Le Mans Series 2007
Round 2. Valencia 1000 Kilometers. May 4th-6th 2007
Race Press Release. Issued May 6th 2007

The win that got away

Mike Newton, Thomas Erdos and the rest of the RML squad could not hide their bewilderment at the end of a race which saw their MG Lola EX264 outperform every other car in its class, and many in the one above, and yet come away with just sixth place in LMP2. A handful of minor problems might have made little difference, but damage to the rear bodywork and a recent change to the regulations meant an enforced twelve-minute pitstop to effect repairs, and thereby the race was lost.

Round 2 of the Le Mans Series took place around Spain’s newest international race circuit at Valencia under baking hot skies and on a track that punished car and driver alike. High speeds in cornering, heavy braking and hard accelerating for over 200 laps – almost 1000 kilometres - took its toll, and hardly a single car went the distance without encountering problems.

For RML the race could not have had a better beginning, with Thomas Erdos taking the class lead right from the start. Mixing it with the LMP1 cars, and getting the better of those that would eventually end up on the overall podium, he steadily extended his advantage until the MG Lola stood some 40 seconds clear. The first scheduled pitstop came and went smoothly, but half-way through the Brazilian’s second stint the low-battery warning light came on. Although he pressed on, a pitstop soon became necessary. Inspection revealed a snapped alternator drive belt, which was quickly fixed, and while the car was stationery the opportunity was taken to put Mike Newton into the cockpit for his double stint. The extended pitstop had cost the best part of a lap, and the CEO of Dedicated Micros came back out to find himself 5th in class, but with four hours to run and the margins still tight the situation was by no means lost.

Circulating strongly, and quicker than many of those ahead of him, Mike Newton held his position for an hour and completed a faultless mid-stint pitstop. Forty minutes later, and from a good position, he was forced to pit again as a result of damage to the rear diffuser on the #25 MG. Under a new regulation that states that a car may not continue with damaged or incomplete bodywork, RML’s Team Manager Phil Barker was instructed by the officials that the component would have to be repaired. Replacing the entire rear undertray cost eleven minutes, and with it, the race. Despite a stirring demonstration from Thomas Erdos, who completed the final two hours, there was no coming back from a ten-lap deficit. He took the flag in sixteenth position overall, sixth in LMP2.

Erdos was almost too distraught to speak. “We beat them all today,” he insisted. “It’s very frustrating to be doing so well, race after race, but to be thwarted each time by bizarre problems.” Adam Wiseberg, Motorsport Director of AD Holdings, was “Gutted. Neither driver can account for the damage,” he said, “and we have no idea how it happened, but it cost us dearly today. Rules have to be implemented, we understand that, but without having to replace that undertray we’d have won the race.” Phil Barker summed up the feeling: “It’s just another race that has slipped through our fingers.”

The team’s luck in the Le Mans Series has to change, but before they return to that at the end of June with the Nurburgring 1000 Kilometres they will be defending their LMP2 title in the Le Mans 24 Hours. RML’s record in the world’s toughest motor race is excellent, with two wins in successive years, and they head for Le Mans with the same driver line-up that won the LMP2 crown in 2006; Mike Newton, Thomas Erdos and Andy Wallace.

Top Finishers

Pos	No.	Class	Team	Drivers	Car	Laps/Gap
1	08	LMP1	Team Peugeot Total	Lamy / Sarrazin	Peugeot 908 Hdi FAP	234
2	15	LMP1	Charouz Racing	Charouz / Mucke / Yoong	Lola B07/17 Judd	232
3	5	LMP1	Swiss Spirit	Deletraz / Fassler / Alexander	Lola B07/10 Audi	231
4	18	LMP1	Rollcentre Racing	Barbosa / Short / Hall	Pescarolo C60 Judd	230
5	16	LMP1	Pescarolo Sport	Bouillion / Dumas	Pescarolo C60 Judd	229
6	17	LMP1	Pescarolo Sport	Primat / Tinsau	Pescarolo C60 Judd	15.822
7	40	LMP2	Quifel ASM	De Castro / Amaral / Burgueno	Lola B05/40 AER	224
8	35	LMP2	Saulnier Racing	Nicolet / Filhol / Jouanny	Courage LC75 AER	222
9	21	LMP2	Bruichladdich Radical	Liddell / Greaves / Moseley	Radical SR9 AER	6.799
10	55	GT1	Team Oreca	Ortelli / Ayari	Saleen S7-R	30.078
11	24	LMP2	Del Bello Racing	Petrov / Gounon	Courage LC75 AER	220
12	61	GT1	Racing Box	Perazzini / Cioci / Tavano	Saleen S7-R	219
13	50	GT1	AMR Labre	Bouchout / Gardel / Gollin	Aston Martin DBR9	218
14	19	LMP1	Chamberlain Synergy	Evans / Berridge / Owen	Lola BO6/10 AER	217
15	44	LMP2	Kruse Motorsport	Burgess / de Pourtales / Siedler	Pescarolo Judd	216
16	25	LMP2	RML	Erdos / Newton	MG Lola EX264	215

High resolution images from Valencia may be viewed and downloaded from the Valencia gallery.