The Racing Spirit of Leman crew get the thin edge of the wedge at ELMS finale in Portimao
Having already endured twenty hours of competitive mixed class racing after the five rounds so far, the Portuguese finally presented any scenario of nearly half the LMGT3 grid in with a distinct possibility of lifting the class championship by the end of Saturday’s four-hour race.
The #59 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR crew of Derek DeBoer, Valentin Hasse-Clot and Casper Stevenson had until this point been the team to beat, but results from the previous round at Mugello has seen that crew slip to second in class albeit on the same points tally as the then leading #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari.
Then there was the #97 Grid Motorsport with TF AMR trio of Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin and Jonny Adam who had seen their championship chances stay alive thanks to their second placed finish at Mugello three weeks beforehand but there were still a further three to four teams who still retained a mathematical chance beyond this teams already mentioned.
Then there was the #97 Grid Motorsport with TF AMR trio of Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin and Jonny Adam who had seen their championship chances stay alive thanks to their second placed finish at Mugello three weeks beforehand but there were still a further three to four teams who still retained a mathematical chance beyond this teams already mentioned.
Going into what was a wet set up and test day, most of the crews were getting to grips with the latest round of Balance of Performance adjustments before going into the more formal preparatory sessions with both Aston Martins within the top five in class at the end of FP2. Qualifying was equally good with the #97 car of Berry snatching brand honours over the #59 car of DeBoer with a P3 start over a P4 starting slot respectively.
It was literally all to race for after that under what ended up being a glorious Autumnal day in southern Portugal. Or at least that is how it should have been!
Early contact for one LMGT3 runner with a spun LMP2 car in the opening laps saw an early Safety Car period being thrown before the race before the race finally got underway with ten minutes having elapsed but trouble soon came the way of the #59 car. First the #50 Ferrari removed several of the Aston’s front dive planes upon passing in one corner before the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini made further contact with the #59 just a few corners later, spinning both cars although both were able to rejoin.
Further time was lost for the #59 when the rear screen again removed itself from its fixing positions to hang precariously over the rear wing. Having first thought about pitting, DeBoer was told to stay out before being instruction to pit from Race Control.
All of this had dropped the #59 car well down the order but the #97 car from TF Sport had elevated itself to second in class at the time and by the time of the first scheduled stops within the GT class, the #97 car was running third and the #59 in tenth!
Going into the second hour, there was further Safety Car intervention for cars having spun on track after contact as Stevenson had taken charge of the #59 car after the American had completed his minimum drive time, but he too lost time as he had to actively avoid two spinning prototypes immediately in front of him. The #97 would enjoy a near uneventful event in comparison up until this point.
Going into the final hour, the #97 car was looking comfortable at the head of the pack whilst the #59 could do no more than avoid being tail end Charlie but a further Safety Car intervention threw much of that to the wind as that closed up all of the gaps again with the #59 again in the wars after contact with a further LMP2 car saw that car spin into the gravel.
That left a thirty-minute dash to the flag but the damage had literally already been done to the #59 championship chances and the running order at the time also took the #97 out of the equation.
The 2024 season eventually finished with both Aston Martins taking perhaps their worst finishes of the season to date with the #97 Grid Motorsport with TF finishing just ahead of the mega delayed #59 cart in P8 and P9 respectively. That had the effect of dropping the Racing Spirit of Leman AMR crew finishing third overall within the LMGT3 class (an eventual ten points down) whilst the #97 Grid Motorsport with TF Crew finished in seventh.
It was another great ACO rules season and both AMR powered crews can hold their heads high with what was achieved.
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Monday, October 21, 2024 |
Read more...
Two Astons in the class championship hunt at the ELMS winds up in Portimao
Having now completed for exciting rounds, the state of the LMGT3 class Championship means that multiple crews retain a mathematical chance of securing top hours within that class come the fall of the chequered flag after this final four-hour race in Portugal.
Within that equation, we have both the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR of Derek DeBoer, Casper Stevenson and Valentin Hasse-Clot as well as the #97 Grid Motorsport with TF AMR of Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin (and Jonny Adam) who stand just fourteen points apart from one another with twenty-six points still upon the table.
Since the end of the third round at Imola the #59 crew have held the lead of the LMGT3 class, only relinquishing that top spot after the last round from Mugello meant that the crew dropped down to second in class albeit on the same points of the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari that now head the pack.
Since the end of the third round at Imola the #59 crew have held the lead of the LMGT3 class, only relinquishing that top spot after the last round from Mugello meant that the crew dropped down to second in class albeit on the same points of the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari that now head the pack.
Whilst the #59 crew have consistency to their name over the season, two class wins for the #57 crew puts the moment with the Ferrari crew going into this round after that Aston Martin could finish no higher than fifth in Italy.
The #97 crew meanwhile claimed their first podium finish of the season so far at Mugello coming home a warranted second in class despite some earlier issues.
With the class leaders sitting on 64 points and with 26 points still available, it is technically possible that the crew down in eleventh overall could secure the championship if they score maximum Qualifying and race points and those above do not score but whilst that is possible, the probability of all those above faltering is unlikely. The race will however be a least a four car drag race to the finish line on Saturday afternoon.
Looking at the series technical notes going into this final round, all four manufacturer platforms receive a further Balance of Performance adjustment from those imposed for the previous round with the AMR platforms seeing changes to their power, weight and energy parameters beyond that of their success ballast. The effects of these changes will not be noticeable to use lay men until the cars hit the track for Qualifying as before that it’s just all preparatory works.
The race will be waved off at 14:30hrs before the series officially winds up with two Rookie driver test sessions before their awards night presentation at Portimao Arena.
Joining the European Le Mans Series at Portimao will again be the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series which again sees two Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 entries from the Blackthorn AMR team.
Featuring within another combined grid of thirty-nine LMP3 and GT3 based cars sees the return of Claude Bovet and David McDonald to their #91 car whilst last time out debutants (within an Aston Martin anyway) James Swift and Ross Kaiser have another go at the series within their #90 car having secured class pole position in Italy.
That class has already determined its championship pairing so that event holds no more reward that pride with a little bit of silverware for their efforts. The race gets waves off at 11:30hrs local on Saturday.
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Monday, October 14, 2024 |
Read more...
Hard graft but no big result for the two Aston Martin crews after Sundays ELMS visit to Spa
For the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage entry of Derek DeBoer, Valentin Hasse-Clot, Casper Stevenson and the #97 Grid Motorsport by TF AMR Vantage entry of Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin and Jonny Adam, they would have to be satisfied with a race result just off the podium despite an extra ordinary number of class rivals falling by the wayside throughout the four-hour encounter.
With the #97 car of Berry having qualified on the second row of the LMGT3 pack in third and DeBoer down in an uncharacteristic seventh despite having tested at the circuit for the first time a few months ago, the real battle for both cars would be with its increase base weight (after their recent podium success at both Imola and Paul Ricard for the #59 car) as well as an adjustment in performance characteristics for the Vantage GT3 affecting both throughout the event.
Luckily avoided some sodden weather that was affected parts of Europe only slightly further north, the race got underway avoiding the first corner carnage of the Le Mans Cup Series and saw the #59 car make an opportinust progression up the class order by the time they went up Raidillon for the first time.
Holding onto third and gapping the next car behind by the tune of over five seconds, the race quickly formed its routine until (just fifteen minutes into the race) when the #66 Ferrari was unceremoniously forced into the guard rail by passing traffic – Safety Car.
Back to green and whilst the #97 made ground to fifth on the restart, the #59 fell back to sixth as three other LMGT3’s became embroiled into a battle of their own that eventually saw the P2/P3 and P4 placed cars all go off into the tyre wall just before the top of the opening hour.
Eventually getting back to green, a spinning LMP2 car was narrowly avoided by the #97 on the exit of the bus stop on the start straight before there was further LMGT3 contact at Eau Rouge that would see two further cars out of the race which (as a consequence) allowed the #59 to lead the class with the #97 in third.
Back to green after another long clean up, the race was quickly back under caution as another LMGT3 car contacted an LMP2 at Eau Rouge taking both out too.
The race was finally able to get going at the halfway two-hour mark as both Stevenson and Adam were aboard the respective Aston Martins but by the time the race reach the beginning of its final hour, positions had changed as the #59 had slipped down to fifth and the #97 was about to get a drive through penalty for abuse of track limits.
The race eventually ended with the #59 crew heading the Aston Martin Racing pair in fourth whilst the #97 crew would finish just behind in fifth. Championship wise – the Racing Spirit of Leman crew now lead their Drivers and Team Championship lead by the slenderest of margins as the series moves onto its penultimate round of the season from Mugello in a month’s time.
In between then and now, we have the next round of the World Endurance Championship to contend with from the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Photo credits – Teams / series / social media
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 |
Read more...
Next stop Spa Francorchamps for ACO rules ELMS and LMC racing
With entry tightly regulated in terms of numbers, this weekend’s entry list comes as no real surprise in terms of participating teams although there is a slight adjustment for the sole Aston Martin Racing powered team running again within the Le Mans Cup Series.
The last round from Imola saw more AMR powered success for the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage LMGT3 crew of Derek DeBoer, Valentin Hasse-Clot and Casper Stevenson as the trio converted a P2 qualifying position into a P2 class finishing position to add to their third-place finish at Le Castellet to springboard their Championship challenge up to second place at this halfway stage of the season.
The #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Sport AMR Vantage LMGT3 crew of Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin and Jonny Adam had improved again from their disasters of the opening round in Spain to finish fourth on track in Italy only to be docked another place in class thanks to post race time penalty in lieu of a drive through penalty on track.
Despite that, their ten points from Italy was still enough to raise that crew up to P7 in the LMGT3 Drivers table – sum twenty-six points behind the present championship leaders but with still seventy-five points on offer.
This weekend will see another forty-three-capacity grid take to the iconic circuit with the LMGT3 class again being joined by the LMP2 and LMP3 classes.
Joining them at the circuit this weekend will be another thirty-nine strong grid from the supporting Michelin Le Mans Cup Series where the British Blackthorn AMR team will again be the sole Aston Martin Racing representative with another single car entry.
Having missed the opening round to the season in Spain through not having the necessary parts to convert their existing Vantage GT3 cars into the new 2024 Evo version, the second round from Paul Ricard came as something as a baptism of fire for the then Claude Bovet/ David McDonald driver line up although their P5 Qualifying position showed possibilities going into their double header at Le Mans.
There, this car failed to capitalise on what quickly became something of a racing farce as each race was dramatically shortened by the need for repeated Safety Car intervention to deliver them just four Championship points to add to their two from Ricard.
This time around, the biggest change will be that Bovet will be partnered by multiple Le Mans winner Darren Turner within their #91 car for this weekend.
The one hour fifty-minute LMC race will start at 16:05hrs local on Saturday whilst the four hour ELMS race will start at 11:30hrs on Sunday.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Monday, August 19, 2024 |
Read more...
An Italian delight as the Aston Martins prove their pace in ELMS thriller
With two Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 powered crews amongst the eleven strong class, both the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman and #97 Grid Motorsport by TF were never far from the pinnacle of the action thanks to their recent change in Balance of Performance that changed the cars power to weight ratio around the curvy and undulating Italian circuit.
Early indications were good as both the #59 car of Derek DeBoer, Casper Stevenson and Valentin Hasse-Clot and the #97 car of Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin and Jonny Adam featured towards the top of the timing screen during the earlier private testing which extended into both Free Practice and Bronze Driver sessions where DeBoer headed the class in the latter.
In Qualifying, both DeBoer and Berry each took a crack at breaking the Iron Dames hold onto the front row position, with the #59 car holding top slot briefly before having to settle for second best with the #97 starting in fifth in the heat of Saturday afternoon.
Another Sunday morning start had seen overnight rain and thankfully cooler and cloudier conditions at the start of the four-hour race with the American DeBoer gaining quick ground over the #85 Iron Dames Porsche to lead the class into the first corner of the opening lap.
That lead was however short lived as a wide line from the Aston Martin allowed the Porsche to easily pass after just ten minutes with the #97 having an early scare with a spinning prototype immediately in front of it which brought out the first (of many) caution periods.
In a change of strategy, the #59 was able to ‘pass’ the #85 car again within pit lane but this game of cat and mouse was turned around again just after the first hour as the #85 passed the #59 literally two seconds before another FCY was enforced. That would see the minimum drive of the bronze rated drivers done with either Stevenson (silver) climbing aboard the #59 or Adam (platinum) aboard the #97 car for the middle stint at least.
Further cautions, interruptions and pit stop strategy had allowed both the #59 and #97 cars to catch the #85 on track to follow each other around the circuit on limiter which was kind of comical to produce a class 1-2-3 all in three car lengths.
With little under an hour to go, all the LMGT3 cars made their final stops with Hasse-Clot and Hanafin aboard their respective cars in a class chase to the flag. Whilst the Porsche elected for no tyres and the #59 offside only, the longevity of their equipment as well as driver skill would answer the ultimate racing question.
Further cautions and two inadvertent contact with the rear of the Porsche from the Frenchman thankfully didn’t take the class leader off track or earn the #59 car any penalties from Race Control but the Porsche was looking capable of retaining the lead despite the pressure being offered from behind.
Into the final ten minutes and the #97 had been caught and passed by the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari dropping the Grid Motorsport by TF Aston down to fourth in class as finally, the #85 crossed the line first by just 0.7 of a second to claim the win with the #59 Spirit of Leman AMR in second.
The #97 would however come under the scrutiny of Race Control after the chequered flag as Hanafin’s off track excursions were judged as exceeding track limits despite his black and white flag warning. For that, the car would get a retrospective 35 second time penalty in lieu of a drive through penalty which would take the car down to P5 within the results.
Championship wise, Imola’s results did the two Aston Martin crews no harm whatsoever as a consecutive podium finish for the #59 crew elevated them up to second in the LMGT3 Drivers Championship table with the #97 crew now up to seventh as the Series looks ahead to its next round at Spa Francorchamps in August.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Monday, July 08, 2024 |
Read more...
ELMS gets back to business at the refurbished Imola circuit
With neither full season Aston Martin Racing powered entry competing within the actual twenty-four-hour event, segments of both crews were busy within the supported Michelin Le Mans Cup Series where one crew stuck podium lucky and the other just off at the end of each Safety Car affected race.
That was with a GT3 specification car, and this weekend sees both the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman car and the #97 Grid Motorsport by TF compete again with their subtly different LMGT3 specification car for their driver crews of Derek DeBoer, Valentin Hasse-Clot and Casper Stevenson alongside Martin Berry, Lorcan Hanafin and Jonny Adam respectively.
Two rounds of the ELMS season have so far been completed at both Barcelona and most recently at Le Castellet where the #59 crew secured a third placed finish in class to elevate their championship position up to fifth and still with easy reach of the LMGT3 Championship leaders so far.
The #97 crew however has themselves managed to secure valuable championship points within each race so far but will need to quickly add to their twelve points haul so far if they are to have any contention within the class in the latter races. Hanafin and Berry’s successes at Le Mans may well give them the encouragement needed after their disastrous start to the year in Spain where a testing accident forced them to borrow a replacement chassis from the Comtoyou Racing team.
Technically speaking, the #59 car will run +5kg heavier thanks to their success ballast from the previous round, all four LMGT3 manufacturers will enjoy a BoP revision from the previous round which sees additional power made available countered by adjustments to the cars base weight.
Competing amongst an eleven strong LMGT3 grid, track action around the refurbished circuit will begin on Friday with Free Practice before moving through to Qualifying on Saturday afternoon and a race start at 11:30hrs (local) on Sunday.
Photo credit – Team / Series / social media
Monday, July 01, 2024 |
Read more...
Blackthorn AMR win at Le Mans (in Road to Le Mans)
Starting thirty minutes earlier than expected thanks to the cancellation of the preceding Lamborghini race (tyre safety), the fifty-six remaining LMP3 and GT3 cars again took to the Circuit de La Sarthe for their second fifty-minute encounter.
Using the qualifying times entered by Thursdays second Qualifying run, this race would see the #95 Racing Spirit of Leman and #90/91 cars from the Blackthorn AMR team starting from the mid pack of the GT3 grid having had the amateur side of the pairing set these times.
Another thunderous start saw both the LMP3 and GT3 frontrunners bump and bash their way through the opening sequence of corners at the Dunlop Bridge that allowed the #95 RSLM Aston to pick up the class lead with the two Blackthorn cars also making up for lost ground.
However, halfway around the opening lap, LMP3 indiscipline and ability again saw multiple LMP3 cars stopped both on and off track bringing out the Safety Car for the first time. Fortunately, a speed clear up operation this time around, the race was soon back to green before the implementation of a Slow Zone along the start/finish straight soon caused carnage of its own as drivers failed to notice the marshal signs and flags but at least it was a first flying lap without intervention.
At that stage, the #95 car of DeBoer had dropped to P4 in class whilst the #91 Blackthorn car of Berry was up to P8 and the #90 car of Bovet in P12.
On lap four the Safety Car was again out for another stranded LMP3 car but that allowed all those approaching pit lane next time around to make their stop which the #90 car of Berry and Hanafin did whilst the other two Aston’s did not. That again allowed the #90 car to make the jump next time around as they did in race 1 before time penalties came their way.
Getting back to green with just over fifteen minutes remaining, the #90 Blackthorn car was holding P3 overall and P1 in class as the pursuing LMP3 field made their way passed the Grid Motorsport by TF ELMS driver as more cars stopping on track (and the resulting Slow Zones) again helping the cause of the #90 car on track.
With just a final four-minute burst of action to the flag, the #90 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 of Martin Berry and Lorcan Hanafin finally completed what they had threatened to do in race 1 but pulling off a confirmed race win in class with the #95 RSLM of Derek DeBoer and Valentin Hasse-Clot close behind again (this time) in P4 with the #91 Blackthorn AMR of Claude Bovet and David McDonald P15 in class.
With thankfully fewer, less serious causes of Race Control intervention, Race 2 of the Road to Le Mans provided what the series is capable of in terms of entertainment and action.
Photo credits – Team / series / social media
Saturday, June 15, 2024 |
Read more...
Confusion reigns after race one of the Road to Le Mans support race
With the fifty-five-minute (or thirteen lap) race tripping the race clock at the start of the fifty-eight strong grid’s warm up/formation lap, the LMP3 pack were only halfway around their opening race lap when the first yellow flag was thrown for two of them who found themselves now stranded within the gravel at differing parts of the circuit. Original covered by a Slow Zone, the Safety Car was quickly called to action as the debris was removed.
Having started on GT3 Pole Position, the #95 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 of Derek DeBoer and Valentin Hasse-Clot had already been mugged of their track position but was still circulating within the top five in class whilst the two Blackthorn AMR’s were still towards the rear of the pack after their qualifying efforts.
With the race leaders and front end of the GT3 class already having passed pit in, the three of the last few cars including the two Blackthorn cars pitted for their driver change alongside that of the #82 Ferrari and one LMP3. That allowed both Claude Bovet and Martin Berry to swap out to David McDonald and Lorcan Hanafin within the #90 and #91 cars respectively.
Next time around, the remainder of those still circulating pitted for the same which of course elevated the #82, #90 and #91 cars to the front of the race as they quickly caught up upon the rear of the Safety Car train with the #95 RSLM car a distant fifth in class.
Next time around it was back to green for only the second full speed lap of the race as race laps changed to just seventeen minutes remaining. Holding their own until the Mulsanne Straight, the three GT3 cars were soon passed by the LMP3 leaders.
Just as these leaders entered the Porsche Curves for the next time of asking, the race was red flagged for a horrific looking incident for the #9 LMP3 car that saw the car punch a huge hole through the circuit guardrail before coming to a half in tatters on the track. Mercifully, the driver extricated himself from the car (otherwise reasonably OK) but the race was rightly stopped but with no chance of a restart.
This situation left the two Blackthorn Aston Martins in class holding podium positions in P2 and P3 behind the #82 Ferrari (on paper at least), but Race Control would have other ideas on that. Originally docked a lap, the two Blackthorn cars were soon relegated to the rear of the GT3 pack with the #95 RSLM car scooping an unexpected P2 finish behind the #12 Ferrari as a result of that.
After the podium celebrations to that effect, the order was again changed again but with the #91 Blackthorn car being placed at P4 in class on countback and the #95 RSLM car down to P5. The #90 Blackthorn car would get a ten second time penalty added for an incorrect starting position that would place them down in P10.
Hopefully, tomorrows second and final race of their weekend will prove more fruitful and how it was intended to be ahead of the start to this years 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Friday, June 14, 2024 |
Read more...
Three AMR powered crews now confirmed for this weeks Road to Le Mans action
One of the supports series racing again at this week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans is of course the ACO rules Michelin Le Mans Cup Series who again run a two-race programme at the Circuit de La Sarthe as part of their Road to Le Mans Event.
Full season Le Mans Cup entries from the Blackthorn AMR team are due to make their first two car appearance of the season as team boss Claude Bovet and David McDonald are now due to race alongside that of Martin Berry and Lorcan Hanafin in their two Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3’s.
Having been forced to skip the opening round of the season in Barcelona in mid-April due to the lack of available new chassis/conversion kits, the Cotswold based team did compete with a single Aston Martin at the next round of the season from Paul Ricard just a month ago. Further testing in recent weeks at Paul Ricard strongly confirmed a two-car entry (as advertised) into this week’s events at Le Mans.
Both Berry and Hanafin already made up 2/3rd of the Grid Motorsport by TF Sport European Le Mans Series entry alongside Jonny Adam within their #97 car but if this new pairing is just a one off or from now on in is yet to be confirmed.
Joining them within the Road to Le Mans GT3 ranks is also another ELMS full season entrant as Derek DeBoer again races alongside AMR factory driver Valentin Hasse-Clot within their #95 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage GT3 entry as part of a collective eighteen car GT3 entry alongside that of a forty car LMP3 entry.
Previous years has seen previous Aston Martin Racing powered success within the two allotted fifty-five-minute races on Thursday and Saturday and that possibility will again be so this year too as long as everyone can keep things on the tarmac and avoid the sometimes-inevitable Safety Car interventions.
The Heart of Racing team will also be in action within this class with a recuperating Valentin Pierburg showing Gary Newell the way around the circuit, but they will be competing with an SPS Performance prepared Mercedes AMG GT3.
Track action begins on Wednesday morning with Free Practice 1 before Free Practice 2 later into the evening. Two Qualifying sessions Thursday morning will proceed the opening race at 18:30hrs local before race 2 on Saturday morning at 10:35hrs local before the build to the start of the 24hour race itself.
Photo credits – team / series / social media
Track action begins on Wednesday morning with Free Practice 1 before Free Practice 2 later into the evening. Two Qualifying sessions Thursday morning will proceed the opening race at 18:30hrs local before race 2 on Saturday morning at 10:35hrs local before the build to the start of the 24hour race itself.
Photo credits – team / series / social media
Saturday, June 08, 2024 |
Read more...
