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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
There are occasions when you think "This is not a particularly good idea", a time to think "Why am I doing this?" Petit Le Mans was for Chamberlain Motorsport just such a time.
Recently acquired Chassis C6 was waiting in Atlanta for the Team, but she had a few little surprised to inflict on the mechanics. The mechanics are used to preparing race cars in a particular way, used to there being no problems because they do things a certain way, but not this time. C6 had been built but not prepared and the difference would become obvious very quickly.
The situation was not helped by the UK customs not allowing the dispatch of tools and equipment, and by the largest hurricane for decades closing the airports, so the boys had problems everywhere. Not even their beloved hospitality coach escaped. It had to be moved to "higher ground" in case of flooding and never did make the Road Atlanta raceway.
Borrowing tools, equipment and spare parts allowed the car to eventually make the race track but problems with lights, brakes, wiring looms and eventually a steering rack meant that the drivers, John Hugenholtz, Seiji Ara and Didier Defourny, really had little chance to show their prowess.
The Car qualified sixth but was found to have a larger FIA splitter which is little use when running to ACO Le Mans rules! "Go to the back of the grid and behave next time" was the cry form the scrutineers.
The race, run in searing heat, was going reasonably well until an uncharacteristic mistake meant a small oil fire. This was followed by yet more failures not connected to the Chamberlain Motorsport boys, but it was enough for Team Boss, Hugh Chamberlain, to say enough. A great deal was learnt, the car was classified in eleventh place, but character building it most certainly was.
Homestead will be better.
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