Strakka Racing
Encyclopedia
Strakka Racing is a British
auto racing
team founded by Nick Leventis
. The team is based at the Silverstone Circuit
in Northamptonshire
. They currently operate a HPD ARX-01C sports car in the Le Mans Series
. The team made history at the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring
when they became the first team in Le Mans Series history to win overall in an LMP2 class car. They also became the first team in LMS history to take overall pole position in an LMP2 class car.
. They entered an ex-works BMW M3 GTR in the Britcar
series. Leventis was accompanied by Peter Hardman
during the course of the season. Leventis also competed in classic sports car races in a Ferrari 330 P3.
with an Aston Martin DBR9
in the GT1 class. The team made its début at the 1000 km of Spa with Nick Leventis and Peter Hardman partnering up. They finished 24th overall and fourth in class.
They also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans
with the help from Vitaphone Racing Team. The Vitaphone team where not allowed to race their Maserati MC12
as it didn't pass the ACO's
technical regulations so they raced the DBR9 along with Strakka during Le Mans. Leventis and Hardman shared the car with Alexandre Negrão. The car retired after 82 laps around the Circuit de la Sarthe
.
The team went on to compete at the 1000 km of Silverstone where the team are based. For the race, Leventis and Hardman where joined by Aston Martin
works driver Darren Turner
. Ironically, this event had the same outcome as the event Strakka raced at Spa; finishing once again in 24th overall and 4th in class.
The team still raced in a few Britcar
events and competed at the Britcar 24 Hours in Class 2 with their BMW. The usual drivers, Leventis and Hardman, where joined by Allan Simonsen
and Christian Vann. They finished 13th overall.
. The team replaced the DBR9 with a new Ginetta-Zytek
GZ09S to compete in the LMP1 class. The team signed new driver Danny Watts
to race alongside Leventis and Hardman. The first event of the season was the 1000 km of Catalunya
and saw Strakka take pole position in the brand new car, qualifying half a second quicker than the fastest of Aston Martin Racing
's brand new prototypes. A bad start from Hardman meant the two Lola-Aston Martin's overtook with ease. The drivers managed to finish fifth overall and in class.
At the following race they produced the slowest time of any car in qualifying but managed to finish 17th overall and 12th in class at the 1000 km of Spa
.
A month later, the team competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
finishing 21st overall and 14th in class. At the 1000 km of Algarve
the team where without Peter Hardman. The car retired after just 67 laps around the brand new Algarve circuit
.
The 1000 km of Nürburgring
saw the team qualifying fourth and the Ginetta-Zytek was still running with an hour and a half left, and 141 laps completed when Danny Watts crashed into a barrier to avoid colliding with a slower GT2 car. At the 1000 km of Silverstone
the team were unable to participate in qualifying meaning the car had to start from the back of the grid. Leventis and Watts finished ninth overall and eighth in class.
2009 was also the last time the team raced in Ferrari Challenge
.
running a HPD ARX-01C which is an updated version of Acura's LMP2 car that was successful in the American Le Mans Series
. Peter Hardman left the team but Jonny Kane
was signed in time for the first round, the 8 Hours of Le Castellet. Watts took LMP2 pole, setting a time of just over two seconds faster than the next nearest LMP2 car. Strakka went on to win the LMP2 class finishing 35 seconds ahead of the LMP2 pack.
The team went on to pick up its 2nd consecutive pole at the 1000 km of Spa
. However, transmission failure forced the team to retire after 69 laps.
At Le Mans
the team secured pole position in LMP2, one second ahead of the Patrón
Highcroft Racing
team with the same HPD ARX prototype which Highcroft have been developing with Acura/HPD for three years. The driver lineup of Leventis, Watts and Kane completed 367 laps and took the LMP2 class victory, as well as fifth place overall. It was clear that the HPD ARX-01C was the dominant car as Strakka and Highcroft where for a long time battling with themselves for LMP2 lead, but the Highcroft car suffered mechanical problems resulting in Strakka finishing six laps ahead of the next nearest LMP2 class finisher, the OAK Racing entry.
Strakka secured its 4th consecutive pole at the 1000 km of Algarve
with Watts qualifying 0.6 seconds faster than the other LMP2 cars. Transmission failure caused the car to halt just after completing 120 laps.
The 1000 km of Hungaroring
was the first event of its type to be held at the Hungaroring
. The tight, technical track favoured the LMP2 cars who were quick in free practice and qualifying as Watts proved by putting the HPD on overall pole, the first time in Le Mans Series history for an LMP2 car. Watts qualified nearly half a second quicker than the fastest LMP1 car. The power of the LMP1 cars however was too much to cope at the start of the race, especially the Peugeot 908 diesel car entered by Oreca
. However, during the race the Oreca Peugeot developed mechanical problems and the Rebellion entries spun out. Strakka overtook the Oreca Peugeot whilst it was in the pits and went on to win overall, the first time in LMS history that an LMP2 car had won outright. The LMP1 winning car finished seventh overall, the top six finishers being LMP2 entries.
Nick Leventis (2007–)
Peter Hardman
(2007–09)
Alexandre Negrão (2008)
Darren Turner
(2008)
Danny Watts
(2009–)
Jonny Kane
(2010–)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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 Nick Leventis
Nick Leventis
Nick Leventis is a British professional racing driver and founder of Strakka Racing. In 2010, the Strakka team of Leventis, Danny Watts, and Jonny Kane won the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category...
. The team is based 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...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. They currently operate a HPD ARX-01C sports car in the 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...
. The team made history at the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring
2010 1000 km of Hungaroring
The 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring was the fourth round of the 2010 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Hungaroring, Hungary on 22 August 2010. It was the first time a Le Mans Series event will take place at the Hungarian track....
when they became the first team in Le Mans Series history to win overall in an LMP2 class car. They also became the first team in LMS history to take overall pole position in an LMP2 class car.
2007 – Beginnings
The team was founded in 2007 to provide a platform for Nick Leventis to compete in contemporary GT racingGT Racing
GT Racing may refer to:* Sports car racing, a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels.* GT Racing, a video game...
. They entered an ex-works BMW M3 GTR in the Britcar
Britcar
Britcar is an Endurance Motor Racing series formed in 1997, as a result of a discussion in a Nürburgring bar between Willie Moore and James Tucker. Folklore has it that James Tucker and John Veness formed the organizing European Endurance & Racing Club with a £10 note found on the ground...
series. Leventis was accompanied by Peter Hardman
Peter Hardman
Peter Hardman is an English racing driver.Peter boasts an extensive motor racing history as a multiple race winner and one of Britain’s most experienced international drivers...
during the course of the season. Leventis also competed in classic sports car races in a Ferrari 330 P3.
2008
For 2008, the team entering the Le Mans Series2008 Le Mans Series season
The 2008 Le Mans Series season was the fifth season of ACO's Le Mans Series. It was a series for Le Mans Prototype and Grand Touring style cars broken into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GT1, and GT2...
with an Aston Martin DBR9
Aston Martin DBR9
The Aston Martin DBR9 is a racing car built by Aston Martin Racing, debuting in 2005. The name DBR9 is derived from the original 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning DBR1 car, named for then-owner David Brown, which not only won the 24 Hour race in 1959 but also the World Sportscar title.-Development:Based...
in the GT1 class. The team made its début at the 1000 km of Spa with Nick Leventis and Peter Hardman partnering up. They finished 24th overall and fourth in class.
They also entered the 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...
with the help from Vitaphone Racing Team. The Vitaphone team where not allowed to race their Maserati MC12
Maserati MC12
The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater sports car produced by Italian car maker Maserati to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced...
as it didn't pass the ACO's
Automobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest , sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race...
technical regulations so they raced the DBR9 along with Strakka during Le Mans. Leventis and Hardman shared the car with Alexandre Negrão. The car retired after 82 laps around the Circuit de la Sarthe
Circuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year...
.
The team went on to compete at the 1000 km of Silverstone where the team are based. For the race, Leventis and Hardman where joined by Aston Martin
Aston Martin Racing
Aston Martin Racing is an auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified...
works driver Darren Turner
Darren Turner
Darren Turner is an English racing driver. He was McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year in 1996. He is a former test driver for the McLaren Formula One team, but has raced primarily in touring cars and sportscars since 2000. He spent 2 years in the DTM for Keke Rosberg's...
. Ironically, this event had the same outcome as the event Strakka raced at Spa; finishing once again in 24th overall and 4th in class.
The team still raced in a few Britcar
Britcar
Britcar is an Endurance Motor Racing series formed in 1997, as a result of a discussion in a Nürburgring bar between Willie Moore and James Tucker. Folklore has it that James Tucker and John Veness formed the organizing European Endurance & Racing Club with a £10 note found on the ground...
events and competed at the Britcar 24 Hours in Class 2 with their BMW. The usual drivers, Leventis and Hardman, where joined by Allan Simonsen
Allan Simonsen (racing driver)
Allan Simonsen is a Danish racing driver.-Career highlights:*Le Mans Series*FIA GT3 European Championship*FIA GT Championship*British GT*Australian GT Championship-24 Hours of Le Mans results:-External links:*...
and Christian Vann. They finished 13th overall.
2009
The 2009 season saw Strakka compete in every round of the Le Mans Series season2009 Le Mans Series season
The 2009 Le Mans Series season was the sixth season of Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. It was contested over five events between 5 April and 13 September 2009....
. The team replaced the DBR9 with a new Ginetta-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...
GZ09S to compete in the LMP1 class. The team signed new driver Danny Watts
Danny Watts
Danny Watts is a British racing driver.Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins...
to race alongside Leventis and Hardman. The first event of the season was the 1000 km of Catalunya
2009 1000 km of Catalunya
The 2009 1000 km of Catalunya was the opening round of the 2009 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain on 5 April 2009. Aston Martin Racing won overall on their debut of the Lola-Aston Martin B09/60, while Lola also secured the LMP2 win with Racing...
and saw Strakka take pole position in the brand new car, qualifying half a second quicker than the fastest of Aston Martin Racing
Aston Martin Racing
Aston Martin Racing is an auto racing team established in 2004 as a partnership between automobile manufacturer Aston Martin and engineering group Prodrive. The partnership was initially created for the purpose of returning Aston Martin to sports car racing with the DBR9, a heavily modified...
's brand new prototypes. A bad start from Hardman meant the two Lola-Aston Martin's overtook with ease. The drivers managed to finish fifth overall and in class.
At the following race they produced the slowest time of any car in qualifying but managed to finish 17th overall and 12th in class at the 1000 km of Spa
2009 1000 km of Spa
The 2009 1000 km of Spa was the second round of the 2009 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, on 10 May 2009...
.
A month later, the team competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
2009 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance, an endurance auto race run over 24 hours. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest over June 13–14, 2009 and was started by Fiat and Ferrari chairman Luca...
finishing 21st overall and 14th in class. At the 1000 km of Algarve
2009 1000 km of Algarve
The 2009 1000 km of Algarve was the third round of the 2009 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal, and was held over the night starting on 1 August 2009 and ending in the early morning of 2 August.-Qualifying result:Pole position winners in...
the team where without Peter Hardman. The car retired after just 67 laps around the brand new Algarve circuit
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve commonly referred to as Portimao Circuit is a race circuit located in Portimão, Portugal. With a total cost of €195 million , the project includes a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel, sports complex and apartments.Construction was finished in...
.
The 1000 km of Nürburgring
2009 1000 km of Nürburgring
The 2009 ADAC 1000 km-Rennen Nürburgring was the fourth round of the 2009 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Nürburgring, Nürburg, Germany, on 23 August 2009. Aston Martin Racing, with third entry AMR Eastern Europe, swept the overall podium podium for this race, led by the No. 007 of...
saw the team qualifying fourth and the Ginetta-Zytek was still running with an hour and a half left, and 141 laps completed when Danny Watts crashed into a barrier to avoid colliding with a slower GT2 car. At the 1000 km of Silverstone
2009 1000 km of Silverstone
The 2009 Autosport 1000 km of Silverstone was the fifth and final round of the 2009 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Silverstone Circuit, England, on 13 September 2009. The race was won from pole position by Olivier Panis and Nicolas Lapierre for Team Oreca, while the third place...
the team were unable to participate in qualifying meaning the car had to start from the back of the grid. Leventis and Watts finished ninth overall and eighth in class.
2009 was also the last time the team raced in Ferrari Challenge
Ferrari Challenge
The Ferrari Challenge is a single-marque motorsport championship that was created in 1993 for owners of the 348 Berlinetta who wanted to become involved in racing. It now encompasses three official championships in the United States, Italy, and Europe. Competitors from each series are brought...
.
2010
For 2010 the team focused on the Le Mans Series2010 Le Mans Series season
The 2010 Le Mans Series season was the seventh season of Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. It featured five events between 11 April and 12 September 2010. For the first time in 2010, Formula Le Mans cars were run in a fifth class in the series, running alongside Le Mans Prototype cars...
running a HPD ARX-01C which is an updated version of Acura's LMP2 car that was successful in the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
. Peter Hardman left the team but 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...
was signed in time for the first round, the 8 Hours of Le Castellet. Watts took LMP2 pole, setting a time of just over two seconds faster than the next nearest LMP2 car. Strakka went on to win the LMP2 class finishing 35 seconds ahead of the LMP2 pack.
The team went on to pick up its 2nd consecutive pole at the 1000 km of Spa
2010 1000 km of Spa
The 2010 1000 km of Spa was the second round of the 2010 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on 9 May 2010.-Qualifying:...
. However, transmission failure forced the team to retire after 69 laps.
At Le Mans
2010 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also known as the Grand Prix of Endurance. The race took place on 12–13 June 2010 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . Fifty-six cars participated in the...
the team secured pole position in LMP2, one second ahead of the Patrón
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
Highcroft Racing
Highcroft Racing
Highcroft Racing is an American auto racing team based out of Danbury, Connecticut and founded by driver Duncan Dayton in 1989. Initially founded for Dayton's involvement in historic motorsport, specifically the restoration and preparation of classic automobiles, the team was expanded for Dayton's...
team with the same HPD ARX prototype which Highcroft have been developing with Acura/HPD for three years. The driver lineup of Leventis, Watts and Kane completed 367 laps and took the LMP2 class victory, as well as fifth place overall. It was clear that the HPD ARX-01C was the dominant car as Strakka and Highcroft where for a long time battling with themselves for LMP2 lead, but the Highcroft car suffered mechanical problems resulting in Strakka finishing six laps ahead of the next nearest LMP2 class finisher, the OAK Racing entry.
Strakka secured its 4th consecutive pole at the 1000 km of Algarve
2010 1000 km of Algarve
The 2010 1000 km of Algarve was the thirs round of the 2010 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve on 17 July 2010.-Qualifying:...
with Watts qualifying 0.6 seconds faster than the other LMP2 cars. Transmission failure caused the car to halt just after completing 120 laps.
The 1000 km of Hungaroring
2010 1000 km of Hungaroring
The 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring was the fourth round of the 2010 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Hungaroring, Hungary on 22 August 2010. It was the first time a Le Mans Series event will take place at the Hungarian track....
was the first event of its type to be held at the Hungaroring
Hungaroring
The Hungaroring is a racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone wanted a race in the USSR, but a Hungarian friend of his...
. The tight, technical track favoured the LMP2 cars who were quick in free practice and qualifying as Watts proved by putting the HPD on overall pole, the first time in Le Mans Series history for an LMP2 car. Watts qualified nearly half a second quicker than the fastest LMP1 car. The power of the LMP1 cars however was too much to cope at the start of the race, especially the Peugeot 908 diesel car entered by Oreca
Oreca
Oreca is a French racing team, founded and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport including Formula Three where drivers including Alain Prost, Jacques Laffite and Jean Alesi have won the French Formula Three Championship for...
. However, during the race the Oreca Peugeot developed mechanical problems and the Rebellion entries spun out. Strakka overtook the Oreca Peugeot whilst it was in the pits and went on to win overall, the first time in LMS history that an LMP2 car had won outright. The LMP1 winning car finished seventh overall, the top six finishers being LMP2 entries.
Drivers
Nick Leventis (2007–) Peter HardmanPeter Hardman
Peter Hardman is an English racing driver.Peter boasts an extensive motor racing history as a multiple race winner and one of Britain’s most experienced international drivers...
(2007–09)
Alexandre Negrão (2008) Darren TurnerDarren Turner
Darren Turner is an English racing driver. He was McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year in 1996. He is a former test driver for the McLaren Formula One team, but has raced primarily in touring cars and sportscars since 2000. He spent 2 years in the DTM for Keke Rosberg's...
(2008)
Danny WattsDanny Watts
Danny Watts is a British racing driver.Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins...
(2009–)
Jonny KaneJonny 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...
(2010–)