What about Spyker's GT programme?

[GTfour]

Originally Posted by brielga

We're talking Le Mans 24 Hours, the driver list for the race is not there yet. I assume you looked at the LMS list but let me know if I am wrong.

Take a look for yourself I'd say.

http://www.planetlemans.com/le-mans-2008-entry-list/

[brielga]

Originally Posted by GTfour

Take a look for yourself I'd say.

http://www.planetlemans.com/le-mans-2008-entry-list/

so we need an update to the list I'd say....

[The Badger]

Ha ..... your so busy having a go at me brielga ..... your forgetting your web duties , tut tut !!!

[vogelmann4]

Has anyone heard if they plan on running Sebring?

[brielga]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Ha ..... your so busy having a go at me brielga ..... your forgetting your web duties , tut tut !!!

[Stephan2738]

Originally Posted by vogelmann4

Has anyone heard if they plan on running Sebring?

No they will skip Sebring this year.

[cmk]

Vasiliev is most likely the money, but he also is not as slow as many gentlemen who have competed at Le Mans. Of the two Russians involved in RAR, he was much faster than Formenko, who was really slow! I don't think having a fast gentleman aboard will rule out a good finish or victory, as it has not in the past (ie. last year...).

Sure, some of the cars will be all-pro (I'm betting FL and F-P of the Porsches, Tafel, Virgo, 1 Risi of the Ferrraris at least, definitely not the 2nd Risi or Farnbacher, the rest are question marks) but a lot of 1+ gentleman lineups there, and it is a 24 hour race, so pace is not the be-all and end-all. I think if Spyker needs $$, this would not be the worst place to get it.

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by cmk

Vasiliev is most likely the money, but he also is not as slow as many gentlemen who have competed at Le Mans. Of the two Russians involved in RAR, he was much faster than Formenko, who was really slow! I don't think having a fast gentleman aboard will rule out a good finish or victory, as it has not in the past (ie. last year...).

Sure, some of the cars will be all-pro (I'm betting FL and F-P of the Porsches, Tafel, Virgo, 1 Risi of the Ferrraris at least, definitely not the 2nd Risi or Farnbacher, the rest are question marks) but a lot of 1+ gentleman lineups there, and it is a 24 hour race, so pace is not the be-all and end-all. I think if Spyker needs $$, this would not be the worst place to get it.

Well truth be told, the 2nd Risi car had pro's in it 90% of the time, only the long distances events and Houston were the exceptions.

Even so they managed a 2nd place finish at Le Mans, so that ain't so bad...

Proving the 430 is a easy car to drive quickly and I guess you get a fair amount of warning before it breaks away, a sign of a great race car...

I don't know what Helary's problem was last season I would say his lack of familiarity with ALMS tracks and the car, he found himself quite a bit off the leader's pace. If he returns this season, I suspect he'll be faster.

I know Risi was trying really hard to find funding for the 2nd car to put two full time pros in the car and run a 3rd for Krohn.

With FL running 3 cars, I think the boys back at Michelotto feel they'll be the major threat, but I wouldn't rule out the Oribit/Vici 997 or F-B 997, so maybe you'll see Tony Vilander???

The GT2 battle is heating up!

[AX lover]

[AX lover]

Squadron
Spyker Squadron – the factory GT2 team -, in partnership with its title sponsor SNORAS Bank and Speedy Racing, is proud to present its latest GT2 racer for the most famous and grueling race on the planet: the 24-Hours of Le Mans. In 2008 and 2009 Spyker Squadron will compete with two Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2Rs in both the Le Mans Series (LMS) and the 24-Hours of Le Mans.

The Laviolette GT2R replaces the successful Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R, the first Spyker that earned podium positions for the Dutch manufacturer of exclusive sports cars in the international GT arena. The new Laviolette has been built from the ground up around on a much stiffer, aluminum spaceframe with better aerodynamic qualities. Based on the team‟s knowledge and experience with the previous C8, a long list of components have been changed or improved. The new car is an excellent platform to continuously develop and improve pace to reach the ultimate goal: a podium position at Le Mans.

Spyker Squadron welcomes Lithuanian SNORAS Bank, as its title sponsor for the upcoming season. Like last year Spyker Squadron partners with Alexandre Pesci‟s Swiss dealer team Speedy Racing, sponsored by LEMO and Rebellion Horlogerie.

Car number 85 will be driven by Alexei Vasilev (RUS), Ralf Kelleners (GER) and Peter Dumbreck (GBR). The second car, number 94, will be piloted by Andrea Chiesa (SUI), Benjamin Leuenberger (SUI) and Philippe Camandona (SUI).

Both at Le Mans and in the Le Mans Series the team will use Michelin tires.

After two earlier tests in Estoril and Le Castellet (Paul Ricard) the team will head to Barcelona, Spain within three weeks for the first 1000km race this season: the LMS 1000km de Catalunya.

[The359]

Interesting...

Bit of an odd choice to have Spyker and Speedy Garage sharing the same paintjob.

[AX lover]

And if I read it correct there will be only two cars! Number 85 (Squadron) and 94 (Speedy) and no 86. But there are 3 Spyker's on the LMS entrylist...

[dxk1]

Nice looking cars either way!

DK

[The Badger]

Beuatiful livery !!!

[Mal]

I hope it goes as well as it looks. They deserve success for their continued commitment and perseverance.

[cmk]

The Speedy car was run by factory personnel last year so it is not as odd as all that. It was sorta a de facto factory car by another entrant with some but not all separate funding, I believe, as a marketing exercise for Speedy as much as anything. AFAIK they are not a race team per se, more a banner used for marketing and organizational purposes to promote their car sales business. Spyker Squadron runs the GT car and Sebah will run the Lola.

Fantastic-looking cars though, great to see a title sponsor and a nice-looking new ride in the C8 Laviolette. Will be great when the new engine comes on song too. Good thing they brought the old factory chassis to Paul Ricard though! Would have been a shame to barbecue one of the new ones.

[GTfour]

Hmm,bit dissapointing to see there are no dutch drivers in the team...
Then again,Ralf Kelleners and Peter Dumbreck! Good choices!

Indeed very good looking livery

[AX lover]

@cmk, I know that the Speedy Team was run by the factory. But if you look at the LMS entry list there are 2 Squadron Spyker's and one Speedy Spyker.

But if I read the pressrelease they only speak of one Squadron car (#85) and one Speedy car (#94).

Car #86 isn't mentioned! Is this a mistake? Of are they only talking about the Le Mans entries?

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by AX lover

@cmk, I know that the Speedy Team was run by the factory. But if you look at the LMS entry list there are 2 Squadron Spyker's and one Speedy Spyker.

But if I read the pressrelease they only speak of one Squadron car (#85) and one Speedy car (#94).

Car #86 isn't mentioned! Is this a mistake? Of are they only talking about the Le Mans entries?

I think you are reading more into it than there is. It looks to me as if that is more of a Le Mans statement with the LMS thrown in. I would suspect that there will be 3 cars in the LMS as the spots are getting harder to come by all the time and to drop one would not be looked on favorably by Peter and the group I think! But I could be wrong.

L.P.

[AU N EGL]

Good Looking cars.

Would not having one with Yellow Mirrors and Yellow Windshield banner and the other with blue mirrors and blue windshield banner help with identification?

[GTfour]

Does anyone know when and where the shakedown of this beauty is?

[cmk]

I think too much is being read into it too. In all probability only 2 chassis are complete at this point and it makes more sense to show one Speedy and Spyker Squadron chassis.

In fact, for all we know there is only one car and they just changed the vinyls for the shot. That would explain the complete lack of livery differentiation in windshield strip and mirrors mentioned above.

[Bramzel]

I think there is actually only one car so far, the showcar on the pictures and in Geneva has Speedy numbers on one side and Spyker numbers on the other side.

[AX lover]

Bramzel is correct! Look at this picture, you see both number 85 & 94 in one shot

[AX lover]

How do you guys think the new car will perform? It only had it's shakedown last monday. It looks like the race in Barcelona is more like a test for Spyker.

The team worked hard to finalize the cars for the first event. Last Monday Squadron completed a successful shakedown before the cars went on transport to Barcelona on Tuesday.

Peter van Erp, Managing Director Spyker Squadron: “I am very excited and pleased with the newly build cars; they are really the next generation of Spyker GT race cars. In preparation of our first race this season this weekend we have missed valuable track time but we have to take that for granted. Our goal for the weekend is to work towards a setup that matches at least the highest performance level reached with the C8 Spyder, the Laviolette’s predecessor. From there we should be able to gradually improve times and performance for the next events”.