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GT Racing
GT: United Autosports Announces Dubai 24 Lineup
Mix of youth and experience to share wheel of Anglo-American team's Audi R8 LMS car in next month's twice-around-the-clock enduro...
United Autosports will make its 24 Hours of Dubai debut next month with an Audi R8 LMS car. (Photo: John Dagys)
United Autosports has assembled a class quartet of GT racers for its first attempt to win the seventh running of the Dunlop 24H Dubai, which kicks off the new 2012 season on January 12 – 14. Talented young United Autosports regular driver, Matt Bell will be one of four racing the team’s No. 26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 at the Dubai Autodrome.
The 22-year old BRDC Rising Star will be pitted alongside US-based South African Mark Patterson, Hong Kong’s Frank Yu and newcomer to the United Autosports team, New Zealander Roger Wills, this trio bringing a wealth of endurance ability and racing experience to the Middle East race.
The Anglo-American team, based in Leeds, has a truly international line-up of drivers for its 2012 season opener and first visit to Dubai for the start the endurance racing year. United Autosports will be pitted against the best competition of more than 80 entries of GTs, touring cars and 24H Specials.
"We’re just two years old as a team and we’re branching out into yet another continent. It feels quite a privilege to be able to take part in these high-profile races across the world after such a short time," said team co-owner and managing director Richard Dean. “This line-up we’re taking to Dubai gives us a great combination of youth and experience.
"Matt Bell is fast, there is no doubt about that, but his 24 hour experience is limited to just Spa in 2011. I have ultimate faith in Matt every time he gets in the car. I shared a car with Frank in the 2010 Dubai 24 hour race and I wouldn’t hesitate to sit alongside Frank in any long distance race anywhere in the world.
"Mark has been with the team for two years and he’s the ideal guy in a long distance race because he is quick, dependable and supremely consistent. Mark as a character also brings something unique to the team and the guys love working with him.
"It’s Roger first race with the team but we’ve raced against him at the Spa 24 for two years; he won his class in 2010 and finished in the McLaren’s début in 2011. For a non-professional driver who has spent most of his life concentrating on his business, he’s clearly now a very serious racing driver. He’s never seems to be out of a car, he comes highly recommended and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
There has been no slowing down over the winter for the team, which is co-owned by American, Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, and December has proved to be as busy as the rest of the year as the team prepares for the full schedule of races planned for next year, starting with the trio of races in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bathurst.
These events will give the young team valuable experience before it begins its third season in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the British GT Championship.
On Thursday, January 12, there will be two free practice sessions followed by qualifying, partly split up into various classes. There will be two hours of night practice on Thursday evening before the race starts on Friday, January 13, at 14.00 (local time) and will end 24 hours later.
The 22-year old BRDC Rising Star will be pitted alongside US-based South African Mark Patterson, Hong Kong’s Frank Yu and newcomer to the United Autosports team, New Zealander Roger Wills, this trio bringing a wealth of endurance ability and racing experience to the Middle East race.
The Anglo-American team, based in Leeds, has a truly international line-up of drivers for its 2012 season opener and first visit to Dubai for the start the endurance racing year. United Autosports will be pitted against the best competition of more than 80 entries of GTs, touring cars and 24H Specials.
"We’re just two years old as a team and we’re branching out into yet another continent. It feels quite a privilege to be able to take part in these high-profile races across the world after such a short time," said team co-owner and managing director Richard Dean. “This line-up we’re taking to Dubai gives us a great combination of youth and experience.
"Matt Bell is fast, there is no doubt about that, but his 24 hour experience is limited to just Spa in 2011. I have ultimate faith in Matt every time he gets in the car. I shared a car with Frank in the 2010 Dubai 24 hour race and I wouldn’t hesitate to sit alongside Frank in any long distance race anywhere in the world.
"Mark has been with the team for two years and he’s the ideal guy in a long distance race because he is quick, dependable and supremely consistent. Mark as a character also brings something unique to the team and the guys love working with him.
"It’s Roger first race with the team but we’ve raced against him at the Spa 24 for two years; he won his class in 2010 and finished in the McLaren’s début in 2011. For a non-professional driver who has spent most of his life concentrating on his business, he’s clearly now a very serious racing driver. He’s never seems to be out of a car, he comes highly recommended and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
There has been no slowing down over the winter for the team, which is co-owned by American, Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, and December has proved to be as busy as the rest of the year as the team prepares for the full schedule of races planned for next year, starting with the trio of races in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bathurst.
These events will give the young team valuable experience before it begins its third season in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the British GT Championship.
On Thursday, January 12, there will be two free practice sessions followed by qualifying, partly split up into various classes. There will be two hours of night practice on Thursday evening before the race starts on Friday, January 13, at 14.00 (local time) and will end 24 hours later.
FIA GT Nogaro
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