Launched just a couple of weeks ago by the ACO, this free to download and free to use '24 ON SITE' application has been designed to help spectators fulfil as much as a viewing experience at the 24H race as possible.

With the circuit, amenities and events spread over such a vast area sometimes, and particularly for new attendees, finding out where to go and when is sometimes just down to luck or by just following the madding crowd. This application helps with that predicament by listing all of the events both at the circuit and even in some of the surrounding villages with times and locations for shows like the great British Welcome at Saint Saturnin on the Friday.


Having a brief look through the others services offered by the app most sections can be considered as either being practically useful or t least make for good, informative reading whilst you are waiting in the lulls in-between events.

The map function is particularly useful, being able to zoom in so that you can find your position and work out your path to the next vantage point or circuit crossing tunnel/bridge.


The million dollar question is of course the quality of mobile signal your device can receive at a circuit that has 250,000 other users at it, so signal maybe an issue. Other than that, and simply because its cost free its well worth the download onto your Apple or Google device.


Screen shots from application

Aston Martin Racing rounded off the 2011 motorsport season with third position in the unofficial petrol category at the Six Hours of Zhuhai, having finished sixth overall in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup finale.

The Gulf-liveried DBR1-2 improved on its grid position at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China after qualifying seventh yesterday. Despite dropping a position in the early phase of the race, the V12-powered LMP1 racer performed reliably and consistently to score sixth overall after 239 laps of the 2.68-mile circuit.

The encouraging result follows a run of success for the 007 DBR1-2, which won the American Le Mans Series qualifier at Laguna Seca in September and finished third overall at Petit Le Mans, the penultimate Intercontinental Le Mans Cup round, in October.

Stefan Mücke (D), Harold Primat (CH) and Andy Meyrick (GBR) piloted the DBR1-2, which shares its base 6.0-litre engine, including the cylinder block and heads, with Aston Martin's V12-powered road cars.

Mücke, who set the qualifying time yesterday, said: "After the success we had at Laguna Seca and Petit Le Mans, it's a shame to have not been the fastest petrol car this weekend. The DBR1-2 has been brilliant to drive again, even though it wasn't suited to this track.

"It's been a pleasure to drive the V12 car in the second half of the season. I'm proud that we've been able to give all the Aston Martin Racing fans something to cheer about."

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal Howard-Chappell added: "We had hopes of winning the petrol category this weekend, but ultimately our car wasn't suited to the nature of the Zhuhai circuit. We know that the DBR1-2 and our drivers are capable of winning elsewhere, though.

"Stefan, Harold and Andy have been strong all weekend, and the car and team performed well to top off a successful latter part of the 2011 season."

Gulf AMR Middle East flew the flag for Aston Martin Racing in the LM GTE AM category, finishing fifth in class with its V8-powered Vantage GT2.

With the 2011 season having drawn to a close, Aston Martin Racing will switch its attention to next year’s campaign. The team will confirm its programme for the 2012 season in due course.

AMR

Zhuhai will mark the final time we'll see the Lola-Aston Martin in the hand of the factory team but the car may still feature in next years ALMS championship.

Speaking to John Dagys of SpeedTV.com Aston Martin Racing technical director George Howard-Chappell confirmed that teams have shown interest in running the V12-Powered prototype which took four victories in 2011 at the hands of Muscle Milk AMR.

“We'd like to see them running in ALMS, which will be the only place that could run grandfathered cars next year,” said Howard-Chappell. “If someone is keen to run one, we'll certainly support it. There have been some inquiries. Inquiries can be very close or can be a long way from a car actually running.”

Aston Martin Racing are expected to announce their GT based 2012 program shortly.

Aston Martin Racing’s V12-powered DBR1-2 will start from seventh on the grid for Sunday’s Six Hours of Zhuhai – the final round of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup – having set the third fastest qualifying time in the unofficial petrol category.

In dry conditions, Stefan Mücke (D) lapped the 2.68-mile Zhuhai International Circuit in one minute 25.119 seconds to enhance the team’s hopes of extending its recent run of success.

Having been victorious at the American Le Mans Series qualifier at Laguna Seca in September, Aston Martin Racing went on to beat its petrol-powered rivals at the penultimate Intercontinental Le Mans Cup round at Petit Le Mans in October, achieving a fine podium result in the process.

The team now aims to finish at the head of the unofficial petrol category in Sunday’s race to conclude a successful latter part of the 2011 season.

Following a test session on Wednesday that allowed the team to assess the DBR1-2’s behaviour in wet weather, drivers Mücke, Andy Meyrick (GBR) and Harold Primat (CH) completed 69 laps between them during Friday’s two Free Practice periods. A final Free Practice session on Saturday enabled the team to refine the LMP1 racer’s set-up ahead of qualifying, despite a loss of track time caused by a leaking gearbox oil pipe.

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell, said: “That is the best we could achieve today and I hope that we can be slightly more competitive in the race than we were in qualifying.

"We are confident of our performance and expect a tight race at the front amongst the diesels. Any fall-out from that is sure to benefit us if we can have a clean, fast race.”

Following his encouraging qualifying performance, Mücke added: “The car felt very good as usual, and I got two clear laps in during qualifying. I am optimistic for tomorrow as we have made good progress on the set-up through the practice sessions, so I'm hopeful that we can be competitive in the petrol class.”

The 007 DBR1-2, fitted with a version of the 6.0-litre V12 engine that powers Aston Martin's road cars, will line up on the grid on Sunday morning in preparation for an 11.00 (CST) start. The race will run for six hours in forecast sunny conditions to conclude the 2011 season.

Aston Martin Racing is further represented by Gulf AMR Middle East’s Vantage GT2, competing in the LM GTE AM category. The official partner team qualified fifth in class

AMR

Aston Martin Racing’s 2011 season will draw to a close at the Six Hours of Zhuhai on Sunday 13 November. Having achieved two consecutive podium finishes in the run-up to China’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup qualifier, the team has high hopes of rounding off a successful second half of the season.

Carrying the iconic Gulf livery, Aston Martin Racing’s V12-powered DBR1-2 scored a popular overall victory at Laguna Seca in September. The LMP1 machine then secured third position at Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, last month amidst a highly competitive grid that included a full complement of diesel-powered racers.

At the final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, drivers Andy Meyrick (GBR), Stefan Mücke (D) and Harold Primat (CH) will guide the DBR1-2 around the 2.68-mile Zhuhai International Circuit with ambitions of competing at the very front of the unofficial petrol category and challenging the diesel cars once again.

Aston Martin Racing Team Principle, George Howard-Chappell, said: “Firstly, I’d like to welcome Andy Meyrick back to the LMP1 team this year. Let’s hope we can continue our run of good results.

“We have not run an LMP1 car at Zhuhai before but with the test day on Wednesday, we have a chance to catch up on our competitors who raced here last year and find a good set up for the circuit.”

Andy Meyrick, stepping back into the LMP1 racer after a stint in an Aston Martin GT4 car, said: “I’m really looking forward to being back in the prototype and driving with Stefan and Harold.  It will be my first time in China and, from what I’ve seen and heard, the circuit looks like it will encourage good racing.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to give Aston Martin a strong result at the end of the season to build on what was achieved at Laguna Seca and Petit Le Mans.”

Aston Martin Racing will continue to compete internationally in 2012 – with the same hunger for success – and confirmation of next season’s progamme will follow in due course.

The marque will also be represented in the LM GTE AM category by Gulf AMR Middle East’s Vantage GT2, with the team hoping to build on its fourth-placed class finish at Road Atlanta.

The 007 DBR1-2 will first run at competitive speeds during the pre-race test sessions on Wednesday 9 November, with two Free Practice sessions running on Friday 11 November. Following a third Free Practice period on Saturday 12 November, qualifying for the race will commence at 14.50 local time. The race itself starts at 11.00 on Sunday 13 November and will run for six hours.

AMR

The Muscle Milk team saw what has been its winningest season in the American Le Mans Series come to an early end on Saturday during the running of the 2011 Petit Le Mans.

The team encountered engine problems on its Aston Martin Racing car on lap 64 just over one hour and 45 minutes into the race and had to call it quits shortly thereafter.

At the time, Klaus Graf was running in fourth place and things were looking up for the Pickett Racing crew, but sadly, as has been its luck these last few races, it just didn't go the way they had hoped.

However, the highlight of the day for the team was that team owner Greg Pickett enjoyed what will probably be his final race laps in a P1 car, jumping out with a huge smile on his face, having finished an impressive stint in sixth place overall ahead of two Peugeots and an Audi, after having started the race in 11th.

Despite the final result, the Muscle Milk team still finishes second in the team standings and second and third in the Driver Championship with Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr.

Over the course of the season, the Greg Pickett-led team scored a class - and team - high four wins along with a second place finish.

To show their appreciation to their fans, the Muscle Milk team would have liked to offer them a better end to the season, but as a big thank you to all of their incredible supporters, the team promises to come back with a vengeance next season.

Greg Pickett, team owner/co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing
"This will likely be my last drive in a P1 car, I'll probably test and play around but I think it's time for me to get out when the getting is good. I very much enjoyed my session. When I can start my race like this, with such this deep of a field and bring the car in after my stint in sixth place overall, obviously makes me very, very happy. I enjoyed it immensely.
"The car was great for me but then Klaus went out and we had to retire it from P4 and now we see these other cars having trouble, with everybody falling aside but that's what goes on here at a long race.
"We had changed everything on the car, as far as the transmission, the differential, the brakes - even though the Championship had been decided and my congratulations to the Dysons - we had kept putting the best stuff that we knew how to put on this car and so, the only thing that we don't do is build the engines.
"We're not going to feel terrible about this year. We won four races, so I consider that a successful year. I think the driver combination of Klaus and Lucas was great, we had a great spirit within the team, we kept a smile on our face through thick and thin and I'm just very appreciative of our fans, and of our company Muscle Milk who continues to thrive and help us to do this.

"We are going to come back next year with a vengeance. I'm saying it right now, we are running for a Championship. I haven't said that before. When we came out in 2010 against Highcroft, we wanted to get to that level and compete, maybe. This year we were in a transitional year and we wanted to see if we could do better and we did, we won more races. So now, I am saying point blank, all we are doing next year is running for a Championship and we are going to do that with everything that we can. We're bringing it next year, so everybody needs to get ready."

Klaus Graf, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing
"Sad ending to a strong season but it's really a shame because we had a really good car in the race and with a little bit of luck we could have been on the podium, for sure we could have been the quickest petrol car, we were the quickest petrol car by far in the race. It's too bad we couldn't finish it.
"The guys worked very hard all year and even here this weekend. We had a good car and the bright side of it is that Greg had a lot of fun today in the car and it seems it was his last P1 race and I think that's very rewarding for him. He had a big smile on his face getting out of the car and that is what we take from here.
"We didn't get a result but it's racing. We'll come back very strong next year, I'm confident about that. It was a great year and thanks to all the crew members, everybody on the team did a great job this year and I think this organization will just grow and get stronger every year."

Lucas Luhr, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing
"I feel sad for the Muscle Milk guys because they have worked so hard all season and this week and it would have been nice to offer them a great result to end the year. They have done an incredible job and it's been great to work with them.
"Greg did a spectacular job in his stint. It's pretty amazing to see him drive. It's too bad what happened with the car, Klaus was doing a great job and we were the fastest petrol car out there.
"It was a year with highs and lows but our four wins this season are what I will remember most. I want to thank Greg and Penny (Pickett) for giving me the opportunity to be part of their team, I really enjoyed my season with them."   

At the final round of the American Le Mans Series, and the penultimate Intercontinental Le Mans Cup round, Aston Martin Racing scored its second consecutive podium as it finished a superb third overall and the best-placed petrol car at Petit Le Mans. The 007 car finished just one lap behind the 2nd placed diesel car.

Despite a strong entry that included five competitive diesel racers, the petrol-powered V12 DBR1-2 ran flawlessly throughout the 1,000 mile epic to dominate the unofficial petrol category with a clear four-lap margin to the nearest challenger.

Mexican ace Adrian Fernandez powered the Aston Martin Racing machine over the finish line more than nine hours after the race got underway to score the team’s second consecutive podium result in the series, adding to its brilliant outright victory at Laguna Seca two weeks before.

Alongside teammates Stefan Mücke (D) and Harold Primat (CH), Fernandez performed as reliably as his LMP1 steed and kept firmly out of trouble despite the heavy race traffic for almost 400 laps of the 2.54 mile Road Atlanta circuit. In a race dominated by 10 safety car periods, the team’s engineers devised and executed the perfect strategy and responded decisively to the many safety car interruptions to exploit the production V12 machine’s impressive pace and dependability.

As the blazing sun dropped behind the trees and darkness engulfed the Road Atlanta circuit, engine oil from the extensive grid of prototype and GT racers and debris from the trackside clung to the DBR1-2’s windscreen, limiting visibility during Mücke’s final stint. The mechanics cleared the offending grime to enable Mücke to continue before handing the reigns to Fernandez to cross the finish line.

Aston Martin Racing Principal, George Howard-Chappell said: “I am very, very pleased with our result; the car ran impeccably along with a fantastic team performance.

“The drivers drove exceptionally well and we are delighted to be fastest petrol car. It is sad to see our sister car, Muscle Milk Racing, suffer an engine problem but obviously nice to see the Gulf AMR Middle East Vantage GTE car run faultlessly.”

At the podium celebrations, Fernandez said: “It was a great team effort. The drivers worked really well together; we were quick when we needed to be quick and we were conservative and smart when we needed to be. Conditions were tough, especially at night, and visibility was poor when the light was fading, but we stayed on track and that’s what racing is all about.

“Winning overall at Laguna Seca and now third here against the top diesel cars makes me so proud of the whole team. I’m very happy. It’s fantastic for us and I want to thank the team and my sponsor Lowe’s.”

Primat added: “I feel great, it is amazing to be on the podium after starting with five diesel cars in front of us. We never thought it was possible at the start of the race. Just fantastic.”

The near-ten hour race was characterized by mechanical woes and driving errors as many of the entrants failed to last the distance. Aston Martin Racing further proved its sporting credentials in the GTE AM category as the V8-powered Gulf AMR Middle East Vantage GT2 finished a strong fourth in class.

The 007 Aston Martin Racing machine will next engage in battle at the final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup at Zhuhai in China on 12 November 2011

With another enthralling American Le Mans Series set to draw to a close this weekend at Petit Le Mans, Aston Martin Racing will start the legendary endurance race from 8th (3rd in the unofficial petrol class) in the highly competitive grid of 58 prototype and GT racers.

Fresh from the factory team’s popular victory at Laguna Seca two weeks ago, the 007 DBR1-2 will begin its fight from the fourth row of the grid. Stefan Mücke (D) set a fastest time of 1:10.485, just three tenths of a second behind the fastest petrol competitor around the 2.54 mile Road Atlanta circuit in the Lowe’s sponsored LMP1 car.

A second V12-powered DBR1-2 – run by official partner team Muscle Milk Racing – will start the 10 hour or 1,000 mile race from 11th after Klaus Graf set a time of 1:10.948 in a frantic qualifying session.

Petit Le Mans also forms the penultimate round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, and so plays host to a fleet of diesel-powered LMP1 racers.

Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell said: “I am happy with our position today; it is a long race tomorrow and we’ve had a good amount of running to acclimatise ourselves to this circuit.
“The drivers are reporting that the car’s setup is about optimum at the moment, and we will aim to stay out of trouble on what will be a very busy circuit.”

Mücke who qualified the car said: “I had a bit of traffic during the qualifying period, but no surprises there. The car ran really well, it was perfectly balanced and I have to say thanks to the team as they have done a brilliant job.

“I think we have to be happy with P3 in the ‘petrol’ class, we are not far off the pole petrol. It’s a long race and I am really looking forward to it.”

Drivers, Adrian Fernandez (MEX), Harold Primat (CH) and Mücke completed an initial practice session on Wednesday afternoon ahead of three further sessions on Thursday. The final session of the day gave the team an opportunity to test the DBR1-2 in night conditions, part of which, was an obligatory 3-lap qualifying stint for each driver.

A final opportunity to perfect the car’s set-up came five hours before qualifying. The Gulf-liveried V12 coupe and its Muscle Milk Racing sister car both completed each practice session within the top 11.

Aston Martin Racing was also represented in the GTE AM category by official team partner Gulf AMR Middle East. The outfit qualified its Vantage GT2 6th in class.

The 10 Hours of Petit Le Mans gets underway at 11.30 (EDT) on Saturday 1 October and will draw to a close when the leading car completes 1,000 miles (approximately 394 laps), or when 10 hours has passed. Television coverage of the race will be shown live on ESPN 3.

Aston Martin Racing

After a welcomed win at Laguna Seca, just two weeks ago, the Aston Martin Racing team will return to the track this weekend in the final round of the American Le Mans Series: The ten hours of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.


Factory drivers, Adrian Fernandez (MEX), Stefan Mücke (D) and Harold Primat (CH) will be taking the wheel of the DBR1-2 V12-powered LMP1 racer on the famous 2.54 mile circuit. The race will be very different to Laguna Seca due to a strong entry of faster diesel powered cars; however the team aim to be competitive within the unofficial petrol class.

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell said: “We enter the final race for the American Le Mans Series in good spirits after our win at Laguna. It will be a very different race for us with the diesels back, but once again I am confident we’ll put on a strong show for our sponsors and fans.
“The testing last weekend has gone well and we are confident of our set-up for the race week.”
Stefan Mücke, who drove the DBR1-2 across the line at Laguna, said: “After such a fantastic race on the west coast, I am hoping we can run as well in Atlanta. The car felt as good as it ever did last time round, and if we can continue to make the successful set-up changes required for the track at Petit Le Mans, then I think we’re on for a great weekend.”

The Lowes sponsored DBR1-2 will first test on Wednesday 28 September at 14.45 (EDT) with further practice sessions throughout Thursday and Friday. Qualifying begins at 15.30 (EDT) on Friday with the ten hour race commencing at 11.30 (EDT) on Saturday.

Live coverage will be shown on ESPN 3 and Aston Martin updates can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing and on twitter: www.twitter.com/amr_official

Aston Martin has won the annual Laguna Seca American Le Mans Series Race. Under sunny skies, in a race dominated by yellow flags, the team ran faultlessly for 6 hours to take the top spot on the podium. Drivers Adrian Fernandez (MEX), Stefan Mücke (D) and Harold Primat (CH) drove the Aston Martin DBR1-2 consistently in the top three, and in the final hour remained dominant in first position.

Official partner team Muscle Milk Racing was also running perfectly in the top three until lap 146 when a fuel pump problem brought the car back into the garage for an hour. The car went on to finish the race crossing the line fifth in class.

In qualifying the day before, Fernandez put in a 1:14.621 lap in the factory entered Lowes-sponsored DBR1-2, which successfully gained the team third on the grid for today’s race.

Klaus Graf (D) qualified the V12 powered Aston Martin LMP1 machine of Official Partner Team, Muscle Milk Racing achieving a time of 1:15.564 which earned them fourth on the grid.

Mücke started the race and within five laps he’d moved up to second position after a smart overtaking manoeuvre. By the seventh lap he was leading the race and making good progress. The remaining five hours, the blue and orange Gulf Oil liveried DBR1-2 stayed in the top three throughout.


Aston Martin Racing Team Principal, George Howard Chappell said: “I am obviously extremely pleased with the result. It is a great shame to see the Muscle Milk car drop out when it did, as we could have been on for an Aston 1-2, but nevertheless we have an Aston Martin victory which is fantastic.

“I am delighted for the team who have achieved this result on our return to the States after a difficult year – they’ve all worked hard for this, so it is a just reward.”

Mücke who brought the Aston Martin DBR1-2 across the finish line said: “It’s a great result for us all; the team did a perfect job, as did the drivers.

“Nobody made a mistake and she [the car] was fast today. It’s our first win in the American Le Mans Series, and the race started well, but then we had contact twice and after that, we never thought we could win. I am really happy and thanks to everybody.”

Primat said: “This is an absolutely fantastic result for the whole team.  It is a great feeling to be standing back on the top step of the podium and the whole team should be proud of today’s result.  Everyone has worked extremely hard to keep improving the car step by step and today’s victory is testimony to all that effort.”

Aston Martin Racing will return to the American Le Mans Series in two weeks time at the final round; Petit Le Mans.

Aston Martin Racing

Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing saw their American Le Mans Series championship hopes disappear on Saturday at Laguna Seca when they crossed the finish line fifth in class, despite another great effort by the team.

The Benicia, California-based crew was faced with many adversities throughout the race, starting with a 60-second stop and go penalty given to Lucas Luhr for what was considered avoidable contact between the sister Aston Martin Racing factory car and the Muscle Milk car just over an hour into the race.

Although the German wasn't responsible for the contact, he served the penalty and unfortunately found himself one-lap down upon exiting the pits. As has been the team spirit since the beginning, Luhr didn't give up and just pushed harder to get back on the lead lap only eight laps later.

Luhr then went on to reduce the gap from over one minute 25 seconds to just over 25 seconds before a full course caution came out 10 minutes later. The team took advantage of the caution period to pit for fuel and tires and do a driver change.
When the race went back to green, Klaus Graf found himself in second place fighting for the lead with Guy Smith in the #16 Dyson Racing car. The two continued to battle for another hour and a half but just when Graf was closing in on Smith, the German encountered problems with the oil pump that sent him to the team's paddock area for repairs.

While it initially looked like the team was not going to make it back out, the Muscle Milk team once again prevailed, never giving up, and headed back on track one hour and 13 minutes later.

Even if the team was 50 laps down to first place, Graf kept on pushing and running laps faster than the leaders, but the damage was done and they had to settle for fifth in class.

The team's position at the finish combined with Dyson Racing allowing their #16 car to pick up first place points, meant that the Muscle Milk team would see their class rivals take home the Championship honors.

Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing will be back on track in two weeks time for the season finale at Road Atlanta.

Klaus Graf, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing 

"Tough day. Once again, it is what it is. What can you say, it just wasn't meant to be. I think we had a strong package, certainly strong enough to win today, even with some hiccups and a stop and go and all kinds of stuff going on. We fought back and we were looking very strong at the point when the problem occurred.
"Honestly, I didn't think that we would make it back out, I thought that was it. But hats off to the guys, again. John Ogden, our Aston Martin engineer, he's a great guy and he said we could probably fix it and we did and got back out.
"That shows the spirit of the team and that's important. It's obviously a disappointing day for us but we look forward to the final race at Petit Le Mans. It's a fun place and I love it there.
"Finally, congrats to Dyson Racing, they've run very consistent this year, and that's what you have to do to win a championship, we had some problems and yes it's disappointing but at the same time it probably means that Greg (Pickett) might be driving at Petit Le Mans and that would be great."

Lucas Luhr, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing

Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing will be starting Saturday's six-hour event at Laguna Seca from the second row after qualifying fourth today.

Klaus Graf who was aboard the Aston Martin for the 15-minute session initially took over the top spot on his first fast lap but despite constantly improving his lap times, he was relegated to fourth by the time the checkered flag fell on qualifying.

The German registered a fastest lap of one minute 15.564 seconds but struggled with a lack of grip and was unable to catch the turbo-powered Mazdas of Dyson Racing.

Starting next to the Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing LMP1 car, in third, will be its sister car of the factory Aston Martin Racing team.

Graf and Lucas Luhr will have a 20-minute warm-up on Saturday morning to make final adjustments to the car ahead of the main event later that day.

The ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey race will go green on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on ESPN3.com. The event will also be broadcast on tape delay on ESPN2 Sunday, September 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Klaus Graf, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing 
"It wasn't our best qualifying effort, but at the end of the day it's a long race and I'm sure we'll have a better race car tomorrow. "It was tough in qualifying today. I struggled with grip and couldn't do the things I wanted to do out there. That makes it obviously a bit difficult and frustrating as well. But on the other hand, I know it's such a long race and it doesn't really matter where we start. "I'm confident for tomorrow's race, we had good sessions in the practices and in the long runs I think we were the most consistent and that's important."

In the penultimate round of the American Le Mans Series, Aston Martin Racing will start from third and fourth position in tomorrow’s six hour endurance race on the famous 2.238 mile Monterey circuit.
Under typically sunny skies, Adrian Fernandez (MEX) put in a 1:14.621 lap in the factory entered Lowes-sponsored DBR1-2, which successfully gained the team third on the grid for tomorrow’s race.
Klaus Graf (D) drove the V12 powered Aston Martin LMP1 machine of Official Partner Team, Muscle Milk Racing in the half-hour qualifying session, achieving a time of 1:15.564 which earned them fourth on the grid.
On the team’s expectations for the race tomorrow, Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell said: “I think we’ll run well in the race. I expect our race pace compared to our qualifying pace against our competitors will be slightly better.
“To come to the US after such a long break and to get third on the grid – I’m pretty please with that. We’re looking forward to racing along with our team mates at Muscle Milk tomorrow.”
Fernandez said: “I was a little surprised how quick the others were, I knew we were strong, but we need to make a few minor setup changes for the race.
“I am confident for tomorrow; I think we have been consistent and have made good progress with the setup since yesterday. Harold, Stefan and I are happy – we just need to avoid mistakes tomorrow and I am just pleased to race here for Lowes.”
The Lowes sponsored Aston Martin DBR1-2 was shipped out of Silverstone, England immediately after the Autosport 6 Hours last Sunday and was flown air-freight arriving in California on Tuesday evening after clearing customs giving the team just enough time to set it up for the Californian race.
Klaus Graf, co-driver the number 6 Muscle Milk Aston Martin LMP1 said: “It wasn’t our best qualifying effort, but at the end of the day it’s a long race and I’m sure we’ll have a better race car tomorrow.
“It was tough in qualifying today. I struggled with grip and couldn’t do the things I wanted to do out there. That makes it obviously a bit difficult and frustrating as well. But on the other hand, I know it’s such a long race and it doesn’t really matter where we start.
“I’m confident for tomorrow’s race, we had good sessions in the practices and in the long runs I think we were the most consistent and that’s important.”
The American Le Mans Series six hour race starts at 13:30 (PDT) on Saturday 17 September 2011 and is televised live on ESPN 3.

Aston Martin Racing

Aston Martin Racing will be back on US soil to compete in their first American Le Mans Series (ALMS) race of the year at Laguna Seca on 17 and 18 September.
The team will be making the trans-Atlantic trip from Silverstone, UK where they competed in the fifth round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race only the weekend before.

Returning to the Mazda Raceway, factory drivers Adrian Fernandez (MX), Stefan Mücke (D) and Harold Primat (CH) will be piloting the Lowes sponsored DBR1-2 on the famous circuit featuring one of the most challenging corners of the American Le Mans Series: The Corkscrew. The six hour race which starts in daylight and ends in darkness will push the drivers to the limit as the sun sets over Monterey.

The familiar blue and orange Gulf Oil liveried factory DBR1-2 will be joined by official partner team Muscle Milk who are currently second in the championship only 24 points behind the leading team. The Muscle Milk Aston Martin LMP1 will be driven by Lucas Luhr (D) and Klaus Graf (D).

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell said: “I am delighted to be returning to the U.S. to compete in the final rounds of the ALMS. We have had considerable success there in the past, and we’ll be aiming to put in a strong performance in front of our US fans and sponsors.

“Laguna Seca is not necessarily ideal for a LMP1 car, owing to its tight and twisting corners, but we will be making setup changes during free practice to find the optimum balance for the circuit.”

Adrian Fernandez who will be racing in front of his home crowd in the 007 car said: “I am really looking forward to racing in the U.S. again and seeing a lot of friends and fans in the ALMS paddock. Laguna Seca is one of my favorite tracks. We will have some tough competition on the grid with the other teams having had many races under their belt, but I am confident we can deliver a good result. The fans love the sound of the V12, and we look forward to putting on a good show.”
The 38-car grid will cross the start line at 13.30 (PDT) on Saturday 18 September with practice and qualifying on the Friday from 10:35 (PDT). Live coverage of the race will be shown on ESPN 3.

The Muscle Milk team is looking to their home event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend to return to their winning ways after a difficult previous round on the east coast.

After spending the last couple of months working out of the Mark 1 Composites shop in Indianapolis, the team returned last week to their headquarters in Benicia, California, located only a couple of hours from the Monterey, CA race track.

Although the American Le Mans Series race at Laguna Seca is considered its home event, it's never really been a lucky circuit for the California-based crew.

The team has finished on the podium in its last two visits to the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course, but it hasn't been without difficulty.

In 2009, the team failed to complete the full race distance due to suspension damage and last season, they came back to finish second, after going seven laps down because a pebble had lodged itself behind the shift paddle.

Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing is hoping to change that this time around in the six-hour endurance race at Laguna Seca while looking to score maximum points and remain in the Championship hunt.

The team currently sits 24-points behind Dyson Racing in the points standings with only two races remaining.

Helping the team out and returning to his co-driving duties alongside Klaus Graf at Mazda Raceway will be Lucas Luhr, who missed out on the last round due to his racing commitment in the FIA GT1 World Championship where he continues to lead the driver's standings.

The Muscle Milk squad will not be the only team fielding an Aston Martin LMP1 car at Laguna Seca as the factory Aston Martin Racing team will be returning to the American Le Mans Series for the first time this year with their familiar blue and orange Gulf Oil liveried V12 powered DBR1-2.

The ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey race will go green on Saturday, September 17th at 1:30 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on ESPN3.com. Round 8 of the season will be broadcast on tape delay on ESPN2 Sunday, September 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Klaus Graf, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing
"Going to Laguna Seca is like coming home for the Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing team. Our race shop and the CytoSport company are just two hours north of the track and so we call this our home race on the ALMS calendar.
"With the race being a six hour event this will ask for a lot from both the drivers and team. We will do the race with just Lucas and I driving but I'm sure we'll perform at the same level as usual and push hard all the way.
"The layout of the Laguna Seca track is a very challenging one and the conditions change a lot with dirt coming on the race track and the temperature differences racing into the dark are quite dramatic. But I'm confident that our partner Michelin will have the right tires for the difficult conditions.
"I personally always look forward to this race as I like this part of the world very much."

Lucas Luhr, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing
"I missed being with Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing at Baltimore and I'm looking forward to getting back to the United States after spending two weeks in China for a couple of GT1 races.
"Laguna Seca is one of the best tracks in what is a great part of the country. With the circuit being so close to the team's shop and CytoSport's head office, this will be a home race for the team. They had a tough weekend at the last race so I hope we can turn things around in front of the home crowd and do well to keep Klaus in the chase for the driver's championship.
"Once again, it won't be easy as Laguna Seca i

Aston Martin Racing has successfully completed the Autosport 6 Hours of Silverstone, round five of this year’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and round four of the Le Mans Series.

The #007 DBR1-2 LMP1-class prototype, driven by Adrian Fernandez (MEX), Christian Klien (A) and Harold Primat (CH), finished ninth overall with no major problems during this afternoon’s enduro at the Northamptonshire venue.

The V12 petrol-engined car suffered a brief spin which resulted in losing a rear tyre close to the four-hour mark in the hands of Primat after contact with a GT-class car, but otherwise there were no issues.

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell said: “We did exactly what we set out to do today – we ran a consistent, close to drama-free race and enjoyed running the Gulf-liveried DBR1-2 in front of our home crowd again at Silverstone.

“We now turn our attention to next weekend’s American Le Mans Series race at Laguna Seca, where Stefan Mücke will join Adrian and Harold.”

In the GTE-Pro battle, the Jota Sport V8 Vantage of British trio Chris Buncombe, Simon Dolan and Sam Hancock took 11th place in class in a trouble-free race.

It was a similar story in the GTE-Am class for the Gulf AMR Middle East V8 Vantage of Fabien Giroix (F), Roald Goethe (D) and Michael Wainwright (GB) which, apart from Goethe being briefly stuck on a kerb after a spin early in the race, completed the six-hour marathon in eighth place with no further dramas.

Aston Martin Racing

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Aston Martin Racing will start the Autosport 6 Hours, round five of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, from 12th on the grid after difficult and changeable weather conditions in today’s qualifying session. The team’s Gulf-liveried DBR1-2 LMP1 clocked a best time of 1m52.151s in the hands of Mexican Adrian Fernandez, who will share the #007 car with Austrian Christian Klien and Swiss Harold Primat in tomorrow’s event.

With the 25-minute session beginning in damp conditions, Fernandez started on slick tyres to give the team the best chance with changeable weather looming but opted to pit with seven minutes remaining. The team decided against sending the car out due to worsening conditions.

Fernandez said: “We went out early because we thought that was our best chance. It started raining so to get a lap in it was better to do it early. My tyres were very cold and I really struggled in the first few laps to get them up to temperature. It was really a short margin because it started to rain harder towards the end. The main thing for us is to drive tomorrow – it’s practice for everybody and hopefully we can have a solid race, be at the end and have a good result.”

In the closely-fought GT classes, the Jota Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2 of Brits Chris Buncombe, Simon Dolan and Sam Hancock qualified 11th in GT-Pro, with a best time of 2m03.433s, while the Gulf AMR Middle East Vantage GT2 of Fabien Giroix (F), Roald Goethe (D) and Michael Wainwright (GB) took seventh in GT-Am with a 2m06.976s.

Meanwhile, in the GT1 World Championship, Young Driver AMR experienced the biggest success in the team’s history at the inaugural race in Beijing. The German Aston Martin team took a double victory in the qualifying race and again in the championship race in very difficult wet conditions. Stefan Mücke (D) and Darren Turner (GB) claimed their first win of the season in a championship race in their Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin DBR9 and came second in the qualifying race, while Alex Müller (D) and Tomas Enge (CZ) won the qualifying race and finished second in the championship race in the Gulf-liveried Aston Martin DBR9. With the dominant performance in China, Young Driver AMR leads the teams’ championship with the final round to come in Argentina.

The Autosport 6 Hours of Silverstone starts at 1135 BST tomorrow (Sunday). Radio Le Mans will be broadcasting live race coverage at www.radiolemans.com and Aston Martin updates can be found at www.astonmartinracing.com with additional behind the scenes updates on Facebook; www.facebook.com/astonmartin and through Twitter at www.twitter.com/astonmartin.

Image R Leach

Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing faced its toughest race so far this year, and it wasn't even one that was disputed on the racetrack.

After having an electrical issue on the first lap of the first practice on Friday at the Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, the Muscle Milk team was in a battle against time to make it onto the grid of the 2-hour American Le Mans Series race.

The team had to repair several hundred burnt wires in its main electrical wiring loom, a long and tedious task that was taken on by the team's Data Acquisition Engineer (DAG) Lee Szczypski.

It was with no sleep and with as much help as he could get on what is mostly a one-person job, including some very appreciated aid from fellow DAG at CORE Autosport, that Lee accomplished the near impossible feat more than 21 hours later.

In addition to repairing the loom, the team needed a rare replacement part that had to be flown in from Indianapolis early Saturday morning, as well as other parts that the Pickett Racing team received from fellow competitors Flying Lizard Motorsport, Corvette Racing and Dyson Racing.
With time ticking down to the 4:30 p.m. race start, the crew started putting in the repaired loom during the noon hour, which was another nearly three hour job. Once the wiring was back in the car the next step was to start it.

It wouldn't ignite. After showing so much commitment and passion so far, the team was not ready to quit. They searched for the cause and once diagnosed, the Muscle Milk Aston Martin finally started at 3:31 p.m. on Saturday, just over 25 hours from when it had died on Klaus Graf coming out of the hairpin turn and less than an hour from the 'Drivers start your engines'.

It was to the sound of applause and cheers from fellow team members and Muscle Milk guests that the car was sent off to grid for the Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix, with the team coming out victorious of Round 1 in Baltimore.

Then came Round 2, the real on track race, and while it was not as long, it wasn't much easier than Round 1.

With no practice time whatsoever, not just on the 2.04-mile Baltimore street circuit, but aboard the Aston Martin LMP1, Klaus Graf's co-driver for the weekend Romain Dumas was starting the race for the Muscle Milk squad.
The team couldn't have asked for a better 'replacement' driver as Dumas made it up to 12th on the first lap and avoided a traffic jam in Turn 1. Off to a great start, the Frenchman got up as high as eighth as one point before brake issues forced him to pit lane.

With 30 minutes gone by in the race, and with the car getting some brake repairs in pit lane the team proceeded to put Graf in the Aston Martin.

The German took to the track and finally turned his first complete laps on the streets of Baltimore with one hour and 24 minutes to go, fourth place in class and six laps down to the leading LMP1 car of Dyson Racing.

Despite having zero run time and not having tweaked the set up, Graf went on to register the fastest race lap with a time of one minute 29.767 seconds, a feat in itself, on his way to a fourth place finish. Had it not been for the brake issue, the team can only imagine where they could have ended up.

With the #16 car of Dyson Racing finishing second, the team now sits 24 points behind in the Championship heading into the next round of the American Le Mans Series season at Laguna Seca in two weeks.

MUSCLE MILK QUOTES

  

Klaus Graf, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing 

"We didn't turn a lap until the beginning of the race and even just before the race it wasn't clear that the Muscle Milk Aston Martin car would even run, so to manage that and the car runs without any electronic problems, that was pretty awesome and thanks a lot to Lee (Szczypski) for rebuilding the wiring overnight, an unbelievable job.
"For no practice and not being on the track and then to do fastest race lap that is a big accomplishment. We had a little brake issue and that forced us to come in and fix it, especially at a place like this you have to come in and do the job right. We lost laps there but still we never gave up and managed to finish the race and score some points, which was important. We're still in the chase for the championship with lots of points still up for grabs.
"Thanks to Romain (Dumas), that was really, really difficult. He had never driven the car, never seen the track, obviously I had never seen the track but at least I've driven the car! So that was really awesome from him, we knew that was the caliber of driver we needed to get the job done. And thanks to the whole team, what an amazing group of guys."

Romain Dumas, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing

With an ever-changing schedule on the first day of action at the Baltimore Grand Prix, Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing was anxious to get on track when practice got underway in mid-afternoon, but unfortunately for the Pickett Racing crew, an electrical issue sidelined the team during practice and also forced them out of qualifying.

When the green flag finally fell on the one-hour practice session, Klaus Graf was the first one to take to the track but his outing was short lived when all the electrical power went out on his Aston Martin LMP1 car coming out of Turn 3.

After the car was towed back to pit lane the team assessed the problem but had to wait until the end of the session to exit pit lane and return to their paddock area to further diagnose the issue.

Although the team tried its hardest to make it back out for the qualifying session later that day, the amount of work to repair the electrical wiring loom is too time consuming and could not be done before the start of qualifying.

After starting on pole position at the last event at Road America, the Muscle Milk team will have to start from the back of the field on the streets of Baltimore once they have accomplished the difficult task of repairing the wiring loom.

The challenge will be even greater for the pair of Klaus Graf and Romain Dumas as both drivers still have not completed a lap of the 2.04-mile circuit and additionally, Dumas still has to take his first laps aboard the Aston Martin.

If the schedule remains according to plan, the Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing team is looking to be back on track Saturday morning for a 20-minute warm-up at 10:25 am before the two-hour race later that day at 4:30 pm ET.

The race will be streamed live on ESPN3.com starting at 4:15 pm ET and will be broadcast on tape-delay, Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 4:00 pm ET.


MUSCLE MILK QUOTES

Klaus Graf, co-driver Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing
"It's a big task for the drivers and a big task for the team but we're going to need all of our experience to get up to speed as quickly as possible. We hope to get some laps in a street car prior to it and then we'll just have to be careful and be smart and just go step by step. The number one priority right now is to make the race, then it will be about finishing the race and everything after that it's a bonus. At that point you forget about the championship situation and you make the best of it."