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wiKapadia.com Le Mans 2015 Part 3, Baptism of fire….literally!

June 17, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

Where do I start? My debut week at Le Mans has been such a rollercoaster of huge highs and near crushing lows.

It all started with a dash straight from my Radical European Masters race at Silverstone directly to Le Mans. We were first on at scrutineering on Monday morning so I needed to get there on Sunday night. I arrived at the house just before 2am and managed to get a few hours sleep before meeting the team in the paddock in time to all head into town.

We got into the Place de la Republique to be greeted by hundred if not thousands of race fans who were already there. Both the Team AAI cars looked great in there liveries and we walked through into the signing on area and kit check area. This is when I realised how hardcore some of the Le Mans fans are. One asked me to sign a photo of me driving a German Formula Renault car from a one off race years ago. I had no idea where he got the picture from as I am not sure I even have any myself. He then asked me to sign a number of photos that he had of me in different cars. He said he researches everyone who drives at Le Mans, while his friend told me that he had a signed picture of every driver who has taken part in Le Mans for over thirty years! Unbelievable dedication.

Le Mans Scrutineering

There were lots of photos and interviews on the stage and then we had the obligatory Le Mans team photo. I felt very proud to finally have made it into one of those. The rest of the day was taken up with driver change practice, and going through some videos and data from the test day with my co-driver San. He had stayed for the whole week between the test weekend and race week and seemed a lot more comfortable in his surroundings. I then headed out to dinner at Legends in the town centre with my other co-driver Xavier Maassen, his partner Nalan and Xavier’s dad and it was a great time to get to know them all better. Legends is race themed restaurant just of the main square in the town centre and well worth a visit if you get chance.

Tuesday was taken up with driver’s briefing and a very busy autograph session followed by an early night as I tried to catch up on some sleep. I also managed to cycle a few laps of the circuit with my old Murphy Prototypes teammate Karun Chandhok. It’s the best way to see the circuit as it is too long to walk and you miss things when you drive it. I have to thank one of my Radical customers, Brian Caudwell for the loan of the bike for Le Mans. It was a Pinarello, super lightweight and fast and worth almost more than my car!

Wednesday was what we had all been waiting for, the first practice sessions. The car had been very twitchy on the test weekend and we had a programme to work through to try to find some, speed. The 997 Porsche does not have the latest aero package that the 991 has so we were running the absolute minimum wing setting on the car to try to keep up on the straights. We wanted to find rear end grip mechanically rather than go up on the wing. Xavier did a series of runs as our engineer Massimo worked through the changes and by the time I got in at the end of the session the car felt a step better and we decided to keep going in that direction on set up. Due to the red flag in the session I only ran six laps but felt comfortable that I knew where I could find time. The evening session required us all to do our mandatory five night laps. Again Xavier ran first then me and then it was to be San. As I got in the car the red flag came out again. We opted to switch to put San in the car to be sure he would get his laps on Wednesday as Thursday had rain forecast. I managed to get out for two laps at the end of the session. So only eight laps on my first day but it is a team game and I knew my time would come.

NightQual at LM24

By now it had become apparent that we were going to be spending more time looking the mirrors than all the Kardashians put together. I have driven in the night in Dubai but I was shocked by just how blinding the LMP1 lights are at Le Mans and we needed to do all we could to prevent this. Our rear facing camera was next to useless at night as the contrast just meant it flooded with light whether the car behind was 200m or 20m behind you. Also the circuit lights were mounted almost horizontally and the same white colour as the LMP lights so often you would think you had a car coming up behind you when it was actually just a corner light. Eventually you would realise it was not getting brighter and you knew it was not a car. Still far too much focus was being spent making sense of what was happening behind than we would have liked. We also had a fairly large blindspot to the sides making it hard to see if anyone was alongside. The head restraint sides to the seat mean you cannot just turn your head as you would in a road car. When you get divebombed by an LMP1 car into a corner you need to be sure that there is not another following him through before turning in. If we were unsure we had to just leave space as it was never worth risking the car for. The AF Corse cars had a radar system which apparently worked well to tell you what class of car was coming up, how close they were and their position relative to you. This would have been amazing….next time perhaps.

On Thursday morning we tinted the rear screen more to and adjusted the rear camera to try to help the blinding from the LMP1 headlights. I also spent a long time with San going though each corner explaining where he could find time. For qualifying two in the early evening I was out first to try to make up for the missed laps the day before. I did an eight lap run and started to feel a lot more comfortable with the car and set up. My best sectors were good albeit on different laps while avoiding traffic. I realised that whereas I am used to thinking that I will have a good lap when there is a clear track ahead, in GTE AM you know you will have a good lap when you see a clear track behind you! San jumped in and within his seven laps he had found eight seconds on his previous time. He still had some way to go but it was positive. Then the reds came out again and the session was stopped early.

For night qualifying I still needed to get three laps in. I headed out first and got these out of the way. The plan was then for both Xavier and I to get a proper qualy run on new rubber. Xavier headed out first and got down to a 4m01.270. Not quick by the front running cars standards but it was absolutely driving the doors off our car. It was a good step forward and we felt confident as each time we left the pits we were making changes and finding time. I then headed out and onto my new tyre run. Within a lap the oil pressure warning came on. Normally racing drivers are taught that if the oil pressure light comes on then you stop the engine immediately to prevent engine damage. In the Porsche there is a reserve oil tank and you press a button to top up the oil. I was told over the radio to do this and continue with the run. On the next lap the light came on again and this time we pitted to check it over. After being given the all clear I headed back out onto the circuit. This time as I headed down from Dunlop towards Tertre Rouge the oil pressure light came on again. Again I radioed back to the pits for instructions. As I exited Tertre Rouge I had a call from Massimo “Stop the car! Stop the car!” I assumed that they had seen a bigger drop in oil pressure this time and dipped the clutch and switched off immediately so as to try to prevent engine damage. As I came to a stop halfway towards the first chicane I asked if they needed me to do anything in the car or whether I was parking it. The reply was delayed as Massimo was still being informed himself what the issue was. By this time and with the car stopped I could smell smoke that had not caught up with me while the car had been moving. Oil had been leaking onto the exhaust since Dunlop but due to the heavy tinting on the rear screen I had not seen the smoke. Also the engine compartment is completely sealed from the cockpit and at that speed smoke does not travel forwards and reach the driver. Had I known I had been on fire before I stopped then I would have driven to a marshal’s post where there were extinguishers. I did not wait for the reply on the radio and jumped out of the car and pulled the extinguisher. It was not enough to put it out and within twenty seconds the whole rear of the car had six foot high flames coming out of it. I could see my Le Mans dreams disappearing before my eyes and there was nothing I could do about it. Within a minute or so the marshals arrived and put the fire out but the damage was done. The whole rear of the car looked destroyed.

IMG_4106

When I got back to the garage the team I had a couple of quick calls to make to my mum and my wife who had seen the fire on TV but did not know that I was fine. With them reassured I spoke to the team who were very apologetic but already intensely focused on assessing the damage and working out if we had a chance to make the race. We had just that day fitted the race engine and the practice engine was already up to its life on hours so we could not just swap that over. They worked into the night to strip the car and by 3am they had decided that they shell was salvageable but that everything else would need to be replaced. Porsche in Germany were already on the phone and the new engine left their factory at 9am on Friday morning. In the meantime the guys prepped the shell and resprayed it and the new wiring was installed in readiness for the parts we were waiting for.

With the events of Thursday night I had not got to bed until about 3.30am and was up again at 9am. Not ideal prep for a 24hr race but I hoped to get to bed early on Friday night. At this point all I wanted to do was help the guys in some way but I had other duties that I was committed to. I had a job for Stuart at Project100 giving some of his guests a circuit tour on Friday morning, followed by two interviews, a quick hello and lunch with my wife Jenna who had now arrived, and then straight to the drivers parade in the town centre.

Driver parade

The drivers parade was far, far crazier than I expected. Thousands and thousands of people line the streets of the town as the drivers ride through on vintage cars with brass bands playing and a real carnival atmosphere. No doubt most were there to see Patrick Dempsey and the ex-F1 drivers but I even had a few people shouting wiKapadia at me! So someone reads this then! We had fun throwing pictures to the crowds, having selfies taken and signing autographs on all sorts of bodyparts. It was definitely one of the highlights of the week. It went on until about 9pm and I wish I could have stayed for a beer in the town centre but we had to get back to the circuit.

When we got back it was 10pm and the new engine had just arrived. Despite the guys only having had 3 hours sleep the night before and now having worked 14 hours already today, the guys then worked all through the night to install the engine, gearbox and suspension and test all the systems.

New engine

I got to bed at around 11:30pm and was under instruction to sleep in as I would be doing a lot of night driving the next day. Xavier and San drove the car in warm up and it seemed to run perfectly! A huge testament to the guys hard work and attention to detail under pressure.

We then had a quick team briefing and some final driver change practice, while the team made final checks to the car, before the car headed out onto the grid for the start of the race. To see it on the grid after all their efforts was already a victory. Now we just had to hope it would last the race. While standing on the grid for the starting ceremony I felt a mixture of elation that I had finally made it to the grid of the Le Mans 24hrs and also exhaustion from the lack of sleep and running around. If that was how I felt I have no idea what it was like for the guys who had only had three hours sleep since Thursday morning and were now about to do another 24hrs!

Grid

Our strategy was to finish. We knew we were not going to do much on pace in the 997 and so our only hope for a real result was to make sure that we were there at the end when perhaps others were not. With this in mind all our driving focused on this goal. It did not matter if we lost a few extra seconds in traffic, we just needed to stay clean and stay out of the garage. Even in a car that is four seconds off the pace, if you rivals spend ten minutes in the garage fixing some damage, then that would take 150 laps at four seconds per lap to regain it. We just had to keep going.

Xavier started and did a double stint before handing over to San for a single. San was to do the minimum driving time of four hours and he wanted to do it in daylight conditions. This meant Xavier and I would do around ten hours each. After San’s first stint I headed out for my first stint and why not make it a triple one. I actually felt very relaxed as I got in and just took it easy and stayed out of trouble. Physically I was fine as I train hard and the Porsche at Le Mans is a lot less physical than say a Radical SR8 at Silverstone. The only worry came from a numb right foot.

As we went through the night Xavier and I alternated triple stints and by 4am we were thirteen hours into the race and I had done 6hrs of it. My back had started to ache and my foot was now totally numb. (Even as I write this on Wednesday after the race three of my toes have still not come back to life yet!) I managed to get just over an hour of sleep during the night. But we always had to be ready for the next stint so time was limited.

The track was starting to grip up now and Xavier got down to a 4m00.9 during the night. I got to a 4m02.8 in the morning but after studying the data all my time was being lost on the straights. This was either due to air temperature or engine losing me 4-5kph top speed everywhere, but I was happy to see that I had been quicker in a few places whilst driving perhaps overcautiously and well within myself. At this point it became pointless to try to push for times as we were not likely to catch the car in front and when Massimo told me I could choose my own pace in the last two hours I opted to save the car wherever possible. Not taking too much kerb, not abusing the driveshafts and reducing the revs a little. The team had given me the honour of finishing the car and they did not need me trying to be a hero with just two hours to go after what they had been through.

With two minutes to go I was overtaken by the lead Porsche who then slowed at Mulsanne to form the train that would cross the line. As I crossed the line and saw the whole team hanging off the pitwall it was a very special moment. We had come here gain experience, and to finish, and despite everything that had happened we had achieved that! It was mission accomplished!

Finish line

The slow down lap was very special and quite emotional. I drove slowly past all the spectators enclosures where I had once stood and now I had raced it and finished it. Once the car was parked up in parc ferme one of the first people I saw was Jenna who got a huge hug before we were mobbed by the team who were ecstatic.

 

When I signed up to this drive I knew that the older car would not be quick and that San was also going to have a very steep learning curve. The reason I did it was because I had been very close to three different top LMP2 drives but each team had said that they “wanted a driver with Le Mans experience”. I have that now and I also appreciate the value of that experience more too. If I came back again my approach would now be different. With the hand we were dealt it was about playing it cautious and not making any mistakes while trying to find that “rhythm” that you need to be quick and not make mistakes. I have found that rhythm now and feel confident around the circuit and could go out and push from the off next time and also not be thinking about mandatory ten laps on the test day and night laps etc. This really eats into you programme and hugely affects your approach.

It just remains for me to thank AAI Motorsport and San for the opportunity and for all of their superhuman efforts, and to everyone else who had supported me. Keep up to date with my progress on twitter @alexkapadia and I hope you have enjoyed this column.

Filed Under: Latest News, Uncategorized

wiKapadia.com Le Mans 2015 Part 2 – Test Weekend

June 9, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

Having already given you my Campsite to Cockpit backstory I have now completed the Le Mans test weekend. For our team, last weekend was not just another test, it was also the first time that most of us had met each other, let alone driven the car.

Many teams come to Le Mans halfway through an ELMS or WEC campaign and they already know the car and each other very well. None of us had ever driven the car before and we had never worked together before. In addition both myself and San needed to complete our mandatory ten laps, and familiarise ourselves with the car and all its systems and controls. As a reserve driver for Murphy Prototypes last year I had already driven the circuit before but San had never been here before so needed to learn the track too.

With all this in mind I arrived on Friday afternoon to prepare for the Sunday test. To an outsider you cannot believe that you would need to arrive two days early for a test day but the reality is that there was not a spare moment over the three days.

On arrival the first job was to head straight to the garage and meet the team. These are the guys that will be working relentlessly over the next two weeks to give us the best chance possible in the race. They are also the guys who you put your trust in to keep the car reliable and safe. This commands respect and I always make a point of introducing myself to every team member and remembering everyone’s names. It is difficult when you meet about twenty five people all at once to take in and remember everyone so I make a note on my phone of every name and then if I forget any I have it there. This system works and is crucial to building the respect and a relationship with the guys.

AAI Motorsport have a technical partnership with the highly experienced Prospeed squad so the majority of the team are Belgian but we also have drivers from four different countries, an Italian engineer and a Japanese team manager. It is a truly international affair. It became clear that language and clear communication are going to be important factors.

I also met San for the first time on Friday and was relieved to find out what a dude he is. He is a really nice guy, huge enthusiast of the sport, and a proper character. I could tell we were going to have some fun over the next few weeks.

Track walk

Then there was some serious prep to get done. I was allowed to utilise some spare space on the car to give a few of my personal sponsors a bit of extra branding. Vapouriz and Club100 were very happy to get a few good spots on the rear of the car. This is likely to be seen a lot on the onboard cameras as the LMP1 cars lap us. The team wanted to install a new radio kit and drink system to my helmet, I needed to check I was comfy in the car and more than anything I needed to understand all the controls and systems for the car. A few days before the test I had been sent a thirty six page document by the team explaining everything, now I needed to see how much I could remember! Much of it was standard stuff like the locations of switches and controls but you also need to understand and remember the different engine maps positions, TC options, and also important, how to put the car in reverse. You think you would hardly ever need to use reverse but it is important in case anything happens in the race and the ACO officials also do random tests during the test day to check you can put the car in reverse without outside assistance. Once that was all memorised we headed back to our accommodation from Project100 in a lovely house in the woods between Mulsanne and Indianapolis.

Sponsors

The next day involved signing on, taking all our kit to scrutineering, a team briefing with the engineers where a run plan was decided on, drivers briefing and a track walk. At nearly 14km long you do not walk the whole track. We headed out by car to see the public road section which is everything from Tetre Rouge round to the entry to the Porsche curves and then did the rest on foot. I always pay particular attention to the condition of the sections linking the Bugatti circuit to the public road as these are only used twice a year and build up a film of dust and dirt. Interestingly the new tarmac on the outside of the Porsche curves was pristine but the construction traffic that had been present to lay the tarmac had spread mud all over the circuit itself. I noticed it was a brown colour in comparison to the dark black of the new run off. This meant it was likely to be really slippery and take a while to clean up.

Sunday came round quickly and I was first out in the car to get my ten laps. They went by very quickly and I was relieved to have got it out of the way and off my mind. My first impressions of the car we that it had more oversteer than I was expecting and we started to work to dial that out as the day went on. We also had a few minor issues with the traction control but got this sorted quickly too. Until this point conditions had been dry but as San headed out for his ten laps the clouds came over and it started to spit with rain. A few laps into his stint San had lost tyre temperature and had a small off into the gravel at turn 1. No damage done and he was back on the way within a few minutes. He got his ten laps done and Xavier managed to jump in for a few laps before lunch on wets.

DDLP2738

So my first session was over and I had had my first experience of a GT car at Le Mans. I felt that compared to my ten laps in the Murphy LMP2 the GT was a far harder car to drive, as we were not flattered by anything like as much downforce and also you are constantly being dive-bombed by LMP1 and LMP2 cars travelling up to 45 seconds per lap faster. I am used to multi-class racing in Radicals but I am usually the one doing the passing. I now had a much greater appreciation for how hard the GT drivers work to not only get the cars round the circuit but also how you needed to have one eye on your mirrors all the time and how the skill is to lose the least amount of time being passed. When an LMP1 is behind you the headlights just fill the mirrors even when they are still 100 metres back and you cannot see how far behind they are. If that is what it is like in daylight it is only going to be worse at night.

DDLP1406

After lunch Xavier and I did some more runs, focusing on a good safe set up to make San feel as comfortable as possible. He still needs more time in the car and we know that our race result will depend on how confident he is with the car. I was happy to see that in the wet I was only a couple of seconds off the fastest GTs at the time, while feeling that there was a lot more still to come. Being an older car the 997 is likely to struggle for ultimate pace in the dry but I think a wet race could help us.

I have had a busy week since the test and with two days of driver coaching in the Radicals, trying to cram a few days in at my business and also the Radical European Masters at Silverstone this weekend. As I write this I have just this afternoon taken pole for the first race so we are hoping for two good results on Sunday before jumping in the car on Sunday afternoon and driving straight from Silverstone to Le Mans ready for our scrutineering first thing on Monday morning.

Radical Jerez

One last thing; a bit of personal advice to anyone who is driving to Le Mans… DO NOT SPEED. You WILL get caught. A few years ago I was banned from driving on the way down to Le Mans and just a few weeks ago I got caught on the way back from a race in Dijon. The Gendarme will line the roads between Calais and Le Mans literally camouflaging themselves in the long grass around the bridges, looking out for crazy Brits who think they are immune from penalties in France. Trust me after a very big fine, a number of hours in the police station, the threat of confiscating my car and a court hearing (in France) I will not make the same mistake again. The Thursday and Friday of Le Mans week are peak hunting season for them. Take it easy.

Filed Under: Latest News

wiKapadia.com Le Mans 2015 Part 1 – Campsite to Cockpit

May 26, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

So I am very happy to be able to say that after a number of years trying to get on the grid, in 2015 I will become a Le Mans 24hr driver. I am driving for Asian Le Mans series winners Team AAI in a Porsche 997 RSR alongside team boss Jun-San Chen or San as he is known, and also Le Mans podium finisher Xavier Maassen.

Le Mans No67

Team AAI Porsche Le Mans 2015

 

I first came here in 2009 to watch fellow Radical racer Stuart Moseley and was wowed by the scale of the event and the challenge. That weekend I set a new ambition to win my class at Le Mans one day and that became the start of this new journey.

 

With limited seats and this being the jewel in the sportscar racing crown, drivers are generally chosen for one of three reasons, either they have previous Le Mans experience making them valuable to teams and gentlemen drivers, or they come with a gentleman driver that they have worked with in other series, or they bring a very large pot of gold too tempting for a team to turn down. I did not have a budget to bring so that option was out.

 

I was lucky enough to already be an established professional driver in Radical Sportscars, being paid by my co-drivers to race with and coach them. The Radical European Masters is a great series, with close, hard racing at some of the best circuits in the world in cars that are just a few seconds off LMP2 pace for a fraction of the cost. Yet despite being a European Champion in this in 2009 and being seen an old hand in this series with tons of experience with gent drivers this counts for very little at Le Mans. Quite simply I did not have Le Mans experience so that option was out.

 

Getting to Le Mans with a gentleman driver I was already working with would have been an option but Le Mans was on a different scale financially and none of my customers at the time had both the motivation and the finance to step up to Le Mans. I realised just getting a place on the grid, let alone a class win, would be a serious challenge in itself. I had to review my approach.

 

I went to Le Mans every year from that point on and usually ended up in either Blu-Nord or Beausejour campsites and then trying to blag/sneak my way into the paddock to observe what goes on and remind teams of my existence and availability. I made sure to make contacts at as many teams as possible and follow up on it afterwards. In 2011 I was at the Spa Le Mans Series race in May with the Radical Series. I made sure to spend a few hours in the Le Mans series paddock introducing myself to teams again. I met Neil Garner whose team were running an LMPC car at the time, I asked if he would let me do a few laps at a test and we agreed that I would run the day after the last race of the season at Estoril. I went down for a seat fit in the week before the race and then a couple of days later I got a phone call. “Two of our drivers have dropped out can you get to Estoril for the race, we like you and you have already done a seat fit, so we would like you to race. Can you be there two days earlier?” Of course I could! It was my first time in an LMP car was not going to miss this. It was a proud moment when I arrived at the circuit and saw my name above the garage for the first time.

First time in LMS

Estoril 2011 garage

 

I qualified and managed to take pole in class and then lead the race to the end of my stint. Unfortunately we then had a mechanical issue which put us back, but I had made an impression. I also had met co-driver John Hartshorne who I would stay in contact with and would become a good friend. He had been around for a while and seen it all and I often bounce ideas off him to see if they are sensible or not.

Neil Garner Motorsport LMPC

Neil Garner LMPC Estoril
Two days before the start of the 2012 ELMS season I received a call from Mike Sweeney who had been the engineer at Neil Garner Motorsport. He had set up his own team Curtis Racing Technologies and needed another driver to race with Phil Keen and John Hartshorne if I could get to Paul Ricard in time. I was another last minute drive which turned out good. We won our class and finished 8th overall amongst the bottom of LMP2 field.

 

In 2013 I managed to get my break into LMP2 racing with Boutsen Ginion Racing for the last two rounds of the ELMS at Hungaroring and Paul Ricard. This was again thanks to an introduction and recommendation from John Hartshorne. I got on really well with the team and we showed well, going from 16th to 2nd in my first stint in the wet at Hungaroring and getting the team’s best result of the year in Paul Ricard with two new co-drivers James Swift and Renaud Kuppens.

Alex Kapadia Boutsen LMP2 Hungaroring

Boutsen Ginion LMP2 Hungaroring

 

At Paul Ricard I made sure to go and introduce myself to Greg Murphy from Murphy Prototypes. This introduction (and subsequent relentless pestering) led to another last minute call up for Greg’s team at the Silverstone round of the ELMS last year. This time Tor Graves was not able to race due to illness and Greg needed to find a replacement silver driver. I was to partner Karun Chandhok and Rodolfo Gonzalez in the car that had won the last ELMS race of 2013. The race started off badly with a puncture near the end of Rodolfo’s stint just after he had passed the pit entry. Getting the car back to the pits and the subsequent repairs cost us six laps so we were out of contention. I headed out for my stint determined to at least get us back amongst the LMP2 field. I managed to set the fastest lap while I was out there and the best ten lap average of the race.

Alex_Kapadia_Silverstone-01

Murphy Prototypes LMP2 Silverstone
This drive led to me being used by Dunlop for tyre testing at the end of last year and they have also been recommending me to teams based on my performance while testing for them. I really have to say a big thank you to Greg Murphy, Alan Mcgarrity and also Mike McGregor from Dunlop for their support over the last twelve months.

 

This year I was close to a number of drives with LMP2 teams but all wanted previous Le Mans experience so LMP2 did not happen. However I was contacted by Prospeed Competition who are partnering with Team AAI as they were looking for a silver driver to join their squad. I have previously worked with the engineer, Massimo Bottiglieri at Boutsen and he gave a good recommendation to the team. I am really excited to work with the guys and learn everything I can from Xavier and the team.

 

I did drive at Le Mans last year on the test day as part of my role as reserve driver with Murphy Prototypes see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdWImIbC6mA but did not get an opportunity in the race proper as I obviously did not leave enough banana skins on the garage floor! It will be my first time in a Porsche and to race a Porsche at Le Mans is a big honour. We are in a 997 rather than the latest 991 which means we may not have the ultimate pace. But anything can happen at Le Mans and it is far more about not making mistakes and making sure we get San going as quickly as he can on his first attempt at La Sarthe. I cannot wait to get behind the wheel at this weekend’s test day.

 

It is not just all about the driving though. Until you are established as a driver to beat in any given series then it is rare to get paid by most teams. This year I have worked hard to get some personal sponsors to cover my expenses at Le Mans and I am proud to say I have support from Vapouriz Electronic Cigarettes, Text Management, Chartman and also Club100 Karting. I will be working hard over Le Mans week to promote them, allow them to network and gain reciprocal business and we will also entertain their guests and competition winners. Overall a busy few weeks ahead!

 

You can follow my progress on Twitter @alexkapadia or online at wiKapadia.com.

Filed Under: Latest News

Alex Kapadia to make Le Mans 24hr debut with Team AAI

May 12, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

Prospeed-Porsche

Professional racing driver Alex Kapadia is to make his Le Mans 24hr debut in June in the Team AAI Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Kapadia will be joining Dutch driver Xavier Maassen and Taiwanese team owner Junsan Chen in the entry earned by Team AAI for winning the Asian Le Mans series in 2014.

Alex, a pro-racer in Radical Sportscars, has previously impressed in the European Le Mans Series in LMP2 for Murphy Prototypes and Boutsen Ginion but has yet to drive the in the 24hr race at Le Mans. Kapadia did drive at the Le Mans test day last year in his role as reserve driver for the Murphy Prototypes LMP2 team but did not get an opportunity in the race. Driving for Team AAI this year will fulfil a lifetime ambition to compete in the biggest race in the world.

“I am extremely grateful to Team AAI and Rudi Penders at Prospeed for giving me this opportunity. I have been trying for a number of years to get a drive at Le Mans and am overjoyed to finally be on the grid. This is a great opportunity to gain experience in the unique challenges that Le Mans presents.” said Kapadia.

Team manager Rudi Penders said “We needed a quick silver driver to join the team and Alex came highly recommend as among the best out there. He has a great approach and will fit in well with our team.”

This will not be Kapadia’s first experience of 24hr racing having had a class win in the 2010 Dubai 24hrs and also second place in 2011. “24hr hour races are a different animal to other racing.” Commented Alex “It is about keeping going, preserving the car and adapting your driving style to whatever the limiting factor is at the time, whether that is tyres, fuel, brakes etc.” Alex who is known for his pace in prototype style cars is also relishing the opportunity to be racing a GT car again. “It has been a while since I last raced a GT but I am keen to show what I can do in car which is completely different. I tested a GTE car with Aston Martin factory team in March and it went very well. There are far more opportunities for professional driver in GT than LMP2 I am keen to develop this side of my skill set to further my career.”

 

 

 

Filed Under: Latest News, Uncategorized

Double podium for Kapadia and Patterson at Jerez

May 10, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

12th March 2015

Alex Kapadia and co-driver Jamie Patterson scored a double podium at the first round of the Radical European Masters in Jerez this weekend.

The pair looked set for a certain win in race two before a drive through penalty dropped in the last laps of the race them down to third place at the finish. Kapadia recorded one of his strongest drives yet to come from the back of the field to lead the race after a clutch failure at the start of the green flag lap.

“The clutch failed as I pulled away for the green flag lap and I managed to get the marshals to push start me, but then had to start from the back of the grid as the last car had already passed me. I had a great race working my way through the pack and then managed to build a good lead to hand over to Jamie. Jamie then built on this lead in the second half. We had a 30 second lead with 5 laps to go and we were given a drive through penalty for our pitstop being 1.6 seconds too short. Frustrating but that’s how it goes sometimes.”

Watch the race two drama on the official TV coverage here:  Radical Masters Race 2 Jerez

Filed Under: Latest News, Uncategorized

Alex Kapadia to partner Jamie Patterson for 2015 Radical European Masters

May 10, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

28th March 2015

Professional Radical racer Alex Kapadia will race with Jamie Patterson for the Radical European Masters season with new team Nielsen Racing.

Paterson who previously raced Radicals is making a comeback to the series after a few years away from racing. “I am delighted have been asked to partner Jamie this season” said Alex. “He is a quick and has shown very well in pre-season testing. Nielsen is a new team but they are fronted by “Sven” Thompson who has an excellent record in the Radical series. I think we will be challenging for the championship this year.”

Nielsen Radical

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Alex Kapadia tests for Aston Martin factory team

May 10, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

9th March 2015

Alex Kapadia tested for Aston Martin Racing in Monteblanco this weekend. The factory squad were evaluating drivers for future events and invited Kapadia, who is a silver rated driver, to take part in the two day test.

“It was great to work with the guys at Aston Martin Racing. I learnt a lot from them and have established some good contacts there. The car is awesome and will be very strong in the WEC and Le Mans this year. I would like to thank Aston Martin Racing boss John Gaw for giving me the opportunity.” said Alex.

Aston Martin GTE

Filed Under: Latest News, Uncategorized

Kapadia and Jordan finish 3rd and top Pro/Am pairing in Radical European Masters

May 10, 2015 by Alex Kapadia

3rd November 2014

Alex Kapadia and Tom Jordan had a strong weekend at the last round of the Radical European Masters to snatch 3rd place in the championship from rival Alex Mortimer and Chris Hyman. The result place them as the highest placed Pro/Am pairing in the pan-European series. Alex was extremely happy with the result. “Tom has gone from a complete novice to finishing third in a European series in just three seasons. We are very proud of his achievements.”

The weekend saw the paid start from the back of the grid for race 3 after a clerical error meant their qualifying times were disallowed. Alex put in a great first lap to pass 16 cars and was in 4th place by lap four. Watch the onboard video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Si7K_DfW3Q

 

Filed Under: Latest News, Uncategorized

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