Ireland: Terrified Brenda...
Ireland: Terrified Brenda O"Leary, 34, from Wexford drove her new car into a ditch when a wasp flew into her hair. She was left bruised; her motor was a write-off.
Aston Martin is hoping...
Aston Martin is hoping it’s third time lucky in its bid to claim GT class honours at this year’s 75th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, which takes place on 16-17 June. And it has recruited former grand prix and enduro winner Johnny Herbert to help out.
The legendary British manufacturer returned to the race track at the start of 2005 with a competition version of its V12-engined DB9. But despite winning the GT category at Sebring in Florida on its debut, and since then scoring some other notable successes on both sides of the Atlantic, the Aston Martin Racing outfit has failed to conquer its number one target.
The 190mph DBR9 has shown ample speed at the Sarthe circuit, but has missed out when it comes to that final element: luck. Last year, the top Aston crew led the fastest of the chasing Corvettes by more than a minute, before encountering clutch trouble only hours before the finish.
After coming so close 12 months ago, the AMR team returns to France for this weekend’s final pre-race test in even more determined mood. And it has a stronger driver line-up now, spearheaded by Herbert.
Not only did the 42-year-old Eng÷lishman take the chequered flag first in three grands prix, he also knows what it takes to win at Le Mans, having triumphed with Mazda in 1991. He shares the number 007 entry with Tomas Enge and Peter Kox, while David Brabham, Rickard Rydell and Darren Turner line up in the 009 car.
“Aston has always had the pace to beat the Corvettes, but missed out due to some niggly little problems,” explained Herbert, who is delighted to be back behind the wheel after a two-year absence from Le Mans. “If we can run for the whole 24 hours without experiencing any difficulties, we should be very competitive.”