Embassy Racing
Encyclopedia
- For the Formula One race team founded by Graham Hill, see Embassy Hill.
Embassy Racing was a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
team founded by Jonathan France in 2003. Initially created as a conjunction with Xero Competition
Xero Competition
Xero Competition is an auto racing team based in Great Britain. They operate from premises in Warrington, in the North-West of England. They competed in the 2006 MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship.-Previous seasons:...
in the British GT Championship
British GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...
, the team expanded to become an independent team and began to win races in British GT before the team took a sabbatical year in 2006. Upon their return to motorsport, Embassy moved to the international Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
, running in a Le Mans Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
class, as well as entering the British Superbike Championship's junior leagues, the Supersport and Superstock Championships, running with the support of Triumph Motorcycles
Triumph Motorcycles Ltd
Triumph Motorcycles Ltd is the largest surviving British motorcycle manufacturer, which was established in 1984 by John Bloor after the original manufacturer Triumph Engineering went into receivership...
under the MAP Embassy Triumph banner.
In 2008, Embassy became a race car constructor for the first time, when they developed and built a new Le Mans Prototype known as the WF01. Embassy Racing ran two WF01s in the Le Mans Series, two Triumph Daytona 675
Triumph Daytona 675
Introduced in 2006, the Triumph Daytona 675 is a 600 class sport bike motorcycle built by Triumph Motorcycles to replace the Daytona 650.The 2008 model has a tested dry weight of and wet weight of...
s in the British Supersport Championship, and another Daytona in Superstock.
A the end of the 2008 season Jonathan France declared that he planned to ‘mothball’ the team due to the economic climate. Then in March 2009 it was announced that the entire teams assets were to be sold via an on-line auction.
British GT
When Embassy Racing was first founded by France in 2003, the team initially served as a marketing brand, racing under their own banner but serving as the public face for a second team under the management of Xero CompetitionXero Competition
Xero Competition is an auto racing team based in Great Britain. They operate from premises in Warrington, in the North-West of England. They competed in the 2006 MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship.-Previous seasons:...
. Entering in the British GT Championship
British GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...
, Xero and Embassy ran Chevrolet Corvette C5
Chevrolet Corvette C5
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1997 through 2004 model years.- Overview :...
s in the series' top category with drivers Paula Cook and New Zealander
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Neil Cunningham.
Embassy's Corvette started the season with good results, outperforming the other Xero Corvette, but by mid-season the team had difficulty finishing races due to accidents and mechanical problems. The team rebounded however, and were able to score their first podium finish at race two at the Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton Circuit is a motor racing circuit located near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire, England which is used to host a number of motorsport events including British Touring Cars and Formula 3 racing....
, aided by Ben Collins
Ben Collins (driver)
Ben Collins is a racing car driver from Bristol, England. He has competed in motor racing since 1994 in many categories, from Formula Three and Indy Lights to sportscars, GT racing and stock cars....
replacing Paula Cook. By season's end, Embassy's Cunningham was well ahead of the two drivers in the Xero Corvette in the Drivers' Championship for their class, and eventually earned 12th place in the standings.
For 2005, feeling that their partnership with Xero was not to their benefit, Embassy Racing built their own team under the direct control of France. Neil Cunningham was retained as a driver and Ben Collins was signed to a full season contract, both of which shared a new Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
-RSR. At the Knockhill Racing Circuit
Knockhill Racing Circuit
Knockhill Racing Circuit in Fife is Scotland's national Motorsport centre. The circuit is located in the Fife countryside about north of Dunfermline. The track, initially opened in 1974, is long and 10 metres wide and was created by joining service roads to a nearby disused mineral railway,...
, the third race of the year, the duo earned Embassy's first victory, immediately followed by a fourth place finish in the second race at the circuit. A string of podium finishes continued as the season progressed, including another win at the Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
. At the end of the year, Cunningham and Collins shared second place in the Drivers' Championship. The team also participated in the Spa 24 Hours
2005 Spa 24 Hours
The 2005 Proximus 24 Hours of Spa was the 58th running of the Spa 24 Hours and the sixth race for the 2005 FIA GT Championship season. It featured the combination of the FIA GT's two classes with cars from national and one-make series, designated G2 and G3...
with Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
factory driver Sascha Maassen
Sascha Maassen
Sascha Maassen, born September 28, 1969, in Aachen, Germany) is a veteran sports car driver. He is currently a Porsche factory driver, and drives the #6 Porsche RS Spyder for Penske Racing in the American Le Mans Series.-Early career:...
, and finished the event fourth in their class, twentieth overall.
Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
, a European championship for sports prototype
Sports prototype
A sports prototype, also referred to as simply a prototype, is a form of racing car that is used as a top category in sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars differ from street-legal and production-based racing cars that also compete in sports car racing.Prototype racing cars have...
s and grand tourer
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
s, and entered the LMP2 class, the lower category amongst the prototypes. Initially, a Pilbeam
Pilbeam Racing Designs
Pilbeam Racing Designs is a British company which designs and constructs racing cars, based in the Lincolnshire town of Bourne. The company was founded in 1975 by Mike Pilbeam.-Early career:...
chassis was purchased and tested, but feeling that the car was not adequate, the Pilbeam was replaced by a newer Radical chassis. Neil Cunningham remained with the team while Warren Hughes
Warren Hughes
Warren Hughes is a race car driver from Newcastle, England. His wife's name is Roz, and they have 2 sons. After a promising junior career, Hughes raced in touring car and sports car racing....
joined as his teammate.
In the short Le Mans Series season, Embassy did not start off well as their Radical did not finish the first two events. The team managed to finish their first race in round three, the 1000 km of Nürburgring
2007 1000km of Nürburgring
The 2007 1000km of Nürburgring was the third round of the 2007 Le Mans Series season. It took place on July 1, 2007, at the Nürburgring, Germany.-Official results:...
, with thirteenth place and fifth in their class, earning them points towards the championships. Joined by Darren Manning
Darren Manning
Darren Manning is a motor racing driver, most recently racing in the IRL IndyCar Series for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.-Early career:...
, the team earned points finishes in the next two races. The season finale, the Mil Milhas Brasil
2007 Mil Milhas Brasil
The 2007 Mil Milhas Brasil was the 35th running of the Mil Milhas Brasil and was the sixth and final round of the 2007 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Brazil, on November 10, 2007. It is the first round of the Le Mans Series held outside of Europe, as well...
, featured only three cars competing in Embassy's category, but the team's Radical was once again able to finish and earn second in their category. Boosted by the points received at the Mil Milhas Brasil, Embassy Racing finished seventh in the Teams' Championship, and Warren Hughes 18th in the Drivers' Championship.
During the 2007 season, Embassy announced that they were moving to larger facilities in order to allow for the construction and support of a two-car entry in the following season of the Le Mans Series. The new WF01 prototypes, named after France's son William, shares several elements with the team's Radical SR9. This includes the same designer, Peter Elleray
Peter Elleray
Peter Elleray is an English engineer and race car designer particularly known for designing the Bentley Speed 8 race car. Elleray, who worked for Racing Technologies Norfolk , also designed the Audi R8C and the British Radical SR9...
, but the new WF01s will instead run Zytek
Zytek
Zytek Group Ltd is an automotive and motorsport company founded in 1981 and based in Fradley and Repton, United Kingdom. Zytek Group has two main division: Zytek Automotive, which is based at Fradley, Staffordshire; and Zytek Engineering, which is based at Repton, Derbyshire.-Zytek Automotive:Zytek...
engines instead of the Radical's Judd
Judd (engine)
Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...
. The two chassis were completed in time for the 2008 season, and Warren Hughes was partnered with Mario Haberfeld
Mario Haberfeld
Mario Haberfeld is a Brazilian auto racing driver.After winning the British Formula Three Championship in 1998, he drove in Formula 3000 from 1999 until 2002. He posted some decent results, but struggled his first season driving for the McLaren junior team failing to score a single point while...
in one entry, while Jonny Kane
Jonny Kane
Jonny Kane is a racing driver who has competed at various levels of motorsport. He currently drives for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series.Kane, who was born in Comber, Northern Ireland, began his career in karting and Formula Ford...
and Joey Foster share the other car. By the second round of the 2008 season, one of Embassy's WF01's had already earned its first championship points with an eighteenth place finish at the 1000 km of Monza
2008 1000km of Monza
The 2008 1000 km of Monza was the second round of the 2008 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy, on April 27, 2008....
. Embassy Racing also plans to make their first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Hughes, Kane, and Foster all driving.
At the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...
Embassy qualified 5th in class and 24th overall. The car retired after 15 hours and was classified 39th in the final standings.
British Supersport and Superstock
As Embassy Racing was preparing for their entry into the Le Mans Series, team owner Jonathan France also chose to enter the world of motorcycle racingMotorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...
by entering the lower levels of the British national championship. A Yamaha R1 was purchased for use by Glen Richards in the Supersport series. In 2008, Embassy expanded their motorcycle program, signing Australian
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Paul Young to ride alongside Richards in Supersport, while South African A.J. Venter was signed to ride in the Superstock 600 Championship. The team was also able to sign a deal with Triumph Motorcycles
Triumph Motorcycles Ltd
Triumph Motorcycles Ltd is the largest surviving British motorcycle manufacturer, which was established in 1984 by John Bloor after the original manufacturer Triumph Engineering went into receivership...
for using their Daytona 675
Triumph Daytona 675
Introduced in 2006, the Triumph Daytona 675 is a 600 class sport bike motorcycle built by Triumph Motorcycles to replace the Daytona 650.The 2008 model has a tested dry weight of and wet weight of...
bikes, as well as support direct from the Triumph factory.