off track following a door-banging episode with one of the two pace-setting Corvettes, the Lamborghini consolidated its position by the time the drivers changed over. “I tried to get a reasonable, consistent pace, so that we could keep learning about the car," Kox said, "I wasn't pushing 100 per cent because, at that stage in the race, there was no point. What we needed most with a brand-new cars was miles and a finish.” Brabham drove the Lamborghini for the remaining 90 minutes of the race, staying in the car during its second scheduled pit-stop. With 35 minutes of the race to go, the Saleen was just 30secs behind and closing fast enough to be right on the Aussie's tail in the final ten minutes. Brabham picked up his pace, driving the car 'as hard as I could', but revealed that the Italian car 'was not very nice on the edge, because we still have to sort its handling'. Brabham held onto third place until just three minutes from the chequered flag, when the Saleen was in his mirrors. “As soon as he caught me, I knew he'd pass," the sportscar veteran admitted, "The Saleen's much quicker on the straights and better on the brakes.” Despite falling to fourth, Brabham thrilled the crowd by immediately fighting back, twice closing up on the Saleen as it caught slower cars on the last lap. At the line, however, the Lamborghini was denied third place by less than seven-tenths of a second. The two GM Racing Corvettes of Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell and Oliver Gavin/Olivier Beretta - pre-race favourites in the GTS class - claimed first and second places, and third and fourth overall. “It's not being beaten to third place that bothers me, it's being beaten to first!" team manager and co-founder Dick Barbour commented, "This team is here to win, although we all know we've got a lot of hard work ahead of us. But the team performed really well at its first event and, from taking delivery of two cars in the week, we went out there and finished an international sportscar race. Lamborghini's built a very beautiful car and now we have to start development work on it.” The second Krohn-Barbour Racing Murciélago R-GT, to be driven by Scott Maxwell and team co-founder Tracy Krohn, was unable to start the race because of damage sustained in Friday's test session at the Mid-Ohio circuit, when it was in collision with a Porsche 911 GT3. |
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Travelling at 30,000 feet in the big jumbo taking me to the States, my thoughts were on how the new Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT was going to be. I was visualising the look of the car and how I might be sitting in it. I found myself getting excited at the prospect of a new car and a new team - although it's not like I am new to this, as it has happened a lot in my career, I still get a buzz from it. When I arrived, I was taken aback by the way everything looked. The trucks were brand new, the team kit looked great, the car looked gorgeous. If looks were anything to go by, we had already won! The other thing to note was the amount of interest there was in the Lambos. The back of the garage was always full of people trying to get a look at the sleek new arrival. There were photos, questions about the car - it was great to see such enthusiasm about our new team. I was getting so many questions about the car even before I had managed to do a lap, all I could say was 'I don't know yet, it just arrived and it hasn't turned a wheel'.... Practice didn't go that well as the #6 car driven by team owner Tracy Krohn ended its first lap in a crash. Tracy got a bit wide on one of the corners and then a Porsche appeared and they hit each other. The damage was bad for both cars, but the #6 Lambo wasn't going on the track again as a new rear end had to be put on. Our car went really well for the first run, however, and it was a relief to see the car going round and round. With a new car, it is important to have no problems as we need as much time on the track as possible. Qualifying was up to me as I knew the beautiful Mid-Ohio track, and my team-mate, Peter Kox, didn't. I went quicker than I thought I could, but we were still three seconds slower than the 'Vettes. We expected to be slow as this was a brand new car, but you are always disappointed at any gap. The goal for the race was to finish. This we did, and we ended a successful debut event in a dice with the ACEMCO Saleen that I had driven at Sebring. Peter started the race and, while we knew we were not going to challenge the 'Vettes or the Saleen for a position, we had a plan to drive safe but as fast as we could. Things were looking good for an easy race as the car was running well - until the Saleen was held in the pits for some problems. Then the pressure was on, because a third place was there for the taking. Johnny Mowlem, my mate, was behind me when the Saleen rejoined - and he was on a mission. I knew he would catch me, but I was staying in front of him longer than I thought I would. It got to five minutes to go and he was right on my tail. I tried what I could to keep him there, but Johnny just drove past me on the straight and out-braked me at the next corner. We still have steel brakes on the Lambo, while he had carbon brakes, so he had the advantage. To be honest, I was pretty pissed afterwards, as a podium would have been great for the team. Still, it was a great result with a new car - and the team were amazing. Now, it's on to Lime Rock for the next one. http://www.crash.net/pictures/view/97687.jpg |
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http://www.classicdriver.de/upload/i...2352/img06.jpg All dates of the Japan GT series 2004: Round 4 Tokachi 16.-18. July Round 5 Twin ring Motegi 03.-05. September Round 6 Shanghai 04.-06. October Round 7 Autopolis 29.-31. October Round 8 Suzuka Circuit 19.-21. November Round 9 California Speedway, the USA 17.-19. December http://www.classicdriver.de/upload/i...2352/img07.jpg |
sexy sexy sexy. that modena looks so ghey now.
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check news in www.italiaspeed.com :D
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this is a real racer, thx for the nice pics and info A007APL... :P
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RELEASE IMMEDIATE 24 JULY 2004
The hard-working determination of the Krohn-Barbour Racing pit crew made it possible for the team’s two Lamborghini Murciélago R-GTs to participate in this afternoon’s timed qualifying runs for tomorrow’s Portland Grand Prix, fifth round of the American Le Mans Series, despite both cars sustaining damage in a freak double-accident earlier in the day. Misfortune struck the two-car team twenty minutes into this morning’s one-hour practice session at Portland International Raceway, Oregon, when the number 6 Lamborghini of Tracy Krohn spun approaching the tight chicane on the Start/Finish straightaway. Team-mate David Brabham was following right behind in the number 5 Lamborghini and, when forced to brake hard, also spun. The gap between the stationary number 6 car and the concrete barriers was a little too narrow for the number 5 car to make it through. The Lamborghinis touched, Krohn’s car suffering mostly rear-end damage, Brabham’s taking its hardest knock at the front. Krohn explained: “I got on the brakes and it just snapped away from me, quick as anything. It would’ve been OK but unfortunately there was some traffic around and David was right behind.” Brabham commented: “The same thing that happened to Tracy happened to me; I’m as experienced [in racing] as anyone out there, and it caught me out too.” There were those who doubted the cars would be repaired in time for the afternoon’s one-hour practice or 20-minute qualifying session, but not team manager Dick Barbour. “Just watch my guys,” Barbour said as the cars were brought to the team’s pit garage for repairs. “We’ll have ‘em back out there. Never say die.” The number 6 car made it onto the track at the start of the afternoon’s one-hour practice session, the number 5 car was running 15 minutes later. In qualifying Krohn posted a best time on the 1.94-mile, 12-turn course of 1min 16.505sec, for fifth place in the GTS class. Brabham’s co-driver Peter Kox recorded a best lap of 1min 12.228sec for the number 5 car, fourth in GTS, despite having to guess which Pirelli tires would best suit the car because of lack of track time. The GM Racing Chevrolet Corvette of Olivier Beretta was fastest in GTS, setting a new record of 1min 9.981sec. Krohn’s co-driver this weekend is Nic Jonsson, the 36-yer-old Atlanta-based Swede who scored his first-career victory in an SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race at Infineon Raceway, California, last weekend. Jonsson said: “I’m really excited about this drive. Krohn-Barbour Racing is a really professional team, Dick Barbour is a proven winner, and Lamborghini makes great cars. I know the car’s not yet had all the testing and development it needs, because it’s new, but it’ll be good experience for me.” Sunday’s Portland Grand Prix, round five of nine in the ALMS, starts at 1pm local time and runs for two-hours 45-minutes. |
RELEASE IMMEDIATE 25 JULY 2004
BOTH LAMBORGHINIS FRUSTRATED IN CHASE FOR THIRD PLACE Both Krohn-Barbour Racing Lamborghinis had third place in their sights in the hotly-contested GTS class in Sunday’s fifth round of the American Le Mans Series at Portland International Raceway, Oregon, but ultimately both were deprived of a finish. After nearly two hours of the two-hour 45-minute Portland Grand Prix, the number 5 Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT of David Brabham and Peter Kox was chasing the Saleen S7R of Johnny Mowlem/Terry Borcheller for third place. But as Kox lapped the Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GTR of Timo Bernhard/Jorg Bergmeister on the inside line going into Turn One, the Porsche turned-in too early and hit the left rear corner of the Lamborghini, damaging its rear suspension and forcing retirement. Kox said: “It’s a shame, because we were going really well, staying with the Saleen. We were working through traffic and when I came up behind the Porsche on the pits straight I flashed my headlamps several times. I was nearly all the way past, on the inside, and really thought it [the passing maneuver] was finished, when he hit me really hard.” The surviving number 6 Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT of Tracy Krohn and Nic Jonsson could also see third place within its reach, after two hours and 22 minutes of racing, when the Saleen slowed by 25 seconds per lap with an engine problem. But Krohn had been experiencing gearbox downshift problems and these worsened on the lap that Jonsson took over the Lamborghini for the race’s final stint, forcing the Swedish driver to bring the car slowly to the pits and retirement. Krohn said: “The gearbox was playing up on downshifts for some time, but it was always a mystery. Sometimes it’d go in, sometimes it wouldn’t. I tried doing the whole lap just in third and fourth, I tried going around in fourth and fifth. I couldn’t tell the team what was going on because we lost our [car-to-pits] radio. We also lost our [rear-view] camera. So I couldn’t shift, I couldn’t see - it was a pretty tough outing!” Jonsson, who was standing-in for Scott Maxwell at this race, commented: “After I went out of the pits, I got up to third okay, then I couldn’t downshift. I got fourth and fifth on the back straightaway, then something else locked up.” Of his first experience of the Lamborghini, which made its US racing debut just four weeks ago, Jonsson said: “The car was more physical than I thought it would be, especially the steering, but it’s very direct, very responsive. Krohn-Barbour Racing is very professional and the Lamborghini has huge potential. With a serious test program, it’ll be good.” The Lamborghinis of Brabham/Kox and Krohn/Jonsson completed 103 laps and 91 laps respectively before halting; the third-placed Saleen ran 113 laps to the finish. The GM Racing Chevrolet Corvettes of Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell and Oliver Gavin/Olivier Beretta placed first and second in the GTS-class and third and fourth overall, on 135 and 133 laps. The Portland Grand Prix was won outright by the Audi R8 of JJ Lehto/Marco Werner (141 laps) from the Lola EX257 of James Weaver/Butch Leitzinger (1min 8.446sec behind) |
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