For the 41st running of the toughest race on earth, Black Falcon, the privately owned local team from Meuspath took on the world’s biggest racing teams and Won! A monumental achievement for all those involved, in some of the most difficult racing conditions imaginable.
What a difference one year can make. In May 2012, the Black Falcon team started the 24 Hour race at Nürburgring with high hopes of victory. Having qualified in 3rd position, the team tasted bitter disappointment after the car was crashed following a high-speed tyre puncture on the fourth lap. Now one year later, that bitterness has been replaced by the sweet taste of success. A whole year in planning. Is what it took from the entire team including all the partners, drivers, team members and sponsors. With three SLS AMG GT3’s and two Porsche cup cars entered, the build up to this race, left the team with no time to spare. The start of the racing season was blighted by poor weather. Heavy snow and freezing conditions meant the first race and test days were cancelled. Leaving little time and fewer opportunities to make the final set up and preparation for the cars.
With two test days and two VLN races, the team worked alongside their partners: Dunlop, Bilstein, Pagid and AMG, to get the best working combination of tyres, dampers, brakes and chassis, to produce the number one performing car in the field. With this combined effort and many late nights the Black Falcon team worked tirelessly to have all the cars ready to go for the 24 our race.
For the 2013 entry, Black Falcon entered with car number 9, one of the strongest driver combinations in the field. Five times DTM champion and one of the living legends of Motor racing, Bernd Schneider, teamed up with his Dubai race winning team mates and Carrera Cup super stars, Sean Edwards, Jeroen Bleekemolen and new for 2013 Nicki Thiim. In car number 10, Andrii Lebed, Harri Proczyk and Dennis Rostek, making a second strong entry, joined Andreas Simonsen. For the third entry, sporting the number 63, Christian Bracke and 24-hour Nürburgring first timer, Khaled Al Qubaisi and their Pro driver, Daniel Keilwitz, joined Vimal Mehta.
After a washout on the Friday practice sessions, Saturday saw the sun come out over the Eifel and all three cars breeze into the Top 40 qualifying sessions. Andreas Simonsen topped the time sheets in both Qualifying 1 and 2. With the order of the Top 40 qualifying being decided by lottery, it was to the misfortune of Sean Edwards in car number 9 that he should get stuck behind slower traffic and therefore miss out on taking a place on the front row. Not that is would have mattered anyhow as the car 9 would also have to serve a five grid penalty for a yellow flag infringement in qualifying 1, meaning that Sean would start the race in P11. For Simonsen in car 10, a fantastic lap saw them taking P9 against some of the best teams and drivers in GT racing. For Keilwitz in car 63, in his first race in the SLS a respectable P17.
With the race starting unusually at 5pm on Sunday and the weather predicted 24 hours of rain, the teams were all happy to set off from the start line under dry conditions. However, for car 9 stating in P11 the challenge was going to be tough. With the Audi’s, Aston Martin and BMW steaming ahead from the start line, the Black Flacon number 9 was quickly losing time to the leaders and by the first pit stops already had a mountain to climb!
Sadly for Simonsen in Car 10 after a great start, had contact with a SEAT and damaged the right rear axle. Limping back to the pits where the Black Falcon mechanics worked furiously to have the car back on track, having lost only 6 laps. A great job by the team, but sadly now putting a podium finish well out of reach. The drivers would now be fighting to keep some pride and get into the top 20!
Meanwhile, Car 9 and 63 continued the battle on track. With Schneider at the wheel, the team moved in and out of the top 5 as the teams made their pit stops, and soon into early evening the rain started. By the time Bleekemolen took over the deluge had begun and cars were crashing off the track all over the place. Conditions continued to worsen with fog sitting on the track and soon after 11 pm the race organisers took the decision to temporarily stop the race. For car 9 this was a shame, as Bernd Schneider was now cutting his way back through the field to make up some to of the lost time from the opening stages of the race, the new Dunlop rain tyres, proving to be unbeatable in these conditions. However, this was to be cut short and the race would not start again until 8am the following day.
During the break, the cars were quickly cleaned up and made ready for the restart, unusually giving the drivers and team members some time to sleep. However with the race clock still ticking, time was getting short for Black Falcon to get to the front.
With great relief the race restarted at 8am and all three SLS were on track in what was still a very wet race. In conditions like these, the drivers had to be extra cautious to avoid getting involved in any accident, but for car 9 this was not the time to be too careful. There was a race to be won and Bernd Schneider had a point to prove. With the full Dunlop rain tyre working at its best, Schneider set the fastest laps in the field and pushed the car into the top 3. A driving stint that saw the team have their hearts in their mouths on many occasions. Soon Edwards took over and proved he too could be the fastest man on track. Car 63 in the hands of Nürburgring 24 hour first timer, Khaled Al Qubaisi taking the restart had crept its way into the top 20. Vimal Mehta took over for a clean stint before handing the car over to Christian Bracke.
Sadly for car 10, a technical issue saw the car stopping on track leaving no chance for a top 20 finish. The team did manage to get the car restarted and safely back into the pits.
By midday on Monday, with the rain easing and the track beginning to dry, car 9 moved onto the superior Dunlop cut slick. Demonstrating the great set up, fantastic strategy and awesome driving skills, car 9 was soon leading the field.
With careful planning and a little bit of luck the Black Falcon pit wall team chose a strategy that would allow them to make one less pit stop than their competitors. By the final stint with a four-minute lead, Sean Edwards was able to adopt a fuel saving mode and despite the hard charging Z4 from Marc VDS, Edwards was able to cruise to the finish line.
Finally all five Black Falcon cars finished the 24h Nurburgring race, the two Cup Porsche finished in the upper places in the strong SP7 class. No scratches or dents, only tires, fuel and brakes were used by the Porsche drivers, which have done a real zero-mistake-job under extreme conditions.
Winning the Nürburgring 24hrs has been the dream for all those involved with Black Falcon. The emotions ran high as this; the ultimate goal of winning was deservedly achieved. Giving Mercedes their first ever 24hr win at Nürburgring. A success like this is only possible, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Black Falcon team. Most especially mechanics, but also, the strategic planning on the pit wall, the support from Dunlop, Bilstein, Pagid and of course AMG, their team, and the all dominating GT3 car they have built.
Following from the success of 2012, Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon have confirmed their two-car entry to double their chances of defending their Dubai 24 hour title.
2012 saw a very happy team take first place at the chequered flag in the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3. This was a great achievement for the whole team bringing many firsts, including the first win for a local UAE resident. Khaled Al Qubaisi will return to this two-car line up to fight to make it a double. For AMG it was the first win in a 24-hour event with their first GT3 car, the mighty SLS and even more poignantly the win was the first in any 24-hour event since 1989 for the Mercedes brand! Khaled will return to defend his title along with his world-class teammates Jeroen Bleekemolen and Sean Edwards, the driver line up being completed by 5 times DTM champion Bernd Schneider. A prospect the whole team is very excited by. As yet the full driver line up on the second car is to be confirmed.
It has been a turbulent year for the Black Falcon team and for the SLS in all competitions, though the car continues to prove its strength and reliability as well as its balance and pace. It remains the car to beat and a benchmark for GT3 racing.
After a strong race program 2012 beginning with 24h Dubai, continuing with 12h Bathurst, followed by several VLN races, the Blancpain Endurance Series and 24h Nürburgring and Spa, Team Black Falcon is confident for the coming motorsport season 2013.
Team manager Sean Paul Breslin comments:
“2013 sees a different race in Dubai than previous years. Teams will have the opportunity to run without time restrictions, though if they choose this route, there are other penalties such as weight and a reduced fuel range to think of. It is going to be interesting and we are very confident to have one of the strongest teams in the field.”
No way will this edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans be anything but a pure mythical endurance event. Looking back at the overall rankings various teams played up front. ProSpeed Competition was in a way part and parcel of this. When the team asked their drivers to go into “full attack”, their Porsche Spectra Resources-Saudi Sports Group had already experienced flats, the equivalent of six laps. Here we weren’t talking about tenths of seconds of the qualifying sessions, neither of the “leadership” in the LM GTE Am category at the beginning of the race. Unfortunately Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Bret Curtis and Sean Edwards did not cross the finish line. The Porsche #75 crashed and was severely damaged.
Rudi Penders (Team principal)
“The start of the race soon turned into a nightmare, dropping the team from almost the first spot back down into the last in its category. As night fell we asked our drivers to do everything in their power… to bring the car back up into the place it rightfully deserved. And they achieved this. In fact brilliantly, because we were then up in fifth place… of this category, the second best filled category in this event. Going off track is a mistake we understand. ProSpeed Competition has now been present for the third consecutive time at Le Mans, and this is the first time that we have not reached the finish.”
Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA – 4th June 1983 – 2nd participation)
“I was at one with the car. We managed to truly fine-tune the car with our technical team. Not only was the car performing brilliantly, but on top of that very comfortable to drive. Sean has just completed a double stint, bringing the car up from eighth into sixth spot. When it happened we were actually up in fifth place. Just as dawn breaks the track evolves and changes. There is loads of debris lying around the track. I’m truly sorry not only for my team-mates but also the entire team.”
Bret Curtis (USA – 13th December 1966 – 1st participation)
“Unfortunately it all came to an end rather too soon, but all in all it has been a great event. Not only did I discover a mythical race but also thoroughly appreciated the on- going attention from the Porsche Motorsport and Michelin Competition technicians. The links that ProSpeed Competition enjoys with its technical partners is on a level with the links that Rudi Penders and Luc Goris were able to develop amongst ourselves, the three drivers.”
Sean Edwards (GBR – 6th December 1986 – 1st participation)
“As professional drivers, we know the in-and-outs of motorsport. Retirement is always on the books. Unfortunately in our case it rather overshadowed the team’s overall performance, on the technical front, that was on true topper. Our Porsche actually led the race! It was the flint chips that caused our flat tyres. As for the broken bearing which cost us also some laps, it might well be due to an eventual shock or other.”
The Eifel has lived up to its reputation. The Porsche Carrera Cup teams had to deal with everything from snow to sunshine. The tolimit motorsport driver Sean Edwards was able to show off his skills on a wet track during a very wet qualifying. After setting a best time during qualification on Thursday, Sean, who lives in Monaco, fought to finish in third place. Nicki Thiim, who qualified in 2nd position, started in 7th position as a result of a penalty. Sean Edwards therefore started from the first row in 2nd position. His teammate René Rast, who also received a five place penalty at the Lausitzring, started the race from 10th position instead of 5th position. The Porsche Junior driver, Klaus Bachler, fought his way to a good 11th position in his first qualifying at Nordschleife.
After a flying start the 24 Porsche drivers were involved in plenty of battles for position. In the early stages the `Team Deutsche Post by tolimit` drivers Sean Edwards and René Rast lost places, which they then managed to make up during the course of the race. The British driver fought his way to 2nd place. René Rast, who won the Porsche Carrera World Cup last year, used his experience at Nordschleife to make a successful series of overtaking manoeuvres. He was rewarded with a podium place alongside his teammate. The Austrian Klaus Bachler finished his first race at Nordschleife in 13th place.
It was another successful weekend for the `Team Deutsche Post by tolimit‘. The team from Lohne has again demonstrated its professionalism and passion for motorsport. The constellation of the two experienced Porsche Cup drivers, Sean Edwards and René Rast, round off the team perfectly. Similarly, the Porsche Junior driver displayed real fighting spirit this weekend and confidently drove his first laps on what is considered to be the most difficult race track in the world, Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Klaus Bachler: “The start was good. On the first lap of the Grand Prix stretch I managed to gain a place. On the first lap of the Nordschleife I was able to follow well. But unfortunately my lack of experience meant I wasn’t fully competitive. Then I had a collision and lost my front lip. Without a front lip, Nordschleife is really difficult.”
Paul Schlotmann: „The Nordschleife challenge. We’ve overcome the challenge extremely well, better than we expected. I wasn’t expecting this result. What`s bad luck for one is good luck for another. That`s motorsport.“
Hans-Bernd Kamps: “On our own, we would only have managed 3rd and 4th places, and Klaus would have been able to finish in the top 10. He performed well and sadly the minor impact caused him to drop back. Sean and René`s performances can be improved. We got a good result with 2nd and 3rd places but we need to work harder. We can do better“.
Further information, results and photos can be found at www.facebook.com/tolimit and at www.tolimit-motorsport.de.
On Mondays after race weekends, the news channel N24 broadcasts a 30 minute Carrera Cup programme at 6.30pm, with reports about the race series, the drivers, the highlights and stories about the people involved in the Carrera Cup.
The Racing Calendar:
3rd June 2012 DTM Red-Bull-Ring Spielberg, Austria
1st July 2012 DTM Norisring
19th August 2012 DTM Nürburgring
26th August 2012 DTM Circuit Park Zandvoort, Netherlands
16th September 2012 DTM Oschersleben
21st October 2012 DTM Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg
Present for the third consecutive year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, ProSpeed Competition confirms its international line-up. This Belgian team, elected “Best Technical Assistance -Escra Prize” during the 2011 edition, reveals its latest ambitions. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #75, in the hands of three Porsche specialists, are out to claim a top classification in the LM GTE AM category, the second most represented category in the field. Alongside the fast Saudi Adbulaziz Al Faisal, already seen in action last year at Le Mans, ProSpeed Competition welcomes the American Bret Curtis and the speedy Sean Edwards. This Brit, a true ace of the Porsche SuperCup, had previously teamed up with the ProSpeed Competition squad during some of the European FIA GT2 Championship meetings…
Rudi Penders (Team Principal): “ProSpeed Competition discovered the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 2010, finishing the event as first “100% private” team. Last year the iBird impressed and awaken everyone’s spirits, a well as the quality of our technical support during the “pit stops”. Our objective in 2012 is to cross the finishing line for the third consecutive time and to continue to progress. A podium in the LM GTE AM class? Yes, we’ll be doing everything to achieve that.”
Abdulaziz Al Faisal (UAE – 4th June 1983 – 2nd participation): Racing is an activity that Abdulaziz Al Faisal takes very seriously. In 2011, he joined the RedBull Athlete Team to test the RedBull F1 simulator at Milton Keynes. Back in the Middle East his driving skills are renowned and feared. Amongst his record of achievements; two crowns in the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (2010 and 2012), two podiums in the 24 Hours of Dubai … not forgetting his earlier debut in Formula BMW (3e – 2007). Present last year in the European FIA GT3 Championship (BMW), he is the ideal ambassador for his country, Saudi Arabia. He first appeared at the Le Mans event back in 2011, and on that occasion already behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Bret Curtis (USA – 13th December 1966 – 1st participation): Born in Valencia, Pennsylvania, Bret Curtis is a businessman very much at home in the motorsport world. Founder of Spectra Resources (2002) and United Steel Supply (2007), he has been enjoying his passion since 2009 (Imsa GT3 Cup). Following a season in ALMS (2010) at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3, he decided in 2011 to compete in the 24 Hours of Daytona (Porsche), the 12 Hours of Sebring (Porsche) and the 24 Hours of Spa (Mercedes). At the beginning of this year he was to be seen at the start of the 12 Hours of Sebring (Lola B11-Honda).
Sean Edwards (GB – 6th December 1986 – 1st participation): Karting as from the age of 11 years, followed by Formula Ford UK (5th) and Formula Renault UK (5th), Sean Edwards swiftly turned his talents to the GT world, winning the European FIA GT3 Championship (2006). This young man is presently competing in the Porsche SuperCup… held during the F1 Grand Prix. Here he has accumulated “pole positions”, podiums and victories! He is also active in GrandAm (Porsche) and recently clinched victory in the 24 Hours of Dubai (Mercedes). Cinema aficionados will undoubtedly recognise him in Ron Howard’s film, “Rush”. He will be playing the part of his father, the racing driver Guy Edwards, caught up in the battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 F1 season.