Tuesday 6th May 2003

TVR at Le Mans

Frustrating day for the De Walt team

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The TVR Le Mans team have been at the track this weekend testing alonside the other entrants. It's the first time the T440Rs have been to the track and a historic day as TVR took to the French track again for the first time in many, many years.

The TVRs have proved themselves elsewhere previously so this weekend was primarily about getting all the drivers to safely complete the ten laps required of each to qualify.

Technical problems troubled the number 92 car though with a quick engine change required from the team, only for the new engine to suffer problems too.

The team wasn't so concerned with placing top times, more just meeting the qualificantion criteria and familiarising themselves with the environment. That, and the engine problems, leaves the two cars ranked in 55th and 56th places, i.e. the bottom of the table.

Reporting and pictures courtesy of Hansgerd Bramann.

[PLA]

Please please TVR don't let us down! now we've got to LeMans this is not the time to show our critics that the cars are not upto it.

[HarryW]

I see the Royal Navy is a big sponsor on the car or is that a trade for using the Ark Royal thingy the other day :confused...
if they are a sponsor then a large photo shoot using RN PR photo peeps could conceivably be arranged outside the Victory in Portsmouth ......um.......must check that one out (tvrgas you clocked that one? like the idea )
Must remember to see the cars at the start of LeMans just incase I miss it .

Harry

Only kidding about Lemans I hope they're there to the end and take home some silverware, there will certainly be enough fans to cheer them on

Harry

[Racefan_uk]

I would think the term 'sponsor' with regards to the Royal Navy is somewhat wide of the mark.
More like a sticker on a car for PR purposes and a thank you for the use of Invincible and a Harrier for the Le Mans launch photo shoot.

I can't see the UK taxpayers money being put forward to sponsor a race car.

[HarryW]

I think thats what I meant to get across previously 'as a trade' in the original reply. Every part of the car must have a value in terms of sponsorship. The fact that it (the Royal Navy flag and name) is quiet a bit bigger and more prominent than the likes of Dunlop I thought that it may just be a little more than the straight trade. Even the services have a PR budget nowdays.......just a thought and possibily some leverage for getting a shoot during a quiet period inside the naval base for a set of photos thats all.

Harry