Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racing. Show all posts
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Monday, 25 March 2013
Revealed | n°36 Alpine
Le Mans 24 Hours: the n°36 Alpine breaks cover…Following the recent announcement (on March 8) of its entry for both the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours and this year’s European Le Mans Series (ELMS), Signatech-Alpine today presented the endurance racing prototype that will defend Alpine’s colours this season at L’Atelier Renault in Paris, France.
Alpine’s return to endurance racing after an absence of 35 years plays a part in the brand’s re-emergence ahead of the launch of the first car to be designed by Société des Automobiles Alpine-Caterham, planned for 2016.
Nelson Panciatici and Pierre Ragues, the two drivers who will share the car at every round of the ELMS, will be joined for the Le Mans 24 Hours by Tristan Gommendy.
The N°36 Alpine will make its first track appearance at the official ELMS test days at Paul Ricard, France, on March 26-27.
It was a little less than 35 years ago that the 1978 Le Mans 24 Hours-winning Alpine-Renault A442B paraded down the Champs-Elysées in front of a cheering crowd who turned out to show their appreciation for the car’s success in the hands of Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi. Today, the Parisian public and visitors to the French capital have another chance to discover the A442B, since it is one of the centrepieces of the ‘No Limit!’ exhibition which is currently running at L’Atelier Renault (until April 7).
The Champs Elysees premises consequently provided the ideal backdrop for the revelation of the new Alpine prototype which is poised to compete in this year’s endurance racing season. Société des Automobiles Alpine-Caterham’s CEO Bernard Ollivier and Philippe Sinault, Signatech-Alpine Team Principal, lifted the veil to reveal a striking blue and orange livery which recalls the colours sported by the Alpines which raced at Le Mans some five decades ago.
“Since the announcement of Alpine’s revival on November 5 last year, we have been moving forward step by step,” said Bernard Ollivier. “The unveiling of this splendid car marks the beginning of another phase. It will turn a wheel for the first time very soon, and its maiden race will follow shortly afterwards. The news of our endurance racing programme received a very positive welcome, not only from diehard Alpine enthusiasts, but also from the world of motor racing in general. We can hardly wait to see our brand’s colours in action!”
“I am extremely proud to be representing Alpine, but it as an honour which goes hand in hand with significant responsibilities,” noted Philippe Sinault. “The next step is to take the car to Paul Ricard where our work will begin in earnest. Our aim is to be competitive in endurance racing’s highly competitive LMP2 class. We will use the different test sessions that are planned, as well as the first two rounds of the ELMS, to prepare for June’s Le Mans 24 Hours which is clearly the focal point of the season.”
The drivers who have been named to share the N°36 Alpine-Renault form a blend of experience and youth, and all three are keen to get behind its wheel. Nelson Panciatici, 24, and Pierre Ragues, 29, who were confirmed at the time of the programme’s original announcement, will be joined for the Le Mans 24 Hours by 34-year old Tristan Gommendy. The three Frenchmen all rose up through the ranks of Renault’s single-seater formulae and, between them, total 10 previous participations in the world’s most famous motor race. Another French youngster, Paul-Loup Chatin, has been chosen as the car’s reserve driver.
Monday, 18 March 2013
GRAND-AM + ALMS = United SportsCar Racing
SEBRING, Fla. (March 14, 2013) – With uniqueness and modernity at the forefront, the new United SportsCar Racing platform was revealed (#TheReveal) today at Sebring International Raceway, resulting from the merger of GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.
United SportsCar Racing will debut in 2014 with the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.
"The new name says it all," said GRAND-AM President and CEO Ed Bennett. "In only six months since we announced the merger, GRAND-AM and the ALMS have taken huge strides to become one organization that will redefine sports car racing in North America. United SportsCar Racing reflects the fundamental spirit of how we are working together toward a common goal."
Today's announcement culminates a four-month project that involved New York-based SME Branding, one of the nation's leading agencies with a client list that includes the NFL, NHL, UFC, the New York Yankees, Kentucky Derby, Madison Square Garden and NASCAR. SME conducted stakeholder research as well as fan input to develop the series' name, logo and brand identity. The selection of United SportsCar Racing was derived from a submission by Cocoa, Fla.'s Louis Satterlee in GRAND-AM's "Name The Future" fan contest. The logo, with its race helmet-like imagery, was developed to be an icon with a modern feel, representing a part of motorsports that is immediately recognizable.
Bennett, ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton and SME Senior Partner Ed O'Hara collectively introduced United SportsCar Racing today in the Chateau Elan Hotel and Conference Center's Le Mans Ballroom, adjacent to the famed Sebring's Hairpin turn. Saturday will mark the 61st running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida – the opening race of the 2013 ALMS season.
A historic backdrop, indeed, for discussion of the future of North American sports car racing.
United SportsCar Racing Announcement
"When it came to the branding of our newly merged entities, we felt we had one chance to get it right – and now we believe we have done just that," Atherton said.
"We began the branding process by listening to everyone – manufacturers, corporate partners, drivers, teams, tracks – and of course, the fans. The input was invaluable and helped lead us to today's milestone announcement."
O'Hara said the goal of the new name and logo is "to be modern, aspirational, authentic, unique and obviously, exciting. We want fans and the sports car industry to feel like they 'own' this new brand.
"We also want them to feel like that ownership is a long-term proposition. This new brand is made to order for the future, without a doubt."
Also announced was the retaining of the storied International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) as the sanctioning body for United SportsCar Racing, with an updated version of the iconic IMSA logo unveiled. IMSA, co-founded in 1969 by John Bishop and the late Bill France Sr., also will sanction the new organization's various ancillary series, including the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, Ferrari Challenge, the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama Series, the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda Series, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and the newly announced Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo.
In addition, the new competition class names for 2014 were announced:
• The lead Prototype (P) class, combining GRAND-AM's Daytona Prototypes plus the ALMS' P2 and DeltaWing cars;
• Prototype Challenge (PC), retained from the current ALMS class structure;
• GT Le Mans (GTLM), consisting of the ALMS' current GT class;
• GT Daytona (GTD), consisting of GRAND-AM's current GT class and the ALMS' current GTC class;
• GX, coming over from the current GRAND-AM structure.
As part of today's developments, regarding the GRAND-AM/ALMS merger, the holding company for GRAND-AM, IMSA/ALMS, Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway and Chateau Elan Hotel and Conference Center was changed from International Sports Car Auto Racing, LLC (ISCAR) to Grand American Holdings, LLC.
United SportsCar Racing also launched today a microsite, www.unitedsportscar.com, where fans can enter to win two tickets to the 2014 Rolex 24 At Daytona as well as official merchandise.
