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UNITED UNTIEDLatest news Latest news Latest news

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A trip to the other side of the world...At the start of the month, we made our way to Australia for the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12-hour race at the Mount Panorama circuit. We were aiming for a good result after a disappointing end to the 2013 race when heavy rain caused a collision 10 minutes before the chequered flag, bringing our race to an abrupt end.

TestingWe have a full pre-season testing programme planned before the start of the 2014 season, so our drivers can familiarise themselves with the cars and circuits before the racing starts. Read more about our testing schedule on page 3.

This year we had United regular Mark Patterson, newcomer Eric Lux and Audi Sport customer racing driver Markus Winkelhock behind the wheel of the Audi.

Luckily, the rain held off and we were able to bring the Audi home in P6 after some fantastic battles throughout the 12 hours. Read more about our race on page 2.

We also spent the first half of February working on the preparation of our Toyota touring cars, ready for the pre-season testing that would take place at the end of the month and into March. We also took delivery of our Ginetta G55 which started testing during February too.

Race Action

Team Member

Profile

Historic Car

Pre-season Testing

Dear Flower... HENDERSON

INSURANCE BROKERS

HENDERSONINSURANCE BROKERS

Bathurst 12 HoursWe began our most comprehensive season of motorsport activity since our formation in November 2009 by recording a top-six result in one of the world’s toughest GT races.

Mark Patterson, a regular since the outset, along with team debutants Eric Lux and Markus Winkelhock, swept the Audi R8 LMS ultra home to a strong sixth-place finish in the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hours. A regular race winner in the British GT Championship and top-three “podium” finisher in such prestigious races as the Macau GT Cup, our Audi has now left its mark on the annual Australian race despite all of the GT3 class Audi sports cars being significantly handicapped by an out of sync Balance of Performance compared to the opposition.

Our Audi was the fastest Audi in the race, confirming the team’s fantastic achievement Down Under. A large crowd and a massive TV and “on-line” audience saw just 28 of the 42 starters survive a bruising race featuring nine safety car interventions run at a record pace and in temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius. The Lux/Patterson/Winkelhock Audi had started from ninth on the 40-car grid, Winkelhock having briefly held provisional pole-position during Saturday’s three qualifying sessions. Winkelhock ran as high as second, just seven seconds off the lead during his opening stint. He also shattered the 3.86-mile Mount Panorama lap record (2m 04.5863s) a time bettered later in a race in which we ran reliably, consistently and competitively in the top-six throughout.

Team Member Profile: Tracy Thorp

What is your job? Accounts Manager.

How long have you worked at UnitedAutosports? I started in April 2010, so nearly four years.

What would you be doing if you didn’t work for United Autosports? I would have liked to have been a PA had I not stumbled in to accountancy whilst working for Burberry’s (where I also modelled their clothing, but that was many moons ago!)

What do you get up to outside work? My family would say that when I’m not at work I am still working! I go to Zumba Toning classes and I enjoy weekends away, but coincidentally seem to pick locations where major incidents have just occurred and ‘Sky News’ are never far away

How did you end up working for United Autosports? I worked for Richard at Ginetta Cars from 2008 and

jumped at the opportunity of joining the team at United Autosports in 2010

What is your best memory of working with the team? It has to be my first race weekend away with the team when Mike and Matt won at Snetterton in May 2011

Sneak PeekBTCC/Ginetta Media Day

We will be making our way to Donington and Silverstone for the BTCC and Ginetta Media Days during March. These are official test days organised by the championships where members of the motorsport media can come and see the 2014 cars in action for the first time. Make sure you check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr sites for photos from the two days.

www.unitedautosports.com

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Pre-season testing

Once the team arrived back from Bathurst, there was no time for jet lag as we were straight into our pre-season testing programme. Luke Davenport in his Ginetta G55 was first to hit the track, starting on 13th February at Donington. He was then out again, along with one of our two Toyotas on the 18th at the only test day available at Thruxton. Following that, the team moved on to Snetterton, Brands Hatch and Silverstone for more running the following week. Testing was also a good opportunity for the team to get to know the new members of staff who will be joining United for the 2014 season.

The Audi R8 LMS ultra with Mark and Matt behind the wheel will start their testing programme at the beginning of March prior to the start of the British GT Championship in April. Read about British GT testing in next month’s United Untied.

Driver Profile: Mark Patterson

Age: 62 and have stopped counting.

What championship do you race in? In 2014 British GT with UAS, plus four World Endurance Championship races (Silverstone, Le Mans, Texas, Sao Paolo) in a Ferrari 458.

How long have you been racing with United Autosports? Since birth (UAS’, not mine).

What other races have you done with United Autosports? Can’t recall all, but here are most of them: Bathurst 12 hours, Oulton Park, Silvertone, Spa 24 Hours, Donington, Brands Hatch, Navarra, Monza, Rockingham, Zandvoort, Algarve, Brno, Slovakia

Ring, Jarama, Daytona 24 Hours, Dubai 24 Hours, Abu Dhabi 12 Hours, Paul Ricard, Petit Le Mans, Zolder, Snetterton – many multiple times.

Why do you like driving for United Autosports? Several key reasons: (a) team owners, both accomplished race car drivers, are both knee deep in the company and are accessible 24-7; (b) the cars are always impeccably prepared and performance reliability in sprint and endurance races is tough to beat; (c) guests, sponsors, hospitality, marketing (video, Internet, print) all get first-rate priority…not easy to find teams better in these core areas in sports car racing.

What is your racing history? Mostly pretty embarrassing, but if you mean did we ever win a race or get some podiums, yes, here and there: wins at Donington in British GT last year, three Grand-Am Daytona Prototype P1 finishes and numerous podiums, including P2 at the Daytona 24-Hour race in 2006 (P4 in 2011), P2 at the Petit Le Mans LMP2 class in 2012.

How did you get into racing? By mistake – a handful of Wall Street traders were bragging about attending a three day racing school at Skip Barber, so I tagged along...macho, locker room type of stuff. I fell in love immediately and was soon ranked AP, which I thought was pretty impressive until I learned it meant Accident Prone.

What do you do in your spare time? Don’t have lots of that, but racing is #1, guitar and drawing weird faces like Flower’s, plus kayaking, golf, biking and supporting jazz music.

What has been your funniest racing experience so far? No doubt, few incidents top the Paul Ricard incident when Zak Brown felt the FIA GT3 car in the garage immediately in front of us had cut him off unnecessarily on his last quick qualifying lap, so Zak leapt from the car in a rage, pounding his fists on the driver’s window, bellowing through his helmet about certain characteristics of this fellow’s mother (who I was pretty sure Zak had never met). This no doubt aroused a lot of mechanics and drivers to the boiling point and a full blooded fist fight was averted only when we discovered that the next door driver was just a Dutch or Belgian rock star driving a car that looked very much like the one that had ruined Zak’s qualifying lap. Oops.

Do you have a nickname – if so, what is it? Not that anyone has ever told me. Yet.

Sneak PeekBTCC/Ginetta Media Day

We will be making our way to Donington and Silverstone for the BTCC and Ginetta Media Days during March. These are official test days organised by the championships where members of the motorsport media can come and see the 2014 cars in action for the first time. Make sure you check out our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr sites for photos from the two days.

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Manufacturer: Penske CarsChassis: PC20-006Series: CARTTeam: Penske RacingDriver: Rick MearsPerformance Statistics: 800 horsepower, 0-60 in 3 seconds, 235mph Top Speed

Manufacturer: Penske CarsChassis: PC20-006Series: CARTTeam: Penske RacingDriver: Rick MearsPerformance Statistics: 800 horsepower, 0-60 in 3 seconds, 235mph Top Speed

In nexT MonTHS eDITIon: Build up to the start of the 2014 season

29th – 30th March BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Brands Hatch Indy, Kent29th – 30th March Goodwood Historics Goodwood House7th -11th April Tour Auto France19th – 20th April BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Donington Park, Leicestershire19th – 21st April British GT Oulton Park, Cheshire3rd – 4th May BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Thruxton, Hampshire4th – 5th May British GT Rockingham, Northamptonshire9th – 11th May Monaco Historic Grand Prix Monaco15th – 18th May Mille Miglia Italy31st May – 1st June British GT Silverstone, Northamptonshire7th – 8th June BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Oulton Park, Cheshire7th – 8th June American Speedfest Brands Hatch, Kent14th – 15th June Le Mans Group C Le Mans, France21st – 22nd June British GT Snetterton, Norfolk28th – 29th June BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Croft, North Yorkshire11th – 13th July British GT Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium26th – 27th July Spa 24 Hours Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium2nd – 3rd August BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Snetterton, Norfolk16th – 17th August Monterey Historics USA23rd – 24th August BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Knockhill, Scotland30th – 31st August British GT Brands Hatch GP, Kent6th – 7th September BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Rockingham, Northamptonshire13th – 14th September British GT Donington Park, Leicestershire27th – 28th September BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Silverstone, Northamptonshire11th – 12th October BTCC / Ginetta Supercup Brands Hatch GP, Kent15th – 16th November Macau GT Cup Asia10th – 12th December Gulf 12 Hours Abu Dhabi

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Diary Dates 2014... Keep an eye out for us at the following events throughout the year

If you have any personal or emotional problems you would like Uncle Flower to help with, then please send a private message to him on the team Facebook page.

Question:I have recently started a new job, but I’m not sure it’s right for me. Shall I carry on regardless or look for something else? What would you do Flower?

Answer:By getting a proper job you went in completely the wrong direction, never any fun and usually plain boring! What you should have done was get a job in motor racing. Best job in the world, however, there is no escape love!

Please note: Flower’s monthly views on life expressed in this column are not necessarily the views of the company or its staff. United Autosports will not be held responsible for any offence caused.

Dear Flower... United Autosports Historic Car Profile1991 Penske PC20This car was driven to victory from pole position by Rick Mears at the 1991 Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway.

The victory was his last IndyCar race win. He finished fourth in series points that year, including a pole start and record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 win. Mears is the

third driver to win the Indy 500 four times. He also achieved a record six pole positions at Indianapolis.

His success in Indy Car helped him to three CART national championships. Penske Racing team mates Emerson Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy also drove the PC20 in test sessions. This car is now raced and prepared by United Autosports.