Leeds-based United Autosports plans to campaign an Audi R8 LMS sportscar in the 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship in a bid to take the title it so narrowly missed out on this year.
The team was one of the front-running outfits in 2011, having taken several pole positions and led the championship for majority of the season with drivers Matt Bell (Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK) and Mike Guasch (Palo Alto, CA).
Co-owned by American, Zak Brown and Briton, Richard Dean, the United Autosports team – having already finalised its plans to contest the Blancpain Endurance Series – has turned its attention to running a second program in the British GT Championship with the Audi R8 LMS sportscar. With the sole intention of taking the 2012 title, the young team is putting together a comprehensive package for the best line-up of winning drivers available to it.
The Audi R8 LMS is one of the most successful GT cars in the history of the sport, having taken over 100 race wins to date, and already the Anglo-American team has confirmed one Audi R8 LMS entry with the series organisers for next year’s British GT series with the intention of adding a second for the right driver combination. The United Autosports car will be the latest 2012 specification, the Audi R8 having conquered the opposition with recent dominant performances and victories in the 2011 Spa 24 hours, Blancpain Endurance Series and Macau GT race.
Organiser, SRO Motorsports Group, has a seven-meeting calendar scheduled for 2012 featuring the UK’s best circuits, Oulton Park, Rockingham, Snetterton and the Grand Prix circuits of Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington Park. The 2012 overseas round, meanwhile, will take place on the German Grand Prix circuit at the Nürburgring. Once again SRO is repeating the successful mix of one, two and three-hour races for next season’s Avon Tyres British GT Championship.
Entering its third season of GT racing, United Autosports has already achieved over and above all expectations in 2011, and next year the team has its sights firmly set on its first major GT sportscar title.
Zak Brown (USA), Co-Owner and CEO of United Autosports:
“It’s great to be back in British GT with Audi. We were very successful in 2011 winning our first race and being a contender for the championship throughout the season. We have high expectations for 2012 and hope to continue our winning form.”
Richard Dean (GB), Managing Director & Co-Owner of United Autosports:
“We firmed up our Blancpain Endurance Series team and driver line-up a couple of weeks ago with the McLaren MP4-12C, and have now decided to keep two of our three Audi R8 LMS cars. This was having considered how the Audi took a major performance leap forward with its recent Blancpain series updates. We have the capacity to run a second program as we did in 2011 and although for us, this is a late decision, we have plenty of time to work through our driver line-up options. We have an exclusive two-day test at Monza in early February and I expect everything to be in place by that time.”
Provisional calendar 2012 Avon Tyres British GT Championship
07-09 Apr Oulton Park
TBA Nürburgring GP
26/27 May Rockingham
23/24 Jun Brands Hatch GP
04/05 Aug Snetterton 300
08/09 Sep Silverstone GP
29/30 Sep Donington Park GP
All dates and circuits are provisional and subject to change
Source : United Autosports