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Grand Am
GT: 10 Questions With Zak Brown
United Autosports co-owner/driver discusses team’s GT3 debut, GT1 World Championship and future expansion to GRAND-AM.
John Dagys  |  Posted May 13, 2010   Chicago, IL
Zak Brown worked his way through the open-wheel ranks in the late '80s and early '90s, competing in series such as British Formula 3 and Atlantics, before taking an hiatus from racing in 2000. He's now back, as an owner and driver. (United Autosports)
While the name United Autosports may not yet ring a bell to sportscar racing aficionados, it’s certainly one team that’s poised to make a significant impact on the sport.

Formed by Ginetta Cars managing director Richard Dean and American businessman Zak Brown, the Anglo-American squad burst onto the GT racing scene, campaigning a pair of Audi R8 LMS cars in the FIA GT3 European Championship this season.

Brown, who was one of the sport’s rising stars in late '80s and early ‘90s, shifted his focus towards the business side, launching Just Marketing International, a motorsports marketing firm, in 1995. The California native has since returned as a driver, competing in various sportscar races prior to his team’s launch late last year.

While the British-based squad has focused its efforts around the six-round GT3 championship and a run in the Spa 24 hours later this year, it’s only the beginning for one of the sport’s most ambitious teams.
United Autosports made its FIA GT3 European Championship debut at Silverstone two weeks ago, finishing inside the top-20 with both of its Audi R8 LMS cars in the highly competitive series. (United Autosports)

With a planned expansion into the FIA GT1 World Championship by 2012 and likely programs in GRAND-AM and at Le Mans, United Autosports is one of the teams to watch in the coming years.

We caught up with Brown to get his thoughts on the team’s start to the GT3 season, the promising start to the GT1 World Championship and what the future could hold for the still very young organization. It’s all a part of the latest installment of “10 Questions.”

DAGYS: What attracted you to the European GT racing scene?

BROWN: When I started racing professionally, it was in Europe. So I’ve always had an affinity for European racing. I think it’s the best. I wanted to go back and race on the greatest tracks with the greatest cars.

After teaming up with my buddy Richard Dean, I decided to go the ownership route so I can have total control over how the team was run and what it looked like and who the drivers were, and to start to build up an entity.

DAGYS: After a solid debut in the British GT season-opener at Oulton Park last month, it appeared the team’s transition into the GT3 European Championship was a bit more challenging. Was that in part due to the FIA’s Balance of Performance adjustments on the Audi R8 LMS?

BROWN: I do think that if you look at how Audi ran as a whole, they were over-penalized for the first race. We were more discouraged by that than we were at our own individual team because we ran pretty well compared to the other Audis. It was clear to everybody that they restricted the Audis too much because we were all miles off the pace.

The FIA has just come out with some new balance of performance updates for the next race at Brno. They’ve given back some of the performance-based things that they initially took away from us and have slapped some performance ‘penalties’ on the competition. We’re getting a weight break and the other competition is getting weight added and also an increase in restrictor size for some of the cars.

DAGYS: What are the team’s goals for the season?

BROWN: Being a new team and new to the car, especially considering how deep the competition is in GT3, I think it would be a tall order and perhaps setting us up for failure to say we want to win races this year. I think it’s a steep learning curve. If we can be in the points on a regular basis, finish inside the top-10 and get on the podium a few times, it would be an immensely successful season for us.

DAGYS: Could we see United Autosports expand to different categories and series in the future?
United Autosports drivers (from left to right): Michael Guasch, Mark Patterson, Matt Bell and Zak Brown. (United Autosports)

BROWN: Our concrete plan, or as concrete as things get in motor racing, is to spend two years in GT3, plus the Spa 24 Hours this year, and then add the Nurburgring 24 Hours next year and start looking at Le Mans. Then in 2012, we’d definitely step up to GT1 and run a two-car team there. Ideally, we’d love to run the same FIA GT1 cars in a Le Mans program as well.

DAGYS: Would there be another option if the Audi R8 LMS, currently a GT3-spec car, is not homologated into GT1 for Le Mans?

BROWN: We’d love to do it with Audi but the car is not legal today. Hopefully that will change, but if it doesn’t, there’s a possibility to look at one of their prototypes. We’ve also been in discussions with Lola. I think we’d want to do LMP1 and play with the big boys.

I think we’d maybe look to do the big races. So Sebring, Le Mans, Petit Le Mans because we have the team up and running. It wouldn’t be very cost-effective to buy a car and just run one race. I think we’d be looking to run three our four. But our biggest focus is GT3 right now, then getting into GT1. That’s the route we want to take.

DAGYS: With the American Le Mans Series rumored to be opening its GTC category to other potential cars, including the Audi R8 LMS, could the team be looking to also run Stateside?

BROWN: I could see us bringing it over for Petit and maybe a Long Beach. We do want to start a North America-based team eventually, but I think that would probably be down the path of GRAND-AM.

DAGYS: What do you see in GRAND-AM that you don’t see in ALMS right now?

BROWN: I think there’s a good commercial opportunity to tie it to NASCAR. My company represents Jeff Gordon, who has some interest in building up some racing teams. I think there’s commercial synergies between NASCAR and GRAND-AM. Given that’s my core business, I’ve got to be commercially minded in every decision we make. I love them both, but I think from a commercial perspective, GRAND-AM has a greater offering.

DAGYS: In two years, where would you envision United Autosports being at?

BROWN: We want to make sure we don’t bite off more than we can chew, which we probably already have! To increase the racing schedule in 2011 seems logical, but the preparation for 2012 starts next year. I’d like to see us in GRAND-AM by 2012, which means we would start ramping up next year.
The team's FIA GT3 program is only the beginning, as an expansion into the GT1 World Championship and GRAND-AM is on the table. (United Autosports)

Once of the nice things about GRAND-AM is the longevity of the cars. We could purchase a car next year and you could do a few one-offs or the Rolex 24 and start doing a limited program. So I wouldn’t rule that out for next year. We’d run a Coyote chassis for sure, since I’m a part owner in it with Eddie Cheever.

DAGYS: Your company, Just Marketing International, has recently been appointed as a sales and marketing consultant for GT1 World Championship. Having been involved with the series on that side, how do you feel about the championship's future from a marketing perspective?

BROWN: I think it’s going to be huge. All of these racing series around the world are struggling for the most part with car count and GT1 rolled out, in probably the worst time to roll out with a new series, and put 24 cars on the grid. All of the different brands and the fact that the series is so healthy from the word go means that it will probably just get stronger and stronger.

It has a great value proposition being a true ‘world’ championship and being very affordable. Your choices for a world championships are Formula One, which is great value, but you have to be prepared to write the appropriate-sized check, which not everyone can do. MotoGP is another option, which has a younger audience, plus World Rally, which isn’t a big sponsorship-driven sport like the others. So GT1 has great value in the world marketplace and doesn’t really have much competition.

DAGYS: Should we expect any further driver announcements for United Autosports’ GT3 program for the 24 Hours of Spa?

BROWN: We announced Mark Blundell for Spa and I can tell you that we have two other superstars that will be joining us which we’ll announce in due course. We’ll have a star-studded lineup.

I think that’s one of the nice things about my core business, Just Marketing, is that I have some great relationships. Bernie Ecclestone came to our team launch, for instance, and I’m pretty sure that’s the first time he’s ever been to a GT3 team launch.

I’m enjoying it because a lot of the ‘big boys’ are giving support. It’s a lot of fun for me that I now do business with the guys who I grew up admiring. And they're also now supporting the race team one way or another.

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