Friday 12th December 2003

Caterham Endurance Success

Only beaten by GT3's in Califorina 25 hour race

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Caterham Motorsport is celebrating another endurance racing success this week following a dramatic Stateside performance by an R400 in the NASA 25 Hours in California.

Driven by a four-man team led by Briton Nathan Down, the Caterham finished a fighting fourth - beaten only by a trio of Porsche GT3s.

After 571 laps of the three-mile circuit, the Caterham was in fine fettle, according to crew chief and Caterham Cars technical director Jez Coates: "We are well used to preparing successful 24-hour cars, so it was perhaps inevitable that the only mechanical problem we suffered came at 24 hours and 45 minutes. Fortunately it was nothing more serious than a loosened exhaust, which was quickly dealt with. The drivers said the R400 felt as good at the end of the race as it had at the start.

"Unfortunately more than half the race was held in wet conditions; if it had been drier, we would have given the Porsches an even closer run for their money. "

The only other incident was during the night, when the car was struck by a Mini and suffered a broken de Dion ear; this cost 20 minutes in the pits. Nonetheless, the Caterham crossed the finish line seven laps ahead of its nearest rival.

Sharing the driving duties with ex-Caterham Cars employee Down were Car and Driver journalists Larry Webster, Tony Swan (competing in his 27th 24-or-more-hour race) and Csaba Csere. The car was entered by Car and Driver and Caterham USA.

Pictures courtesy of Jerry Bassler

Link: www.californiacaterhamclub.com , www.nasaproracing.com

[knowley]

Nicely done