JMW Motorsport: 4th in the Algarve

Sunday, July 18, 2010


In their strongest performance of the year, JMW Motorsport took a superb 4th place in the third round of the 2010 Le Mans Series held at Portimao in Portugal's Algarve.

Tantalisingly close to the podium, Darren Turner and Rob Bell showcased the pace of the Aston Martin Vantage to perfection in one of the most thrilling LMGT2 battles of recent years. Always in the thick of the action, the No.92 JMW car was taking chucks of time each lap out of its Ferrari and Porsche rivals in a bid which wowed the sportscar faithful whose support and good wishes for the Aston Martin has been palpable.

The weekend was bathed in Portuguese sunshine and despite being an evening race, the temperature remained blistering high, bringing with it its own challenges. Rob, having qualified in 8th, started the race and the first stint set the stall for the rest of the LMGT2 race - close and competitive. Rob handed over to Darren in 5th who carried on the superb work to take the car into second. In climbing up the order, Darren was regularly taking half to one second out of the Porsche in front! With the melee of ensuing pitstops, the car would stay in second for the core of the race, the Dunlop tyres performing superbly in tough conditions.

With no GT2 cars dropping out of the race, and all staying within a lap of the lead car, the GT2 class shone as an example of exciting racing. Into the final third of the race, the JMW car had a small power steering issue that meant a longer than anticipated pitstop which dropped the car back to 4th position, a position that the team not only kept but, consolidated. The result marks an encouraging leap forward in the JMW Motorsport three-year development programme of the Vantage with Aston Martin.

Driver, Rob Bell: "We showed good pace in testing and were confident in our race set up. That confidence proved well placed, as our race pace was excellent and we were able to take our first finish of the year, so it's a step forward. We are now knocking on the door of the podium and that is our next goal. Darren, JMW, Aston Martin Racing and Dunlop did a cracking job".

Driver, Darren Turner: "I think this result is a real testament to the hard work put in by JMW Motorsport and Aston Martin Racing. The partnership is really starting to blossom now and we had a great race as a result of that. It was good to get stuck into the lead battle and I think we could have fought for second if it wasn't for the few problems we had. The great thing is that we're all really fired up for the next race in Budapest now as we know what we are capable of".

Team Manager, Tim Sugden: "The whole team is really pleased with the weekend, The car was on the pace throughout and had it not been for a small power steering issue we would could have taken a podium finish, with 2nd place a great possibility. This result gives everybody even more energy to build on for Hungary".

Chief Engineer, Steve Bunkhall: "I'm very pleased that we've taken a competitive result and to remind the world we can run with the best. It is a testament to the hard work of our team at JMW Motorsport, Aston Martin Racing, Dunlop and Shell Racing Solutions, and our never ceasing passion to develop the Vantage to be the best".
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