Porsche 911 RSR Wins at Virginia International Raceway, Tudor United SportsCar Championship

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche North America: Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy; Joerg Bergmeister, Earl Bamber

Tudor United SportsCar Championship, round 8 in Danville/USA

Fourth straight victory for the 911 RSR – Porsche now leads all classifications

Stuttgart. After scoring four wins in a row, title defender Porsche has extended its lead in the manufacturers’ classification of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship (GTLM class). On the Virginia International Raceway, Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Patrick Pilet (France) won the Oak Tree Grand Prix on Sunday with the 470 hp Porsche 911 RSR, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car. Victory at round eight of the hotly-contested North American sports car championship marks the third straight win after Bowmanville and Road America for Le Mans overall winner Nick Tandy and his teammate Patrick Pilet. Their achievement has elevated Pilet to the top of the drivers’ standings. Moreover, their Porsche North America squad, which fields the 911 RSR at races in the USA and Canada, has taken over the lead of the team classification. Clinching second at the wheel the sister 911 RSR, Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) rounded off a perfect third double victory of the season for Porsche. 

Porsche also secured the “DEKRA Green Challenge Award”, presented to the fastest, most environmentally clean and efficient GTLM competitor: Like in Watkins Glen, the 911 RSR driven by Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy was distinguished as the GT car with the best overall efficiency. The Porsche 911 RSR features the smallest capacity of all competing GT cars. Customers all over the world praise its road-going 911 GT3 sibling for its outstanding ratio of performance and fuel consumption. 

Nick Tandy headed into the race from pole position on the 5.263-kilometre Virginia International Raceway, which is located in the rural idyll of the US state of Virginia on the North Carolina border. The Briton received his finishing touches as a race driver in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, and at Le Mans this year he celebrated the greatest success of his career to date. Tandy is the first GT driver since the Tudor United SportsCar Championship began in 2014 to have secured the front grid spot for a race three times. After shocking his rivals the previous day with his top time in qualifying, he made a cracking start into the race and opened a substantial gap in the first laps. Before handing the 911 RSR off to Patrick Pilet, he had laid the foundation for a commanding lights-to-flag victory. By the time the duo took the flag after 92 laps, they had built up a comfortable lead of more than 27 seconds over the tight and well-balanced field. 

Initially, things did not run quite as smoothly for the second Porsche North America-run 911 RSR with the starting number 912. Jörg Bergmeister, who was barely a tenth of a second slower in qualifying than polesitter Nick Tandy, lined up beside his team colleague at the front of the field, but had to relinquish a position right after the start. When Earl Bamber, as the second Le Mans overall winner in the team, took the wheel of the 911 RSR, he thrilled fans with a spectacular pursuit through the pack. When he rejoined the race in fifth after a pit stop, he picked off one rival after the other, and, in one final overtaking feat, he conquered second place. While he was busy fending off hefty attacks from the opposition for the last half hour of racing, Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Bryan Sellers (USA) brought home seventh place at the wheel of the Falken Tire customer team’s 911 RSR. At Watkins Glen, they scored the first win of the season for Porsche and set in motion the impressive winning streak that has put Porsche in the lead of all GTLM classifications of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship with two races left on this season’s calendar at Austin and Road Atlanta.

In the GTD class, the Porsche 911 GT America campaigned by the Seattle/Alex Job Racing customer team secured third place. At the wheel were drivers Mario Farnbacher (Germany) and Ian James (USA). So far this season, the pair has won the Sebring and Detroit races.

Comments after the race
Steffen Höllwarth, Programme Manager Tudor United SportsCar Championship: “What a day! It doesn’t get better than this. Every team member has contributed to this success. Although we were second and third in qualifying yesterday, we were the last to leave the pits in the evening, and this morning we were the first at the track. This effort has paid dividends. We found a super setup for our 911 RSR, which was definitely the key to our success. A very special thanks to Michelin, as well, for the excellent tyres.”
Patrick Pilet (Porsche 911 RSR #911): “Thanks to the whole crew. Our 911 RSR was perfect. The race was not as easy as it may have seemed for us. On the contrary, it was really tough. We had to be fast, we couldn’t make any mistakes, and we had to keep a close eye on the fuel gauge. But once again the team gave us excellent support. Nick’s first stint was fantastic and he held the Ferrari at bay. That was the basis of our success. Starting tomorrow, we will turn our attention to the next race at Austin – but right now we’re going to celebrate.”
Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 RSR #911): “This victory means a great deal to me. To win three races in a row is difficult in any championship. But it is especially gratifying when you achieve this with Porsche in one of the world’s most competitive sports car series against such strong opposition. First victory at Le Mans, then the wins here – it looks like 2015 is turning into a very special year for me as a race driver. I’m enjoying the success and I’ve not had enough of it yet.” 
Earl Bamber (Porsche 911 RSR #912): “Our first stint was hard and afterwards we had to make up the lost positions. Our crew’s perfect pit stops helped. I immediately tried to put as much pressure on as possible. While I was running in third, I knew I wouldn’t get too many chances to make the double victory perfect for Porsche. So when that opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it.”
Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 RSR #912): “Another banner day for Porsche. You can’t get much better than that. Unfortunately I lost a position at the start, but the 911 RSR improved as the race progressed, which enabled Earl to close the gap to the front. The second straight one-two for Porsche – it can continue like this.”

The ninth of ten races in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship is contested on 19 September on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin/Texas.  

Race result
GTLM class
1. Pilet/Tandy (F/GB), Porsche 911 RSR, 92 laps
2. Bamber/Bergmeister (NZ/D), Porsche 911 RSR, 92
3. Kaffer/Fisichella (D/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, 92
4. Edwards/Luhr (USA/D), BMW Z4 GTE, 92
5. Auberlen/Werner (USA/D), BMW Z4 GTE, 92
6. Magnussen/Garcia (DK/E), Chevrolet Corvette, 92
7. Henzler/Sellers (D/USA), Porsche 911 RSR, 91
8. Gavin/Milner (GB/USA), Chevrolet Corvette, 91

GTD class
1. Sweedler/Bell (USA/USA), Ferrari 458 Italia, 88 laps
2. Nielsen/Wittmer (DK/CDN), Aston Martin, 87
3. Farnbacher/James (D/USA), Porsche 911 GT America, 87
4. Palttala/Marsal (SF/USA), BMW Z4, 87
5. Haase/von Moltke (D/USA), Audi R8 LMS, 87
6. Keen/McNeil (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT America, 87

This is the Tudor United SportsCar Championship 
The Tudor United SportsCar Championship is a sports car race series contested in the USA and Canada which was run in 2014 for the first time. The series was formed from the merger of the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Series. Sports prototypes and sports cars start in four different classes: GTLM (GT Le Mans), GTD (GT Daytona), P (Prototype) and PC (Prototype Challenge). The Porsche 911 RSR runs in the GTLM class, with the Porsche 911 GT America contesting the GTD class

Maserati Series Racing at the Virginia International Raceway: A win for Giuseppe Fascicolo

Fascicolo's first Maserati Trofeo World Series win
Monti stretches his lead

Alton (Us), 22 August 2015 – Giuseppe Fascicolo has secured his first ever victory in the Maserati Trofeo World Series. The Treviso-born driver claimed the second race in the fourth round of the Maserati-run series being held at the Virginia International Raceway in the USA.

Fascicolo eventually came out on top in a race full of incident with cars often careering off the track; the safety car was called for three times. Second across the line was Romain Monti who, thanks to his win in Friday's Race 1 and despite carrying 50kg extra weight, increased his overall lead over Riccardo Ragazzi (who finished sixth). The advantage is now 46 points. Taking third was another Italian, Alessandro Iazzetti, as he claimed his best ever Maserati Trofeo finish. He made the most of his starting second spot, given that the Race 1 finishing order had been inverted for the second event. Iazzetti even held the lead for a few laps before being caught by Fascicolo on lap 13.

Carlo Curti slid to fourth after a lap 11 clash with Tom Long. The American came off worse and his puncture saw him pull out after lining up on pole. Fifth went to Patrick Byrne, who finished just ahead of Ragazzi. The Italian was in the running for a podium slot until a tussle with Long saw him edge onto the grass. In seventh came Andreas Segler, ahead of Jeffrey Courtney, Barrie Baxter and Gianmarco Raimondo (with Chase livery, sponsored by Chase Auto Finance). Freddie Hunt, son of 1976 F1 world champion, James, came in eleventh. The Englishman got off to a fine start and was in fourth by lap 2 before being overtaken by Long. He lost more ground when he shot off the track and, in trying to climb back through the field, collided with Adrien De Leener, forcing the Belgian out and resulting in the officials summoning the safety car for the second time. Hunt was slapped with a drive-through.

The third time the race was suspended was on lap 9 so that Mauro Trentin's car could be towed away after contact with Richard Denny that cost the Australian 25 seconds.

Round 5 in the Maserati Trofeo World Series will be on 25 October at Suzuka, Japan. Before leaving America, a few GTS-spec GranTurismo MCs will compete in the closing Pirelli World Challenge event. This will be held at Laguna Seca, USA, on 13 September.

”It's incredible”, declared Giuseppe Fascicolo. ”I have finally crossed the line first. It is a win that comes at the end of a marvellous race with lots of attacks. I just missed out on the podium in Race 1 and so I really wanted this victory. There was a lot going on out there today and I did well to steer clear of it. When I was in second I attacked at the right time, making the most of my rival's indecision to strike. I was quick over the final laps and was conscious that my first Maserati Trofeo win was there for the taking...”

Highlights of the VIR races can be seen on Motors TV across Europe from 5 September. In Italy, they can be viewed on Odeon 24, channel 177, and on Rete Economy, Sky channel 512, from 13 September. In North America, www.torque.com will broadcast the race package.

Race 2 result:
1 Giuseppe Fascicolo – 42:19.900
2 Romain Monti – 42:20.743
3 Alessandro Iazzetti – 42:21.316

Overall classification
1 Romain Monti p. 121
2 Riccardo Ragazzi p. 75
3 Lino Curti p. 54

Porsche 911 RSRs lead qualifying at Tudor Championship, Danville, VA: August 23, 2015

wo Porsche 911 RSR lock out the first grid row
Stuttgart. Two Porsche 911 RSR racers take up round eight of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship from the front of the field on Sunday. In the qualifying session on the 5.263-kilometre circuit near Danville in the US state of Virginia, Porsche works driver Nick Tandy (Great Britain) secured pole position in the GTLM class for the second time this season. The Le Mans overall winner shares the cockpit of Porsche North America’s 911 RSR with Patrick Pilet (France), with whom he has won the last two races at Bowmanville and Road America. Tandy is the first GT driver since the Tudor United SportsCar Championship began in 2014 to have secured the front grid spot for a race three times. 

Porsche factory pilot Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) planted the second 911 RSR campaigned by Porsche North America on position two. His teammate is Le Mans outright winner Earl Bamber (New Zealand), who recently set pole position at Road Atlanta. Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Bryan Sellers (USA) take up the race from the fourth grid row at the wheel of the 911 RSR fielded by the Falken Tire customer team. 

Qualifying quotes 
Steffen Höllwarth, Programme Manager Tudor United SportsCar Championship: “This was an incredibly strong performance by the entire squad. Now the hard work that we’ve invested in this project over the last days and weeks is paying off. To have both cars on the first grid row – there’s no better starting position for a race than that. Together we will do our utmost to get the most out of it.”
Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 RSR #911): “Everything came together again in this qualifying. Both 911 RSR were optimally setup for this track and the tyres fitted perfectly as well. It seems we have the best overall package at the moment.”
Jörg Bergmeister (Porsche 911 RSR #912): “I didn’t expect us to be so far up the grid. My first qualifying laps weren’t so great. Still, we only narrowly missed out on the pole. It’s a great starting position.”

The race starts on Sunday at 13.05 hrs local time (19.05 hrs CEST) and runs over 2:40 hrs. It will be broadcast on the Internet under www.imsa.com.

Qualifying result
GTLM class
1. Pilet/Tandy (F/GB), Porsche 911 RSR, 1:42.532 minutes
2. Bamber/Bergmeister (NZ/D), Porsche 911 RSR, + 0.097 seconds
3. Kaffer/Fisichella (D/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.590
4. Edwards/Luhr (USA/D), BMW Z4 GTE, + 0.792
5. Auberlen/Werner (USA/D), BMW Z4 GTE, + 0.824
6. Magnussen/Garcia (DK/E), Chevrolet Corvette, + 1.036
7. Gavin/Milner (GB/USA), Chevrolet Corvette, + 1.265
8. Henzler/Sellers (D/USA), Porsche 911 RSR, + 1.602

GTD class
1. Haase/von Moltke (D/USA), Audi R8 LMS, 1:49.220 minutes
2. Lindsey/Pumpelly (USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT America, + 0.010 seconds
3. Sweedler/Bell (USA/USA), Ferrari 458 Italia, + 0.257

Beavercreek, Ohio, Cruise-In on Friday, August 21, 2015

Hi folks -- I finally had a chance to make it the the Friday night cruise-in last evening. the photos below feature three cars that I found of interest -- a Lamborghini Diablo, Ed Garten's 1968 Mercury Cougar, and a VW Karmann-Ghia. It was a great night for this event, and many fine cars were on display. 

I had not seen this Diablo before, and it was in remarkable shape. Ed's car is really coming along, as he has made a number of minor but important improvements, including adding new wheels and tires. And the Karmann-Ghia was a remarkably creative restoration, done to a high standard.

"Keep-Em out of the Ditches!"

Essential American Automobile History Reading: Ralph C. Epstein, The Automobile Industry: Its Economic and Commercial Development

Epstein's The Automobile Industry, first published in 1928, is a largely forgotten classic that all those who are interested in American automobile history should read. Epstein, a Harvard-trained economist who authored this book while on the faculty at the University of Buffalo, wrote one of the first historical syntheses on the topic. It is rich in terms of insights on many topics:
1) Excellent in terms of the relationship between technology and social organization
2) The discussion of significant technological innovations -- the self starter, cord and balloon tires, enclosed cars, the Knight 1904 engine
3) A nice summary of the issues surrounding the Selden Patent and origins and significance of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
4) An important discussion of the rise of installment or credit purchases
5) Understanding the relatively under-appreciated topic of the automobile industry and trade organizations during the 1920s and industry-side patent sharing.

If you are a serious student of American automobile and transportation history, it is a must read!  

Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC, round 4, Nürburgring/Germany

Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC, round 4, Nürburgring/Germany 
Porsche Manthey squad aims to use home advantage at WEC debut in the Eifel
Stuttgart. The very first six-hour race of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the Nürburgring on August 30th also marks the cameo appearance of the Porsche 911 RSR here. The 470 hp winning racer from Weissach, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, tackles the demanding circuit in Germany’s hilly Eifel region for the first time. With the Porsche Manthey team’s headquarters just a stone’s throw from the Nürburgring in the village of Meuspath, this race is truly a home event for the squad under team boss Olaf Manthey. The outfit campaigns a pair of 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro class at round four of the WEC season – the last stop on European soil before the series heads overseas to contest the next four races in Austin/USA, Fuji/Japan, Shanghai/China and Sakhir/Bahrain. 

The Porsche drivers
Four works drivers compete for the Porsche Manthey team in the Porsche 911 RSR on the 5.148-kilometre Nürburgring circuit: Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Richard Lietz (Austria) contest the GTE-Pro class at the wheel of the number 91 Porsche 911 RSR. The two French pilots Frédéric Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet share driving duties in the number 92 nine-eleven. Two customer teams take on the GTE-Am class with the 911 RSR: Competing for Dempsey Proton Racing is the American actor and race driver Patrick Dempsey as well as Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) and Marco Seefried (Austria). Abu Dhabi Proton Racing enjoys prominent support at the Nürburgring with Earl Bamber (New Zealand) joining Christian Ried (Germany) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi) in the cockpit. For this race, the Porsche works driver and 2015 overall winner at Le Mans steps in for the former Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler (Austria).

The Porsche 911 RSR
The Porsche 911 RSR is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car and crowned its maiden 2013 season with a double GTE-Pro class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The winning racer from Weissach, mounted with a 3,996 cc flat-six engine in the rear developing 345 kW (470 hp), is characterised by a consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics. The insights gained during the vehicle’s development and at race outings are directly incorporated into the design of future 911 generations. Last year the 911 RSR won three of America’s most prestigious long distance classics, the Daytona 24 Hours, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. 

The schedule
The six-hour race on the Nürburgring takes off on Sunday, August 30, at 13.00 hrs CEST. TV station Eurosport broadcasts the last hour of racing as well as the award ceremony live from 18.00 to 19.15 hrs.  

Quotes before the race
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “We’re all very much looking forward to the Nürburgring premiere. As a German manufacturer, of course, we welcome the fact that a WEC round is contested in Germany for the first time. With its great long distance tradition, we feel that the Nürburgring is ideal. Motorsport fans from all over the world connect the Eifel circuit with the legendary 1,000 kilometre races, and it is also the home track of the Porsche Manthey team, which will certainly not be a disadvantage. The tests we conducted here in recent weeks were definitely promising. The main thing for us is that, with a strong performance, we should achieve the best possible foundation for the second half of the season.” 
Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Leader GT Works Motorsport: “We face two major challenges at the Nürburgring race. With the long break after Le Mans, the team has to adapt to the new tasks and optimise all processes. The second challenge is to be prepared for everything – that is, to have the right tyres available for all eventualities. We will be focussing on this with our partner Michelin, and then in the race we’ll try and get the best out of the entire package.”
Michael Christensen (911 RSR #91): “I won my first Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race at the Nürburgring in 2013 as a Porsche junior. Now I’m looking forward to returning to the demanding circuit with the 911 RSR as a works driver. As far as the Eifel weather is concerned, even in August you have to be ready for anything. But we’re well prepared and we don’t expect any surprises in this regard. The Nürburgring is the home track for the Porsche Manthey squad. The boys deserve a home win.” 
Richard Lietz (911 RSR #91): “The break after the 24 Hours of Le Mans was really long. Now it’s high time that the season gets going again. We can hardly wait for our home race. The fact that the 911 RSR will race for the first time at the Nürburgring is a special motivation for us all. We’ve worked very hard since Le Mans to guarantee the sports car fans a great show at this legendary race track. I’m very confident that we will succeed in doing this.”
Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “Le Mans didn’t really work out as we’d hoped for, and that makes it all the more important to achieve a good result at the Nürburgring and fight in the championship to make up lost ground. The tests make us feel confident. I can well imagine that many Porsche employees will come to the Nürburgring to witness us live in action. We’ll do everything in our power not to disappointment them on this demanding circuit.”  
Patrick Pilet (Porsche 911 RSR #92): “I’m very pleased that we’re back racing after the long break. We’ve done some testing at the Nürburgring and we’re well prepared. Although you can’t compare tests with races, I’m sure our engineers will manage to implement the experiences gained and further improve the performance of our 911 RSR. I like the Nürburgring. We’ve always done well in the GT Open with Porsche there.” 

The Sports Car World Endurance Championship WEC
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles contest the WEC (World Endurance Championship) in four classes: LMP1 (eg. Porsche 919 Hybrid), LMP2, LMGTE-Pro (eg. 911 RSR) and LMGTE-Am (eg. 911 RSR, 2014 homologation). They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.