Paul Drayson has been named the 2009 recipient of the United States Air Force Trophy. The Air Force Trophy, awarded for the best sporting performance of an Aston Martin in the United States, will be presented to Drayson and at a special Aston Martin Owner’s Club (AMOC) dinner on 9 October. The trophy, dating back to 1953, was donated by Major General Francis H. Griswold and the officers of the U.S. Air Force Headquarters, Ruislip, England and came to the USA in 1971.

Drayson Racing entered an Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in 2008 and part of the 2009 American Le Mans Series seasons. The team made the switch to the Lola Coupé with Judd Power beginning at Petit Le Mans and will campaign the LMP1 entry in the full 2010 ALMS season.


AMR Teams

Drayson Racing had a truly bittersweet weekend culminating with today's running of the Autosport 1000km of Silverstone. The event brought the highest practice, qualifying and race-running results ever enjoyed by the British team whilst running the Aston Martin Vantage GT2. However, with two hours remaining in the six hour event, a call from driver Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) would cause the British team to leave in frustration. The declaration of "I've lost drive" crackled over the radio. After a diligent effort to resolve the issue in the car's drivetrain, Team Manager Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA) called an end to the day for Drayson and co-driver Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK). The chequered flag brought not only unfinished business in the 1,000km race but also ended the team's first Le Mans Series season and its two-year development effort of the No. 87 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 as well.

The drivetrain failure would foil another strong run by the UK-based operation. Cocker made a remarkable start moving from sixth on the grid, the team's best-ever starting position with the Vantage GT2, to as high as second in class. The young Brit was running comfortably in the top-three of the class when a puncture to the left-rear tyre forced an early pit stop for replacement. The stop dropped the two-time British GT Champion back to 12th. It was then that the gearbox became increasingly difficult to shift. The sequential-shift transmission necessitated more and more force to engage each gear. Though the drivers were able to adapt, the shifting issue was a potential harbinger of the failure to come. Adding insult to injury, Paul Drayson was struck twice by prototypes during the race, one of which pushed him off course causing damage to the left rear of the car. Cocker was also hit during the race. None of the contact is believed to have caused the drivetrain malfunction. Despite the trials, the team worked itself back into sixth position when the final failure occurred.

Drayson and Cocker each had their best results in the free practices leading-up to race day. The No. 87 set the third and fourth best time in the first two practice sessions, respectively. Cocker's flying lap in qualifying set the high-water mark for the programme in time trials with the Vantage. His second-place running position early in today's event was an all-time high for the Vantage in GT2 configuration.


Quotes


Paul Drayson, Driver/Owner:

"I am disappointed we had another technical failure on the car but, on the other hand, we have shown today the true pace of the Vantage and the team. So, to end the Le Mans Series having run as high as P2 is a good feeling. After all the on track incidents during the race the car was tough to drive. We fought back to sixth-place and were heading for a good result when I felt the drive go as I exited Priory corner during my second stint. I managed to coast the car back to the pits but that was the end of the race for us. I will miss the Vantage. It's a beautiful car and great fun to race. "


Jonny Cocker, Driver:

"Fantastic start to the race. Again managed to make a few places up straight away. Got myself up into P4 off the start then the JMW car spun which put us into third-place. By then we had the prototypes passing us and I managed to gain some time on the Melo car. I caught and passed the Modena Ferrari and up into P2 which is obviously a fanatic result for us; proving to everyone we are getting the most from what we have. Unfortunately, we picked-up a puncture at about 40 minutes into my stint which means we lost a lot of time to the leaders. The car was difficult to drive but we managed OK. We got back up into P6 but unfortunately Paul had the problem early in the fourth stint which led to the retirement. Fantastic for everyone around to see us up in P2 early in the race. It was really nice to do that at our home circuit. I'm really excited to be driving the P1 car at Atlanta but, even though the car has had its problems, the GT2 car is a nice car and it might be nice to have another go at it in the future."


Dale White, Team Manager:

"It's the end of an era. I was there for our first race with the Vantage GT2 and I was here for our last. I only wish we had ended on a happier note. We are proud of the development we've done with this programme and would like to help a team continue it. I believe the car has a lot of potential, as we showed again today."

To visit the official web site of Drayson Racing, please go to www.draysonracing.com.
To learn more about Aston Martin Racing, please proceed to www.astonmartinracing.com.
For more on the Le Mans Series, please visit www.lemans-series.com.
Drayson racing supports the Science: So What? So Everything! campaign aimed at raising the profile of science and the part it plays in our day-to-day lives. To find out more visit sciencesowhat.direct.gov.uk.
AMR Teams

Le Mans Series - 1000 Km of The Nurburgring - start - 2008
Uploaded by webmasterlms - Dramatic race and crash videos.

FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM- The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps seldom disappoints and Sunday's 1000Km de Spa was no exception. Drayson Racing came to the legendary track for the final Le Mans Series race prior to the 24 Heures du Mans with the focus to perform well at the Belgium facility and learn for Le Mans. They did both! Drivers Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) earned the team its best career Le Mans Series finish. The result bettered their first Le Mans Series outing, held at the Circuit de Cataluña in Barcelona, by one position taking seventh in GT2 class, 29th overall.

The race, scheduled for 1000Km/621.3 mile or six hours, never saw the clock expire. Unlike the first event of the season in Spain, the Belgium round finished just under the six hour time limit as the overall leaders took the chequered flag on lap 143, nearly ten minutes ahead of the maximum time allowed.

The finish was not without its trials. Cocker got off to a dramatic start jumping from the team's seventh-place grid position to fifth before the conclusion of lap one. The Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing (AMR) held the position through its first of seven pit stops. They would drop a lap to the class leaders on the second stop. While they made ground up impressively, they were not able to overcome the lap deficit but never gave a position away to those near them either.

As challenging as the 7.003 Km/4.35 mile Spa course is, the weather is often more so. The rain, forecasted to come as soon as hour two, never materialized. Instead, warm and sunny conditions prevailed which proved another obstacle. The air conditioning unit in the car - used to lower the cockpit temperatures generated by the front-engine V8 - weakened towards the end of the race. Drayson, who had driven a long, two hours and 19 minutes during his first stint, had to race for nearly an hour in the growing temperatures of the cockpit of the closed sports car. All combined, Drayson's performance at the end of the nearly six hours of racing impressed and showed the programmes readiness for the gruelling 24 hours around the longer and faster French circuit. Marino Franchitti (Edinburgh/London UK) will join Drayson and Cocker at Le Mans for the team's first visit to Le Mans, 13-14 June.

The team will now return to its Banbury, UK headquarters to make final preparations for France. The race will mark not only the team's 24 Hour but also the first Le Mans visit for Drayson and Cocker. Franchitti has one LM GT2 class start, coming in 2005, in the greatest sports car race in the world.

Quotes
Lady Drayson, Owner: "We are delighted with the result on our first appearance at the Spa circuit. The experience gained from this race we hope to use in preparation for the big challenge of the Le Mans 24 Hours."

Paul Drayson, Driver/Owner: "Very pleased with the weekend. We were on the pace. Jonny was running fourth in the early stages. Personally, I feel ready for Le Mans having done more than half the driving this time. It was an endurance test for me. I was pleased with my two hour and 20 minute first stint. Having no AC in the last stint was a good fitness test too. A front engine sports car is very hot without proper cooling and it is good to know you can do it if you have to. The result shows that we are on track towards Le Mans. The reliability of the car was great. Except for the minor issue with the AC on my last stint the car was perfect. The Michelin tyres and brakes were excellent. I can't wait to get back in the car again. The next four weeks waiting on Le Mans are going to drag."

Jonny Cocker, Driver: "First stint was really good. We started on the soft Michelin tyre option and the track was a bit warmer than we expected. We needed to pit at our first opportunity. We were running fourth at that point. That was great. It was the highest we have run with this car. It was fantastic to show that we are really making progress now. I feel that we made another big step since the testing. It is nice to come to a race after so much testing and see where we are. The second stint; the car was nice and consistent. The car is running really strong but also pretty flawlessly as well. Paul had a problem with the AC at the end but that was the only issue. I am really looking forward to Le Mans."

Dale White, Team Manager: "This was the next step in the process. We are gaining every week. What we learned here will serve us well at Le Mans. We always like to finish higher but we accomplished what we had hoped to this weekend and more. This was a very successful weekend as it relates to us being ready for Le Mans."

Drayson Racing had to dig deep within itself early in the 1,000 Km of Cataluña just to start their first Le Mans Series event today. However, the chequered flag would fall with the No. 87 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 of Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) solidly within the Top 10 of the LM GT2 class. The Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing finished eighth in their Series debut here at Barcelona's Circuit de Cataluña on the shoulders of a nearly flawless race both on track and in the pits.

The race did not start well for Drayson Racing; in fact, it nearly did not start at all. Cocker pulled from pit lane to join the rest of the field on the formation lap just to have the engine stall exiting turn one. Le Mans Series rules - as created by the Automobile Club De L'Ouest (ACO), official sanctioning body of the 24 Heures du Mans - forbid anyone but the driver working on the car outside of the team's pit box. With car chief Rob Boakes and AMR engineer Andrew Jacks advising via radio with Cocker, the young Brit was able isolate and affect a repair on a sensor in the V8's air box.

The penalty for failure to complete the formation lap is to start from pit lane. Once the full field had passed, Cocker joined the race in last place. From starting with a 35 second deficit, Drayson Racing was able to work itself back into the LM GT2 Top 10 quickly. A key moment came early as team manager Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA) called for "fuel only" on the No. 87's first pit stop. That helped overcame the remaining gap and Cocker, and his double-stinted Michelin tyres, moved into the Top 10 within the first 15 minutes of the race. Drayson, continuing Cocker's work, moved the Vantage GT2 as high as seventh late in the race. However, a final hour stop for fuel dropped the team to their final location on the result sheet. A successful first showing nonetheless for the programme.

The eighth-place finish earns the UK-based team its first point in the LM GT2 championship. For 1,000 Km events, the five-race schedule pays one point to eighth- place in each class.

It was a good day for Aston Martin Racing as the No. 007 LMP1 "works" team scored that programme's first victory in its debut event.

An official Le Mans Series test at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, France on 25-26 April will be the next destination for Drayson Racing. The second round of the Le Mans Series, the 1,000 Km of Spa- Franchorchamps in Belgium, is scheduled for 10 May.


Quotes


Lady Drayson, Owner:

"We are delighted to finish eighth in our European debut. After the slightly nerve- wracking start to have a relatively event free and smooth race was very gratifying. This builds our confidence and we look forward to moving on to Spa."


Paul Drayson, Driver/Owner:

"The most fun I've had in a race car. Really pleased with our result today. The Team did an excellent job and it was great to have a trouble free race with no contact and no reliability problems which meant I could settle in and enjoy myself reeling off the laps. The car was as good after six hours as it was at the start and this is a massive step forwards towards the Le Mans 24 Hours."


Jonny Cocker, Driver:

"A little bit scary at the start really with the issue. I accelerated out of the pit lane and when I went to get back on the gas out of the first corner there was no throttle. That was a bit of a worry. It would start and then just shut-off straight away. I was trying my best to keep the marshals from pulling me off the circuit and out of the race. I think there were about eight guys at one point trying to pull the car while I was hard on the brakes. I guess it was a sensor in the air box and we got that straightened away. The car was really quite quick. We could run near the pace of the leaders. That's really encouraging. We just need to work on ultimate pace. We have learned a lot with six hours of running in such a close and competitive championship. It was a good race and nice to get a finish. I felt like the car was as strong at the end as it was at the beginning. We are definitely getting there. It feels like now we can take part in a race."


Dale White, Team Manager:

"I guess some teams and drivers would give up if the car stopped before reaching turn two on the formation lap; not our guys. Jonny was doing everything he could to keep the car in the race and he got his hands dirty doing it. Paul showed his legendary determination and kept us in the fight. The crew guys dug in their heels and fought each and every pit stop. You never give up. We'll take these first two races [12 Hours of Sebring and Cataluña] and move on to Spa with a good feeling."

SEBRING, Fla. - March 21, 2009 - Drayson Racing showed much promise in its debut event of the 2009 sports car racing season; today's 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. The No. 007 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 came to the American Le Mans Series season- opener performing stronger and more consistently than at any time since its premiere in 2008. However, that promise would come to an early end here at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway when the car's engine lost oil pressure deep into the race's seventh hour. Driver Rob Bell (St. Helens, England) brought the car to a safe stop and stepped from the Elspeth and Paul Drayson-owned entry while in seventh-place of the GT2 class on lap 204. Bell, who started the car at 10:30 AM (ET), was joined in the 'Second Generation' E85 ethanol-fuelled Aston Martin by Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK).

Drayson, the Minister of State for Science and Innovation for the United Kingdom, has pioneered "green", environmental causes in motorsports since the start of his career. Running the latest, 'Second Generation', cellulosic E85, Bio- Ethanol fuel, the team entered today's event with a mandate to threaten the factory efforts in the Grand Touring (GT) category of the Michelin® Green X® Challenge Award - presented to the GT team that completes the 12 hour race distance the quickest while having the smallest impact on the environment. At the time of its retirement, the No. 007 was running third in the Michelin® Green X® Challenge just fractions behind two 'works' entries from the GT1 class.

The Vantage GT2 is largely in development by the Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing. As the sole organisation running the Vantage GT2 in professional, international competition, the burden of developing the car has rested on the shoulders of the Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA) managed operation. Today's 12 hour classic was the first true race assessment of off-season advances. The new suspension and powertrain enhancements provided substantial improvements to the car's overall competitiveness throughout the week offering much anticipation for the coming season.

Prior to the race-ending oiling issue, the only major challenge for the team was a spin coming one hour and 17 minutes into the event. The team opted to keep the car on the same tyres while filling the fuel tank. The combination proved an evil mix creating a severely oversteering car. Cocker was able to fight the handling until pushed off-line by a faster Prototype. Once on the dirty portion of the track, the car lost grip and spun backwards into the tyre barrier in Turn 17 damaging the car's rear wing. An impressive nine- minute repair returned Cocker to the race.

Today's 12 Hours of Sebring, the second for each of the three drivers, is the start of an ambitious season for the United Kingdom-based programme. From Florida, Drayson Racing travels to Barcelona, Spain for the first round of the Le Mans Series, the 1,000 Km of Cantalunya scheduled for 5 April. Four additional events will be run in the European-based Series with the No. 87 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 before returning to North America for the Petit Le Mans and Monterey Sports Car Championships in October. The effort will closeout the '09 season with back-to- back, November weekend events in Japan and China with the Asian Le Mans Series. Highlighting the season is the team's participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 13-14 June race marks the team's first invitation to compete in the legendary event.


Quotes


Paul Drayson, Owner/Driver:

"It was a positive week and a great race; really brilliant. We had some issues with the handling of the car early on in the day. We got that fixed. In my last stint the car was handling beautifully, really great. The Michelin tyres were starting to work better as the stint went on; they really came in. It was all looking good so it came as a real shock when I saw the car had stopped. Obviously disappointed but eight and a half hours in we really have to find out what went wrong and come back stronger."


Jonny Cocker, Driver:

"The first stint was tricky on new rubber when the car was on full tanks. When the fuel came off the car, the tyre was keeping up so we made the call to stay on the same set of tyres that Rob had. But another 100 kilos of fuel went on board for my stint and the rear tyre just couldn't keep up. I was struggling to keep any kind of reasonable pace. The Acura showed its nose in Turn 17 and almost stuck itself between the wall and me. That was just enough to put me on the marbles and it took me all the way to the wall. On my next stint the car wasn't feeling too bad. Rob was out, halfway through his stint, and I was just thinking about going out for my next stint. We had been having an issue with the oil pressure all day. It had been subtly going down over two or three hours. I am disappointed, obviously, that it got to the critical point and that was it."


Rob Bell, Driver:

"Unfortunately, we retired about mid-way through my third stint. We had an oil warning light on the last several stints but we topped it off with oil and thought we might be lucky and make it. Mid-way through that stint the pressure got so low I radioed and said I was going to come in that lap. I got half way through Turn 15 and the engine just let go. There must have been oil on the tyres because I spun, regained it and I just coasted to a stop. It is a sad end obviously but there are a lot of positives. My last stint the tyres were running well with the car. That was the quickest the car has been all week. It was a great team effort. Everyone has worked really hard and well all week. It is just a pity we couldn't bring it home."


Dale White, Team Manager:

"We're obviously very disappointed with the result but we accomplished a lot this week. Overall, I'd say it was a very positive week for Drayson Racing. The team really came together, the car ran well in practice and qualifying and we made good progress in the handling. We learned a lot about what the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 likes with the Michelin tyres. I am really proud of the guys. For our first race together everyone worked really well together and worked really, really hard. I am looking forward to Barcelona now more than ever."

SEBRING, Fla. - March 19, 2009 - Drayson Racing turned more than the Michelin tyres on its No. 007 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 while preparing for Saturday's 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida; they turned heads. From the E85-fueled car's first test run on the famous Sebring International Raceway on Monday, those involved in the American Le Mans Series began to take notice of the Elspeth and Paul Drayson-owned team's Vantage GT2 showed marked progress since the end of the 2008 season. Any doubts of the car's improvement were removed in today's 25-minute qualifying session for the GT2 class when Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) placed the car ninth on the class grid. Cocker will be joined by Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK), and Rob Bell (St. Helens, England) behind the wheel of the British racing green machine during the 21 March event.

The Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing turned seven laps in practice with Cocker's quick time of two minutes, 5.692 seconds coming on the fourth trip around the 3.7-mile, 17-turn Sebring circuit. The lap was 2.6 seconds off the pace set by the class pole position-winning car.
To complete a long day which included three total hours of available track time, the Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA) managed team took part in the mandatory night session. American Le Mans Series rules dictate that any driver starting in Saturday's 12 hour event must take a minimum of three laps at racing speeds of the circuit at night. A rain storm swept through central Florida between the qualifying session and night practice leaving a freshly scrubbed track surface to challenge the three British drivers as they took to the course in the setting sun.

The operation stuck to protocol getting the drivers their required track time on the damp track with grooved tyres. As the preferred racing line dried, the call came to run each driver through the car on the dry-weather, racing slicks. Cocker was first on the slick tyres and set the fifth-quickest time of the session (2:06.384). Drayson and Bell followed becoming accustomed to the race day setup. Ted Higgins, crew chief for Drayson Racing, also took the time to lead the organisation in a pit stop practice as the programme rotated through its drivers. In total, the team ran 29 laps during the night practice.

SPEED will televise the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida live from 10 a.m. to noon and 2-11 p.m. EDT. American Le Mans Radio and Live Timing & Scoring will be available at www.AmericanLeMans.com.


Quotes


Paul Drayson, Owner/Driver:

About the week: "The weekend is going really well. The preparations this week have been really on track. There is a significant improvement over last year and we are in contention. We qualified ninth which, hopefully, we can improve on that with our race pace. I am very happy with the car."
About finding speed at Sebring: "The fascinating thing about Sebring is just how the track changes from session to session. It is all about getting the setup to work right for the particular track conditions with the temperature. That is what makes it fascinating. It is always moving around. The nature of the first turn and the last turn; there is so much time in getting it setup well for those corners. That is where I really came on this morning. That is where the time came from for me."


Jonny Cocker, Driver:

"A little bit disappointing in qualifying really. We had a small problem early in the morning session and the car had the same kind of feeling in qualifying. We were struggling in the right hand corners. We have definitely made a forward step as we are much closer to the leaders than last year. It is tough but we'll see. We are generally closer to the leaders in the race pace and it is a long race."


Rob Bell, Driver:

"The car was mega in the night session on dry tyres. We need to stay consistent and keep out of trouble and I think we can be there at the end on Saturday."


Dale White, Team Manager:

"We are a little disappointed in qualifying. We felt like we had a top- five car but it just didn't feel right to Jonny when he went for his quick laps. Based on the driver feedback from the night practice we fixed that issue. We accomplished all of our tasks for the evening. I am very happy right now, much happier than after qualifying. We should have a good car for the race. We'll run our pace and let it all unfold."

LE CASTELLET, FRANCE, March 8, 2009 - Following a winter of preparation, Drayson Racing made its Le Mans Series debut, and in fact its motorsports debut, today at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France. The Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing brought its No. 87 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 and drivers Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) to the 5.791 Km (3.6 miles) race course with an eye towards sizing-up the competition in the European-based Le Mans Series. Day one of the two day official Series-wide test gave Drayson Racing its first occasion to benchmark the freshly-formed team and off-season improvements to the V8-powered machine against its competition. The results were encouraging as both the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 and the team performed well.

The test is a vital first opportunity of the season for the Paul and Elspeth Drayson owned operation to scrutinize these changes and the chemistry of its new team. Since the close of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season in October, the operation has overseen the installation of multiple upgrades to its pair of Aston Martin Vantage GT2 coupes. These upgrades to chassis and engine by Ted Higgins and the newly assembled Drayson Racing crew met expectations of improved performance and reliability over the 2008 configuration. The newly signed contract to represent Michelin in the Le Mans Series, American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans further strengthened the team's gains. Today gave the team access to the track for over 11 hours of lapping. Monday's final day includes seven additional hours of running split into four and three hour sessions in morning and afternoon respectively.
Since its early January announcement at the Autosport Show, the British team has made several major announcements for the 2009 season. Chief among those came in February with the signing of Michelin. In the same announcement, two-time, defending Le Mans Series GT2 champion Rob Bell (St Helens, England) was named to the driver roster for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. Last week, the Automobile Club De L'Ouest (ACO) recognised Drayson Racing as one of only 55 invitees to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Team Manager Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA) also made the team's official entry to the Asian Le Mans Series events in Japan and China on 6 March.

Once the test at Paul Ricard is complete, Drayson Racing will have little time to reflect on its gains. The team's No. 007 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2, which runs on 'Second Generation' cellulosic E85 Bio-Ethanol fuel, will be shipped to the United States to take part in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on 21 March. The first on-track test day is scheduled for Monday, 16 March.

The first official Le Mans Series event is the 1000 Km of Catalunya scheduled for 3-5 April at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain. The five race Le Mans Series schedule will see Drayson Racing contest 1000 Km events not only in Spain but Belgium, Portugal, Germany and the United Kingdom as well. Following the European-based season, the Drayson Aston Martin will travel back to North America where the American Le Mans Series-ready Vantage GT2 will contest the 1000 mile/10 hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and the four hour Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in October. Drayson and Cocker will close out their third season as co-drivers with four races in Asia; the Okayama Circuit in Japan will host a three hour race on 31 October and another on 1 November. The Shanghai Circuit in China will follow with two, three hour races, one each on 7 and 8 November.


Quotes


Paul Drayson, Owner/Driver:


About the Paul Ricard test:

"I am very happy with the progress we made today. All the hard work by everyone over the past weeks really paid off and we had an excellent first day of testing. The car is fast and the team really worked well together. This test is an important opportunity to benchmark our pace ahead of our first race at Sebring. Personally, I am delighted to be driving here in France for the first time in the Le Mans Series. Everyone has been very welcoming and helpful and Paul Ricard is an excellent, super professional facility."


About off-season preparations:

"I'm very pleased with the progress of the team. Preparations are on track, all pretty calm and organised. We have assembled a great group of seasoned professionals under Dale's leadership."


About the 2009 season:

"This year is a dream come true for me. To be embarking on a full season of sports car racing at the highest level in all three Le Mans series; American, European and Asian with my own team is just tremendous. Of course, the Le Mans 24 hour race will be the highlight. So I am happy to be starting this exciting new season with my new team."


Jonny Cocker, Driver:


About the Paul Ricard test:

"The Le Mans Series championship is extremely competitive at the front, but that's where we're aiming to be. I think one of the main focuses of the test has been helping Paul apply what we have learnt over the winter in training, into the race car. My personal aim is to be near the front of the pack at the end of the two days. We're the new guys in the LMS championship so I think that it's important to show that we mean business early on. But really it's going to be more important to get to grips with the car and have everyone come away from the test feeling happy and prepared for the season ahead."
About off-season preparations: "As always, I have really missed being in a race car, the winter break seems to get longer and longer each year! I think it's great for myself and Paul to get back into the Vantage GT2 and feel how things have moved on from last year. We're really hoping that the developments on the car will have brought the performance of our car closer to the outright pace of the competition."


About the 2009 season:

"I think that the combination of the development of the car and the addition of the Michelin tyres will see our performance move dramatically forward from '08. I'm expecting to see some surprised faces around the paddock!"


Dale White, Team Manager:

"We have worked very hard over the winter and come a very long way in a very short period of time. I think everyone at Drayson Racing was ready to get out of the shop and onto the track to see where all of this hard work has put us. I am very proud of the team and its efforts thus far. Here is where it begins to pay off. I believe this was a good first day. Personally, I can't wait to put Drayson Racing and the number 87 Vantage GT2 up against the Le Mans Series field in a race and see where we stand."

The Automobile Club De L'Ouest (ACO), official sanctioning body of the 24 Heures du Mans, has named Drayson Racing as one of only 14 LM GT2 class programmes worldwide to be selected to compete in this year's 77th running of the French 24 hour event. The 13-14 June race is the first visit by Drayson Racing to the world's most famous sports car race and the next step in a lifelong dream of owner/driver Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) to win the classic event. Drayson will share the No. 87 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 with longtime co- driver and young, British hot shot Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK). The third driver in the Michelin Tyre-shod Aston Martin will be announced at a later date.

The legendary, twice-around the clock race will also be the debut of the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 at Le Mans. The invitation for the Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing owned by Paul and Elspeth Drayson is particularly poignant coming in 2009. This year's event marks the 50th Anniversary of Aston Martin's overall win in the Le Mans 24 Hours. In 1959, Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori drove an Aston Martin DBR1 to immortality by bettering the highly favoured Ferrari operation. The win established Aston Martin as one of the great motoring marques in history. In further celebration of this remarkable achievement, Aston Martin Racing will have entries in three of the four classes as it returns to the LM P1 class for the first time in over a decade and has cars defending its LM GT1 class title. Drayson Racing's Vantage GT2 is the sole representative of Aston Martin Racing in the road car-based class.
The 2009 invitees were selected from one of the largest entry lists in the event's long history. 82 teams entered the French classic in hopes of earning one of only 55 spots to compete on the famous 8.476 mile- long Circuit De La Sarthe. Ten "reserve" cars have also been pre-selected should there be a withdrawal from the 55 guaranteed positions.

While a first visit to Le Mans for the organisation and its regular aces Drayson and Cocker, the intricacies of Le Mans are no stranger to Team Manager Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA). White led his White Lightning Racing LM GT2, then known simply as GT, team from the class pole position to victory here in both 2003 and 2004. A second-place in 2005 marks a third podium finish in four Le Mans starts for White-managed operations.

Drayson Racing will compete in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the American Le Mans Series season- opener, on 21 March. They will follow with the Le Mans Series season-premiere in Barcelona, Spain on 5 April. 10 May will see the final pre-Le Mans race with the 1,000 Km event on the historic Spa- Franchorchamps' circuit in Belgium.

Drayson Racing, owned by Paul Drayson, a member of the United Kingdom Parliament's House of Lords and the present Minister of Science and Innovation in the UK Government, has long been dedicated to "green", environmental causes. Among the 2008 achievements, Drayson finished second in the inaugural Green Challenge at the Petit Le Mans highlighting the team's efforts to advance environmentally responsible automotive technologies. Drayson Racing has placed equal importance on winning the Michelin® Green X® Challenge Award in American Le Mans Series and the Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge in the Le Mans Series as it has on taking its first international race victory.


Quotes


Paul Drayson, Owner/Driver:

"I am honoured and delighted that Drayson Racing has been selected to compete in the world's greatest motor race. Doing so in an Aston Martin in the 50th anniversary year of their historic victory at Le Mans is a dream come true."


Dale White, Team Manager:

"There are not words to describe how happy I am right now. When I first met Paul, the first thing he told me was that racing at Le Mans was his objective; to win Le Mans his dream. Receiving the invitation from the ACO to race in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans is the next step in helping Paul achieve his dream. When you think about the importance of this event and the magnitude of representing Aston Martin in the GT2 class; it is all very, very exciting. There is a lot of work ahead of us but knowing we are going to be racing in Le Mans with the Vantage GT2 and Michelin makes all the long hours worth the effort."


Jonny Cocker, Driver:

"This really is fantastic news for everyone involved in the team, especially Paul, having worked so hard to earn the right to race at the LM24! I can't even describe how much I'm looking forward to the race! I have been visiting Le Mans for the past four years to spectate, always thinking 'one day'. It's hard to believe that I'm going to be there racing this year alongside so many other great teams and drivers. I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of this and, in particular, Paul and Elspeth for giving me the opportunity!"

Further strengthening its already impressive international sports car racing programme, Drayson Racing announced two exciting additions to its 2009 effort today. The Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing adds two-time defending Le Mans Series GT2 class Driver Champion Rob Bell to the driver lineup for the American Le Mans Series endurance races. Bell, a resident of St Helens, England, will join owner/driver Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) behind the wheel of the No. 007 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on 21 March and the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on 26 September. Furthermore, the Dale White-managed team will join the elite group of operations campaigning the Michelin Pilot Racing Slick in 2009. The official partnership with the world's leader in tyres encompasses both the American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series efforts of Drayson Racing.

Since coming to sports car racing in 2005, Bell has left an impression in the road car-based GT2 class winning the last two Le Mans Series GT2 Driver Championships ('07, '08). In '07, Bell had two race wins and two pole positions driving for Virgo Motorsport and finished fifth in the LM GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Panoz. Bell retained his Le Mans Series title in '08 with four wins and four pole positions. Last season, he made his American Le Mans Series debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring driving in the GT2 class. He finished seventh at Sebring and made two more starts in North America at Road America and Detroit.

While best known as a Ferrari ace in recent seasons, Bell's earliest sports car racing successes came behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. He drove a GT1 class DB9R to his first GT victory at the daunting 1000km/Six Hours of Nürburgring in 2005. Prior to his fulltime move to sports car racing, Bell won the 2001 and 2002 Formula Renault Winter Championship and finished as the highest-placed British driver (fourth) in the British Formula Ford Championship in '01. In 2000, he won the prestigious Ford Festival World Cup. Bell began his career racing Cadet karts in 1990 earning the British Junior Championship.

The likeable Brit will be a direct competitor to the No. 87 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in which Drayson and Cocker will race throughout the five-race Le Mans Series schedule.

The addition of Michelin as an official partner is another impressive step forward for the team. Michelin of Europe will supply tyres to Drayson Racing for the full Le Mans Series schedule as well as its three race American Le Mans Series schedule (Sebring, Petit Le Mans and the Monterey Sports Car Championships). It marks the first full season endeavor for Michelin to outfit an Aston Martin Vantage GT2 in the Le Mans Series and the first time Michelin has supplied a GT2- class tyre for the Vantage in the American Le Mans Series. The team will assist Michelin in the tyre's development. Michelin will also be fitted to the Drayson Aston Martin should the team receive an invitation to compete in its first 24 Hours of Le Mans. Invitations will be announced for Le Mans on 26 February.

Drayson Racing, owned by Paul Drayson, a member of the United Kingdom Parliament's House of Lords and the present Minister of Science and Innovation in the UK Government, has long been dedicated to "green", environmental causes. Having successfully competed in 2008 running the latest 'Second Generation' cellulosic E85 Bio-Ethanol fuel, the team will again fuel the Aston Martin V8 with E85 in the American Le Mans Series. Among the 2008 achievements, Drayson finished second in the inaugural Green Challenge at the Petit Le Mans highlighting the team's efforts to advance environmentally responsible automotive technologies. Drayson Racing has placed equal importance on winning the Michelin® Green X® Challenge Award in American Le Mans Series and the Michelin Energy Endurance Challenge in the Le Mans Series as it has on taking its first international race victory.


Quotes


Paul Drayson, Owner/Driver:

"I am delighted with the progress that Dale and the team are making, underlined by these two announcements today. I'm pleased to welcome Rob Bell to Drayson Racing and look forward to racing with him at Sebring and Petit Le Mans. I'm sure Jonny, Rob and I will work very well together. The tyre partnership with Michelin is great news and will further enhance our competitiveness."


Dale White, Team Manager:

"This announcement marks two major steps forward for Drayson Racing. We have been working very hard to raise the entire scope of the organisation. The addition of Rob Bell not only is an important part of that effort but it also proves we are making the right moves. You do not attract the caliber of driver that Rob is unless you can give him a chance to win races. One of the critical parts to winning races is having the right tyre. There is no doubt that Michelin is the right tyre. My personal relationship with Michelin goes back a long time. We have won a lot of races together and I look forward to winning more with the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 riding on Michelin Pilot tyres. With these two announcements I believe we have reached a milestone for Drayson Racing today."


Rob Bell, Driver:

"I would like to thank Lord and Lady Drayson and Dale White for this opportunity. It's great to be a part of a new team and for such an amazing event as Sebring. My first-ever GT race was in a DBRS9 in 2005. I won on that occasion with Darren Turner, so I have fond memories of driving an Aston. I know AMR has been busy over the last year developing the Vantage GT2 and I'm looking forward to seeing how far it has come. I'm also looking forward to driving alongside Paul and Jonny, whom I have seen develop as a stronger pairing since their British GT days. I know some of the guys in the team and Dale bring a huge amount of know how, so I hope I can also bring something extra to the table. If we keep out of trouble and have a bit of luck it would be great to be on the podium with three British drivers in an Aston."


Matthieu Bonardel, Director 4 Wheels Racing Activities, Michelin:

"Michelin is honored and enthusiastic to start a partnership this season with Drayson Racing in both European and American prestigious endurance races. To have the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 joining today the family of cars racing on our tires perfectly fits our philosophy to support competitive teams, adapt our tires to all vehicles and optimize our preparation for Le Mans."

AMR Teams

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, January 9, 2009 – Paul Drayson (London/Gloucesteshire, UK) officially announced the formation of Drayson Racing at today’s Autosport International Show. Drayson Racing (www.DraysonRacing.com) will contest a select number of professional sports car racing events on three continents in 2009. The single car team will enter events on the Le Mans Series schedule in Europe, the American Le Mans Series calendar in the United States and two, late season races in Asia. The new, stand-alone operation will campaign the No. 007 Drayson Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 with Drayson and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) piloting the British racing green coupe. It was further announced that Drayson Racing will be an Official Partner Team of Aston Martin Racing for the upcoming season.

Highlighting Drayson Racing’s commitment to success in motorsports is the hire of multi-time 24 Hours of Le Mans and American Le Mans Series championship-winning team manager Dale White (Bozeman, Mont., USA). White managed his own entries to Le Mans 24 Hour GT class victories in 2003 and 2004. The winner of the world’s most prestigious sports car events - including the 12 Hours of Sebring (2005), the Petit Le Mans (’05, ‘06) and the 24 Hours of Daytona (2001) - followed his 24 Hours of Le Mans success with American Le Mans Series titles in 2005 and 2006. White, who performed strategist and consulting duties for Drayson during 2008, will manage the operation’s efforts in both Europe and North America. Ted Higgins (United Kingdom), who worked with Drayson, Cocker and White last season, will take the role as crew chief for the No. 007 overseeing an elite mix of British and American motorsports talent.

At this time, the tentative calendar for Drayson Racing includes the American Le Mans Series season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring (March 21) as well as the North American series’ final two events; the Petit Le Mans (September 26) and Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (Oct. 10). Drayson Racing will field an entry for Drayson and Cocker throughout the full Le Mans Series schedule in Europe opening on April 5 with the 1000km race in Catalunya, Spain. Non-championship events at Mt. Fuji, Japan (November 1) and Shanghai, China (November 8) will close out the 2009 campaign. The team’s goal is to translate early season success into an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

2009 marks the third season for the Drayson-Cocker driving combination. The two earned second in the British GT Championship in 2007, their first season as teammates, and made their GT2 class debut last year competing in the American Le Mans Series. The pairing, with White making the strategy calls, finished a season-best seventh in the Series’ finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in October.

Drayson, a member of the United Kingdom Parliament’s House of Lords and the present Minister of Science and Innovation in the UK Government, has long been dedicated to “green”, environmental causes. Having successfully competed in 2008 running the latest ‘Second Generation’ cellulosic E85 Bio-Ethanol fuel, the team will again fuel the Aston Martin V8 with E85 in the American Le Mans Series. Among the 2008 achievements, Drayson finished second in the inaugural Green Challenge at the Petit Le Mans highlighting the team’s efforts to advance environmentally responsible automotive technologies. Throughout the 2009 season, Drayson Racing will continue to pursue new innovations to help advance environmental friendliness and responsibility at the highest levels of motorsport.

Endurance sports car racing at the highest level provides an excellent platform for both developing and proving innovative technologies which can then be translated to making road cars more efficient and environmentally friendly. Motorsport also provides ‘going green’ a cool and exciting image which is important in stimulating demand for more sustainable motoring.

Drayson Racing will base the No. 007 in the UK for the Le Mans Series schedule. The American Le Mans Series events will be based at White Lightning Racing’s North American headquarters in Bozeman, Montana in the United States.

Known as the Vantage GT2, the car is based on the V8 engine Aston Martin Vantage road car. Specifically designed with bio-fuels in mind and using the experience gained in converting the DBRS9 to run on bio-ethanol for competition in the British GT Championship, the GT2 has undergone extensive test and development by the works team Aston Martin Racing, a partnership formed between Aston Martin and world-leading motorsport specialist, Prodrive and is finished to Aston Martin's exacting standards. The Vantage GT2 is the latest car to join the Aston Martin Racing stable.

Quotes
Paul Drayson: “Dale brought a wealth of experience and professionalism to my 2008 ALMS programme and I am delighted that we are going to be working together again in 2009. I am also very happy to be continuing in partnership with Aston Martin Racing. The GT2 Vantage is a beautiful car and its recent pace points to its potential to win in 2009.”

Dale White, Team Manager: “I am very excited about the prospects of working with Drayson Racing. I formed a very good relationship with Paul, Jonny and Ted last season and I couldn’t have been any happier than when Paul contacted me about managing Drayson Racing in 2009. The schedule we have outlined for the team will be very challenging but will put the 007 Aston Martin Vantage GT2 at some of the greatest tracks in the world. We believe we have assembled the ingredients to create a winning programme. Paul and I share the same passion for motorsports and the environment and that makes this relationship so rewarding. It is my goal to help Paul accomplish his dream of not only competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans but to win it.”

Jonny Cocker, Driver: “I’m really thrilled to be driving again with Paul in 2009! Returning again to the American Le Mans Series with Dale's experience will prove to be invaluable, and I’m excited to be taking all that we have learnt over the past few years into a full season of Le Mans Series and earning our place to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans!"

George Howard-Chappell, Aston Martin Racing: “We have been delighted with the development Lord Drayson has pioneered in the GT2 bio-ethanol car during the 2008 American Le Mans Series. 2009 will again offer an exciting year for the Team. As an Aston Martin Racing Official Partner, we will work closely with Drayson Racing to ensure their continued development and success.”

To visit the official web site of Drayson Racing, please go to www.DraysonRacing.com.

To learn more about Aston Martin road cars, please proceed to www.AstonMartin.com or Aston Martin Racing, www.AstonMartinRacing.com.

For more on the American Le Mans Series, please visit www.AmericanLeMans.com.

For more on the Le Mans Series, please visit www.LeMans-Series.com or the 24 Hours of Le Mans, please see www.LeMans.org.