Friday 28th May 2010

'Red 5' To Race With Smiley At Le Mans 24hrs!

Nigel Mansell lets us stick the PH logo on the team LMP1 car

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Leo testing the Beechdean Mansell Ginetta-Zytek yesterday at Silverstone

"Ere, how about this PH Smiley then..?"

Luke Skywalker may have had R2-D2 riding shotgun when he took on the Imperial Tie-Fighters, but Nigel Mansell and sons Leo and Greg are going one better at Le Mans this year. Yes, PH's very own Smiley is going into battle on behalf of 'Red 5' and his new team-mates.

Amazingly, the guys at Beechdean Mansell were so chuffed by the enthusiastic entry to our Silverstone LMP1 test competition, they've decided to respond with a reciprocal gesture and promised to include PH's Smiley logo on their red, white and blue-liveried Ginetta-Zytek racing car.

PH will be on there when it's painted!

As you can imagine, we're all-but incontinent with excitement here in the PH office at the thought of this website's iconic Smiley appearing at one of the world's greatest races, and on a car driven by our favouritest-ever British motor racing legend. The team's graphic designer is working on the artwork as we speak, so as soon as we've got pictures we'll let you see 'em. (Let's hope we don't need a magnifying glass, eh chaps?)

Meanwhile team boss Andrew Howard has also promised PH exclusive access in the run-up to, and during the 24hr race - including garage tours for PHers (look out for another competition soon), progress updates live from the pitlane, and whatever else we can think of to help make sure that PH race fans get a real insight into the operation of this new all-British LMP1 outfit on its inaugural Le Mans outing.

Our 10 competition winners got a taste of what's in store at the Silverstone test which took place yesterday (May 27th), meeting Nigel, Greg and Leo, and watching the crucial session unfold from inside the garage and on the pit wall.

PH winners meet a winning legend	Beechdean's Aston racer
The PH chariots at Silverstone	Just a bunch of car guys hanging out!

First though, they all had a hot passenger lap in both the PH BMW M6 long-term test car, and Beechdean's 2009 Aston Martin racer driven by Greg Mansell and Andrew Howard, and the drivers and team members all had time for a friendly chat while they got down to the serious business of getting their car up to speed. (While we got a £770 bill for two new Pirelli PZero Corsas on our Bimmer - cheers Greg!)

Nigel updates the PHers on progress

The test has been declared a success

"We've had a brilliant test," said Mansell senior after the event. "The car has run extremely well and the boys have done a great job with the set up and I'm very optimistic that for the race here at Silverstone, and at Le Mans, we will be competitive. The decision to miss Spa was the correct one, as we saw Spa ended up being a traumatic race for a lot of people and the race was stopped for a while. The most important thing was to get ready for Le Mans and we had to regroup. There were a few things we had to understand about the car and we've managed to do that with two tests, one at Snetterton and the other here at Silverstone today. I'd like to thank Silverstone for helping us get this test. It's been a big step forward for us and overall we've had a very successful day."

Andrew Howard chatting to PHers

"It was a very hard decision not to go to the last LMS race at Spa but we feel totally vindicated by the performance of the car here," said Team Principal Andrew Howard. "We have taken a big step forward and the whole team now feels ready for the challenge of competing at the Le Mans 24 Hours in two weeks time. Our goal for this season is to reach the chequered flag and if we can do that it will be a huge achievement for a team that didn't exist 6 months ago. We hope the fans will get behind the team and everyone can show their support by joining the new Beechdean Mansell Motorsport Race Club."

Greg and Leo: "Dad's said what..?!"

The car will now be taken back to the team's head quarters in Buckinghamshire where it will be prepared and repainted in its Union Flag livery, then will leave the UK for France on Wednesday 2 June. (Wonder if they need a British Invasion sticker for the truck...)

The team is obviously keen to have the PH community behind them, both at Le Mans itself and as their Le Mans series campaign continues through to Silverstone in September. And because it's always nice to feel wanted*, we'll be posting details of any more exciting opportunities they offer us in the coming days and weeks. Watch this space!

*Also because we've promised to plug the team's Le Mans effort mercilessly in exchange for getting our sticker on their car. (And no, this is probably not the time to admit we were going to support them anyway...)

Artoo or Smiley - who would you want on your side?

[ellroy]

Truly epic day. Many, many thanks to all concerned.

[zac510]

What's up with the blue bodywork, is it getting a special LM24 livery?

[UltimaCH]

Great to hear and thanks to all concerned for letting PH in the race

[soad]

Blue motor looks swell - smiley too. Could make all the difference

[Chris-R]

zac510 said:

What's up with the blue bodywork, is it getting a special LM24 livery?

The race paintjob was scheduled for after the test yesterday - that way it should be super-shiny for Le Mans.

Don't think the proper race livery will change much for Le Mans, apart from our PH Smiley stickers of course!

Edited by Chris-R on Friday 28th May 11:10

[GFWilliams]

Own up, who's nose is that

[Jenx]

Hope it ends up with some JUMBO sized Union Jacks on there too.

[Garlick]

GFWilliams said:

Own up, who's nose is that

I look gaunt in that pic I must eat more.....

[Stig]

Garlick said:

GFWilliams said:

Own up, who's nose is that

I look gaunt in that pic I must eat more.....

Pressures of the job mate

[GFWilliams]

Garlick said:

GFWilliams said:

Own up, who's nose is that

I look gaunt in that pic I must eat more.....

I was going to say something, but thought you might not let me have another POTW then

[Beefmeister]

Garlick said:

GFWilliams said:

Own up, who's nose is that

I look gaunt in that pic I must eat more.....

It's all that blummin' exercise you're doing. Cycling every night? Pffft.

Get back to your PH roots and eat pies, drink beer, and, ummm, argue a lot.

[Tyre Smoke]

Excellent the smiley will be on the car. I'll be looking out for it. Just don't let whoever designed this year's T-shirts and stickers near the design for the car!

[snotrag]

Good work guys. Hoepfully a nice big smiley across the front - good exposure for you!

ISTR someone getting a black PH smiley flag on a tent pole into the background of all podium shots one year too?

Please can soembody host a 'Le-mans Party' ? I really wish I was going this year. I dont even think you can watch it on telly unless you have sky?

[turbo-ww]

GFWilliams said:

Own up, who's nose is that

I do believe it's mine, but it must be the angle because it is actually fairly normal.

Honest.


BTW - Many thanks to Chris and Paul at PH and Nigel, Greg, Leo Andrew and the Beechdean Team for a great day.

[GFWilliams]

Beefmeister said:

Garlick said:

GFWilliams said:

Own up, who's nose is that

I look gaunt in that pic I must eat more.....

It's all that blummin' exercise you're doing. Cycling every night? Pffft.

Get back to your PH roots and eat pies, drink beer, and, ummm, argue a lot.

Agreed. It's not as if you haven't got a car to go out in

[mattikake]

Sweet stuff. Well done!

Looks our like Nige has lost a lot of weight.

So now that PH are supporting the Mansell's can it be a PH rule of no more cussings of the of our greatest people's hero here?

[V166]

That smiley should have a moustache.

[Greenwich Ross]

V166 said:

That smiley should have a moustache.

[Spiritual_Beggar]

V166 said:

That smiley should have a moustache.

Definately!!!


Wonder where it will be positioned......the Smiley that is...not the moustache

Edited by Spiritual_Beggar on Friday 28th May 12:11

[Beefmeister]

V166 said:

That smiley should have a moustache.