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From speedarena.com Team & Driver Features
In 1998 Champion moved to the awesome Porsche 911 GT1 Evo Turbo. Bob Wollek and Thierry Boutsen took the car to first place at the 1998 Sebring 12 Hours, but due to a fuel restrictor violation, they were assessed a five minute penalty which ultimately relegated them to the third position. However, the car and the team had proven their potential and later that year took the win at the inaugural Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Ralf Kelleners joined Wollek and Boutsen for the race and it gave the team an automatic entry into the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours. They also won the USRRC manufacturers and drivers championships that same year. The following year, 1999, they finished fourth overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring behind the factory efforts of Audi and BMW. They then took the trip to France and competed with their Porsche 996 GT3 in the GT class and finished second at the big race.
Following the 1999 season, Champion moved to the new Lola B2K/10 prototype, powered by the same engine from the Porsche GT1 car. This made it truly unique, as it was the only Lola running this engine package. The car debuted at Sebring in the spring of 2000 with plans to use that race, along with several other ALMS events that season, to prepare the car for the 2001 Daytona 24 Hours. With the limited schedule, most track time was used to gather data and get the car into the best shape possible for the following year. If you’re going to test, then you might as well have some of the best drivers in the world doing it for you. Champion Racing did just that by hiring three of the best: Hurley Haywood, Dorsey Schroeder, and Bob Wollek. Come race day, they would be joined by Sascha Maassen (who also had experience with the Lola after driving Konrad Lola during the 2000 Daytona 24 Hours). The car spent most of the 2000 season without running near the top, but the plan was to make sure that they were ready for 2001. When the 2001 Rolex 24 came they were met by some less than stellar weather. They had to deal with a wet and cold weekend with the first several sessions run in the rain. Trying to work on race preparation and dealing with the weather were their two biggest challenges for the first couple of days. When qualifying came, they were able to put the car sixth on the grid and were ready for the race. Unfortunately, while having run in the top five for the first seven and a half hours, they developed an oil pressure problem, which lead to their retirement while running in fourth place. It was very disheartening to have to retire due to an engine problem after having spent so much time trying to develop the car. They would not let it defeat them though, and they continued to develop and run the car, finishing second at the Daytona finale in 2001. This was the best finish for the Porsche powered Lola at the hands of Champion Racing.
However, while developing the Lola, Champion set out on another campaign. In February of 2001, Champion became the first privateer team to run the amazing Audi R8 prototype. The R8 had been a proven winner in the hands of the factory team the year before and Audi hoped to have Champion Racing follow in their footsteps. They looked to take the experience they had gained over the previous seasons and apply it to an already proven winner in the Audi R8. They were looking for a championship.
The season started with the 12 Hours of Sebring where they finished in an amazing third place behind the two factory Audis of Team Joest. They were the top privateer team, finishing ahead of Stefan Johansson's Gulf Oil liveried Audi R8. This was a great accomplishment for the team as well as for Dave Maraj, who’d worked so hard to get to this position. They had taken their new car to the podium on their first try, standing only behind the factory team, and Sebring was only the beginning. They stood on the podium four more times that season with a third at Portland, a second at Laguna Seca, and finishing the season with a third at the Petit Le Mans.
So what is this fantastic car that has brought Champion to stand on the podium so many times, and what does it take to run such a team? The current car has evolved ever so slightly over the last three seasons as Audi has continued to fine-tune the machine in order to stay ahead of the pack. The car is built on a full carbon fibre/honeycomb monocoque chassis. The rest of the car is built off of this main tub and is bolted together in a very modular way. In this way all the carbon fibre body pieces are easily replaced should an accident occur and the car need repairs.
The 3.6 litre, 32 valve, twin-turbo, V8 is bolted to the back of the tub so that it becomes a stressed part of the chassis when the transmission is connected to it. The engine is the first racing engine in history to use direct injection, a process by which fuel is injected directly into each cylinder before firing. Using this technology, the current R8 engine uses less fuel and makes more power than previous engines. This gives the Audi R8s a big advantage when it comes to the endurance races. By having better fuel economy than the competition, the Audis can spend less time in the pits and more time on the track running away from them. Of course, having well over 600hp does not hurt. Behind that engine is the Ricardo six-speed sequential gearbox that is controlled electronically by paddles behind the driver’s steering wheel. These paddles allow the driver to shift through the gears with just a simple finger movement, pulling on one paddle to upshift and pulling on the other to downshift. In addition, the computer controlled gear changes are also completed faster than can be done by hand. Lots of power being transferred to the ground over a longer duration for each lap means faster lap times and more wins. Connected to the sequential transmission is the rear suspension. It is a double-wishbone setup using gas filled shocks that are fully adjustable. The front suspension is a similar setup that allows for an infinite number of setup options so that every track can be at the mercy of the Audi. The Audi has had the uncanny ability to look like it is floating over such bumpy tracks as Sebring and many of the street courses on which ALMS cars compete. This is thanks to the very compliant and well-designed suspension that has the ability to absorb the bumps and keep the tires planted on the pavement without bouncing. After all, the tires provide traction when connected to the pavement, not when flying in the air above it.
Having the rear suspension connected to the transmission has one other huge advantage that the Audi has taken full advantage of several times, and that’s the ability to change the entire rear end of the vehicle at one time, and in mere minutes, at that. This was first demonstrated at Le Mans by the factory team with great success after having transmission trouble. The whole transmission and rear suspension were changed within minutes, which allowed the car to return to the track while losing only minimal time and eventually winning the race. This setup can give the teams a lot more flexibility when it comes to dealing with problems during a race. If they have a rear suspension, driveshaft, brake, gearing or transmission problem, they can just swap in a whole new rear section. They don’t have to disassemble the whole rear suspension to replace a driveshaft, or take apart the rear end to fix a gear problem; they just swap out the whole assembly. Is it safe to say that the Audi engineers thought of virtually everything? You bet!
In order to keep this high tech car working at its top potential, Champion has a group of well-trained mechanics and staff taking care of the car. The Champion crew is trained by Audi themselves to be able to handle everything on the car. The team actually has to take a disassembled R8 and put it back to together from the ground up, assembling every nut and bolt, until a former pile of parts look like the car with which we are so familiar. In addition to the team being extremely well trained, Audi also has several employees working with Champion on a daily basis to ensure that everything is working exactly as it is intended. They are there to assist the team in everything it does. They help with car setup, engine performance and the evaluation of all the telemetry that is collected during track time. The team and engineers will also share data with the factory team so that all R8s can be at peak performance come race day. This connection with the factory team is what has allowed Champion to be able to share in much of the advancements that the factory team has made in their testing. When the factory team tries something out, they evaluate its effectiveness and then pass it along to the Champion team to implement. In this way Champion is, in essence, getting the benefit of research and development that they don’t even have to perform. Not a bad deal for the team, not only do they get to race what is probably the best sportscar in history, but they get to take advantage of factory information in the process.
Driving that phenomenal car last year were Johnny Herbert and Stefan Johansson, two of the best drivers in the world. Part of the deal with running the R8 as a private team involves letting Audi have a hand in how the team is run and who is driving the car. Both Johnny and Stefan are employed by Audi and not Champion. Audi has the final say as to who drives the car, which is why last season at Sears Point Tom Kristensen was found driving the Champion Audi. In order for the factory team to leave their two cars in Europe in preparation of Le Mans, they borrowed Champion’s backup car for three of their drivers and put Tom in the seat of the other Champion car so that all the drivers could gain valuable points in the championship. In this way Audi can ensure that their cars are performing to the level the marque deserves.
As the 2003 ALMS season approached, Champion Racing was poised to sit at the top of the podium. With the factory Audi team pulling out of full time entry in the ALMS, Champion was in a great position to get its first win in the LMP 900 class. Though Team Joest has returned with its own private R8 and will certainly be a force to contend with during the season, Champion will not be faced with the juggernaut that was the factory team. Johnny Herbert has returned to the team and is joined by former Cadillac driver JJ Lehto. With both drivers having spent many years in Formula 1 before their more recent stints in sportscars, Champion has a top-flight team of drivers ready to take them to the top. Johnny has had a full year now behind the wheel of the Audi and will be instrumental in helping JJ become familiar with the car. Of course JJ is no slouch himself - having spent the last season behind the wheel of the Cadillac LMP car, he is very familiar with sportscars and the way that the system works.
The season looked like it was off to a flying start for about 2/3 of the 12-hour race. They held the lead and looked to be in total control up until that point when the Team Joest Audi took the lead and then held it to the end. Champion finished the race with a very solid second place, which still puts them in a great position for the season. However, they were a little disappointed after having led so much of the classic race, only to stand on the podium in the second position. But the season had just begun, and they looked forward to Le Mans and the rest of the ALMS season, as they still have a very good chance to attain their championship goals. Next came Le Mans and after several months of preparation they were ready to go. With the VAG factory now supporting the Bentley team, they were certainly the cars to beat. However, the boys from the U.K. had shown they were not the dominant forces the Audis had been at Sebring. The privateer Audis had run that race with relatively little opposition from the Bentleys and they were hoping that the same would hold true in France. As it turned out, though, the factory-backed team was just too strong on the long, high speed, French track. With more horsepower than the Audis, they were simply no match for the previously dominant R8s. Both Champion Racing and the Team Goh Audi from Japan were simply outpaced, and it was clear that if the two Bentleys did not have any problems, the race would be between the Audis for the last spot on the podium.
As the bulk of the ALMS season took shape, the first stop was at Road Atlanta for the Chevy Grand Prix. With the Bentley not participating in the regular ALMS season, it was going to be a fight between Champion and the Team Joest Audi for top honors. Herbert has returned to Champion to team up with Lehto in the R8 and shoot for those honors. However, due to some rain during the qualifying session and IMSA deciding to set the grid from practice times alone, it was the LMP 675 of Weaver and Leitzinger in the first starting spot, with the Joest Audi sitting in second. Both were in front of JJ Lehto’s Champion Audi.
When the green flag fell it was the Lola/MG of James Weaver taking the lead into the first turn. Lehto, however, made an outstanding move on Marco Werner in the Joest Audi to take second place. The race was on. After spending a few laps behind the Lola/MG, the opportunity arose for Lehto to take the lead. When Weaver got pinched a bit going into the final turn heading onto the straight and as a result had to back off the throttle, Lehto pounced and made the pass heading down the front straight and into turn 1. Champion was in the lead and within a few laps they were well out in front and pulling away from the Lola/MG and the Joest Audi. The Champion crew never looked back. They lead the rest of the way and ran an absolutely flawless race. JJ handed the car over to Johnny Herbert who then finished off the race, driving the car to the checkered flag. It was Champion's maiden victory and put them well on their way to reaching their ultimate goal. Johnny jumped from the car and was hoisted by the team in the winner’s circle. Smiles were everywhere and the celebration had begun. Champion had their first win and now look toward the future and hopefully more wins to come. Champion Racing now has two full seasons behind them fielding the Audi R8. In that time they have only failed to complete one race and finish outside the top five twice, giving them a strong record on which they hope to continue to build. Add to that their second and third place finishes at Sebring and Le Mans this year, along with their first ever win in their most recent outing, and they are off to a great start for the 2003 season. The experience they have with the car will only make them stronger this season and having two drivers of the highest caliber will not hurt either. Their drivers are hungry for a title, the team is ready and able, the car is the best there is, and they are ready to live up to the name Champion.
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2002 Speed Arena |
