Sportscars News

Aston Martin Racing has been crowned the 2009 Le Mans Series champion claiming the Team and Driver titles 50 years on from the manufacturer winning the World Sportscar Championship in 1959 with the DBR1.

Three Lolas-Aston Martin will start from the first and second rows of the grid for the N?rburgring 1,000kms this weekend - with the stated aim to replicate that performance when the points are handed out on race day.

Luc Alphand, winner of the Dakar Rally back in 2006 and leader of his own Luc Alphand Aventures sportscar team, has been seriously injured during an accident in France.

Professional racing driver and entrepreneur Peter Hardman has confirmed that he is making plans to hand over the reins of Strakka Racing and that he is in negotiations with an 'undisclosed' buyer.

Guy Smith endured a disappointing run in the Le Mans 24 Hours last weekend after the Quifel-ASM team was forced to retire from the La Sarthe Classic.

Paul Drayson admitted he was thrilled to have lived the dream of competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours, despite the Drayson Racing Aston Martin V8 Vantage failing to make it to the finish of the La Sarthe classic.

Benoit Treluyer has admitted that he stood no chance of keeping control of his Pescarolo Sport-entered Peugeot 908 ahead of the high-speed accident at Le Mans which destroyed the car and left the Frenchman lucky to escape injury.

David Brabham has secured a place in the annals of Le Mans 24 Hours history with his first overall and LMP1 victory at La Sarthe - helping Peugeot to win with the 908 HDi at the third time of asking.

Olivier Quesnel paid tribute to his 'warriors' in the #9 car after David Brabham, Marc Gene and Alex Wurz secured victory for Peugeot in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The safety car has been deployed once again barely an hour from the end of the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours, with a sizeable accident for the #5 LMP2 Navi Team Goh Porsche RS Spyder on the Mulsanne Straight.

The anticipated duel-to-the flag in the GT1 class of this year's Le Mans 24 Hours is seemingly all-but over less than two hours from the end of the race, after the #64 Corvette ground to a halt with suspected transmission woes.

Peugeot has taken a step closer to securing victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours after further problems for rivals Audi left the #9 and #8 cars holding a healthy lead out front.

After the dramatic early morning action at La Sarthe, which saw the Pescarolo Peugeot and the Flying Lizard Porsche both crash out, a period of calm descended on the Le Mans 24 Hours, with Peugeot continuing to lead the way.

Henri Pescarolo's decision to run a Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP in a bid to return to the podium at the Le Mans 24 Hours has ended in a heavy accident for Formula Nippon frontrunner Benoit Treluyer at the start of hour 14.

Aston Martin Racing's Stuart Hall has been banned from taking any further part in the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours after the Automobile Club de l'Ouest came down heavily on him for his part in the accident involving the #008 AMR entry and the #26 Bruichladdich Bruneau Radical.

As it had from the start of the race, Peugeot continued to pace the Le Mans 24 Hours into the night, but the race was not without drama for the French marque or its main rivals.

Peugeot continues to hold the high ground as the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours prepares to head into the night, but what was a commanding one-two for the home favourites fell apart just under six hours in, when the long-time leader ran into problems that have cost it three laps and five positions.

Peugeot leads the way after the opening three hours of the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours with the diesel-powered 908 HDis occupying the top two positions, but it has been far from a trouble-free start for either the home heroes or arch-rivals and defending race-winners Audi.

The Kolles Audi team looks set to face the challenge of completing the Le Mans 24 Hours with just two drivers in the #14 R10 TDi after Narain Karthikeyan was ruled out of the race.

Racing drivers have to be quite brave to do what they do on the track, but leading sportscar star Darren Turner realised recently that sometimes you have to be brave off the track too - especially when you agree to do something for charity...

Ahead of the opening practice sessions for the Le Mans 24 Hours, Peugeot has filed a protest with the ACO questioning the legality of the Audi R15.

The Creation Autosportif team has completed its line-up for next month's Le Mans 24 Hours.

Aston Martin Racing has confirmed that it is to run a third Gulf-liveried LMP1 prototype at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours, and has tabbed former grand prix drivers Anthony Davidson and Jos Verstappen to bolster its driving strength.

Aston Martin Racing secured its second podium finish of the Le Mans Series season after a fine drive from Tomas Enge, Stefan Mucke and Jan Charouz saw the #007 Lola Aston Martin come through from the back of the field at Spa.