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Three AMG Customer Sports Teams take part in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). The race teams Black Falcon, KRK Racing and Preci-Spark will enter four SLS AMG GT3 for the endurance classic on the 28th and 29th of July. At the same time, AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider will support the customer sports team Preci-Spark of the ProAm category: The five-time DTM champion will share the cockpit of the gullwing car with the British brothers David and Godfrey Jones.Three AMG customer sports teams confidently enter the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 for the race which is the season’s highlight of the Blancpain Endurance Series. The British race team Preci-Spark announces the participation of a first class driver: AMG from Affalterbach supports the British team with its brand ambassador Bernd Schneider. The five-time DTM champion, ITC overall winner of 1995 and FIA GT world champion of 1997 will drive a gullwing car together with the team founders and twins David and Godfrey Jones (both 59 years of age) as well as Mike Jordan (54 years of age), also British.
Ola Källenius, managing director of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “We are very pleased about Bernd Schneider’s supporting the team Preci-Spark in the classic 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, above all, because David and Godfrey Jones were the first customers who received a SLS AMG GT3. We wish them lots of success in the Ardennes.”
Bernd Schneider: “I am very pleased about cooperating with the British team Preci-Spark. Firstly, because I will be facing the competition in this year’s 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps only for the third time after 1988 and 1989, and secondly, because I am the youngster of the team with 48 years of age!”
KRK Racing, Black Falcon and Preci-Spark faced the competition
The Belgian race team KRK Racing enters a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 for the race in their home country, with Rafael Vanthoor as their driver. The Limburg team intend the Belgians Anthony Kumpen and Koen Wauters as well as Dennis Retera (NED) to be the partners of the team leader.
Black Falcon from the Eifel even brings two gullwing cars to the Belgian Ardennes. In one Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Bret Curtis (USA) and Steve Jans (LUX) share the cockpit. The car with race number 18 will also be supported by “Franky” Congfu Cheng (CN), the former Chinese Mercedes-Benz DTM and A1 GP driver. Race number 19 is piloted by a German-British quartet of drivers: Oliver Morley (GB), Manuel Metzger and Stephan Rösler share the cockpit with Kenneth Heyer (all GER), who won the third position in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps of 2011.
All three AMG Customer Sports Teams take start positions in the 24 Hours in Spa-Francorchamps in the Pro/Am Cup: In this event, professionals and amateur racers share the cockpit.
Exceptional natural race track with a long tradition
Besides the Nürburgring-Nordschleife („north loop“), the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is considered the most beautiful and challenging natural race track in the world. The original triangular course was made up by 14.8 kilometres of public highway between the municipalities of Spa, Malmedy and Stavelot. Already in the 1930s, Rudolf Caracciola and Hermann Lang won in the Belgian Grand Prix on this track in Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows of the W 25 and W 154 generations.
Since 1979, the pilots face their competitors on a shortened version of the track, which is currently 7.0 kilometres long. The traditional course in the Belgian Ardennes is among the favourite tracks of many drivers, for example, MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver Michael Schumacher. Turns like Eau Rouge, Blanchimont or La Source have a legendary reputation.
The 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps are considered one of the classics in the international endurance race calendar. They were first held in 1924 – one year prior to the first Belgian Grand Prix. Just as Formula 1, the touring cars and GT race cars experienced a change in course towards modernity in 1979. For this year’s 24-hour race, almost 70 cars are stated according to the FIA GT3 regulations.
In this year, the classic is part of the Blancpain Endurance Series as fourth race of the season. In view of the marathon distance and the meaningful history of the race, it is logic that this race is of particular importance. Two times the number of championship points, compared to the other races of the Blancpain Endurance Series, are given for the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The following mode is applied: According to the positions after six and twelve hours, the organizers each give away a third of the Spa points, which makes up exactly the same number as in any ordinary race of the season. The second half of the points, which is also equal to the full score of a „normal“ race, is given away according to the final result.
The event begins with training sessions on Thursday, 26th July 2012. The start of the 24-hour race takes place on Saturday, 28th July at 4 o’ clock in the afternoon.
Review: top-three finish for AMG Customer Team Black Falcon in 2011
One year ago, the first race of the SLS AMG GT3 at the Belgian endurance classic ended with a top-three finish. With the top-three position of race number 35 of Black Falcon, AMG successfully rounded off a special anniversary: It was exactly 40 years ago that Hans Heyer, father of Kenneth Heyer, had surprisingly made the class victory and the second overall position in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in the first and highly respected race of the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG. In remembrance of this success, the SLS AMG GT3 of Black Falcon started with the same red layout as well as the same race number.
In the race two times around the clock, Black Falcon with Kenneth Heyer / Thomas Jäger / Stéphane Lémeret gained the third position. The sister car with Andrii Lebed / Bret Curtis / Peter van der Kolk / Jeroen van der Heuve finished twelfth. The English twins David and Godfrey Jones also put emphasis on the potential of the gullwing car. The twins, at that time 58 years of age, finished seventh together with their “junior” partner Mike Jordan, 53 years of age.
The KRK-Racing Team Holland with Rafael Vanthoor / Marius Ritkes / Bernhard van Oranje / Dennis Retera had to start from the end of the field after a training accident and crossed the finish line 16th with the gullwing car. After the twelfth rank in the qualifying, the car of the team with Mike Hezemans / Anthony Kumpen / Koen Wauters, which had been faster until that time, had to end the race after an accident. Both of the vehicles of Graff Racing, which had entered the race from start positions nine and 18, retired from the race after round 364 and 367.
More information about the race: www.total24hours.com ..jpg)
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Mercedes-Benz achieved a magnificent success in 1952: a double victory at the “24 Hours of Le Mans”. This placed the 300 SL racing car (W 194 series) firmly in the limelight. Because the then novel vehicle was specifically developed for the 1952 racing season, and over the months it showed its supremacy in all the most renowned racing events around the world, impressively signalling Mercedes-Benz’s return to international motor racing.By then, Mercedes-Benz had won almost all the world-famed races; only the 24-hour race in Le Mans, France, remained – and this competition was predestined for the 300 SL. A considerable stir having been caused at their presentation on March 12, 1952, a total of ten of these racing cars were built for the 1952 racing season.Preparations for participation in the long-distance classic got under way already a year beforehand. At Le Mans the car’s brakes are subjected to particularly high stresses, especially in the 4-km long straight stretch between the Tertre-Rouge and the Mulsanne curves, where drivers have to slow down from top speed to just about 50 km/h, lap after lap. The remarkably original idea of using a retractable aluminium aileron to act as an airbrake was dismissed, though.Another tricky point was the question of access to the vehicle, even though the rules and regulations said nothing against the small doors or access hatches the 300 SL originally had. The sports marshal of the Automobilclub de l’Ouest, Monsieur Acat, presented a little sketch suggesting that the entry hatch be extended downwards – and so, the gullwing was born as a goodwill gesture towards the organiser and in order to take the wind out of the sails of any potential protests right from the outset. The cars of the different teams bore different coloured bands around the radiator to help distinguish them in the race. The car with chassis number 0009 and starting number 20 (Theo Helfrich/HelmutNiedermayr) sported a red strip, car number 0007 with starting number 21 (Hermann Lang/Fritz Rieß) a blue one, while number 0008 with starting number 22 (Karl Kling/Hans Klenk team) was distinguished by a green band.After the start Ferrari and Jaguar took the lead, André Simon and Alberto Ascari setting lap records in turn. Too much of a good thing, however: two hours into the race, the clutch of Ascari’s Ferrari 250 S gave up. Simon with the Ferrari 340 “America”, now led in front of the Robert Manzon/Jean Behra team with their 2.3-litre Gordini. Towards evening the two Frenchmen moved up into the leading position. Meanwhile, an alternator malfunction made itself felt on board the Kling/Klenk team’s 300 SL, forcing Kling to make a 10-minute pit stop; an hour later another 17-minute delay in the pits was called for. Finally, at half-past midnight Hans Klenk took off his helmet, his expression showing resignation and utter disappointment. And the little lightweight 2.3-litre Gordini was still leading. After a pit stop Pierre Levegh, with his 4.5-litre Talbot took over the first place, followed at a distance of 65 kilometres by the 300 SLs of the Helfrich/Niedermayr and Lang/Riess teams. By noon of the following day the number of contestants had shrunk to 19 vehicles. Levegh was still at the forefront, but stubbornly refused to allow his co-pilot Marchand to relieve him. Behind him the two 300 SLs thundered on reliably, lap after lap. Then, just 70 minutes before the end of the race, a damaged connecting rod forced Levegh to abandon between Arnage and Maison Blanche.The two 300 SLs were now unreachably far ahead. In the early hours of the morning the new front runner Theo Helfrich lost his leading position to Hermann Lang due to a driving error. Mercedes-Benz won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For Hermann Lang and Fritz Riess, to whom this success was largely due, it was the most important triumph of their careers. They were followed by the Helfrich/Niedermayr team who came in second in one of the other 300 SLs.The double victory at Le Mans was preceded by a triple win in Bern on 18 May 1952. Further successes followed in that racing season: a fourfold victory at the Great Jubilee Prize at Nürburgring on 3 August 1952 and another double win in the 3rd Carrera Panamericana in Mexico (19 to 23 November 1952), the last great event of the extremely successful 1952 racing season.Credits: Daimler AGCopyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.
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After 24 hours and 155 driven laps the AMG customer sports teams crossed the finish line with three of the six entered SLS AMG GT3. The gullwing car with race number 66 of the Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport, which finished the race with the highest position and was driven by Lance David Arnold (GER), Christiaan Frankenhout (NL), Pierre Kaffer (GER) und Andreas Simonsen (S) ended the endurance race in the third overall position after a commanding finish. The sister car with race number 65, which was driven by double starter Lance David Arnold (GER), Kenneth Heyer (GER), Alexandros Margaritis (GER) and Bernd Schneider (GER), had to end the race in the 152nd lap in the third position approximately 15 minutes prior to the end of the race because of an engine cooling circuit failure. The SLS AMG GT3 of ROWE RACING with race number 21 which was driven by Mark Bullitt (USA), Marko Hartung (GER), Roland Rehfeld (GER) and Michael Zehe (GER) finished tenth. The sister car with race number 22 and Klaus Graf (GER), Thomas Jäger (GER), Alexander Roloff (GER) and Jan Seyffarth (GER) as drivers had to end the race on Sunday morning while being in the front position because of problems with the right wheel suspension at the rear.
The Team Black Falcon came 14th with race number 16, which was driven by Christian Bracke (GER), Andrii Lebed (UA), Hannes Plesse (GER) and Reinhold Renger (GER). The sister car with race number 15, which was driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Sean Edwards (GB), Manuel Metzger (GER) and Ralf Schall (GER) started in the third position and had to end the race already towards the end of the fourth lap at Döttinger Höhe because of a tyre failure.
In the commanding race with only slight discrepancies between the leading cars in the GT3 category, numerous changes in the lead took place. The SLS AMG GT3s with race numbers 65 and 66 of the Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport as well as number 22 of ROWE RACING were able to quickly establish themselves among the front runners and all of them took over the lead at different times of the race.
Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: „We are proud of all three of the customer teams which took part in the 24 Hours Nürburgring with the SLS AMG GT3. Congratulations to the entire Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport for finishing third.“
Uli Fritz, head of AMG customer sports: „With the third place for the customer team Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport we finished with respectable results with our AMG customer sports programme compared with numerous teams which are supported by their company. Due to various problems, we were unfortunately not able to cross the finish line with three cars, which had proved competitive in the qualifying as well as the race.“
Pierre Kaffer, Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport, race number 66: „We are happy that our strategy to put our direct competitor under pressure towards the end of the race was successful, so that it was possible for us to finish among the top three. However, it is a pity that our sister car had to end the race 15 minutes prior to time. I want to thank my team colleagues and the Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport for the perfectly prepared car.“
Norbert Brückner, team manager Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport: „It was a narrow and commanding 24 hours race. We are satisfied with the third place – however, it is clearly very disappointing that our sister car had to end the race only 15 minutes prior to end. I want to thank all members of the Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport.“
Thomas Jäger, ROWE RACING, race number 22: „We are obviously disappointed by the fact that being in the front position, we had to abandon our chances to win prior to the end of the race because of technical difficulties with the rear wheel suspension. Until 10 o'clock today, our SLS AMG GT3 ran without any problems. Especially when it rained on early Sunday morning the gullwing car with the Dunlop rain tyres ran fantastically. My team colleague Klaus Graf drove by far the fastest laps in the field. After the race is before the race and that is why I am already looking forward to the 24 Hours next year. I want to thank the entire team of ROWE RACING. Congratulations to the Hankook Team HEICO Motorsport for the third overall position.“
Anniversary edition: Fortieth jubilee of the famous endurance race
For many motorsports fans, the 24 Hours Nürburgring is the annual highlight in the motorsports season. 235,000 spectators came to watch the famous endurance race in the Eifel, which was held for the fortieth time in 2012. The anniversary edition of the race which is 24 hours long was held at the 25 kilometres long combination of the Nürburgring Nordschleife ("north loop") and the Grand Prix track. 169 cars and 650 drivers from 34 nations faced the competition, while 31 cars were entered in start positions in the most efficient and popular GT3 category.
Six Instructors of the AMG Driving Academy employed in the race
The six instructors of the AMG Driving Academy supporting the SLS AMG GT3 customer teams in the 24 Hours Nürburgring were Lance David Arnold, Thomas Jäger, Roland Rehfeld, Reinhold Renger, Bernd Schneider and Jan Seyffarth. Chief instructor Reinhold Renger is responsible for the entire programme and the specific course of instruction. It is part of the AMG Driving Academy's philosophy that the participants profit from the knowhow of the professional drivers – this is perfectly implemented in the MASTERS SLS AMG GT3.
MASTERS SLS AMG GT3: The highest level in the AMG Driving Academy programme deploys the racing version of the gullwing model as a training vehicle. With Bernd Schneider and Thomas Jäger as competent partners, the instructors, which were also responsible for all development and test drives of the SLS AMG GT3, are employed in the race. The AMG Driving Academy participants benefit from the modular design of the MASTERS SLS AMG GT3: four complementary stages guide the aspiring racing drivers to the finishing line – EXPERIENCE, WARM-UP, TRAINING and COMPETITION. Participants can take part in all MASTERS events in their own SLS AMG GT3 vehicles or in corresponding cars provided by AMG.
British GT Championship as framework programme at the Nürburgring
The third and fourth of the British GT Championship took place on May 18th and 19th of 2012 as framework programme of the 24 Hours Nürburgring. Both of the races were 60 minutes long and were held at the Grand Prix track of the Nürburgring. The British AMG customer sports team Preci-Spark with the twins David und Godfrey Jones as drivers of the SLS AMG GT3 with race number 22 finished sixth and tenth.* Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH * Copyright © 2012, mercedesgla. All rights reserved.
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