Cosmo, Byrne & Yoluc Secure 2nd in Asian Le Mans LMP2-Am Championship, Miss Victory at Sepang with Broken Gearbox

Patrick Byrne (US)/Guy Cosmo (US)/Salih Yoluc (TUR), were set for a solid third place overall and a second LMP2 class win in Malaysia today but with 32mins, a gearbox issue caused the #23’s retirement and so cruelly missed out on the LMP2 Am title by 34 points having led this title race until the penultimate round and posting two class podiums – including one class win – plus an overall podium. In LMP3, #2 Wayne Boyd (GB)/Chris Buncombe (GB)/Garett Grist (CAN) earned United a 100% class podium finishing record in the four-race series – like the LMP2 #22 Ligier of Hanson/Di Resta. Third place gave #2 second place in the final standings – 17 points behind the winners – with the sister Ligier #3 of Matt Bell (GB)/Kay van Berlo (NED)/Jim McGuire (US) claiming fourth in the final table after finishing fifth in the 4Hrs of Sepang today staged in searing, unrelenting heat. United claimed an outright or class podium finish in all four races amassing a total of four overall or class wins. 

United, which has contested the world-famous Le Mans race for the past two years achieving fourth (2017) and third (2018) place LMP2 classified finishes, now focusses on its European Le Mans Series campaign which begins at Paul Ricard in France (12-14 April). United won the LMP3 title on its ELMS début in 2016, finished second in its maiden LMP2 2017 season also winning LMP3 again that year. 2019 also sees United beginning its first full FIA World Endurance Championship season in August.    

LMP2

With the ambient temperature once again above 30°C, #22 (HAN) started from the front-row for the third consecutive race, with #23 (BYN) going from second in Am class (P6 overall), the Ligier having been plague by a mysterious electrical issue on the opening day. #22 ran P2 in the opening laps but took the lead 14 minutes into the race when the pole-sitting #8 was adjudged to have jumped the start and was given a penalty. #23 ran second in Am class (P6 overall) despite also serving a drive-through for an indiscretion heading to the grid.     

At one-quarter distance and following all opening scheduled pit-stops, #22 and #23 were placed P1 & P6 (P2 in Am), Hanson with a 45 second advantage with Yoluc now in the #23, 13 seconds adrift of the Am leader. With almost 90 minutes on the clock and #22 with a very healthy 51 second lead, the Safety Car was deployed with a car momentarily stationary on the track, #22 & #23 both pitting, resuming P3 (#22 DIR) and P4, P2 in Am (#23 YOL). #22 & #23 lay P2 & P4 overall but now leading Am at mid-distance despite a spin and a second drive-through penalty (Safety Car infringement).

Hanson was back in #22 with 102 minutes remaining, Cosmo taking over #23 moments later, #22 remaining P2 – 22 seconds adrift of the race leader – #23 P4 overall and still ahead in the Am class before another Safety Car, lasting 13 minutes, with 90 minutes left on the clock. The race resumed with #22 P2 and #23 P3 overall and leading Am, the positions remaining constant until 32 minutes from the finish when #23, placed a comfortable P3 overall and a solid P1 in LMP2 Am, suffered gearbox problems and subsequent retirement. Hanson incurred a 20 second time penalty at his stop for an earlier pit-stop infringement while Di Resta, in the #22 for the final 14 minutes, took the chequered flag 103 seconds behind the winning #24.

Guy Cosmo “Hugely disappointed but that’s racing sometimes. It’s been a great effort by all three drivers and United in what has been a challenging season. We overcame many hurdles and for much of this race were in the hunt for the title until the gearbox went without any warning. Qualifying was a little compromised as Patrick needed to complete a flying lap due to not logging the required number of minimum laps after we had an electronics issue on Friday. Otherwise I’d have had to start the race from the back of the grid. I went into qually having only done two flying laps then used just one set of tyres due to the time constraints.” Patrick Byrne “I made a good start. My stint was pretty flawless, we were right where we needed to be in terms of winning the Am title before the transmission went. Even these things can happen to the best team out there which is undoubtedly United Autosports. Hugely disappointing, especially having to deal with the ridiculous heat, but that’s life sometimes.” Salih Yoluc“I had much traffic in my stint and it was difficult to get into a rhythm which I managed to do and my second stint was much better and I was happy with that. The team plus Guy and Patrick did good jobs. It’s been a very good experience, I’ve enjoyed the series and racing the LMP2, but like everyone, I want more driving time in the car.”

COSMO, BYRNE, YOLUC TAKE HARD FOUGHT 2ND PLACE AT FUJI, MAINTAIN POINTS LEAD

United Autosports is in strong contention for all three Asian Le Mans Series titles after the 4 Hours of Fuji today (9 Dec) – the Japanese race marking the mid-point of the four-race championship the Anglo-American team is contesting for the first time. Second-place today earns #22 of Phil Hanson (GB) and Paul Di Resta (GB) a three-point lead in the overall LMP2 rankings with the similar #23 Ligier JS P2 Nissan of Guy Cosmo (US), Patrick Byrne (US) and Salih Yoluc (TUR) leading the LMP2 Am category and equal fourth in the overall standings following a second in class and fifth overall in Japan. Furthermore United is placed second (#3) – 11 points off the lead – after Matt Bell (GB), Kay van Berlo (NED) and Christian England (GB) earned United its maiden Asian LMP3 class win, with the #2 of Wayne Boyd (GB), Chris Buncombe (GB) and Garett Grist (CAN) recording fifth, placing them third in championship standings. The UK-based team has now claimed three overall podium finishes, a LMP2 Am class win plus two LMP3 podiums after two races. The 4hr race around the 2.84-mile, 16-turn Fuji Speedway began with moisture in the air and in a cold ambient temperature with rain falling approaching the end of the first hour.
 
The third and penultimate round of the series takes place at Buriram in Thailand (12 Jan) but United are evaluating drivers for the 2019 season at a track in Europe next week.
 
LMP2
Hanson, having earned himself his first career LMP2 pole and the team’s maiden series pole the previous day, started the #22 with Yoluc in #23 which Cosmo qualified third overall and fastest in Am class. #22 lay second 30 minutes in, seven seconds behind the leading #24, with #23 fourth. #23 pitted, with Cosmo taking over on 48 minutes, still on the same slicks, while #22 stopped, and changed to wet tyres on 53 minutes, but dramatically snatched the lead at turn one on 58 minutes when #24 exited the pits having pitted a lap later. #22 impressively extended its lead to 19 seconds in the difficult, slippery conditions due to intermittent rain or drizzle, while #23, having made an extra stop for wets, lay fourth after 90 minutes, 30 seconds ahead of its nearest Am class rival.
 
The leading #22 Ligier stopped for fuel on 109 minutes having had its lead dramatically reduced moments earlier when Hanson was pushed wide and off the track by a slower car, fortunately without contact. #23 took fuel minutes later, the #22 remaining first – now 26 seconds ahead – #23 fourth – 34 seconds ahead of his Am rival – with all scheduled pit-stops completed at mid-distance, while #23 moved up to third 10 minutes later. #22’s lead was extended to 103 seconds with 95 minutes remaining when the second-placed #24 pitted for slicks as the track dried but Hanson could not follow suit due to the regulated 90 minutes driving time of co-driver Di Resta for another crucial seven minutes, handing over the car after a 2hr 30mins stint, for fuel/slicks with 88 minutes to run, #23 having pitted for fuel/slicks moments earlier.
 
#22 lay 20 seconds down on the leading #24 with an hour remaining, Di Resta hampered by a handling imbalance, the Scot re-taking the lead when #24 pitted with 45 minutes to run, while Byrne took over the third-placed #23 with 40 minutes left. With 37 minutes remaining, Di Resta dived into the pits for a timed fuel fill under a Safety Car phase, #22 directly behind the leading #24 with 26 minutes left as the race resumed. Byrne lost two places – and the LMP2 Am lead – on the same lap with 20 minutes left. But Di Resta was unable to challenge for the win in the closing stages, with #23 taking fifth overall and second in the Am class.  
 
* Championship positions/points provisional
 
Guy Cosmo (US), driver car #23, United Autosports:
Born: New York, USA. Lives: Palm Beach Gardens, USA. Age: 41
“I really enjoyed racing one of these cars in the rain for the first time. It was very challenging but was pleased with my performance. The plan was for me to do the final couple of stints but when the rain came, I was told to take over from Salih. I made a couple of small mistakes but never came to a standstill in either. I didn’t extract everything out of the car in qualifying. I’m still learning about this evolution of LMP2 car.”
 
Patrick Byrne (US), driver car #23, United Autosports:
Born: Colorado, USA. Lives: Washington, USA. Age: 28
“More points in what is becoming a real strong, competitive Am class. I was prepping to take over the car for the second stint but with the rain arriving, Guy took the car over, so in the end I got in the car with around 40 minutes to run. Almost immediately, there was a Safety Car which caught us out. My [old] tyres were real cold at the re-start and I was just a sitting duck to the cars behind and I just didn’t have anything to keep them behind.”
 
Salih Yoluc (TUR), driver car #23, United Autosports:
Born/Lives: Istanbul, Turkey. Age: 33
“The start was scrappy due to cold tyres and I may have been overly cautious as it was my first time in the damp in an LMP2 car. But I managed some okay laps and handed the car over in a good position. Unfortunately Guy went out on slicks when he took over from me when wets would have been the better option so we lost a lot of time because he had to stop again.”
 
Zak Brown, Team Owner and Chairman, United Autosports:
“A second consecutive strong race in all three classes sees us head for the penultimate event in Thailand in very strong positions in all three championships. It’s been a hectic and tiring few weeks for our team in Asia that has nevertheless proved rewarding in terms of success. Our aim is to keep the momentum going into Buriram where, hopefully after two near misses, we can also achieve our maiden outright race win.”
 
Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“There is everything to play for in terms of the championships going into the second half of the season which is very pleasing. Phil has been mega in the #22 from Friday morning but he and Paul were unlucky not to earn us our first Asian LMS overall win today. Phil was magnificent in getting us our first pole, drove stunning stints to lead the race in extremely difficult conditions, but our strategy options are limited with a two-driver line-up of a platinum [Di Resta] and silver [Hanson] FIA rated drivers with Paul only able to run a maximum of 90 minutes in the car. This contributed to the fact that we couldn’t stop Phil for slicks immediately after the #24 pitted due to the drive time rules and this is when we lost the time as the track dried. #23 led the Am class for the majority of the race but was unlucky when it pitted two laps before the Safety Car period, which it had to do due to Guy’s driving time, with the #4 benefitting from this caution period to make its stop which ultimately cost us the class win. With regards LMP2 the ultimate results are disappointing. In LMP3, #2 was unlucky when a regulator which controls the wheel guns, malfunctioned at its first pit-stop, costing a minute, while #3 earned us our first class victory with a superb performance.”

VICTORY AND OVERALL PODIUM FOR COSMO, BYRNE, YOLUC IN ASIAN LE MANS LMP2 DEBUT AT SHANGHAI

United Autosports have scored three podiums on their Asian Le Mans Series debut at Shanghai, China today (25 November).
 
The day began under a cloud of fog, with doubt hanging over the early start time of 09:30. Luckily, the fog lifted and the sun came out just as the pits opened and teams made their way to the grid.
 
Guy Cosmo, Patrick Byrne and Salih Yoluc stood on the podium twice as they finished third overall and first in the LMP2 Pro Am class after suffering from a puncture as Guy just began his stint half way through the race. Patrick started the race from fifth in the #23 Ligier JS P2 and made a good start to be running third for the early part of the race. Salih took over into the second hour and ran second overall for a large part of his drive, pitting to Guy who held his position until the puncture. Guy held on until the end, bringing the Ligier home for the class win.
 
Phil Hanson and Paul Di Resta finished second after battling for the win for the majority of the race. Phil qualified the #22 Ligier JS P2 on Saturday, putting the car on the second row of the grid, in third place. Phil had a difficult start to the race after contact with another car knocked him down the order. Ultimately, he fought back through the field and pitted, handing the car over to Paul in the lead of the race. Unfortunately, both safety car periods affected the team’s strategy meaning they had to settle for second place.
 
The series now moves onto Fuji in Japan in two weeks, with the race being held on Sunday 9th December.
 
Guy Cosmo (US), driver car #23, United Autosports:
Born: New York, USA. Lives: Palm Beach Gardens, USA. Age: 41
“I’m feeling pretty good right now. It was a great effort by the whole team. We had a bit of an issue when the weekend began and we were scratching our heads. But the strength of United Autosports really shone, because they really dug deep to find the issue with the car. To come away with a win in our class and third overall is exactly what we were hoping for. It’s encouraging to say we will be going into the remainder of the championship looking stronger.”
 
Patrick Byrne (US), driver car #23, United Autosports:
Born: Colorado, USA. Lives: Washington, USA. Age: 28
“What a fantastic result – a win in class and third overall. You’ve got to love that! I’m really happy with the team. We were tight on fuel but everyone did a fantastic job and it’s no surprise United did that. It’s also no surprise that my team mates are driving the best they can too. Bring on Fuji.”
 
Salih Yoluc (TUR), driver car #23, United Autosports:
Born/Lives: Istanbul, Turkey. Age: 33
“At the beginning of the race we had a mixed start. The race was interesting with the safety cars. We managed our pace well and we got a podium overall too, which I think it the most impressive part of the result. I’m really looking forward to Fuji, I love the track and raced there only a few months ago.”
 
Zak Brown, Team Owner and Chairman, United Autosports:
“I think we’ve had a good opening weekend in the Asian Le Mans Series. Three podiums is a good result and we have shown with all four of our cars that we have the pace to win.”
 
Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“It’s fantastic to win with Guy, Patrick and Salih and even better that they were on the podium overall. It was a difficult start to the week for them but they were really professional and patient and we worked our way through a couple of things and got them a car that they were capable of doing what they did in. Disappointed that we led for such a long time in both LMP3 and LMP2 and ended up second in both those, but it’s not a bad start.”