Tag Archives: Motorsports

Motorsports News

MOTORSPORT: JAMIE’S SEASON TAKES A TURN FOR THE BETTER

By: N.A. on August 19, 2006
Original Article: COVENTRY EVENING TELEGRAPH

Performance Of The Week

After struggling in the opening rounds of the FIA GT Championship due to a lack of prior track time, Warwickshire sportscar ace Jamie Derbyshire finally saw his season come alive at Oschersleben last time out with a much more competitive showing and his first point of the campaign.

The Leamington-based star headed to Germany following two disappointing opening races, where he and driving partner Shaun Balfe had been able to make little impression against the opposition in their sevenlitre Saleen S7R, but their fortunes saw an upturn in round three.

After qualifying just inside the top ten, the duo then raced hard to secure eighth place at the flag and open their 2006 points-scoring account, despite overheating concerns in the incredibly high temperatures.

“It was hard work towards the end,” Jamie said, “but it was a solid result – it was just the heat that became too uncomfortable.”

“The car was good and the performance was a step forward compared to where we were at the start of the season, so it was definitely a positive weekend to come away from,” he added.

Press Release

SALEEN CONTINUES TO DOMINATE EUROPEAN RACING SERIES

The Saleen S7R Captures 1st & 2nd Place in Race 1 at Val de Vienne, France

IRVINE, Calif., June 29 /PRNewswire/ — On Saturday at Val de Vienne, France, and racing with an 80 kg penalty weight/ballast, Team Saleen/Oreca again captured another checkered-flag victory! Drivers Soheil Ayari and Bruno Hernandez drove flawlessly by overpowering the Ferrari and later surpassing the Corvettes that were in a distinct field of Vipers; marking their 7th win out of 10 races for this 2006 French GT season.

The Protek team, also driving their Saleen S7R, with drivers Francois Fiat and Dominique Dupuy, captured 2nd place — just 18.6 seconds behind the leading Saleen S7R.

Saleen Race Fans Grow in Numbers as S7R Innovations Lead to Podium Wins

With continuing victories achieved by the Saleen S7R, Saturday’s top finishes further strengthens the Saleen S7R’s growing market-share of race enthusiasts, who are now cheering for America’s Supercar at every opportunity!

As the Team Saleen/Oreca ranking continues to mount, they attribute their winning record to the S7R’s power, reliability, and advanced engineering, as well as to outstanding driving, and superior race strategies over the most prestigious race tracks in Europe.

Sunday’s Challenge

As for Sunday’s race, Team Saleen/Oreca’s S7R danced with the drizzle of the rain as Ayari — who grabbed the pole and set the fastest lap by nearly 1 full second — shot ahead at the onset of the race. But as the leaders approached to lap a slower class of racecars, Ayari had to take evasive action for a Porsche which resulted in contact with a Viper, and then retired the S7R from finishing the race.

Truly a daunting finish for race fans looking to cap off the weekend with another Saleen S7R podium finish! However for the Protek team, their drivers — Fiat and Dupuy, also racing with a 40 kg penalty weight/ballast for the previous day’s 2nd place finish, brought their Saleen S7R home to cross the finish line in 4th place.

While Team Saleen/Oreca’s early retirement was an unwelcome challenge, they were able to extend their lead in the series — to 188 points in the standings — while the other championship contenders’ were unsuccessful that weekend, Team Saleen/Oreca extended their lead by 75 points in the race for the championship!

Steve Saleen, president and CEO of Saleen, Inc., said, “We knew when we formed the alliance with the Oreca Group that was right. 7 wins out of 10 races for the French GT series means that Team Saleen/Oreca is utilizing Saleen’s turnkey race technology in the S7R.”

About Saleen, Inc.
Since the company’s inception in 1984, Saleen has produced over 10,000 complete and EPA certified vehicles, more than any other specialty manufacturer. In addition, Saleen has equipped more than 600,000 vehicles worldwide, further emphasizing their commitment to excellence.

An eight-time Manufacturers’ Champion in GT sports car racing, Saleen’s corporate facilities in Irvine, California include: research, design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, as well as the coating/paint division. Saleen also has another manufacturing facility in Troy, Michigan where the assembly and paint of the Ford GT supercar is accomplished.

Additional Saleen manufacturing sites are located in Canada and Saudi Arabia. For more information please visit www.saleen.com.

Contact:
PR Dept.
(949) 597-4900
pr@saleen.com

SOURCE: Saleen

Click here to participate in the discussion.

Press Release

TEAM SALEEN / ORECA WIN SPA WITH S7R

Team Saleen/Oreca Win Spa With S7R Drivers Ortelli & Ayari Capture Podium Win & Fastest Lap Earning Race
Victory in GT1 Series Beating Aston Martins, Corvettes, Ferrari & Lamborghini

IRVINE, CA, May 16, 2006 – Championing the Saleen S7R, Team Saleen/Oreca drivers, Stephane Ortelli and Soheil Ayari captured the win in Belgium, at Spa Francorchamps, in their debut GT1 Le Mans Series race.

Competing in overcast-to-sunny skies, the Saleen S7R ran effortlessly for over six hours with GT1 contenders, in which the American-made race car prevailed over the field of Aston Martins, Corvettes, a Ferrari, and a Lamborghini — only to secure the win in the end!

On this exciting road course, Spa Francorchamps is considered to be one of the greatest and most challenging circuits in the world, and is rich in history from running the F1 series to sports cars. Measuring 4.350 miles (6.973km), the course marks an extremely fast and nimble endurance race to conquer. With that in mind, the local weather in the Belgian Ardennes Forest is extremely harsh. At various points of the track, the weather can vastly differ from one point to the next — from wet to dry; and from hot to cold. Throughout the weekend, the weather, in addition to the ability of both drivers to dominate the course, as well as the team’s race strategy, made for a winning combination.

Hugues de Chaunac, president of Oreca Groupe stated, “The Saleen/Oreca team united Ayari’s and Ortelli’s precision driving skills coupled with a superior race car and sound execution. We were able to demonstrate the speed and reliability of the Saleen S7R, and we brought home a very exciting win!”

Steve Saleen, president and CEO of Saleen, Inc. commented, “It was close. Having only 20 seconds between first and second meant the race was hard fought. I was pleased, but not at all surprised that the Saleen S7R did what it was created to do. I’m also pleased that we’ve teamed with Oreca as they are truly an exceptional racing organization.”

The Saleen ran the fastest lap in 2.17.025 minutes to finish ahead of the GT1 competition. It was thrilling when the Aston Martin and the Saleen continued to swap places during the race, only to have the Saleen S7R take the win.

Driver Quotes
Soheil Ayari:

“The car was strong all the way through and I am happy that it was a proper race against another very strong car. I am very happy as well to be teammates with Stephane in part of a new international story for Oreca. The Saleen is a very good car and Oreca has done a fantastic job, there were no problems at all for the whole race, no suspect noises, and everything was perfect. That meant I could just do my job, which was to pass the Aston. It was very quick on the straights and not easy to overtake so the team kept talking to me on the radio and eventually we found the best place for me to outbrake him. It was a fantastic fight, we pulled away a little right at the end, but it was only 20 seconds or so at the end of a six hour race — fantastic.”

“After a good rehearsal in the French Championship we knew we had arrived here with a fast car. To finish just 10 seconds ahead after a 6 hour race shows what a fantastic race this was.”

Stephane Ortelli:

“There was pressure all the way through from the Aston Martin but also the Corvettes were strong and they were difficult to lap because they were very fast on the straights. We lost the lead with the yellow and the speed was almost the same between the Saleen and the Aston Martin. It was a big fight to get it back but we showed the car is reliable and is competitive and it is also very good to drive! It is great to do this at Spa, which is always a very special place for me, today it is because it is my first race with Soheil and we have started with a win.”

Editors’ Note:
Photos can be viewed at: http://www.saleen.com/saleen-oreca.htm

About Saleen, Inc.
Since the company’s inception in 1984, Saleen has produced over 10,000 complete and EPA certified vehicles, more than any other specialty manufacturer. In addition, Saleen has equipped more than 600,000 vehicles worldwide, further emphasizing their commitment to excellence.

An eight-time Manufacturers’ Champion in GT sports car racing, Saleen’s corporate facilities in Irvine, California include: research, design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, as well as the coating/paint division. Saleen also has another manufacturing facility in Troy, Michigan where the assembly and paint of the Ford GT supercar is accomplished. Additional Saleen manufacturing sites are located in Canada and Saudi Arabia. For more information please visit www.saleen.com.

Contact: PR Dept.
(949) 597-4900
pr@saleen.com

SOURCE: Saleen, Inc.

Click here to participate in the discussion.

Motorsports News

MUSTANG RARIN’ TO GO

By: N.A. on April 29, 2006
Original Article: MERCURY, THE (HOBART)

Car To Watch

Victorian Craig Dean lost faith in the Mustang for more than two decades until Ford went back to the drawing board and released the latest version of the revered coupe.

Dean imported a 2006 Mustang Saleen S281SC and converted it to right-hand-drive for Targa Tasmania.

The way he is throwing the black beauty around on Tasmania’s roads this week, he is loving every second of it.

“It’s an awesome car to drive,” said Dean, who is competing with son Ben.

Dean’s Mustang is the only ’06 model racing in Australia.

His Mustang packs a 4.6-litre engine (281 cubic inches, as the name suggests) with a supercharger to add extra bang for your bucks.

It pumps out an impressive 435 horsepower to move the 1614kg car around at 25 litres per 100km in Targa competition mode.

“It’s been souped up for Targa,” Dean said.

“It’s the most high-performance model you can buy.”

Motorsports News

MOTORSPORT: JAMIE’S RARING

By: RUSSELL ATKINS on April 29, 2006
Original Article: COVENTRY EVENING TELEGRAPH

Warwickshire’s leading sportscar ace is shaping up for the season ahead with a steely resolve and heightened expectations.

Jamie Derbyshire has remained with the Balfe Motorsport team in the FIA GT championship, and this year the squad has snapped up a brand new 650bhp, seven-litre Saleen S7R for the Leamington-based star and team-mates Shaun Balfe and Neil Cunningham.

Jamie said: “The team got the car late which has put a bit of pressure on, meaning there has been a limited amount of testing compared to what we would have liked to have done. We are still playing catch up a bit, but overall preparations have gone pretty well.”

After covering 150 laps at Silverstone where the car “didn’t miss a beat,” the team headed to the official FIA GT test at Dijon-Prenois in France.

The 28-year-old said: “We saw the test as an opportunity to iron out a few little gremlins. We had to learn the track and lost a day’s running with a misfire and gearbox problems, but considering we didn’t run on new tyres and weren’t really chasing times we fared pretty well.”

Indeed, the Saleen showed as high as third on the timesheets at one point, ultimately finishing the two-day test ninth having showed encouraging pace in tricky conditions.

Jamie said it was still a case of getting accustomed to the car and getting some laps under his belt before the campaign starts.

He explained: “A lot of the teams have had experience of their cars in previous seasons, whereas we are still having to get to grips with the Saleen. We just kept a low profile and left the test pretty pleased.”

“The Mosler we raced last year was a road car turned into a race car, whereas the Saleen is the other way round. It feels much stiffer, there’s a lot less bodyroll and there’s a big difference in power. It’s got 150bhp more which translates into a lot more grunt when you put your foot down. The carbon fibre brakes allow you to brake a fair bit later too.”

Balfe Motorsport are up against some serious opposition in the FIA GT series, with big-budget operations and monster machines from Maserati, Aston Martin and Corvette.

Jamie said: “All the cars are pretty capable, so it’s just a question of getting a good basic set-up. The competition will be tough, with 11 top-line GT1 cars and some very quick drivers. Maserati have a massive budget and their car is designed purely to go out there and win GT races. The Aston Martin is a freshly-engineered GT car too, and the Zakspeed team has a big pedigree in Champ Cars and the DTM (German Touring Cars).”

One advantage Jamie does possess is familiarity with the family-run Balfe Motorsport outfit, having raced for the team not only last year but also in 2003, when he and driving partner Shaun Balfe came within a whisker of lifting the British GT crown.

He added: “It’s nice having continuity and knowing everyone there. It’s a very relaxed feeling and one less thing to have to worry about, meaning we can just get stuck in and straight down to business. It’s a very good relationship.”

Jamie said he was particularly looking forward to the Spa 24 Hours at the end of July, after Le Mans one of the most prestigious round-the-clock races in the world and the undisputed jewel in the crown of the FIA GT campaign.

Looking at the bigger picture, podiums are very much the aim, and Jamie has set himself the objective of securing a top five championship finish at the end of the year.

He said: “Lady Luck would definitely have to play a part for us to win a race but there’s always an outside chance. We just want to pick up points and see where we end up.

“We have to really turn it on at Silverstone and show what we can do. It’s always a bit of guesswork as to how competitive you will actually be in pre-season testing, but we are quietly confident.”

Silverstone is the opening round of the series on May 7, and a circuit where Jamie has enjoyed considerable success in the past. Last year he stormed to victory over a strong field in the inaugural Silverstone 24 Hour race, an experience he said would be useful in preparation for the Spa challenge later this year.

A repeat performance on home soil next weekend would be the perfect way to get his 2006 campaign off to a flying start.

Motorsports News

MOTORSPORT: JAMIE’S CHALLENGE

By: LUKE HAMER on February 15, 2006
Original Article: COVENTRY EVENING TELEGRAPH

Jamie Derbyshire has agreed to race for Balfe Motorsport team for the GT1 class of the FIA GT Championship.

The Warwickshire GT star will be taking to the wheel of the 650bhp Saleen S7R for the first time next month along with last years partner Shaun Balfe and Neil Cunningham.

He decided to stay with the team as they moved up from GT2 after a winter of considering his options that saw him test a Le Mans Prototype.

The Spirit VW and Hyundai Group-backed racer will not be fazed by the increase in power or speed as he steps up to the top flight as he completed a season in a Lister Storm back in 2004.

He is thrilled to be continuing his steep learning curve in the sport and is relishing the chance to test himself against some of the best drivers and cars in the division.

“I’m looking forward to the GT1 class, its definitely going to be incredibly competitive this year, ” he said. “I don’t think we can challenge some of the cars like the Aston Martins on out right pace, but knowing how well the team can run the car I know we can be challenging for the podium.”

Press Release

SALEEN ANNOUNCES S7R RACE PROGRAM TO COMPETE AT LE MANS 24-HOUR ENDURANCE RACE

European Race Program Supports Growing International Sales of Saleen S7

Los Angeles Auto Show, Concourse Hall, Saleen Booth #C6, January 4 /PRNewswire/ —

Saleen, Inc., the manufacturer of limited edition, high-performance vehicles, today announced that Saleen, in conjunction with Oreca Groupe, have formed a partnership for an all out two-car effort towards one of the most prestigious races in the world, the 24-Hour of Le Mans.

Oreca will also sell, service and support all European race cars for parts, sales, as well as provide technical services. Oreca will also be the repair center for Europe.

Saleen is delighted to partner with one of the most professional and respected race organizations in the world. This combination of Saleen and Oreca will give the European teams campaigning Saleens a local base for new cars, parts, service, repairs, and racecraft to help bring the cars to the winner’s circle.

“The time is right time for Saleen to have a full European program. Globally, the S7 has grown in market presence and recognition, and with our new race program we will further showcase the racecraft and winning attributes of the S7R,” said Steve Saleen, president and CEO of Saleen. “Since the introduction of the S7 in 2001, all prior teams have had to be serviced from the U.S. Now, with the addition of Oreca to the program we can provide better service to our customers abroad.”

Hugues de Chaunac, president of Oreca commented, “We’re excited about our relationship with Saleen. For over a quarter of a century Oreca has been helping major car manufacturers win. We anticipate that Saleen the S7R will be one of our most ambitious and successful programs.”

Historically, the S7R has dominated racetracks worldwide. In 2001, the S7R performed flawlessly at the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring race taking home the win. The S7R later set a new track record at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. By the end of 2001, the S7R also resulted in an additional 4 championships — 2 in Europe, and 2 in the U.S. To date the S7 has 50 wins, and over 60 pole positions in races around the world.

“We’re looking forward to this is a new chapter in the S7R’s racing heritage,” added Steve Saleen.

The Saleen S7R race program schedule is to be announced.

About Saleen
Since the company’s inception in 1984, Saleen has produced over 10,000 complete and EPA certified vehicles, more than any other specialty manufacturer. In addition, Saleen has equipped more than 600,000 vehicles worldwide, further emphasizing their commitment to excellence.

An eight-time Manufacturers’ Champion in GT sports car racing, Saleen’s corporate facilities include research, design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, as well as the coating/paint division. Saleen also has manufacturing facilities in Troy, Michigan where the assembly and paint of the Ford GT supercar is accomplished. Additional Saleen manufacturing sites are located in Canada and Saudi Arabia. For more information please visit www.saleen.com.

Contact: PR Dept.
+1-(949)-598-4900
www.saleen.com

Web site: http://www.saleen.com

SOURCE: Saleen, Inc.

Motorsports News

BALFE REVVED UP FOR NEW CHALLENGE

By: N.A. on December 13, 2005
Original Article: LINCOLNSHIRE ECHO

The Balfe Motorsport Team will graduate to the GT1 class of the FIA GT Championship next season after taking delivery of a 750 horse-power Saleen S7R chassis.

Shaun Balfe will be one of the drivers with the second seat in the car yet to be filled.

“It’s been a tough few months making the decisions to move to GT1,” said Newark Glass-backed Balfe.

“We had an incredible debut season in the FIA GT Championship with the Mosler this year.

“Whatever we chose for next year, we wanted to move forward. To score points is a must for me and it’s also what the team wants too. The move into GT1 will be tough. But it’s what we at Balfe Motorsport have always enjoyed.”

The battle for the title this year has proved the level of competition is fierce. As a driver, Balfe admits he is relishing the challenge of the GT1 class. From a team perspective though, he knows it will be a tough challenge in 2006.

“We know everyone in the team is revved up for next season,” he said. “From a driving point of view, it will add a little bit more pressure and it’s certainly going to be the toughest year of my racing career so far.”

The team has already taken delivery of the car and plan on a small test to allow Balfe to reacquaint himself with a GT1 machine before a complete rebuild over the winter months.

Press Release

SALEEN S7R TOPS NEW MASERATIS, FERRARIS AND LAMBORGHINIS AT IMOLA

IMOLA, Italy – Friday, September 10, 2004

American Manufacturer Spoils Italian’s Debut on Their Home Turf

The big story of round eight of the FIA GT Championship at Imola this week was supposed to be the heralded debut of the Maserati MC 12 team. And while the new kids on the block looked very promising by finishing second and third, it was the more experienced team of Uwe Alzen and Michael Bartels that drove their Vitaphone Saleen S7R to victory, their third win of the season. The trio were the only cars to finish on the lead lap of the three-hour sprint race; all three were also running the same Pirelli P Zero racing slicks.

Saleen S7Rs dominated qualifying as well, placing five cars in the top ten; while the Maserati could muster only an eighth and twelfth, respectively.

Alzen and Bartels had qualified third best but drove their usual strong race to earn their third victory after having won earlier this season at Magny-Cours (France) and Brno (Czech Republic). Double stinting their tires allowed the Vitaphone Racing team to remain at the front virtually throughout the race, finishing with a 43-second advantage over the second-place Maserati.

“Thanks to the fact that we were able to double stint our tires, providing optimal grip and performance for as many as 65 laps, allowed us to stay ahead of the Maseratis, especially in the final laps,” explained Alzen. The inherent power of the 600-plus horsepower Saleen S7R was also evident, particularly in the last stint, as the Saleen pulled away from the Maseratis on fresh tires.

The Saleen S7R’s performance is really no surprise to the racing world. In the first two years after its debut at Sebring in 2001, Saleen S7Rs won 48 poles, set 50 fastest laps and topped the podium 37 times in 72 races, winning seven GT Championships! No other marque racing with independent (non-factory) teams can make that claim.

The Saleen S7, America’s supercar, debuted on August 19, 2001 at the Monterey Historic Races in Laguna Seca, California and has been recognized by numerous automotive magazines as the fastest production car in the world. The 2005 Saleen S7 will make its world premiere on November 2 at the SEMA Show 2004 in Las Vegas

Press Release

SALEEN S7R TOPS NEW MASERATIS FOR 3RD WIN OF FIA SEASON

IMOLA, Italy – Sunday, September 5, 2004

Teams Dominate Imola Podium Running Pirelli Tires

The big story of round eight of the FIA GT Championship at Imola today was supposed to be the long-awaited debut of the Pirelli-shod Maserati MC 12s. And while the new kids on the block looked very promising by finishing second and third, it was the more experienced Pirelli-shod team of Uwe Alzen and Michael Bartels that drove their Vitaphone Saleen S7R to victory in Italy, their third win of the season and Pirelli’s fourth. The trio were the only cars to finish on the lead lap of the three-hour sprint race.

Saleen S7Rs dominated qualifying as well, placing five cars in the top ten; while the new Maserati MC 12s of Andrea Bertolini/Mika Salo and Johnny Herbert/Fabrizio de Simone could muster only an eighth and twelfth, respectively.

Alzen and Bartels had qualified third best but drove their usual strong race to earn their third victory after having won earlier this season at Magny-Cours (France) and Brno (Czech Republic). Double stinting their tires allowed the Vitaphone Racing team to remain at the front virtually throughout the race, finishing with a 43-second advantage for the second-place Maserati.

“Thanks to the fact that we were able to double stint our tires, providing optimal grip and performance for as many as 65 laps, allowed us to stay ahead of the Maseratis, especially in the final laps,” explained Alzen.

The Pirelli-shod Ferrari 360 of Christian Pescatori and Iradj Alexander also finished first in N-GT but the car was disqualified for an airbox infraction. The GPC Giesse Squadra Corse team is appealing the decision.