August
2004
Eric
Thompson Trophy
Jamie Davies (left) and Johnny Herbert collected the Club
des Pilotes' Eric Thompson Trophy at Silverstone on 17th August
for the highest-placed British drivers at Le Mans:
The
annual award also goes to Guy Smith.
Altech
F1 two-seater Grand Prix a resounding success
Press release: Watched by a crowd approaching 50,000
people, the Minardi F1x2 team staged what was, without a doubt,
its most spectacular event ever.
 The
Altech South African F1x2 Charity Grand Prix featured a "double-header"
programme with three hours separating the two 10-lap races.
It
marked the first time this format has been employed in a Minardi
two-seater event, and judging by the reaction of the hugely
enthusiastic South African crowd, it won't be the last.
The
first race was won by regular Minardi F1 driver, Gianmaria Bruni,
with passenger, Patrick Wharton-Hood on board. The Italian stormed
to the front after leader, Johnny Herbert, spun, and second-placed
Christian Fittipaldi lost a small amount of time with a gear
selection problem during his pit stop. Second
place went to Minardi test driver, Bas Leinders, with Jason
Evans in the passenger seat, while the final place on the victory
rostrum was claimed by F3000 star, Patrick Friesacher, and his
passenger, Robby Wray.
At
the conclusion of the second race, it was up-and-coming young
South African star, Alan van der Merwe, who claimed a convincing
win with Ruben Goldberg sitting behind him. He was chased to
the chequered flag by Herbert and passenger, Gugu Zulu, with
Bruni again scoring a podium finish, this time taking the chequered
flag in third place with an ecstatic Colin Moss aboard.
"Over
the years, the Minardi F1x2 team has staged a lot of events
at various high-profile venues around the world," commented
Minardi F1 Team Principal, Paul Stoddart at the conclusion
of today's Kyalami programme.
"Nothing
but nothing, however, comes anywhere close to the fantastic
weekend we have just experienced here at Kyalami. Performing
to a capacity crowd approaching 60,000 people in stunning
weather, the Minardi F1x2 team staged two fantastic races
to thrill the enthusiastic South African fans, who clearly
love their F1 racing.
"All
nine drivers deserve the highest praise for performing faultlessly
throughout the event, which drew a total crowd of nearly 100,000
over the three days. My heartfelt thanks go out to the entire
team of nearly 200 people who made this event happen, many
of whom gave up their summer break to be here. Today, F1 did
return to South Africa!"
Results
race 1
1. Gimmi Bruni/Peter Wharton-Hood
2. Bas Leinders/Jason Evans
3. Patrick Freisacher/Robby Wray
4. Alan van der Merwe/Chris Potgieter
5. Nicolas Kiesa/Ralf Bronzin
6. Christian Fittipaldi/Nicole Fox
7. Johnny Herbert/Philip Kekana
8. Ralf Firman/Bryan Freeman
Results
race 2
1. Alan van der Merwe/Ruben Goldberg
2. Johnny Herbert/Gugu Zulu
3. Gianmaria Bruni/Colin Moss
4. Ralph Firman/Sasha Martinengo
5. Bas Leinders/Kagelo Lagodi
6. Toni Vilander/Carol Weaving
7. Nicolas Kiesa/Brendan Balentine
8. Christian Fittipaldi/Jacoleen Bam
Photo
by Fraser Mocke. Thanks also to Elaine van Niekerk.
July
2004
Herbert
and
Gene first on the grid
LEDBURY, ENGLAND, July 21, 2004 - Formula One stars
Johnny Herbert and Marc Gene are the first of what is expected
to be an impressive array of drivers to announce their participation
in the Altech South African F1x2 Charity Grand Prix at the Kyalami
International Raceway, on August 7, 8 and 9.
The
unique event, which will culminate on the Monday, with the first
"double-header" F1 two-seater race programme ever staged, will
help to raise funds for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and
Unite Against Hunger charities.
Both
Herbert and Gene were moved to become involved in the South
African F1x2 Charity Grand Prix as a result of the personal
invitation extended last month by Nelson Mandela to F1 heroes,
past and present, to participate in this glittering event, which
will also include an international extreme sports competition
and a variety music spectacular.
Johnny
Herbert is a vastly experienced, and hugely popular driver,
who scored three Grand Prix victories in an illustrious F1 career
that included stints with Benetton, Lotus, Sauber, Stewart and
Jaguar. The Briton is also a former winner of the famed Le Mans
24-Hour race.
Spain's
Marc Gene is currently test and reserve driver for BMW WilliamsF1,
and did an impressive job standing in at short notice for the
injured Ralf Schumacher during last year's Italian Grand Prix,
and most recently, at this year's French and British rounds
of the World Championship. Like many of the current stars of
Formula One, he started his Grand Prix career with Minardi.
In
fact, the current Wilux Minardi Cosworth F1 Team will be turning
up in strength in South Africa, with 2003 race driver, Nicolas
Kiesa, 2004 race driver, Gianmaria "Gimmi" Bruni, and 2004 test
and reserve driver, Bas Leinders, all scheduled to appear. In
addition, reigning British F3 champion and current F3000 International
Championship competitor, Alan van der Merwe, who proved to be
very popular with the Kyalami crowd when he drove one of a pair
of F1x2 cars that appeared at the Johannesburg circuit in June,
will be back for more on-track action at the August event.
May
2004
Team
Velocqx merchadise available for Le Mans
Team Velocqx, 26th May: Fans heading to the Le
Mans 24 Hours will have the opportunity to display their allegiance
to Team Veloqx with the launch of the British team’s exciting
merchandise range.
 The
sportscar team’s exclusive range features clothing (jacket/fleece/team
shirt/polo shirt), a baseball cap, umbrella and back pack –
all ideal for the forthcoming twice round-the-clock French marathon
on 12-13 June. Additionally, the striking Team Veloqx range
includes a “ripper” wallet, compact disc carrying case, key
ring fobs, a ball point pen and a coffee mug.
 The
clothing incorporates a distinctive ‘8 and 88’ logo (the Audi
“customer” team’s two race car numbers), making its own fashion
statement. A selection of “official” Allan McNish and Johnny
Herbert-branded merchandise has also been designed.
Created
by Brand Logistics of Kingswinford, West Midlands, the distinctive,
competitively-priced merchandise will be available from selected
retailers within the Le Mans circuit. However, orders can also
be taken via shopping on-line at www.teamveloqx-gear.com
from 1 June.
Johnny
and team-mates at UK Motor Show
Johnny Herbert, Allan McNish and their all-conquering Audi
R8 sports cars are to visit The Sunday Times Motor Show Live
Preview Day.
Audi
UK’s all-conquering motor racing team is to roar into Birmingham
for The Sunday Times Motor Show Live Press Day (May 25) - less
than a month before bidding for glory in one of the world’s
toughest, most gruelling races.
Former
Grand Prix drivers Johnny Herbert and Allan McNish, as well
as fellow “Brits” Jamie Davies and 2003 Le Mans winner Guy Smith,
will be making special appearances at the show on Press Day
only in advance of this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours (12-13 June).
Accompanying them will be a pair of the team’s world-dominating
Audi R8 sportscars.
Having
won its maiden motor race, Northamptonshire-based Audi Sport
UK Team Veloqx scored a magnificent one-two in the opening round
of the Le Mans Endurance Series at Monza (9 May) – and top this
European-based sportscar endurance championship. Its first two
results enable the team to justly claim to be the world’s top
sports car team of the 2004 season.
Herbert/Davies
beat the similar Veloqx Audi of McNish/Kaffer by a mere 0.661secs
after five hours of cut-and-thrust racing around the Italian
Monza track - a 620-mile event pundits have hailed as one of
the most exciting sportscar races in recent years.
The
Audi R8 sportscar, featuring FSI fuel-saving technology first
pioneered on the race tracks but now available in the A2, A3,
A4 and new A6 ranges, has scored an amazing 41 race wins from
just 50 race starts worldwide over the past five years. Having
won the 2000, ’01 & ’02 Le Mans 24 Hours, Audi looks well-prepared
for a fourth win next month.
The
Sunday Times Motor Show Live runs from May 27 to June 6 at the
NEC Birmingham, and will offer British Audi devotees their first
chance to get behind the wheel of the all-new A6 Saloon.
February
2004
Herbert
gets Audi UK's
Sebring preparations on track
Feb
23rd, Audi UK Sport Press Release: Brentwood’s Johnny Herbert
has successfully completed his maiden test with the Audi Sport
UK Team Veloqx team. The 39-year-old Monaco-based Essex-born
motor racing ace drove one of the Northamptonshire-based team’s
Audi R8 sportscars in America.
Herbert
completed over 100 trouble-free miles during the three-day (18/20/23
Feb) trial at Road Atlanta in Georgia along with his five team-mates
who will bid for Le Mans 24 Hour race glory in June.
Johnny,
who ultimately set the second fastest time, joined fellow Brits
Jamie Davies, from Somerset, Yorkshire’s Guy Smith and Monaco-based
Allan McNish along with German duo Frank Biela and Pierre Kaffer.
“Both
cars did a race simulation lasting almost three hours during
Monday which was run in cool, overcast and showery weather
conditions,” confirmed Johnny who drove on Friday and Monday.
“I broke in to the 1min 11secs which was pleasing but the
more rewarding aspect was the consistency of pace throughout
the race run by all three drivers, in changeable conditions.
Both cars are evenly matched - we started the race simulation
nose to tail and finished together.”
Herbert
will make his race début for Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx in the
Sebring 12 Hours on 20 March - a race that has been won by an
Audi for the past four years.
Herbert
recruited for British Audi team's
Le Mans assault
Feb
10th, Audi UK Sport Press Release: Johnny Herbert will
bid to score a second Le Mans 24 Hour motor race victory this
year having been recruited by a British-based Audi team today
(10 Feb).
Brentwood-born
Herbert (39) joins fellow former Le Mans winners Allan McNish,
Guy Smith and Frank Biela in the two-car Audi Sport UK Team
Veloqx squad along with Jamie Davies plus German sportscar newcomer
Pierre Kaffer for this year’s gruelling marathon on 12-13 June.
Monaco-based
Herbert will only compete in this year’s gruelling French marathon
plus Sebring for the British Audi team. The 1991 Le Mans winner
won three Grands Prix during a 12 year F1 stint and has spent
the last three years racing for Audi in America.
“I’ve
finished second at Le Mans for the past two years - including
2002 with the ‘factory’ Audi team - and have regularly raced
an Audi in America since 2001 for its American ‘customer’
team, scoring four wins last year,” confirmed Herbert who
will be aiming to earn Audi its fourth victory in five years
at Le Mans. “We’ll be up against two similar Audis at Le Mans
run by American and Japanese teams so it will be tough but
I have every confidence in Veloqx and am looking forward to
the challenge.”
Herbert
and McNish, the latter also confirmed in the team today, and
their Veloqx team-mates will test at Road Atlanta in Georgia
later this month (18/20/23 Feb) in readiness for the Sebring
12 Hours on 20 March.
David
Ingram, Audi UK’s Motorsport Manager, confirmed: “Johnny has
been a regular part of Audi's sportscar activities in recent
years and when we had the opportunity to put together an Audi
Sport UK programme, he was an obvious candidate. "Johnny brings
added ability and experience to the team for Le Mans and I
am very excited about our prospects."
January
2004
Johnny's
options for
2004 are shrinking
LONDON,
Jan 9 (Sportinglife) - Johnny Herbert's options for a top-line
sportscar drive this year are diminishing after he was passed
over for a major seat.
The
Essex-born driver has enjoyed success driving for ADT Champion
Audi in the American Le Mans Series following his retirement
from Formula One. He was widely expected to retain that job
alongside 2003 partner JJ Lehto after four victories left them
as runners-up in the championship. But, while Lehto has kept
his Champion job, the second seat at the Miami-based team has
gone to reigning champion Marco Werner, whose title-winning
Joest Audi team left the ALMS for German touring cars.
A
Champion spokesman said: "Johnny raced regularly for us in
the American Le Mans Series over the past two seasons earning
the team four wins with JJ last year. Audi Sport has placed
its factory drivers with customer teams for this season so
we're delighted to have Marco who did a fantastic job in winning
the ALMS title at his first attempt last season."
Herbert's
main hope of a regular top drive appears to lie with Audi UK,
who have one vacant seat for their two-car Le Mans Endurance
Series squad, although he will face competition from Allan McNish.
McNish is in the running for one of the two vacant Jordan Formula
One seats but if that falls through he is high on Audi UK's
list, along with Herbert.
Audi
UK are looking for a partner for Pierre Kaffer for the four-race
LMES, the Le Mans 24 Hours and the 12 Hours of Sebring. There
is also a vacancy in the other car for the Le Mans and Sebring
endurance races, which require a third driver along with Jamie
Davies and Guy Smith, but that would restrict Herbert to just
two races all season.
Champion
Racing announces
drivers for 2004
SMYRNA,
Ga. (January 6, 2004) - Florida-based Champion Racing, one
of the most successful racing teams in the US, will return in
2004 to compete in the American Le Mans and will return to Le
Mans to defend their podium finish from the 2003 24 Hours of
Le Mans.
Team ADT Champion Racing will make a concerted attack on this
year's American Le Mans Series titles having re-signed veteran
driver JJ Lehto, the "Flying Finn", and acquiring factory driver,
Marco Werner. Lehto and Werner will partner for the nine race
American Le Mans Series piloting a "customer" based Audi R8
prototype sponsored by ADT, the largest single provider of total
security solutions to residential, business and federal customers.
Partnering
with Lehto and Werner for the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24
Hours of Le Mans will be veteran driver Emanuele Pirro. Last
year Pirro and Lehto (along with Stefan Johannson) battled brilliantly
throughout the full 24 hours to give Champion Racing first place
in the LMP 900 class and third place overall. This podium finish
was the first overall podium finish by an American team in 19
years.
Every
effort is made to ensure factual accuracy but no
responsibility is accepted for the information on these pages.
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