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October 11th, 2009

Robin Liddell brought the curtain down on the 2009 Rolex GT Series by posting second place in the Grand Prix of Miami – the final round of the championship in Florida on Saturday (10 Oct).

The 35-year-old Scotsman and American co-driver Andrew Davis looked on course for their fourth GT win of the season but with moments remaining in the 230-mile race run in very hot and humid weather conditions, Liddell’s Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R slipped to an eventual second place.

It marked Liddell’s fifth top-two race result of the season – his eighth top-six in the 12-race series.

Their Pontiac qualified in the top-four for the eighth time this season and Davis handed over to Liddell placed third with 35mins on the clock.

Liddell, who began the race ninth in the standings but the third highest driver in terms of GT laps led this season, resumed leading the race on the 2.3-mile, 11-turn speedway road course as the GT runners made their pit-stops.

"Our team did a great job at our first pit-stop and we managed to jump ahead of the competition and get into the lead," said Robin. "It was a very hot race throughout and all the drivers had to concentrate on preserving their tyres, and themselves, for the closing stages. I had high oil temperature alarms for the whole race and we were just trying to stay out of the draft and preserve the car."

Robin made his final pit-stop with just under one hour remaining, resuming fifth, but with 10-laps to run, Liddell re-took the GT class lead, when the leaders pitted for their fuel top up and tyres.

Liddell was defending his GT lead when the race re-started from its sixth full course caution with just six minutes remaining but was agonisingly forced off course when the number 70 Mazda of Nick Ham tried to overtake and made contact with Robin and the rear of a slow starting Daytona Prototype ahead.

Robin had to take to the grass to avoid the ensuing melee which dropped him to second place as the 07 Pontiac of Paul Edwards slipped past from third. The race finished behind the Safety Car as the debris was covering the track.

Liddell added: "It was a disappointing finish but going into the race I felt that a podium would have been a pretty good result. As always, the guys executed great stops, we had good strategy and the car performed well.

“I would like to thank John and Susan Stevenson for all their support for me this year and the entire team and I’m already eagerly looking forward to returning with them next season in the new Chevrolet Camaro which we will run in 2010."

September 20th, 2009

Robin Liddell’s hopes of winning a second consecutive Rolex Series GT race were literally deflated within sight of the chequered flag at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City yesterday (19 Sept).

The 35-year-old Scotsman had battled his way to the front of the GT field with 16mins remaining in the 250-mile race staged on the new 4.486-mile, 24-corner track in Utah.

But Dirk Werner attempted an optimistic overtaking manoeuvre on the very last lap, side-on-side contact between the two cars puncturing the front right tyre on Robin’s leading Pontiac, and inflicting the same damage on the Porsche of Werner.

Although Liddell suffered a puncture and bodywork damage on his Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R, he managed to limp back to the pits and therefore crossed the line in seventh position, with Werner just ahead in sixth.

“It was a very disappointing end to the race for us and I was surprised that Dirk [Werner] attempted an optimistic pass on the last lap considering that he only needed to finish in fourth place to secure the championship reflected Liddell who was watched by father Eric.

“We’d worked very hard to come back through the field so I was not about to give the position up easily but I guess he wanted to finish on a high so he made a move”.

Co-driver Andrew Davis had qualified their Pontiac third on the GT grid and despite moving into second place straight away, struggled throughout his stint with worsening oversteer as the tyres deteriorated on the Pontiac.

Liddell, who was back up to eighth in the standings after posting a third win of the season in the previous round in Canada, took over from Davis with almost two hours still to run, and set a blistering pace to gain the fastest lap and head the GT field.

But in the closing laps, GT champion elect Werner put Liddell under intense pressure before inexplicably making a low percentage overtaking attempt – of which the German later remarked “I realised too late I did not need to be side by side and it was a mistake."

Robin added: “At the start of each stint the car was very quick but the rear tyres lost their grip early in the stint and in the latter stages we had a lot of understeer which is basically how Werner managed to close the gap at the end.

“A fourth-place finish would have secured the GT title for him and his engineer told him on the radio during the closing laps to stay behind me. It was a shame for both of us because it was one of the hardest fought and closest races we have seen for a while. However, our Stevenson Motorsports team remains alive in the GT team championship so Andrew [Davis] and I will be fighting for the win again in the finale.”

Liddell will compete in the final Grand Am race of the season at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida on 10 October.

August 9th, 2009

Robin Liddell was literally sick to the pit of his stomach when the Scotsman was forced to withdraw hours before the start of the latest Rolex Grand American GT Series race.

Liddell pulled out of racing the Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R alongside regular co-driver Andrew Davis in the 200-mile race at Watkins Glen in New York State on Friday evening (7 Aug) due to chronic food poisoning.

“I went to see the team doctor as soon as I got to the track on race morning,” reflected Robin who was still unwell when he returned home today (MON).

“He gave me an IV to replace fluids and as the race was being staged in the evening, I just waited around to see how I felt nearer race start.

“Around 6pm I felt a little better and wanted the doctor to give me another IV but he believed that I was too ill to race so that was that. First time I’ve ever had to withdraw like that. And I don’t ever want it to happen again.”

Liddell had won the previous Birmingham race with Davis who ultimately finished fourth with Robin’s late replacement, Spencer Pumpelly.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal, Canada, is the venue for Liddell’s next race on 29 August.

July 21st, 2009

Robin Liddell bounced back from recent disappointment to record a GT class victory in the latest round of the Rolex Grand American GT Series at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, last night (19 July).

Liddell and team-mate Andrew Davis had slipped from third place to 11th in the driver standings after retiring from the previous race but reduced the deficit with the pair’s second victory of the season.

Davis qualified the Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R fifth fastest in the GT field around the 2.3 mile, 16-corner road course for the 250-mile race the previous day but was leading the GT field when he pitted to hand the Pontiac over to Liddell on 45mins.

“Having retired from the last race, this was the perfect comeback,” confirmed Robin. “I’m delighted with the job which the team did in the pits and Mike and the guys for figuring out the winning strategy.

“Tyre wear was always going to be the main issue and in a way losing this race in the closing stages last year caused us to think outside the box this time around. Rather than conserve our tyres, we opted to push hard and made three pit-stops to change tyres which, as it turned out, was the correct decision.

“We could potentially have lapped the field such was the lead which we managed to extend but we played it safe, to the extent of pitting with 40 minutes remaining to take on fresh rubber in case a late caution gave us a battle on our hands in the closing stages of the race.”

Robin next heads for Watkins Glen, a 2.45-mile, 11-turn road course in New York State, for the next Grand Am race on 7 August.

July 5th, 2009

Robin Liddell posted his first Rolex Grand American GT Series retirement for 16 months when the Scotsman’s race ended at the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday (4 Jul) almost before it had begun.

With Liddell and team-mate Andrew Davis placed third in the standings prior to the event in Florida, Davis began the seventh round of the Rolex series from fourth place on the 35-car grid.

But disaster struck the Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R after just six laps when the car started to overheat on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn speedway road course.

"Andrew had made a good start but was in traffic for the first couple of laps and the water temperature was already running very hot", reflected a dejected Robin. "Once he was in clear air we thought that the temperature would drop but suddenly it got even hotter and Andrew reported the engine starting to tighten up."

The car was pulled off the course at turn six and taken back to the garage but the head gasket was gone so effectively the race was over.

Robin added: "We are naturally very disappointed particularly as we had a new engine and it looked in practice at least, that we had a competitive car.

“The temperatures we saw early on were not dissimilar to what we ran at during the 24 Hours at this track in January so we need to get back to team base and diagnose what went wrong."

The next 250-mile race in the series is held at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on 19 July.

June 21st, 2009

Scotsman Robin Liddell marked the halfway stage of the 2009 Rolex Grand American GT Series by claiming an excellent second place in the latest race at Mid-Ohio in Lexington last night (SAT).

Liddell and co-driver Andrew Davis finished just 2.839 seconds behind the GT class winners in the 250-mile race.

Davis started their Pontiac from third in class on the 31-car grid and led 11 laps in the first hour around the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course.

With just under one hour completed, Davis handed over the car to Liddell but on exiting the pit-lane Robin found himself delayed behind the safety car.

"We should have been able to pass the Safety Car straight away under Grand Am protocol, as we were not the leading GT car at that stage," reflected Liddell.

“My team manager Mike Johnson immediately asked the officials for clarification but I was told to overtake the Safety Car just as the caution period was ending so I effectively ‘lost’ half a lap on our competition whilst running in seventh place.”

With his Pontiac working well, Liddell pushed hard while a further Safety Car period allowed him to catch up the pack.

Robin added: “The racing after the final pit-stop was brutal with a lot of bumping and grinding but we managed to gain some spots and were fortunate when in the closing stages the Farnbacher Porsche made contact with a lapping prototype immediately ahead of me and I was able to slip by into second."

The duo’s best result since April puts the Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R duo firmly back in title contention.

"After some recent disappointments we are very happy to get back on the podium," said Robin. "Last year we were very consistent especially in the second part of the year and we were desperately trying to find our form again after some tough results so this result is really important to us.

“The team did a great job and now we are looking forward to getting back to Daytona in a couple of weeks where we will be the support race to the main NASCAR event."

Round seven of the 12-race series is staged at the Daytona International Speedway, a 250-mile race in Florida, on 2 July.

June 7th, 2009

Robin Liddell’s hopes of securing the Rolex Grand American GT Series title took a knock in the latest race at Watkins Glen last night (SAT).

The Scotsman qualified third behind the two Farnbacher Porsches on the high speed former Grand Prix track in New York State and managed to take the lead on lap one which he held for ten laps.

But he quickly started to struggle with a loss of rear grip on his Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R and dropped back.

"We missed a chunk of practice time due to a mechanical issue so we were making changes to the car during the first few pit-stops," said Robin.

"After the first few [pit] stops and a few tweaks to the set-up we had a car which was working quite well over a stint, although we just didn't seem to have the pace of the Porsches. Andrew and I split the first half of the race and I got back in at the three hour mark to do the last three hours."

Liddell and co-driver Andrew Davis ran in the top-three for most of the six hour race but finished eighth – their fifth top-10 finish of the season – when Liddell unluckily spun on his own oil with less than five minutes remaining.

“I was in a comfortable fourth position but with two laps to go, the power steering/water pump belt broke,” reflected Robin who won the corresponding race in 2006.

“This resulted in power steering fluid spraying on to my tyres and I spun off into the gravel trap. Unfortunately I couldn’t drive out of the gravel, although to be honest we couldn't have finished anyway as the water temperature had rocketed due to the water pump belt having come off and the engine was cooking.

“I just managed to get the car back to the pits to cross the line to take eighth place. We actually led the race for 31 laps, the second highest number of any car. But we’re not out the title race by any stretch and will keep on fighting! Thanks again to the guys for their hard work and Stevensons as well as our sponsor Bryan Mark Financial.”

The next round of the series is staged at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH.

May 18th, 2009

Scotsman Robin Liddell slipped to third place in the Rolex Grand American GT Series despite posting his fourth top-six finish of the season yesterday.

Liddell gamely steered his Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R home to sixth place in the GT standings in the 250-mile, 165-mile round four race at Laguna Seca in California.

Co-driver Andrew Davis qualified fourth on the 33-car grid and handed over the Pontiac to Liddell after 32mins placed fourth.

Liddell set about chasing after the leaders and managed to briefly take over the class lead with 100mins gone around the undulating 2.238-mile, 11-turn track near Monterey in California.

After the scheduled pit-stops for fuel and tyres for the Stevenson team and their rivals, at least a second place finish looked assured until Robin encountered a sudden deterioration in handling which turned out to be a broken front anti-roll bar link.

With 45mins remaining Robin pitted from second in class, resuming in fifth but slipped another place with 30mins to run as he simply could not keep up the pace in the now faltering Pontiac.

"It was very disappointing to only finish sixth as we had been strong enough to take second place easily,” reflected Robin.

“We did not have the outright pace of the Mazda, which ultimately won, but were on top of the rest of the Porsche and Pontiac competition in the first hour.

“The Pontiac had been a really good car all weekend until the problem so the fact that we could not capitalise and get a result is frustrating. However, if our worst result this year turns out to be a sixth then I would say that is not too bad.

Robin contests round 5 of the series at Watkins Glen in New York State, a six-hour race on 6 June.

Liddell added: "We need to look forward to the next race and really try to maximise our points at the Glen. We are one-third of the way through the season and are still close to the top of the points but need a couple of strong finishes to really put pressure on our competition by the midway point."

May 3rd, 2009

Robin Liddell slipped one place to joint second in the Rolex Grand American GT Series after splashing his way to a disappointing fifth place in the latest race in New Jersey yesterday (3 May).

The 35-year-old Scotsman who won the previous race in Virginia along with co-driver Andrew Davis looked set for another GT class podium with American Davis starting the 250-mile race from second in class on the grid.

The track was extremely treacherous due to heavy rain before the race which went to a full course caution period due to an incident into Turn One on the opening lap with Davis’s Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R suffering a misted windscreen soon afterwards.

Davis pitted to hand over to Liddell after thirty minutes with the Briton rejoining towards the back of the field. Still under a caution period, Liddell pitted again in an attempt to improve the visibility issue around the 2.25 miles New Jersey Motorsports Park.

“All of the Pontiacs were struggling with poor visibility due to fogging up of the windscreen,” reflected a disappointed Liddell who set the third fastest race lap.

“The Stevenson team did a great job by replacing the windscreen and getting me back out still on the lead lap. The new windscreen made a big difference allowing me to set some decent times but 10 laps or so later, the situation became very bad again while the wiper started to fail in the closing stages.

“The positive to take is the fact that we bagged some points in what was a very tough race and we faired better than the ‘works’ Pontiac, which with similar problems as us, finished outside the top ten."

Liddell’s next race is at Laguna Seca, California, on 17 May.

April 26th, 2009

Scotsman Robin Liddell jointly leads the Rolex Grand American GT Series after scoring a second consecutive GT class victory at the Virginia International Raceway on Saturday (25 Apr)

Three months after claiming sixth in the opening Daytona 24 Hour race, Liddell and American co-driver Andrew Davis swept their Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac to victory in the 250-mile race.

The 35-year-old, who had won the corresponding race last year, swept in to the lead with just 12-laps remaining and despite a late caution with only ten minutes remaining, the Liddell/Davis No57 car prevailed in a sprint to the chequered flag around the demanding 3.27 mile, 17-corner VIR track near Alton.

“We didn't have the outright pace of the Mazda which secured pole-position but were confident the Pontiacs would be strong over the entire race distance," Liddell said. "We knew Paul [Edwards] would be strong in the 07 car but also knew that if we could be consistent and look after our tyres, we could probably take advantage in the closing stages.

"The Stevenson crew did an excellent job as always and it was great to be back on the top step of the podium, particularly as it is the team's 'home' race and we had so many supporters present."

The race was staged in intense heat (32° C / 90° F) with both Liddell and Davis getting hot under the collar in their Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R after the air conditioning unit which feeds the helmet with cool air failed.

"You don't realize how important the driver cooling aids are until you have a problem," Liddell said. "It was like breathing fire in there! But we just kept our heads down and pressed on, as we knew we might have a chance at the closing stages."

Liddell and co-driver Davis plus Pontiac rivals Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards are tied on 60pts after two races – Robin and Andrew having missed out on last year’s GT “crown” by nine-points to Collins and Edwards.

Robin remains in the US this week to contest the next round of the 12-round series at the 2.25-mile New Jersey Motorsports Park track on Sunday (3 May).

January 26th, 2009

Scotland's Robin Liddell got his 2009 Grand American Series GT class campaign off to a promising start when the Scotsman steered his Pontiac home in to sixth place in the season-opening Daytona 24 Hour race.

But Liddell plus American co-drivers Andrew Davis and Jeff Bucknum were cruelly denied a GT podium finish in the annual twice-around-the-clock race at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida almost within sight of the chequered flag.

Robin, who won the GT class at this race in 2004 and finished second in the 2006 and ’08 Grand-Am GT series, had just moved in to third place with less than 55mins remaining when a driveshaft broke resulting in a 16-minute pit-stop for repairs.

“We had been pushing throughout the entire race and it looked like we were getting a break towards the end but incredibly on the very same lap that I snatched third place, I exited a slow corner and suddenly lost all drive changing from second to third gear,” reflected Liddell.

“I limped the car back to the pits for repairs and the guys did a super job to get me turned around as quickly as they did but I was now in sixth with no time remaining to recover any places so that was that."

Despite struggling for pace at this track against the Porsches and Mazdas and having started 19th on the 50-car grid, with a third of the race completed the Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac was up to fourth.

A puncture in the 13th hour dropped Davis to seventh place with Liddell back inside the top-six after 18 hours and the Pontiac fourth with three hours remaining.

Robin added: “My opening stint at the start of the race was really tough as the blower fan near my feet wasn’t working and as a result I blistered both feet. The fan problem was rectified but they were pretty sore for the rest of the race.

“We were fourth at mid-distance and looking in very good shape but Andrew picked up a left front tyre puncture which cost us four laps. With the pace at the front being so strong, we were never going to make that back up.

“But overall, we are not too disappointed as a top-six finish at this race is a good start to the season, especially when you consider all the variables in a long distance race such as this.”

Liddell competes in the second round of the Grand Am GT Series at the Virginia International Speedway on 25 April.

January 16th, 2009

Berkshire-based Scotsman Robin Liddell begins his 2009 motor racing season at Daytona next weekend (24-25 Jan) determined to go one better and win this year’s Grand American Rolex GT Series title.

Liddell, who lives in Newbury, plus co-drivers Andrew Davis and Jeff Bucknum contest the 47th Daytona 24 Hours – a race in which Liddell sensationally claimed second overall and GT class honours five years ago.

Robin remains with Stevenson Motorsports driving a Pontiac GXP.R having come agonisingly close to winning last year’s GT title. Second place in the final race – his ninth podium finish from 13-races – meant Robin and regular co-driver Davis ultimately finished just nine-points behind in the final title race standings.

Liddell, who also finished second in the 2006 Grand-Am series, aims to get this season’s assault off to a flying start in arguably the toughest – but definitely the longest – race in the entire gruelling 10-month season.

He commented: “Daytona is still one of the great endurance races which every sportscar driver wants to win. The combination of the high banked oval with the tight and tricky infield section makes it a great challenge.

“I won the GT class and finished second overall at my first attempt but since then we have had some problems every year. There is such a huge number of competing cars that avoiding an incident is the main challenge throughout the race.

“The Pontiac is a very good package for endurance and reliability so we will be concentrating on staying out of trouble and hopefully out of the pits for any unscheduled stops."

Liddell, who contests the legendary 24 hour race in Daytona Beach, Florida, for a sixth time, added: "We tested on the new for 2009 Pirelli tyre back in November and when we returned for the official test earlier this month we made significant improvements to the balance and handling of the car.

“We’re a second or so off the pace of the Porsches and Mazdas at Daytona which is mainly due to weight and high drag but we are not worried. With a smart approach, good pit work from the crew and a little good fortune we will be up in the top three by dawn. When you are in a Porsche you tend to push from the start and control the pace of the race from there but in our case we will try to play more to our strengths and let the race come to us.”

Qualifying for grid positions is staged on Thursday (2115 GMT) with the race – which features over 50-cars split into two classes – starting on Saturday at 2030 (GMT). The race is staged on a 3.56-mile circuit comprising of sections of the steeply banked and ultra-fast “oval” track plus a twisty infield section.

Robin added: "The weather often plays a significant part on the outcome of the race and despite Florida being the ‘Sunshine State’ it often pours with rain at some point throughout the race. In 2004 it rained for 19 hours of the 24 and as you would expect, this makes it much more tiring mentally, as you are constantly on the edge and visibility is extremely tough.

“We had a good showing in this race last year but it marked the first race for the Stevenson team and for us as drivers with the Pontiac package. Now that we have a year of experience with this car under our belts we are naturally expecting a good result.

"I’m delighted to be back with Stevenson Motorsports and recognise the significant commitment made by Johnny and Susan to keep the team at the forefront of the competition despite the difficult economic conditions. We had a great year as a team in 2008 and I expect that it will be even better in 2009.

“The most important thing for any team looking for the championship is to get a solid top six result at this event, and that was what eluded us last year. I have complete faith in the Stevenson team and my team-mates that we will be able to get a good finish."

Robin Liddell Daytona 24 Hours factfile:

2004: 1st GT class (2nd overall). Porsche 911 GT3 RS (Orbit Racing)

2005: 4th GT, Porsche 996 GT3 Cup (Tafel Racing)

2006: 6th GT, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup (Tafel Racing)

2007: 18th GT (37th o/a), Porsche 997 GT3 Cup (Tafel Racing)

2008: 9th GT (19th o/a) Pontiac GXP.R (Stevenson Motorsports)