The phrase "They saved the best for last" is one that Aston Martin Racing must have taken to heart when building Aston Martin DBR9/10. It was the final "works" DBR9 built, and it only competed one time, but what a race it was! This chassis won its class (and finished 5th overall) at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin's first win at the famed endurance race since 1959! The driving trio of David Brabham, Darren Turner, and Rickard Rydell held off a hard charging Corvette to take the win after a rain soaked night.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#009 – 24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Sarthe (06-17-07) – Brabham/Turner/Rydell – 1/5
Aston Martin DBR9/09 became BMS Scuderia Italia's lead car in their fight for the FIA GT Championship. Driven by various combinations of Fabio Babini, Fabrizio Gollin, Christian Pescatori, and Mateo Mallucelli, as well as Tomas Enge and Peter Kox for the Spa 24 Hours, the #23 DBR9 acheived 3 podiums in 2006. The car was also contested in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans by Babini, Gollin, and Pescatori, but the car withdrawn after a crash just after the start of the race.
2006 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
Le Mans (06-18-06) – Babini/Gollin/Pescatori – 14/50 (DNF)
2007
For 2007, BMS Scuderia Italia entered DBR9/09 in the FIA GT Championship yet again. Fabio Babini and Jamie Davies piloted the car to two podiums at Oschersleben and Adria. The pair were joined by Matteo Mallucelli for the 24 Hours of Le Mans where the team finished a respectable 6th in class.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#23 – FIA GT Championship 2007
Zhuhai (03-25-07) – Babini/Davies – 4/4
Silverstone (05-06-07) – Babini/Davies – 7/7
Bucharest (05-20-07) – Babini/Davies – 8/9
Monza (06-24-07) – Babini/Davies – 6/6
Oschersleben (07-08-07) – Babini/Davies – 3/3
Adria (09-08-07) – Babini/Davies – 3/3
Brno (09-23-07) – Babini/Davies – 11/11
Nogaro (09-30-07) – Babini/Davies – 4/4
Zolder (10-21-07) – Babini/Davies – 18/27 (DNF)
#100 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2007
Le Mans (06-17-07) – Davies/Babini/Malucelli – 6/11
BMS Scuderia Italia only entered this car in one race of the FIA GT Championship in 2007, the Spa 24 Hours. The car was driven by Fabio Babini, Jamie Davies, Ferdinando Monfardini, and Diego Alessi. Unfortunately the team wasn't able to finish the race and ended up 10th in class.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
The factory Aston Martin Racing team entered this car in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans as #009. It was driven by David Brabham, Darren Turner, and Antonio Garcia and they went on to win the GT1 class for the second straight year! The blue and orange Gulf Oil sponsored car had a flawless run beating the Corvettes who ran into small problems throughout the race.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#009 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2008
Le Sarthe (06-14-08) – Brabham/Turner/Garcia – 1/13
Factory "works" team BMS Scuderia Italia entered this car in the 2006 FIA GT Championship. It was driven by a variety of pilots including Christian Pescatori, Miguel Ramos, Fabrizio Gollin, and more. The car achieved little success though with no wins or podiums in 2006.
2006 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
Paul Ricard (08-20-06) – Pescatori/Ramos/Malucelli – 9/16
Dijon (09-03-06) – Gollin/Ramos – 7/7
Mugello (09-17-06) – Gollin/Ramos – 11/22 (DNF)
Budapest (10-01-06) – Gollin/Ramos – 6/6
Adria (10-15-06) – Gollin/Ramos – 5/5
Dubai (11-18-06) – Gollin/Ramos – 6/6
2007
Aston Martin Racing made this car one of it's factory entries in the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car was drivn by Peter Kox, Tomas Enge, and Johnny Herbert to a 4th place in class finish.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#007 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2007
Le Sarthe (06-17-07) – Kox/Enge/Herbert – 4/9
2008
This chassis was also entered in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans by the factory Aston Martin Racing team. The #007 Gulf Oil sponsored car was driven by Andrea Piccini, Karl Wendlinger, and ex-F1 driver Heinz-Harold Frentzen.
2008 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#007 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2008
Le Sarthe (06-14-08) – Piccini/Wendlinger/Frentzen – 4/16
BMS Scuderia Italia was the 3rd team chosen to become a factory supported "works" team. They would be in charge of the Aston Martin effort in the FIA GT Championship. The team entered this chassis in all 10 races of the 2007 schedule. The car was driven by an assortment of Italian pilots as well Frenchmen Jean-Marc Gounon. The team in the #22 car achieved no victories or podiums in 2007.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
Entrepreneur and car collector Michael Fux has owned DBR9/05 since it was built in 2006, but the car did not turn a competitive wheel until 2008. The very capable team of Bell Motorsports has taken on the task of running this car in the American Le Mans Series. The team has put the program together with assistance from Team Modena who runs another DBR9 in the Le Mans Series in Europe. Terry Borcheller and Chapman Ducote are in charge of driving duties with Team Modena's Antonio Garcia joining them for the long distance events. Unfortunately, the team has suffered about as bad of luck as you could possibly imagine and has been forced to miss as many events as they've entered.
2008 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
Aston Martin DBR9/04 was one of the first car to be sold to a privately run team. Cirtek Racing entered the car in a 1000 mile race at the Interlagos circuit in Brazil. Driven by an all star lineup of Christpophe Bouchut, Helio Castroneves, Nelson Piquet Sr. & Jr., the blue DBR9 took the win its first race! Cirtek also contested two rounds of the 2006 FIA GT Championship at Istanbul & Spa.
2006 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#1 – Individual Race 2006
Mil Milhas (01-22-06) – Bouchut/Castroneves/Piquet/Piquet Jr. – 1/1
In 2007, this car was run in two races by Harry Leventis' EDM Motorsports team. They entered two 6 hour races in 2007, one at Brno and the other at Vallelunga. Peter Hardmann & Nick Leventis did the driving and finished 3rd at Brno and 2nd at Vallelunga.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
For 2008, EDM Motorsports became known as Strakka Racing. Leventis and company planned to race it in select Le Mans Series races, and through a partnership with FIA GT Champions Vitaphone Racing, were able to contest the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans!
2008 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#61 – Le Mans Series 2008
Spa (05-11-08) – Hardmann/Leventis – 4/26
#53 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2008
Le Sarthe (06-14-08) – Hardmann/Leventis/Negrao – 10/50 (DNF)
2006 In 2006, the factory Aston Martin Racing team used this car in their all out onslaught of the American Le Mans Series. They battled week in and week out with the factory Corvette Racing team and took two GT1 victories. Darren Turner and Tomas Enge were chosen as pilots for the #007 DBR9. They were joined by Andrea Chiesa for the 12 Hours of Sebring and Peter Kox replaced Turner during the Mosport race. Turner and Enge managed to score wins at Miller Motorsports Park, and at the 10 hour Petit Le Mans. This car was also used in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans with Andrea Piccini joining Turner and Enge. The trio finished 2nd in class behind a yellow Corvette once again.
2006 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#007 – American Le Mans Series 2006
Sebring (03-18-06) – Turner/Enge/Kiesa – 3/6
Houston (05-12-06) – Turner/Enge – 3/4
Mid Ohio (05-21-06) – Turner/Enge – 3/8
Lime Rock (07-01-06) – Turner/Enge – 3/6
Salt Lake City (07-14-06) – Turner/Enge – 1/7
Portland (07-22-06) – Turner/Enge – 2/9
Road America (08-20-06) – Turner/Enge – 3/11
Mosport (09-03-06) – Enge/Kox – 3/9
Petit Le Mans (09-30-06) – Turner/Enge – 1/8
Laguna Seca – (10-21-06) – Turner/Enge – 4/11
#007 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2006
Le mans (06-18-06) – Enge/Turner/Piccini – 2/6
2007
DBR9/03 ran just one race in 2007 and it was in the hands of Larbre Competition. They entered it in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as car #008. Driven by Christophe Buchout, Casper Elgaard, and Fabrizio Gollin, the car finished 3rd in class behind factory entered cars from Aston Martin and Corvette.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
2005 marked Aston Martin's return to international sports car racing and they did so with a bang! This car made it's debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring. Bathed in Chiltern green with red trim, it finished a lowly 8th in class in the hands of Pedro Lamy, Stephane Sarrazin, and Peter Kox.
Up next came the fabled marque's home race at Silverstone as part of the FIA GT Championship. David Brabham and Darren Turner brought the car home in 2nd place overall, beaten only by its sister car, trimmed in yellow. Up next was the "big one", the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Lamy, Kox, and Czech Tomas Enge had a strong run, but weren't able to finish the race, ending up 6th in class. Following Le Mans, Aston Martin Racing jumped right into another endurance race, this time the Spa 24 Hours where Brabham, Turner, and Sarrazin cam in 6th place overall, once again, just behind the sister car.
A return to America in the fall saw DBR9/02 compete in the final 2 rounds of the 2005 American Le Mans series. Lamy, Kox, & Enge managed a 5th in class at the 10 hour Petit Le Mans and scored a podium finish in the season finale at Laguna Seca
2005 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
2006 saw the factory Aston Martin Racing team make a full season assault on the American Le Mans Series running the entire 10 race schedule. While still painted in a familiar shade of green, this car receive yellow trim for 2006 with its sister car using red. Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin took the reigns for the full season with Australian V8 Supercar star Jason Bright joining the pair for the 12 Hours of Sebring. Andrea Piccini also made an appearance at Miller Motorsports Park in the absence of Lamy. Lamy and Sarrazin went on to score victories at Lime Rock, Mosport, and Laguna Seca in 2006.
The factory also utilized this chassis for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in which Lamy and Sarrazin were joined by Stephane Ortelli. The factory took on some rather interesting sponsorship for the race, with a huge Sony Playstation Portable surrounding the car's number. The trio brought the #009 machine home 5th in class.
2006 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#009 – American Le Mans Series 2006
Sebring (03-18-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin/Bright – 2/4
Houston (05-12-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 4/5
Mid Ohio (05-21-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 4/9
Lime Rock (07-01-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 1/4
Salt Lake City (07-14-06) – Sarrazin/Piccini – 2/8
Portland (07-22-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 4/11
Road America (08-20-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 4/16
Mosport (09-03-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 1/7
Petit Le Mans (09-30-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 2/9
Laguna Seca (10-21-06) – Lamy/Sarrazin – 1/8
#009 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2006
Le Sarthe (06-18-06) – Lamy/Ortelli/Sarrazin – 5/10
2007
For 2007, DBR9/02 found its way into the hands of Larbre Competition, one of the factory's chosen "Works" teams. The team entered it in the first five races of the 2007 Le Mans Series schedule and enlisted the trio of Christophe Buchout, Gabriel Gardell, and Fabrizio Gollin to drive it. They never reached the top step of the podium, but did enjoy three podium finishes that year.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
Aston Martin Racing announced its plans to race a DB9 based GT1 racer in late 2004 and the car made it's race debut at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring. Similar to the Acura ARX-01A we looked at last week, the DBR9 put the world on notice by taking an upset victory in its very first race! Driven by David Brabham, Darren Turner, and Stephane Ortelli, the green and yellow DBR9 conquered the goliath that is Corvette Racing their very first time out.
After the victory at Sebring, the cars returned to England where the competed in the Silverstone round of the FIA GT Championship, this time taking an overall victory at the hands of Pedro Lamy and Peter Kox! It was now clear that this car was for real and it's win at Sebring was no fluke. The real test would come the following month at the 24 Hours of le Mans in which would pit the factory Astons and Corvettes againste each other for the second time. This time the boys in yellow would take the victory when the DBR9 of Brabham, Turner, and Stephane Sarrazin ran into trouble. Still, a podium finish their first time at Le Mans is something to be proud of. Their next challenge was another endurance race, this time, the Spa 24 Hours where the car, driven by Lamy, Kox, and Marc Goossens finished a respectable 5th.
Later in the year, the two factory DBR9s returned to America to compete in the final 2 rounds of the American Le Mans Series. First up was the 10 hour Petit Le Mans which saw the DBR9 of Brabham, Turner, and Johnny Kane finish 2nd in class, bested again by the might of Corvette Racing. Two weeks later was the season finale at Laguna Seca in which Brabham and Turner brought their DBR9 home 4th in class.
Overall, it was 2005 was an incredible start for the Aston Martin DBR9. To be as competitive right out of the box, especially against the tough Corvette Racing team was a great accomplishment, and it was just the first of many chapters in this story!
2005 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#57 – American Le Mans Series 2005
Sebring (03-19-05) – Brabham/Turner/Ortelli – 1/4
Petit Le Mans (10-01-05) – Brabham/Turner/Kane – 2/4
Laguna Seca (10-16-05) – Brabham/Turner – 4/10
#29 – FIA GT Championship 2005
Silverstone (05-15-05) – Lamy/Kox – 1/1
Spa 24 Hours (07-31-05) – Lamy/Kox/Goosens – 5/5
#59 – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2005
Le Sarthe (06-19-05) – Brabham/Turner/Sarazzin – 3/9
2006
In its second year of competition, this DBR9 found itelf in the hands of the talented French outfit Larbre Competition. They'd been chose by the factory to be the Works supported team that would contest the Le Mans Series in Europe. The five race calendar would see the DBR9 raced by Pedro Lamy, Gabriel Gardel, and Vincent Vosse. The team took two victories in 2006 at Istanbul and the Nurburgring and took both the GT1 team and driver's championships!
2006 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
#50 – Le Mans Series 2006
Istanbul (04-09-06) – Lamy/Gardel/Vosse – 1/6
Spa (05-14-06) – Lamy/Gardel/Vosse – 7/31 (DNF)
Nurburgring (07-16-06) – Lamy/Gardel/Vosse – 1/10
Donington (08-27-06) – Lamy/Gardel/Vosse – 5/20
Jarama (09-24-06) – Lamy/Gardel/Vosse –2/7
2007
In 2007, Aston Martin DBR9/01 was again run by Larbre Competition. This year they expanded their program running the Le Mans Series, French GT Championship (FFSA GT), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This car's entry in the 2007 Le Mans Series saw it piloted by Gregor Fisken, Steve Zacchia, and Gregory Franchia. Roland Berville and Fernando Rees joined Fisken and Zacchia in the season finale at Interlagos circuit in Brazil where the car took its only LMS win of the year.
In the FFSA GT, this car was driven by Patrick Bornhauser and Frederic Mackoweiki to two victories in 2007 (Nogaro and Magny-Cours). Larbre also entered this car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hands of Berville, Bornhauser, and Fisken where they finished a dismal 13th in class.
2007 Results:
Key: Track (Date) - Drivers - Position in class/Position overall
