United Autosports Making TRAX To Silverstone For Annual Performance Show

·       Premier Leeds-based GT racing team set to make its mark for enthusiasts

 

Leeds-based United Autosports showcases its fantastic sportscar team at TRAX, the ultimate performance car event which takes place at Silverstone on Sunday 5^th September.

 

Spectators can get up close and personal with the team’s spectacular 190mph Audi R8 LMS GT sportscar in a pit garage which is set-up to replicate how it appeared at the legendary Spa 24 Hour endurance race last month – complete with tyre and refuelling equipment. The team claimed superb third and fourth places in the GT3 category on its 24 hour race début – the highest-placed British team.

 

United Autosports’ stunningly liveried transporter plus two Audi A5 Sportback roadcars, resplendent in the team’s white, blue and red livery will also be on display. The Audi R8 LMS will also be part of the “’supercar” track demonstration at midday so spectators will get the chance to hear the distinctive growl of the Audi’s V10 engine.

 

There will also be competitions on the day which will give the lucky winners a “hot” lap in an A5 driven by team co-owner Richard Dean and young British driver Matt Bell who is carving out a name for himself in European GT sportscar racing. Both will sign autographs at special “Meet the Team” sessions.

 

“It will be great to show off our R8 sportscars fresh from our Spa success!” confirmed Dean. “Silverstone is where we started our 2010 FIA GT3 European Championship season back in May so it will be nice to go back there having travelled around various mainland European circuits for the last four hectic months.”

 

TRAX is the ultimate performance car event, offering car enthusiasts more action, more metal and more entertainment than any other show; and as the traditional big end of season event, no performance car fan should miss it. With some of the most impressive clubs in the country in attendance and over 4,500 performance cars on display, as well as 10,000 sqm of tuning retail space, TRAX is the ultimate day out for any performance car enthusiast!  

 

Gates open at 9am on Sunday September 5^th. Tickets cost £17 in advance, or £20 on the gate. Track time costs £30, with passenger tickets at £10. Under 14's free with an accompanying paying adult.

For more information visit www.traxshows.co.uk.

 

* A comprehensive library of Editorial Copyright Free photographs can be downloaded at www.flickr.com/unitedautosports.

 

 

United Autosports Outlines Ambitious Growth Plans for 2011

·       Two-car Audi R8 LMS entry planned for full British GT and FIA GT3 European Championship campaigns next season

·       Prestigious European twice-around-the-clock races at Nürburgring and Spa also on provisional schedule for Audi “official” customer team

 

United Autosports has ambitious plans for its second season by expanding its current Audi “official” customer program in 2011.

 

In addition to the FIA GT3 European Championship which the American-owned team has focused upon in its first year of competition, the Leeds (England) based team intends to enter a brace of Audi R8 LMS GT3 sports cars in the British GT Championship.

 

The team also plans to contest two “classic” endurance 24 Hour races, at the Nürburgring (Germany) and Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), United Autosports placing third and fourth in GT3 in its maiden 24 hour race at Spa earlier this month.

 

Richard Dean, Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports, confirmed: “United Autosports will continue in the FIA series but aims to complement this with a full British GT series campaign. Matt Bell has built a relationship with us at national level and is now doing a great job for us in the FIA series.

 

“It also makes sense to race in the UK as we’re based in Leeds. We already have a major UK sponsor [West London Audi] and are in negotiation with other potential ‘home’ sponsors. United Autosports made its race début in the British GT Championship. I’ve been very impressed with the quality and professionalism of the British series and look forward to regularly being a part of it next season.” 

 

Zak Brown, Chairman & Co-Owner of United Autosports, added: “In addition to the FIA GT3 European Championship and British GT Championship programs, we aim to contest the Nürburgring and Spa 24 Hour races with the Audi R8 LMS.

 

“We’ve been extremely happy with the support United Autosports has received from Audi in our first year. We want to be a part of the German manufacturer’s customer plans again next year in preparation for an even bigger schedule that I’m aiming to achieve for 2012 and beyond.”

United Autosports Chief Turns Back The Clock At Monterey Historic Meets

·       United Autosports claims wins in North America and England over same weekend

Stefan Johansson shares some last minute advice with Zak Brown (in car) at Monterey

United Autosports Co-Owner Zak Brown immediately turned the clock back after helping his new GT team achieve a magnificent podium place on its 24 hour race début.

The American entrepreneur returned to the US after placing third in the GT3 category of the Spa 24 Hours (Jul 31-Aug 1) to compete over two consecutive weekends at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The Californian track played host to the Monterey Pre-Historics (Aug 7-8) and then the four-day Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (Aug 12-15) which saw tens of thousands of spectators attend to view a mouth-watering collection of over 600 historic automobiles racing on the world famous 2.238-mile Laguna circuit just as they did "back in their day."

 

Zak Brown exits the famous Corkscrew section of the Laguna Seca circuit in his McLaren M28. Ulsterman John Watson achieved third-place in the 1979 Argentine Grand Prix and also sixth in the Belgian GP in this actual car

Brown raced his ex-John Watson 1979 McLaren MP28 to sixth place after qualifying ninth at the Pre-Historics event. Last weekend Zak qualified 11^th and finished ninth in a quality 36-car field at the Reunion meet for 1966-1983 Formula One machines – the highest-placed McLaren Formula One machine.

Meanwhile “Super Swede” Stefan Johansson, who had placed the “sister” United Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 sports car fourth at Spa, qualified in pole-position, led every lap and won the 1981-1989 FIA Mfg. Championship & IMSA GTP Race in Brown’s 1986 Porsche 962 IMSA GTP car.

This particular car won five races in its heyday and was driven mainly by Price Cobb and Rob Dyson. Brown was joined at Laguna by Historic Motorsports Productions LLC (HMP) partner Bobby Rahal who also raced some of his cars. Brown teamed up with Rahal plus Peter Stoneberg earlier this year to welcome in HMP’s new era of vintage motor racing.

Stefan Johansson (Sw) drove Zak Brown’s 1986 Porsche 962 to victory at Monterey. The 962 is one of the most successful sports cars in history, accumulating 54 wins in IMSA competition alone, 40 of which came between 1985-87. This particular Porsche won its début race at the Six Hours of Riverside (1986).

“Coming off the back of our incredible Spa achievement, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my last two weekends at Monterey,” confirmed Brown. “It’s always a privilege to get behind the wheel of the McLaren and to be racing it at Laguna doesn’t get much better. Stefan [Johansson] drove brilliantly to dominate his race event while the entire atmosphere last weekend was just awesome.”

While Johansson was winning in the United Autosports entered Porsche at Laguna, its European operation were chalking up win number one in England. Brothers Rob and Matt Bell joined forces for the first time and duly claimed a class victory in a two-hour, two-driver British GT Championship race at Silverstone (August 15).

The Bells scored a comfortable one-lap G4 category win in the 120mins race which marked not only their respective débuts in the British GT series but also the first time either had raced a G4 class Ginetta G50 entered and prepared by United Autosports. Matt, aged 21, co-drives with Zak Brown in the FIA GT3 European Championship at the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS.

Englishman Richard Dean, Brown’s fellow co-owner of United Autosports, remarked: “It’s very pleasing for United Autosports to achieve its first class win in the British GT Championship on only our second outing in the series and our first with the Ginetta. Matt and Rob faced some very experienced Ginetta drivers and we came out on top.”