rhino’s Leipert had a fabulous start into the season at the 24 h-Dubai race
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It was the 7th time in a row for team rhino's Leipert from Wegberg to race at the 24 h Dubai race in the VAE which was held between 12th and 14th January, 2012; and all their efforts were rewarded with a 9th place in the total ranking with over 70 vehicles participating.
Before the race, their goal had been to finish among the top 10, but the team exceeded all expectations during free practice already. International team drivers Tobias Neuser (21), Germany, Marcel Leipert (27), Germany, Mika Vähämäki (22, Finland, Jean-Marc Merlin (47), France, and Jan Štovíček (36), Czech Republic, finished free practice in the Lamborghini in third place having held first place for over two hours. Night training and warm-up brought similar results when the Leipert Lamborghini was always among the top 5. For strategic reasons, they took it a bit easier during Qualifying (the result of which stipulated the allowed tank volume for the 24 h race, amongst other things) and secured 9th position. In order to be perfectly prepared for the race around the clock, nearly the entire car (axle shaft, gears and engine, amongst other things) was revised during the night.
All went as planned at the start of the 24h race. After an impressive start phase, the Lamborghini was in 3rd place. They remained within the top 5 up to hour 5. Then, the team had a moment of shock when a defect collar of drive shaft was discovered during a routine check. In order to prevent possible drive shaft failure and in order not to lose more time, they decided to change both drive shafts. Due to this unscheduled stop, the team lost 45 minutes in the pit. However, the team with a fighter's heart had no reason to bury its head in the desert sand prematurely! The 5 drivers showed what they and their Lamborghini are worth when they re-entered the race in 40th place. At night, the car with number 29 was generally one of the fastest cars on the track and could regain position 9 of the total ranking after a nerve-racking race and 24 unforgettable hours. Consequently, everybody was overwhelmed by this result. A solid foundation for a successful season 2012 seems to have been laid!
Team Manager Ingo Leipert explains: "We have reached our goal to finish the 24h Dubai race among the top 10. Mika, Tobias, Marcel and Jan have already raced as part of our team in season 2011 whilst Jean-Marc joined us this year. The drivers have driven their laps without accidents, have harmonised perfectly, and have shown an outstanding performance! The mechanics did a flawless job. A big compliment to all the involved parties! Now, we are looking forward to a thrilling season in the ADAC GT Masters, the FIA GT3 European Championships and the races of the Blancpain Endurance Series." |
