Category: Motorsport

Join the team Oly Express for Le Mans Classic 2012
Since its first edition in 2002, the Le Mans Classic has become the biggest and most exclusive vintage race in the world. Held on the big 24 Hours track, Le Mans Classic is a once in a lifetime experience. Stay with us at a 16th century Chateau and enjoy full access track-side privileges. Exclusive Team Packages are available for a limited time. Don’t miss out on this dream opportunity for racing fans – Spots are going fast, reserve yours today!

The Team Oly Express Luxury Package includes:
5 days / 4 nights accommodations at the Team Oly Express Chateau.
Team credentials for pit and paddock access as well as spectator areas
Full admission to the infield of the circuit including the car shows and Le Mans Heritage concours
Meet and greet Team Oly Express for a welcome drink at the Chateau on Thursday evening
French country breakfast served every morning at the Chateau
After race BBQ with Team Oly Express at the Chateau
Official Team Oly Express shirt
Friday, Saturdau and Sunday Trackside catering (optional)
Racetrack to Chateau and back shuttle service (optional)
Grandstand seating (optional)
Contact us to book your ultimate stay at Le Mans Classic 2012 now!
E-mail: oly.express@free.fr
Phone in the USA: +1 360-402-0171
Phone in France: +33 672-918-078

April 15, 2012
1997 Chrysler Viper GT2 racecar returns to Le Mans
It's back to the track of its glory days. During the 24 Hours of Le Mans of 1997, this very Chrysler Viper (yes, it was a Chrysler in Europe and a Dodge in the USA), was the only works car that finished the famous race. Driven by Justin Bell (GB), Pierre Yver (France) and John Morton (USA), chassis number C3 was defending the MOPAR colors in La Sarthe. It has now found a spot in the Le Mans 24 Hours museum. However, it will not rest still, as it is scheduled to run again on the big track during the coming Le Mans Classic!
April 3, 2012
TC Motorsports to power DeltaWing on Huile de Frites
TC Motorsports announces today that it will provide technical support for a private entry in the 24 Heures du Mans at the historic Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France June 16-17, 2012. Endurance racing is in TC Motorsports' blood, having successfully run long distance races across North America in GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge, NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and countless other races ranging from 4-12 hours at the regional level. TC Motorsports celebrates 10 years in the high performance sports car business this year, and going to Le Mans is one of the best anniversary gifts possible. A decade of hard work has finally paid off! Going to Le Mans rides on the heels of a successful Formula 1 test program by TC Motorsports in 2011. Carlo Sparacio, Team Principal of TC Motorsports, explains their involvement at Le Mans: "We have been selected as an engine supplier for a privateer team from the United States who will campaign a DeltaWing Le Mans sportscar. The engine will be our successful F1 V8 engine derived from mating two 1.6L Mazda Miata engines together, along with some updates to meet ACO rules to run diesel fuel. We've made some small changes to run biodiesel at Le Mans. The biodiesel will be "huile de frites" sourced locally in France. The engine will make about 300 BHP. We have 4.5 hours on the engine in a test cell in Mooresville, NC and it has been extremely reliable so far. I think we have a winner." The team is currently in negotiations to bring on the American Heart Association as the primary sponsor of the car. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (makers of CRESTOR) and Paula Deen Enterprises, LLC have already been secured as technical advisors for the fuel delivery and filtration system. The team is looking forward to the challenge of running the new engine at Le Mans in June. Team Principal Taryn Sparacio said, "We're looking forward to a great race. Needless to say, we'll have a lot of great food to eat during the race like French fries, fish and chips, doughnuts, lumpia, fried chicken, etc. And, if the engine doesn't make it to the checkered flag, we'll have lots of cooking oil to take home."
April 1, 2012
GreenGT H2 to mess with the big boys at Le Mans
The GreenGT H2 is the first prototype electric/hydrogen competition car. The GreenGT H2 project was selected in June 2011 by the French Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), as an innovative project. GreenGT was invited to participate on the June 3rd Test Day of the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours event. As the autonomy of lithium/ion batteries was found to be inapropriate for endurance racing, hydrogen very quickly became the prefered option. In 2011, a 100 kW fuel cell that can be mounted in both competition and road cars was developed under GreenGT’s guidance. This fuel cell system has been tested and is now operational. Since then, GreenGT has begun the construction of a new high power fuel cell system that provides a linear power of 340kW, or 460Hp. In parallel, a new lightweight twin-engine powertrain, providing up to 400kW or 540Hp, has been developed for this prototype. Control electronics and telemetry of the last generation will ensure the very best performance of the prototype on the track. To comply with FIA regulations and safety standards, a specific chassis has been designed. This was built for GreenGT by Gerard Welter & Vincent Soulignac, well known to Le Mans fans, in compliance with the new technical constraints required for GreenGT and its innovative concepts.
March 3, 2012
BMW M1 Procar win at Dakar Historic Grand Prix
Stanislas de Sadeleer and Christian Traber participated in the first Edition of the « Grand-Prix de Dakar Historic » on de Saleleer’s BMW M1 Procar which took place on the « Baobabs Race Track », 60km south of Dakar. It was a first but great experience to drive this car on the African Continent. Except for a race in Kyalami in 1979, it is the first time ever a BMW M1 Procar raced on the African Continent.

It was a 4 hour Endurance Race with min. 4x drivers change. This is exceptionally long and hard for both the car and the drivers in such hot and dusty environment. The car was specially prepared with strong air filters in order to save the engine. Also the the drivers where told not to Rev. the engine above 8000 Rpm to keep it cool enough to finish the race and to save tires and fuel. At the finish line Stanislas and Christian took first place and won the race. They managed to bring the car home without any mechanical problems or unexpected pitstop over this long period.
December 17, 2011
Granny Andrea on Le Mans 24 Hours GTE AM podium
She was all smiles as she got out of her sizzling Doran Ford GT. And she had good reason to smile, because she became the first women to be on a Le Mans 24 Hours podium since 1931! Andrea Robertson, mother of one and grandmother of three, and her husband David, associated to driving instructor David Murry finished their first (and probably last) Le Mans 24 Hours with flying colors as 26th overall and 3rd in GTE AM class!
While David Murry managed so-so-OK lap times in the 4min15 range, car and team owners, as well as, gentleman and lady drivers Andrea and David Robertson, were more in the not-so-quick 4min30 plus lap times.
Even as many pro drivers from Audi and Oreca complained loudly about the irrationnal lines they drove (that is why such amateurs will probably not allowed to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours in the coming years), the numer 68 Ford GT did its laps and the flamboyant trio had a dream come true finish. Our favourite was clearly Andrea, who does not dye her hair, does not have silicon body enhancements, is a true speaker and just had the time of her life!
Way to go, Madame! Now here is one granny who sure has a great story to tell her grand kids and grand grand kids by the fireplace during the coming winters!
Pictures by Christophe Schwartz
June 16, 2011
Michel Disdier’s and Sagamore Noonan’s Shake and Bake racing week-end at Le Castellet (F)
These pictures are from Adrien Paviot of Com'On Racing Agency. I'll let the excellent shots speak for themselves as you can see our progress to a Top Ten finish! Shake and Bake!

Getting ready for the first qualifying session. I managed a 2.33 on the big 5.2 km Paul Ricard Grand Prix track.
Cruising down pit road for the first flying lap.

This gives you an idea of our competition. Hey, why did they all have such tiny cars ?

Fun, fun, fun 'till my mechanic takes that Charger bach to the garage!

Cheers!

Michel Disdier felt at home after just three laps. His best qualifying tilme was a 2.26!

Ready to go chase some Tupperware cars… er…. Corvettes!

Sorry, could you just move your $$$ Porsche out of the way?

Ok, time for driver change at mid-race!

Michel's turn to have fun with HEMI power and HURST brakes!

Top Ten finish and best race lap 2.24! Michel Didier is an awesome driver! Hope to see him back on an ARCA oval soon!

OLY Time! The best tasting beer in the world after such a great race!
October 13, 2010
Gstaad Grand Prix at Le Castellet on October 8-9-10
During Patrick Peter’s soon to happen and promissing Dix Mille Tours event, the Classic Endurance Races will exceptionally be held as the Grand Prix de Gstaad on October 8-9-10! The Swiss Alps ski resort does not keep its love story with dream cars secret. Asides the Gstaad Classic Audemars Piguet, prestigious historic bi-annual rally (next edition from 31 August to 4 September 2011), there is also the Gstaad Automobile Club (GAC). Many members of this club of a happy few successfully race at major European events. Hence the GAC has decided to create the Grand Prix de Gstaad for the two CER racing grids at the Dix Mille Tours on the French Paul Ricard circuit.

One month after the British round of Silverstone, the C.E.R. finale promises a breathtaking show with a double grid totalling 90 cars, or more! The drivers know the Paul Ricard HTTT very well since they started the season on this layout in April! The Proto 2 category should have a good time on this fast track, particularly Jean-Marc Luco and his ex-Le Mans Porsche 936, used to the podium’s highest step. The Swiss driver will share the circuit with fifteen compatriots, who will work hard to defend the Helvetic Confederations colours at the Gstaad Grand Prix.
Among them, obviously Stéphane Gutzwiller, driving his B16 Chevron, Christian Traber, the 1st Gstaad Classic Audemars Piguet winner, Claude Nahum on a De Tomaso Pantera, Pascal Gaudard and his lightning fast ZL1 Corvette, Peter Voegele –son of Swiss racing driver Charles Voegele- on a 910 Porsche or Dominique Guenat on a Lola T290, and last but certainly not least, motor sports legend Bobby Rahal on a Lola T212.
September 22, 2010
Nürburgring 1000 km lives on thanks to FHR Vintage Racing
After that Group C dominated the prestigious Nordschleife for the last 1000 km race in 1983 and that the Le Mans Series had their last outing there on the modern Grand Prix track in 2009, the greatest thing in the 50 year old history of the ADAC 1000 km race happened last week-end when FHR promoter Kai von Schauroth reunited the Nordschleife and Grand Prix track for the 2010 race! And what a race it was! While the first three hours were in the dry, with best lap times in the low 10 minute region, pouring rain and some fog marked the final four hours of the race.

Out of 97 starters, 70 managed to finish. While overall victory and podium results went to usual suspects in 1970s RSR Porsches and 1980s Group A BMWs, most notable was the 5th overall finish of the 1964 Holman Moody Ford Fairlane of Barney Gerollheimer and Fred Feuerstein co-driven by Roland Asch!

One of the absolute crowd pleaser was the 1963 Ford Galaxie from Sweden. It hit the barriers a couple of times in the wet part of the race, but managed to finish well. The complete results are here: FHR Nordschleife 1000 km. And more pictures here at Picasa by Achim and Achim.

September 15, 2010
1st Miller High Life 500 at Ontario Speedway 1971
Here is what Dick Pierson said about that little NASCAR film:
You need to go to the 4:50 to 4:56 or so, you will see a No. 41 car, that is Hershel McGriff out of Portland having a pit stop. But the real interesting part for you is – you will notice there is a guy holding up a gas fill can and at 4:55 he turns with his face directly into the camera. That is "Duck" Collins – the guy that was the brain behind the Oly Charger that ran Le Mans in 1976. We built the car is his garage at his home in NE Portland. He worked for Hershel off and on for awhile and went to Le Mans with the car.
April 30, 2010