Backstretch Motorsports

2009 becomes the year of the long waited victory for the #9 Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP and its drivers, all ex-Formula One drivers, David Brabham (whose brother Gary won with Peugeot 16 years ago), Marc Gené and Alexander Wurz (who won here in 1996 on his debut).

The French racing team Peugeot Sport located at Vélizy-Villacoublay is directed by Olivier Quesnel, with Bruno Famin as technical manager and Serge Saulnier as team manager. [read more...]

Corvette C6.Rs Two Minutes Apart after 12 Hours

LE MANS, France, June 14, 2009 – After 12 hours of racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Corvette Racing’s Corvette C6.Rs were running like clockwork, separated by 1 minute and 59 seconds. At 3 a.m., the No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Jan Magnussen, Johnny O’Connell and Antonio Garcia maintained its lead in the GT1 class over the No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R driven by Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta and Marcel Fassler. The class-leading Corvette had completed 177 laps at the halfway point of the race.
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Corvettes Lead GT1 at Six-Hour Mark in Le Mans

Routine Race So Far for Corvette Racing; Safety Cars Play Key Role in First Quarter of Race

LE MANS, France, June 13, 2009 – A quartet of Corvettes took control of the GT1 class in the first six hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 63 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Jan Magnussen, Johnny O’Connell, and Antonio Garcia has led from the start at 3 p.m., completing 88 laps at the six-hour mark. The No. 64 Compuware Corvette C6.R of Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, and Marcel Fassler was second in the GT1 class, 2 minutes and 6 seconds behind its sister car. The No. 73 and No. 72 Corvette C6.Rs of Luc Alphand Aventures were third and fourth respectively with 86 laps completed. [read more...]

The diesels of Peugeot and Audi are sandbagging? David Brabahm has said that two of the three Peugeots are running track set-up the third depending on fuel-load tire wear set up.

The Aston Martin drivers like Jos Verstappen believes the leading diesels have not yet shown their true pace. [read more...]

Stéphane Sarrazin really wanted this pole position, probably more than Peugeot who were more focused on finding the best possible set up for the race itself. The crew of the #8 car, Frenchmen Sarrazin, Bourdais and Montagny, weren’t hiding their ambition tonight to win the race, having failed twice before. The rest of the Peugeot squad will be starting from third, fourth and fifth positions on the grid. [read more...]

24 Hours of Le Mans to Mark the End of GT1 Era for Corvette Racing

LE MANS, France – Corvette Racing has unfinished business at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The most successful team in American Le Mans Series history has won its class five times in the classic 24-hour French endurance race (2001-02, 2004-06), establishing Corvette as a global performance icon. Now after runner-up finishes in Le Mans in 2007 and 2008, Corvette Racing is focused on winning its sixth Le Mans title at the immense Circuit des 24 Heures on June 13-14.

This year’s edition of the world’s most prestigious sports car race has special significance for Corvette Racing. The team’s Corvette C6.Rs will make their final run in the GT1 category before Corvette Racing begins its transition to a global GT class in 2010 that is chiefly based on current GT2 regulations. [read more...]

Gavin, Beretta win in Series farewell for Corvette in GT1; Long, Bergmeister win for Lizards in GT2

Gil de Ferran finally got his win at Long Beach, and de Ferran Motorsports took victory in the American Le Mans Series on Saturday as de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud won at the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach. de Ferran and his Acura ARX-02a beat Patrón Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham across the finish line on Shoreline Drive under yellow. [read more...]

Fernandez Wins 2nd LMP2 Pole, Completing Acura 1-2-3 Overall Sweep

LONG BEACH, Calif. — David Brabham recorded his 11th career American Le Mans Series pole position Friday in a spectacular duel with fellow Acura racer Gil de Ferran during Tequila Patrón Grand Prix qualifying on the streets of Long Beach.

Brabham, winner at St. Petersburg two weeks ago with co-driver Scott Sharp, posted a sensational one minute, 11.627 second lap time for an average speed of 98.912 miles per hour in the No. 9 Patrón Highcroft Acura ARX-02a prototype early in the 25-minute qualifying round on the 1.96-mile, 11-turn temporary circuit near the Long Beach harbor. Then, de Ferran, driving the two-time 2009 pole-winning No. 66 XM Radio de Ferran Acura ARX-02a, closed Brabham’s margin with a sensational last-lap charge. [read more...]

Audi scored a debut victory for its new Audi R15 TDI as Allan McNish, Dindo Capello and Tom Kristensen teamed to win the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday night. McNish crossed the finish line 22.279 ahead of Peugeot’s Franck Montagny in an epic battle between sports car racing’s two diesel powers.

McNish took the lead at the 42-minute mark when Montagny made his final fuel-only stop. McNish clicked off fast lap after fast lap to build up enough of a gap to make a late splash for fuel with 14 minutes remaining and maintain his lead.

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de Ferran Acura bests Audi, Peugeot in qualifying

SEBRING, Fla. — Scott Dixon put Acura into the Sebring record books Thursday with a stunning final-lap dash to win the overall pole position for Saturday’s 57th annual 12 Hours of Sebring.

Dixon, the defending Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion, made his first Sebring race appearance quite notable by driving the all-new No. 66 de Ferran XM Radio Acura ARX-02a prototype sports car to the top position in Saturday’s grid over expected favorites Audi and Peugeot. It is the first time since 2005 that a manufacturer has captured both the LMP1 and LMP2 pole positions in the same event.

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