UNITED AUTOSPORTS BEGIN MICHELIN LE MANS CUP SEASON WITH A DOUBLE PODIUM FINISH IN BARCELONA
United Autosports scored a double podium at the opening round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup as Gerry Kraut and Scott Andrews finished second and John Schauerman and Wayne Boyd finished third in Barcelona, Spain.
Gerry and Scott made their United Autosports debut this weekend in the #22 Ligier JS P320, with Gerry taking to the wheel of the car for qualifying earlier in the day, qualifying 17th on the grid. During the race, he made good progress and handed the car over to Scott in a good position. Unfortunately, the team picked up a drive through penalty, but after the majority of the field had to pit towards the end of the race for a splash of fuel, including the #22, they maximised their potential and came home third across the line. A post-race penalty for the car ahead, meant they were promoted to second. As the winning car is not in the hunt for the championship, Gerry and Scott now lead the Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 Championship after one round.
John Schauerman and Wayne Boyd finished third in the race, after initially crossing the line in fourth. John had a fantastic qualifying session, putting the #23 Ligier eighth on the grid. He made a good start and managed to avoid a first corner incident handing the car over to Wayne Boyd for him to finish the race. Wayne struggled with a bit of damage to the car, but brought it home in fourth, with the pairing later being promoted to third – their first Michelin Le Mans Cup podium. They now lie second in the Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 Championship.
Daniel Schneider and Andy Meyrick were less fortunate in the race. Daniel qualified the car in 15th but was up to ninth by the end of the first lap. Daniel was making good progress through the field but on lap nine, he ended up crashing into the wall causing race ending damage. Although he managed to get the car back to the pits for the team to assess, the damage was too great to be able to continue.
The next round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup race will be held in Paul Ricard, France on 4-5 June.
Zak Brown
“Huge congratulations to the whole team on the great results in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. A great way to welcome Gerry and Scott to the team.”
Richard Dean
“I’m delighted for John to finally have got a podium finish, although it was a shame for him and Wayne that they didn’t actually get their chance to stand on the podium, but I’m sure after the performance from John this weekend that this will not be their last podium position of the year. It’s also a great way to welcome Gerry and Scott to the team. It’s a big step up for Gerry and he handled it well. A disappointing end to the race for Daniel and Andy but I know they will come back fighting at Paul Ricard.”
Gerry Kraut:
“I’m simply in awe of the professionalism of United Autosports. It’s not only attention to detail it’s also the friendliness and competence of every staff member. We had a great race. Special shout out to our engineer, Xavi.”
Scott Andrews:
“First off, big thanks to the team for an awesome car and our engineer, Xavi for a great strategy. Gerry gave me the car in a strong position and I was able to progress from there. Absolute stoked with a second-place finish and leaving Barcelona with the championship lead!”
John Schauerman:
“I am over the moon about our first podium in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. We have had a good weekend all the way through with improved pace and more consistency and of course having the best pro teammate in Wayne Boyd makes everything a bit easier. What a great result for us and huge thanks to United for providing such a strong team and car. I can’t wait for the next race.”
Wayne Boyd:
“I’m absolutely over the moon to get a podium after that race. John and I have had a mega week testing and United have given us such a good car. John’s qualifying today was so good and he put us in a really good position for the start of the race. He went on to do a cracking stint in the race which allowed me to leave the pits in a good position. I had a tricky stint with a little bit of damage, but the end of the race worked out really well for us with an FCY, which brought us back up the order after a great call from the boys on the pit wall. Huge thanks to them. I’m really happy for John to get his first podium in the Le Mans Cup. He absolutely deserves it and let’s see if we can get another one next time out.”
Daniel Schneider:
“Even though I didn’t have a good qualifying and the race didn’t go well, I have the firm belief that we will bounce back and be competitive in Paul Ricard. Will not let a setback in one race undermine our confidence.”
Andy Meyrick:
“It was unfortunate for us and the team on car #32 that the race ended the way it did. Daniel had made an awesome start and we were looking good for a podium, especially after you see where our sister cars ended up. Huge congratulations to them and the team for their great results.”
Source. United Autosports
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