LOLA TO BE OFFICIAL MARLBORO CHASSIS AT ZANDVOORT MASTERS EVENT
Lola have been announced as chassis suppliers to the official Marlboro backed team for next months prestigious Marlboro Masters event at Zandvoort in Holland.
Steven Kane who competes in the British Formula Three International series will drive the JB Motorsport entered car in the fifteenth running of the event that boasts David Coulthard, Jos Verstappen, Takuma Sato and Christian Klien as former winners.
Steven Kane has shown himself to be a front runner in British F3 so far this season
24 year old Kane will team up with Dutch driver Ferdinand Kool in the JB squad racing two of the already race winning Lola B05/30 chassis. Both cars will be powered by Neil Brown prepared Mugen-Honda engines.
Kane, who claimed pole position at the recent Spa round of the British series in his Promatecme entered Lola, is keen to ensure that the extra race in his schedule is one to remember.
"It is fantastic to be in the Marlboro backed car for the Masters race," said the Ulsterman. "I am used to driving for a very professional team in the British series and JB Motorsport are undoubtedly of the same standards. It will be a tough race because we have not been their before or raced with the tyres but I am aim to show that we can compete with the best F3 drivers in the world."
JB Motorsport is a regular and successful entrant in the German Recaro Formula 3 Cup. in April, Ho Pin Tung, who will also drive a Marlboro backed car won the opening round of the current season at Oschersleben for the team from Belgium. In the 2003 season, Brazilian driver João Paolo de Oliveira won the title in the German Formula 3 Cup and last year, Jan Heylen and Michael Devaney were regular winners for the team. In earlier years, JB Motorsport competed in the German Formula 3 championship with race wins for Belgian driver Yves Olivier and good results for Dutch driver Walter van Lent, who won the "rookie-title" in German Formula 3 with JB in 1999. Robert Doornbos, the current test driver of the Jordan Formula 1-team, also raced with JB Motorsport. "We have a good tradition with Dutch drivers", says JB Motorsport’s team manager Sven Platteeuw. This tradition also involves the co-operation with Philip Morris Holland for the Marlboro Masters of Formula 3: in 2002, JB Motorsport already raced in Marlboro-livery with drivers Stefan de Groot and Rob Austin.
This year, there will be three drivers competing with Marlboro support for JB Motorsport. Ferdinand Kool from the Dutch village of Oud Beijerland comes from a real motor racing family - his father Cock also competed in single-seaters - and is now in his second year in Formula 3 after a few years in Formula Ford and Formula Renault. Last season, Kool raced in the Spanish championship, this year, he is a regular entrant in the German Cup.
He is looking forward to the Marlboro Masters: "In the past, I raced in support series. Last year, I took part in the Formula 3 race for the first time. Being able to race in Marlboro colours this year is, of course, a unique opportunity, especially for a Dutch driver in this fantastic event!"
Lola’s new chassis the B05/30 has had a successful start to the 2005 season after Brazilian racer Danilo Dirani scored a crushing double win at Donington Park. He currently sits second in the points table after 4 rounds. Steven Kane, despite announcing his deal just days before the start of the season scored a superb 7th and 5th positions before then going on to take pole in the weather affected Spa race.
After breaking Dallara’s winning run of 11 years, Lola have now upped the ante in 2005 with the all-new Lola B05/30 chassis. Lola’s F3 teams and drivers benefit from major development work on the new chassis, which has been designed to the new International F3 regulations. Lola’s dedicated engineering team believe that the model will easily surpass the achievements of the previous car that underwent continuous development since its inception in 2003 and reaped 11 overall wins in the UK, Italy and Japan in 2004.
The Lola B05/30 has undergone intensive aerodynamic evaluation with Lola’s renowned CFD capability. That was used as a base study before the project was switched to Lola’s on site, state of the art 50% scale rolling road windtunnel. Specific aero changes on the car include re-profiled sidepods and front wing assembly, as well as a completely new underbody. Lola have also worked hard to improve the car’s behaviour over kerbs and have completed a number of simulations in their own 7-post dynamic test rig.
The B05/30 also features a unique option for its customers in that the car can run three configurations of spring settings. Twin shock, monoshock and a third spring option can be used to suit individual circuits and driver’s tastes. So far this season Lola has chosen to use the new Pankl gearbox, which has been packaged to enhance aerodynamic efficiency.
The Lola Group is the oldest and most successful customer racecar manufacturers and was founded in 1958. A provider of specialist technology to motorsport and automotive companies, Lola have an in-house composite capability and commercially available state-of-the-art 50% scale windtunnel and 7-post test rig. With 260 highly skilled and experienced staff, Lola have the technology to win and the technology to deliver.
The Marlboro Masters takes place over the weekend of 11/12 June, with the race scheduled to take place over 25 laps at 14.00 CET.
STEVEN KANE - CV
Name: Steven Kane
Nationality: British
Date of birth: June 5, 1980
Place of birth: Newton (GB)
Marital status: single
Residence: Milton Keynes (GB)
Hobbies: jogging, fitness
Website: steven-kane.com
Favourite circuit: every circuit
Career so far.......
motocross
karting
Northern-Irish Formula Ford Zetec championship
British Avon Junior Formule Ford championship
winner BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year-Award
2nd place Scholarship class British Formula 3 championship
3rd place Spanish Formula 3-championship
British Formula 3 championship with Promatecme F3 (Lola Mugen-Honda)
Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 with JB Motorsport (Lola Mugen-Honda)
FERDINAND KOOL - CV
Name: Ferdinand Kool
Nationality: Dutch
Date of birth: April 24, 1981
Place of birth: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Marital status: single
Residence: Oud-Beijerland, Netherlands
Hobbies: football, running, food
Website: -
Favourite circuit: Jerez (Spain)
Career so far....
Dutch champion mini-junior karting
Formula Ford Benelux
2nd place Benelux Formula Ford championship
German Formula Renault championship
2nd place Benelux Formula Renault championship
13th place Spanish Formula 3 championship
German Recaro Formula 3 Cup with JB Motorsport (Dallara Opel)
Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 met JB Motorsport (Lola Mugen-Honda)
FORMER WINNERS OF THE MARLBORO MASTERS F3 RACE
1991 David Coulthard (GB) Paul Stewart Racing Ralt RT 35 Honda Mugen
1992 Pedro Lamy (P) WTS Racing Reynard 923 Opel Spiess
1993 Jos Verstappen (NL) WTS Racing Dallara F 393 Opel Spiess
1994 Gareth Rees (GB) ADR Fortec Dallara F 394
1995 Norberto Fontana (RA) KMS Dallara F 395
1996 Kurt Mollekens (B) ADR Dallara F 396
1997 Tom Coronel (NL) TOMS Dallara F 397
1998 David Saelens (B) ASM Dallara F 398 Renault Sodemo
1999 Marc Hynes (GB) Manor Motorsport Dallara F 399 Honda Mugen
2000 Jonathan Cochet (F) Signature Racing Dallara F 399 Renault Sodemo
2001 Takuma Sato (J) Carlin Motorsport Dallara F 301 Honda Mugen
2002 Fabio Carbone (BR) Fortec Motorsport Dallara F 302 Renault Sodemo
2003 Christian Klien (A) Mucke Motorsport Dallara F 303 Mercedes
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