Le
Mans Series 2011
Team RLR Fourth in Round 2
Issued May 8th 2011
Team
RLR Happy with Spa Result
A
fourth place class finish in LMP2 at the 1000km of Spa
saw Team RLR’s 2011 Le Mans Series campaign step
up another gear and further underlined the British squad’s
potential.
The Lancashire-based outfit once again demonstrated its
ability to get the most out of the MG Lola EX265 Judd and
its three drivers, who drove a consistent, trouble-free
race in Belgium to finish 14th overall from a stellar field
of 53 starters that included the cream of the endurance
racing world.
For the second race in a row the small but highly ambitious
Team RLR raised the bar in its first full Le Mans Series
season and collected its best ever result in the championship,
finishing ahead of many more experienced rivals in the
process.
With
the event’s practice sessions heavily disrupted
by numerous crashes and resulting red flags, Team RLR went
into qualifying with nowhere near as much running time
as it wanted to fine tune the MG Lola to the demanding
7km circuit in the Ardennes. That, combined with the power
and weight disadvantage currently placed on the car by
the latest regulations, meant Team RLR’s Rob Garofall
could only put it 23rd on the grid and at the tail of the
LMP2 class field.
However, the team always felt it would be able to use
its race craft and well-drilled pit crew to make steady
progress in the race, especially if any of its class rivals
hit trouble on the unforgiving undulations of the legendary
Spa circuit.
With a large and enthusaistic crowd packing the vantage
points around the breathtaking and sun-drenched track,
Team RLR set about the task of making its way through the
field. Rob Garofall took the wheel of the MG Lola EX265
Judd for the opening stint and steadily picked his way
through the action-packed opening stages of the race, moving
up to 19th overall before coming back into the box and
handing over to team-mate Simon Phillips.
Phillips
produced another tidy performance as he built up his
pace around the demanding twists and turns that caught
out many drivers with more Le Mans experience. While
he saw a number of cars leave the track around him in
spectacular fashion, Phillips’ only
real moment of concern was an engine temperature spike
close to the end of his stint. However, that problem
was solved in the pits after the crew cleaned out rubber
debris built up in the radiator ducts as Barry Gates
got into the car.
With
other teams falling by the wayside due to a variety of
dramas Gates pressed home the advantage borne out of
Team RLR’s meticulous preparation,
with quick pit stops and the MG Lola ticking over sweetly
he racked up impressively consistent times to move up
to fourth in class and 16th overall before pacing the
tail end of his time at the wheel in ordert to manage
fuel levels.
The
chance to grab a shock podium spot looked like it may
be on the cards for Team RLR as Rob Garofall closed out
the final stages of the race in impeccable fashion. However,
the race leaders had built up enough of a gap and ultimately
had too much of a power advantage that he couldn’t
chase them down before the chequered flag came out.
Another
strong result has boosted Team RLR’s efforts
to compete with the established names in the series and
given the squad reason to believe it can make further progress
when the Le Mans Series moves to Italy for the next round
at Imola in July.

Nick Reynolds, Team RLR team principal, said:
"I’m totally made up with this result, I couldn’t have asked for
more. We got the best result possible with the rules we are running to. Our
pit stops were great, it’s something we’ve put a lot of effort
into getting right and each time the car came in the boys got it spot on. That
really helps us over the course of a race, and with the drivers having such
a clean run we had no issues at all. Every member of the team has worked their
socks off and stepped up to the mark. Barry Gates’ middle stint really
made it for me though, that’s two outstanding performances in a row from
him. I think we’ve really shown what we can do against some very high
quality opposition this weekend.”
Barry Gates, Team RLR driver, said:
“I think we struggled a little bit earlier in the weekend with practiced
being disrupted so much by other people’s accidents. That meant we were
on the back foot a little bit going into the race. Looking at the qualifying
times it would have been easy to think we were in for an uncomfortable weekend.
However the team has done a fantastic job as usual and really worked tirelessly
together to turn it around. We worked through it, kept everything in one piece
and got a result we very much deserved.”
Rob Garofall, Team RLR driver, said:
“I think what we’ve achieved this weekend has been outstanding
considering we came here at a disadvantage to the rest of the class. No-one’s
head went down even when it didn’t look promising after qualifying and
there was always a positive atmosphere within the team. We ran a completely
clean race from start to finish, and with everyone putting in maximum effort
the race came to us. The car was as good at the end as it was at the start,
and we got everything out of it we possibly could. I’m very proud of
everyone associated with team.”
Simon Phillips, Team RLR driver, said:
"I’m very happy with that result. To get a fourth place like that even
with the power and weight penalty we have is fantastic, and I’m sure
we could achieve even more if we were on a level playing field. The driving
was clean and the pit stops went like clockwork. All in all it was a great
team effort and we couldn’t have done any more with the restrictions
currently placed upon us."
For
high resolution images from the test, visit the Spa
Race Weekend Gallery.
To find out more about Team RLR and its Le Mans Series
campaign log on to: www.rlrmotorsport.com
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