■1991 Le Mans race winner Herbert reacquainted with Audi marque
The immensely popular Englishman Johnny Herbert makes his début in the Spa 24 Hours this summer (July 30-31) when the three-time Formula One Grand Prix winner races an Audi R8 LMS sports car for the first time.
Herbert, aged 46, joins previously announced fellow former Le Mans 24 Hour race winners and GP drivers Mark Blundell (GB) and Stefan Johansson (Sweden) plus Indy 500 race victor Eddie Cheever (USA) in the Anglo-American United Autosports team’s bid for glory in the Belgian “classic”.
Herbert, whose last 24 hour race was in Dubai two years ago, has already sampled the GT3 class Audi at Snetterton, Norfolk, earlier this month and is scheduled to test the V10-engined “super car” at the famous Belgian track next week (March 29).
Having won the 1987 British Formula Three Championship, disaster struck Herbert the following year in an International Formula 3000 Championship race at Brands Hatch, an accident resulting in Johnny badly breaking his legs after a fearsome impact with the barriers.
It was an act of huge bravery that saw him back in a racing car at the beginning of 1989, despite the fact he could barely walk. Even more remarkably, he was now in Formula 1, scoring points on his début in Brazil driving for the Benetton team.
The amiable Herbert, who was born in Romford, Essex, won the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours plus three Grands Prix during an 11-year F1 career with spells at Benetton, Jaguar, Ligier, Lotus, Sauber and Stewart.
Johnny raced an Audi R8 sports-prototype for the “factory” Audi Sport and “customer” Champion Racing (USA) and Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx (GB) teams between 2001-04 taking eight wins from 34 race starts and the Le Mans European Series title for the Audi UK-backed Veloqx team.
Last year’s corresponding race was United Autosports’ maiden twice-around-the-clock event in which they achieved praiseworthy third and fourth places in the GT3 classification to record the highest-placed finishing positions for Audi with its two-car entry.
Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH for “customer” sport racing, the Audi R8 LMS has won seven championships across Europe since its début in 2009, the 5.2-litre sports car achieving a total 64 victories.
Johnny Herbert(GB). Age: 46. Born: Brentwood, Essex, England. Lives: Dorsington nr Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England:Spa 24Hr: Début. Spa History: Début September 13 1986 (F3/8th). F1 (1989, 1991/7th, 1992/13th ret, 1993/5th, 1994/12th, 1995/7th, 1996, 1997/4th, 1998/10th, 1999/11th, 2000/8th), F3 (1986/87). Last race at Spa: September 12 2004 (LMS/1st). Other 24Hr races: Le Mans (1990, 1991/1st, 1992/4th, 2001, 2002/2nd, 2003/2nd, 2004/2nd, 2007/9th). Dubai 24 Hours 2009 (45th/ 8th).
“To get the opportunity to do a 24 hour race again is wonderful and especially as it’s at Spa which has always been one of my favourite race tracks. I’ve never competed in the Spa 24 Hours so I’m really looking forward to that aspect as well as competing for United Autosports for the first time and reacquainting myself with Audi. I raced an Audi sports-prototype for a number of years.
“On my first test for United Autosports at Snetterton, I sampled the Audi R8 LMS for the very first time and it was just like driving and sitting in my favourite armchair – so smooth and easy to drive and with such nice power delivery. I’m very much looking forward to Spa.
“I attended last year’s Spa race for TV and it was good to see my old F1 buddies Mark, Stefan and Eddie all driving again. They did brilliantly well and it’s an absolute privilege for me now to be involved and joining up with these guys.”
Audi R8 LMS
V10 5.2-litre engine, 4 valves per cylinder, petrol direct injection, 523 PS, emission control by two racing catalytic converters, rear-wheel-drive, traction control (ASR), sequential pneumatic activated 6-speed sport gearbox with shift-paddles, Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum with bolted steel roll-cage, carbon-fibre composite/aluminum bodywork, Dunlop radial tires. Start weight TBA. Limitation at 8500rpm for every gear. Developed by Audi Sport with cooperation from quattro GmbH. Won seven championships across Europe in 2009-2010 plus Spa 24 Hours class victory in début 2009 season and Nürburgring 24 Hours class victories in 2009-2010 and scoring a total 64 victories.
