|
The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
 |
|
The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
|
|
|
E mail the editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk with news Leventis & Verdon-Roe Victorious at Goodwood
One of the headline events at the annual Revival, the Lavant Cup vies with the RAC Tourist Trophy for top honours. First staged at Goodwood in 1948, the Cup’s list of winners reads like a legendary Who’s Who of motor racing history, and includes the likes of Mike Hawthorn, Roy Salvadori, Jack Brabham, Innes Ireland, Stirling Moss, Bruce Mclaren and Jim Clark. “I’m absolutely astounded to be in that sort of company,” grinned a delighted Nick Leventis. “This has been my first Goodwood Revival as a competitor, and to win one of the meeting’s signature races at the first attempt is a fantastic way to round off my year.” This year’s Lavant Cup took place on Saturday afternoon, September 19th, and was scheduled as a one-hour two-driver race for sportscars that originally raced in 1958 and 1959. Nick was co-driving a fabulous Ferrari 246S Dino with former British Formula Renault champion and regular historic racer Bobby Verdon-Roe. Under perfect blue skies and ideal conditions, Bobby had secured pole on Friday, fronting a grid of thirty Aston Martins, Jaguars, Porsches, Lotuses, Ferraris and other remarkably valuable historic sportscars by nearly two seconds. However, despite this achievement, Nick knew that being responsible for the first stint would not be easy. “We always make a poor start in the Dino!” he said. “The 246 has never been quick off the line. The gearing doesn’t lend itself to being fast away from a standing start, so although we were delighted to be on pole, we knew there was a good chance we’d drop back at the start. True to form, I think I was sixth or seventh into turn one. Luckily I managed to keep just ahead of Juan Barazi in another Dino, and then began recovering my ground.” Leading the early stages of the race was Graeme Dodd in Dick Skipworth’s ex-Ecurie Ecosse Tojeiro-Jaguar, but Gary Pearson was hot on his tail in Carlos Monteverde’s Lister-Jaguar. “I clawed my way back up to third, and I had latched on behind Gary, but I knew he was going to be very difficult to pass,” admitted Nick. “I realised I was never going to be able to get by, and with that in mind I decided to pit early and hand over to Bobby. I felt sure the race would come back to us in the second half.” It was a typically slick pitstop, and Bobby Verdon-Roe took full advantage of every second gained. He embarked on an impressive charge that rapidly had the Dino drifting impressively through into the lead. Lapping as much as three seconds quicker than his rivals, Bobby’s advantage steadily grew until the #11 Ferrari was very nearly a minute ahead. “The car was running extremely well. It’s a lovely car to race – not the most powerful, but very nimble and it carries speed through the corners so well. Nick had done a great job of staying with the leaders, and I was just able to pick them off one by one.”
“That was a quite remarkable way to end the race,” conceded Bobby. “I certainly wasn’t expecting it, but to be receiving our race-winner’s garlands as the Vulcan was doing its thing overhead is something I certainly shan’t forget in a hurry!” “It just felt so appropriate,” said Nick. “The Vulcan is part of Bobby’s heritage, and to watch it complete two fly-bys and then make an amazing vertical climb at the end was just incredible. Winning something right at the end of the season made the race memorable enough, but the Vulcan made the occasion very special. It was a great way to end the year, and I’d just like to say how much we appreciate the tremendous job that Tim Samways and his team did in preparing the Dino. It was a dream to drive.” Lavant Cup Race Result (34 laps) 1.
Leventis/Verdon-Roe, Ferrari 246S Dino
Fastest Lap:
Strakka concludes first LMS season on a positive note
The season finalé got off to a challenging start for the Silverstone-based outfit. Being unable to participate in qualifying on Saturday resulted in a back-row start for the six-hour race. Danny Watts joined two other prototypes at the rear of the forty-car field, knowing he had to overtake three-quarters of those cars in order to reach his rightful position in the ranks. He set about it with a will, and was knocking on the door of the top-ten within the first hour. “The car was very nimble through traffic, and that made my life a lot easier, but I wasn’t prepared to take too many risks. I strung together some decent times, and made it through to the fringes of LMP1 before the end of my stint. I was pleased with that, but from then on, it was much harder to gain ground.” Piers Phillips, Team Manager at Strakka, was suitably impressed. “In a situation like that, it’s critical that you work through traffic as quickly as you can, but when the speed differentials are as huge as they are in this series, you also have to be very careful. Danny’s opening stints were excellent. He handed over in tenth, and I couldn’t have asked, or expected, more from him. He did a stellar job – very quick, and trouble-free.” Nick Leventis took over for the middle hours, and consolidated the team’s hold on ninth overall with a consistent and measured double-stint. “Traffic was a serious problem, and you either had to be very aggressive or extremely cautious. Under the circumstances I felt that a strong finish was more important, so I chose to err on the cautious side. Even so, towards the end of my second stint I had an unfortunate incident with one of the GT2 cars - which I’ve been assured was entirely his fault! – and that cost us valuable time.” It also cost the team a couple of places, and when Danny took over again the #23 Ginetta-Zytek was lying in eleventh place. “The car felt better than it had been first time round for my final stints,” said Danny, “and the fresh tyres meant I was able to push a little harder for the first half-hour or so.” During that period he was one of the fastest on track, and gaining ground on all those ahead of him. “The car was easy and consistent to drive, despite a tendency towards understeer, and I could certainly reel off the laps.” Unfortunately, the lap lost as a result of starting from the back was compounded by a problem with Danny’s harness at the start of his final stint, when he was forced to make another pitstop. These two lost laps could never be regained, but a solid finish was certainly on the cards.
“I was delighted to see that flag,” said Nick, “but I’m disappointed that I couldn’t reward the team with something better. This year has been an extremely steep learning curve for everyone at Strakka, but we’ve proved that we can compete very effectively at this level, and we’ve certainly not disgraced ourselves. It’s an excellent feeling to know that we have such a dedicated, tight knit and strong-willed group to help carry us through to even bigger and better things in 2010.” "It may have been a tough year but we've enjoyed working closely with Zytek and are proud to have scored competitive finishes both here at Silverstone this weekend, and also at Le Mans at our first attempt," said James Turner, Commercial Director at Strakka Racing."It is only right that we thank all the team at Zytek for their unstinting efforts to build reliability and pace throughout the season." “This has been a very exciting year for Strakka,” admitted Piers Phillips. “Moving up to LMP1 was a big step for us, a very brave decision, but I believe we’ve acquitted ourselves well, and set in place the foundations to move forwards with confidence. Our aim next season is to be ready to challenge for podium finishes at every race.” Strakka now enters the closed season, confident that it can challenge the best and enthused for the challenges and opportunities to come.
Stakka Out but not Down
Qualifying fourth had placed first-stint driver Danny Watts in the perfect position to pace his first hour, watching and waiting, but never out of touch with the battle for the lead. After two hours he was still there, one of only four cars still on the lead lap. The former British Formula Renault champion and Great Britain A1GP racer then handed over to Nick Leventis for the middle portion of the race. On his first visit to the Nürburgring, Nick was swiftly into his stride and lapping at a very competitive race pace, holding his own amid far more experienced professional LMP1 drivers. Throughout a solid double-stint he maintained his position, and shortly after the start of the fourth hour Nick handed the car back from fifth overall. Danny responded by promptly setting a new fastest lap for the car of 1:44.272 that included an outright quickest third sector. It would miss being the fastest lap of the race by a fraction over one-tenth of a second. Danny Watts then began a demonstration drive that rapidly ate into the gap between fifth place and fourth; closing at between four and six seconds with each lap. Then, thirty-five minutes into that impressive stint, he came up to pass one of the slower GT2 cars. Evidently the other driver hadn’t seen the fast-approaching prototype and started to “close the door” as the pair descended on the Ford Kurve. Fighting to avoid contact, Danny clipped the edge of the track, and the Ginetta-Zytek was instantly tipped into an uncontrollable slide that only ended when the car hit the barrier, spinning back across the track and hammering into the Armco on the other side. It was a heavy impact, and it was immediately obvious that the team’s race was over. “Of course it’s enormously disappointing,” said Piers Phillips, Team Manager, “but we must take the positives from the weekend. The car was fast and reliable, and Danny’s pace was phenomenal, but what really impressed me was Nick. His race pace was exemplary – I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Once he’d settled down, his lap times just got steadily quicker, until he was consistently setting times that was just two or three seconds off those of the leading cars. For a young driver who’s never been here before, that was highly commendable.” For his own part, Nick was keen to emphasise that Danny had been the innocent victim of circumstances. “Danny did a great job all weekend,” he stressed. “He helped to put together a car that was a dream to drive, and he was consistently one of the quickest out there. Danny’s an incredible driver. He knows exactly what he’s doing and his performance today simply demonstrates what a talented racing driver he is.” This had been Strakka’s fourth prototype race in the Le Mans Series. “It’s still only our first year in LMP1,” explains Nick. “We’re at the beginning of what will be a lengthy programme for Strakka Racing in sportscars, and we’re delighted to be at the stage where we can already be in contention for a podium. Fourth was within our grasp, and thanks to Danny, third had become a possibility. All credit to the guys in the garage, they did a tremendous job in preparing the car. The sad thing is, without the results on paper, we can’t reward them with the credit they deserve.”
Strakka Leads the Challenge in Algarve
During his opening stint Danny Watts not only kept pace with the three ahead of him, but steadily narrowed the gap, picking up third from Bruno Senna when the Brazilian made an unforced error and ran wide. That allowed Watts to chase down Stefan Mücke’s Aston Martin Lola for second, but when Mücke moved through to the lead, Danny followed, and with forty minutes completed he was lying second. Tight behind, however, was Jean-Christophe Boullion in the #16 Pescarolo. “I was going for the lead,” explained Danny, “when I got baulked by a back-marker, and Boullion simply had the better line and got a run on me. He overtook and there was nothing I could do, but it was a very exciting start to the race.” Danny completed his opening stint in third, and pitted for fuel. His second stint was also going well, and he was solid in second when the first sign of trouble arose. “The car started to develop a misfire about ten laps before I was due to come in,” said Danny. “I was able to push on to the scheduled stop, and handed over to Nick, but then the car wouldn’t restart.” The car was hauled back into the garage and various electrical components were checked and replaced. Nick Leventis headed back out but managed only a handful of additional laps before being forced back as the misfire worsened. Despite the dedication and hard work of the team’s engineers, it was soon evident that the car was headed for retirement.
Piers Phillips, Chief Engineer and Team Manager, managed a wry smile. “We encountered a combination of electrical issues, including starter motor, but we won’t be able to confirm the exact nature of the problem until we can get the car back to the workshop. After Danny made such a terrific start, it was particularly galling to retire with what were really very minor faults, but we’re not here to make up the numbers, we’re here to win. We have three weeks now to resolve this issue, and we’ll be working hard with our partners at Zytek to ensure that we’re back in the frame for the Nürburgring.” “I feel so sorry for the boys, but we’re a strong, closely-knit unit, and we’ll bounce back from this,” said Danny Watts. Pics John Brooks Strakka Racing secures gritty finish on impressive Le Mans debut
The race had started
with a gritty opening stint from Peter Hardman, who found himself
embroiled in a tight-fought dispute between two of the Kolles Audi R10s
(last year’s winning cars) and one of the new Lola Aston Martins. For 40
minutes they battled over ninth place until Peter made his first pitstop
for fuel. Moments later, as others also pitted, an accident outside the
Peugeot garage ultimately lead to a lengthy safety car period, and Peter
was caught on the wrong side of the queue. Purely by mischance, the team
lost an entire lap that would prove impossible to regain. “Once you’ve had a taste of what it’s like to be up there near the top, it’s so disheartening when you get kicked back down 20 places or so, and then have to start fighting your way back up through the field, all over again,” said Nick. “We had a tremendous
car and great pace, but we simply encountered problems that were not
related to what we were doing as a team, or as drivers,” suggested
Peter. The Ginetta-Zytek itself impressed all three drivers. “We got out
of the car on Thursday evening and gathered for a de-brief. When Piers
(Phillips, Race Engineer) asked us how we might improve the car, we
looked at each other, and then agreed. There was nothing!” smiled Peter.
“It was frustrating to have prepared a car that was such a dream to
drive, only to have these niggly little problems, but whenever the crew
worked on the car to fix anything, and sent us out again afterwards, it
felt exactly the same as it had before – perfect. That kind of support
instils you with confidence, as a driver, and encourages you to do your
best. The whole team has been highly professional throughout, and I’m
proud of our achievements here at Le Mans,” said Peter. "The engine gave us
plenty of power," added Nick. "We had good straight-line speed, and the
Michelin tyres were fantastic. They lasted well enough for us to triple
stint comfortably, and I tended to find that my quickest times came
mid-way through my second stint.”
Strakka Racing Chasing from the Tail
After being caught out on a patch of oil and flat-spotting the tyres, Danny Watts had been unable to set a representative time for the #23 Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S in qualifying. Facing the need to fit a new set of Michelins before the race, the team had no option under the regulations but to take the start from the pitlane, where Peter Hardman, driving the first stint for Strakka, joined a queue of six others. The opening moments of the six-hour race were thrown into confusion after one car spun off on the warm-up lap, and two others came together at the first corner. Held back in the pitlane, Peter’s initial concerns were alleviated when a safety car was immediately despatched. Able to catch up with the tail-enders under controlled conditions, Peter was perfectly placed when racing resumed two laps later, and made up eighteen positions on the first racing lap. He followed that with ten more during the two laps that followed, and by the completion of lap four the Strakka Racing Ginetta-Zytek was already up to 22nd. A second safety car bunched up the field again, and when the restart came Peter was able to gain another handful of places, and with just forty minutes gone, he’d moved through into 8th overall. Strakka’s first pitstop was briefly delayed while debris, wedged in a wheelarch, was removed, but at the end of his double-stint Peter was able to hand over to Nick Leventis from a consolidated ninth position, two hours into the race. Every pitstop costs time, and Nick came out into 13th place, but he faced a fresh challenge. “The car was suffering from serious understeer,” he said later, “and there was a massive vibration caused by an imbalance in the front-left tyre. We didn’t want to stop again, and lose even more time, so rather than taking on new tyres I just stayed out and did my best.” The car became increasingly difficult to drive, but Nick persevered, and only dropped one position in his first hour. During the next pitstop the engine was reluctant to re-start, but eventually roared into life, but valuable seconds had again been lost. Heading into the fourth hour of the race, Danny Watts took over in the cockpit, and once again the engine was reluctant to fire up, but after a brief delay, the Ginetta-Zytek was back on track in 16th position. “Danny immediately started to make up a lot of time,” said Nick. “He was climbing up through the field, looking very strong, and that was definitely a ray of sunshine in our day.” Unfortunately, Danny would be back into the garage forty minutes later after the electrical fault became critical. A complete battery failure and associated problems required a stop of nearly 25 minutes to resolve. This effectively ended Strakka’s hopes of a representative finish, but Danny fought back from 32nd with determination and impressive pace to cross the line 19th overall. “Starting from the pitlane was always going to be interesting,” suggested Peter Hardman, Team Principal at Strakka Racing. “I really enjoyed my stints - great racing, and the speed differences are huge in certain parts of Spa. I was also pleased with the way the whole team recovered from each challenge the race threw at us. I think we actually had a very good race. Only the result is missing!" “The car felt very competitive right from the moment I got into it,” said Danny Watts. “It was good in every department - the traction was good, it was excellent under braking, and the tyres were consistent. We just lost too much time in the pits with niggly little problems, which is a shame, because pace-wise we’re right up there with the best.” “We’ve demonstrated that we have all the ingredients for success, but we now need a bit of polishing, and maybe some good luck,” added Nick. “We’re still learning, but this was a great team effort and the lads did a terrific job.”
Impressive First Run from Strakka Racing
Peter Hardman starting from pole Newcomers to the top echelon of prototype sportscar racing, Silverstone-based Strakka Racing rounded off an impressive debut weekend with a strong run to fifth overall in the opening round of the 2009 Le Mans Series at the Barcelona Grand Prix circuit in Spain. A remarkable lap on Saturday afternoon from Danny Watts qualified the team's Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S on pole for the 1,000 kilometre event. After running a touring car in endurance races just three seasons ago, and then an Aston Martin DBR9 in GT1 in 2008, this single achievement generated a sense of pride in every member of the Strakka Racing team that they will certainly never forget. "I had a kind of vision five or six weeks ago, and imagined myself starting a race from pole this season," admitted Peter Hardman, co-driver and Team Principal at Strakka, "Even so, it's still an enormous surprise when something like that actually happens. I can still hardly believe it." Strakka Racing's Ginetta-Zytek on pole Peter took the opening stint, but by his own admission, "didn't make the best possible start. I came up to the line at a steady speed, waiting for my moment to accelerate. I wanted to keep everyone bunched tightly," he said, "but two of the others jumped the start, so I was fourth into Turn 1. I was actually quite happy with that, under the circumstances." Peter set off in hot pursuit. "I wanted to stay with them but was also conscious of the need to look after the tyres," he added. Solid middle stint from Nick Leventis Half an hour into the race, and the first safety car was deployed. It worked well for Peter, who was the first to pit and held fifth on the restart. The next yellow-flag period fell less favourably, and an incident with some backmarkers cost Peter three more positions about an hour into the race. He handed over to Nick Leventis in eighth place. "I completed two solid stints, kept out of trouble, and stayed with them," said Nick. "I took over in eighth and handed back in ninth, and set Danny up for the finish. I'm pleased with that." Danny Watts was swiftly into his stride, setting the car’s fastest lap of the race, second quickest overall. As others hit problems, a fighting double-stint saw Danny back to fifth at the chequered flag. "We had some mixed luck earlier in the race," said Peter, "but it came back to us at the end. That's the way it pans out sometimes." Danny was pleased with the result. "Pole, good points from the finish, and a great weekend for the squad," he said. "We've proved the car in qualifying, we've demonstrated great pace in the race, and we're working together really well as a team. It's an excellent start to the season." Despite feeling mildly aggrieved by his treatment at the start, Peter Hardman was delighted by the final result. "Sometimes you get the luck of the draw, but we finished, and we finished well. The car is reliable, the Michelin tyres were exceptional, and we made no mistakes. This has been a great beginning for us in prototypes." Strong fighting finish from Danny Watts "We're new to LMP1, and still learning how endurance racing at this level works," concluded Nick Leventis. "Claiming pole and then going on to finish fifth is excellent, and it's exactly where we need to be. You only have to look at the other teams we're up against -- Prodrive and Aston Martin, Oreca, Pescarolo -- and you can see we're in very esteemed company. It's a privilege to be racing at this level." The squad can now look forward to the next round at the classic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium in five weeks' time with some confidence. It is a track the drivers all know well, and now that foundations are in place, Strakka Racing is looking to build on this early success and continue to challenge for podium finishes as their preparation for the epic Le Mans 24 Hours in June continues.
|
|
Strakka
Racing’s Nick Leventis polished off a remarkable season with a debut win
at the Goodwood Revival last weekend, securing victory with co-driver
Bobby Verdon-Roe in the prestigious Lavant Cup.
Despite
a much smaller 2.4 litre engine than most of his competitors, Bobby
claimed fastest lap of the race at 1:26.910 and looked set to extend his
lead yet further had the event not been stopped nine minutes early. The
early sight of the chequered flag was a surprise for Verdon-Roe, but
under the circumstances, not a disappointment. With a noise like rolling
thunder, the massive delta-winged shape of the world’s last airworthy
AVRO Vulcan bomber was heading in across the horizon to make the first
of its awe-inspiring fly-pasts. Designed and built by the company (AVRO)
founded by Bobby’s grandfather, Alliott Verdon-Roe, the Vulcan was the
spearhead of Britain’s nuclear deterrent during the Cold War era, and
its appearance overhead was a fitting way to celebrate the
Leventis-Verdon-Roe victory.
Strakka
Racing rounded off their 2009 Le Mans Series season with a strong run to
ninth place overall, eighth in LMP1, for the final 1000 Kilometre race
at Silverstone on Sunday. The weekend concluded a debut season that has
seen the team pitched from the highs of pole position, to the lows of
two non-finishes. Throughout this rollercoaster ride, the team has
displayed a level of professionalism and enthusiasm that has impressed
rival competitors and race organisers alike, firmly establishing the
name of Strakka Racing as one to be reckoned with for the future.
The
fast pace at Silverstone resulted in one of the quickest 1000 Kilometre
races on record, at less than five and a half hours, yet this also
demanded a sixth scheduled stop for fuel. “We thought we’d put the boss
back in for the last half-hour,” said Piers. “We decided he deserved to
take the chequered flag.” So Nick Leventis climbed in for the final
stint.
There
was an upbeat and positive mood in the Strakka Racing garage after the
end of the Nürburgring 1000 Kilometres, even after the team’s
Ginetta-Zytek had come to a spectacular and untimely end following four
and a half hours of very competitive running.
For
an hour and forty minutes Strakka Racing’s Danny Watts fought with the
best, battling through from fourth on the grid to challenge for the lead
in Round 3 of the 2009 Le Mans Series. Staged at the new Algarve circuit
in southern Portugal, the event was the first night race to be included
in the LMS calendar. Just as the light was starting to fade across the
circuit, so too did Strakka’s hopes. A succession of niggling electrical
faults combined to end the team’s impressive run, but not before they’d
demonstrated once again that the squad has the pace and potential to
win.
“It’s
very frustrating, but the positive to draw from this is that Danny
demonstrated that we have the pace to run at the front,” said Nick.
“With the rate of attrition we witnessed in the early stages, combined
with the kind of pace I’d been able to maintain in Free Practice, I
think we’d have been well in the mix all the way. From the team’s point
of view, you simply can’t fault the guys for effort and determination.
It’s just a shame we couldn’t capitalise on that and gain the result
they deserve, but we simply didn’t have the reliability or the luck
today. Even so, we’ve made great strides forwards in the last few weeks
and demonstrated that we now have a team in place that can perform at
the top end of this series.”
Strakka
Racing went the distance in an impressive debut run in the Le Mans 24
Hours last weekend, covering a total of 4430 kilometres from start to
finish after Nick Leventis took the chequered flag in 21st place, 14th
in LMP1. Co-driven by Peter Hardman and Danny Watts, the team’s
Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S had been one of the fastest petrol-powered cars in
the race, and battled hard amongst the front-runners for several hours
before three minor mechanical problems put them on the back foot.
Despite this, they rallied repeatedly, and the team exhibited great
professionalism, determination and spirit as they fought to keep the car
in with a chance.
Danny
Watts is the newcomer to the squad this season, but relished his
opportunity. “I’ve had a lot of fun this weekend, and I’ve learned a
huge amount. I’m just very grateful to Strakka Racing for giving me this
opportunity. They also placed great trust in me, which is gratifying,
and to offer me a quadruple stint in the middle of the night was
something very special. It’s the most I’ve ever driven in one go, but I
enjoyed every second.”
Strakka
Racing’s three drivers, Peter Hardman(pictured left 
and
Danny Watts, spent much of yesterday’s Spa 1000 Kilometres playing
catch-up after having to start the race from the pitlane. Without a
series of minor glitches, they could have confidently hoped for a
top-six finish, but the trio still put on a brave display of dicing
through the field to record nineteenth overall at the chequered flag.