Robertson Racing Ford GT on podium at Le Mans!!


RADGT

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Congrats to Robertson Racing, third in class on the podium and 26th(I think) overall. Beating Ferrari is just the icing.

Stu
 

GT101

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Jan 20, 2010
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Great job guys - amazing to get a class podium in your first attempt.
Hats off to Robertson Racing :banana
 

roketman

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Thats awesome! Nice drive David Murray!
 

roketman

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As one of our forum members plates says fnzo
 

Mullet

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As one of our forum members plates says fnzo

HAD a car/plate like that. It burned.
 

Apollo

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Congratulations!!! :thumbsup:thumbsup Woohoo!!! :banana:banana
 

Apollo

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Yes!!!! :banana
Congratulations!
 

ChipBeck

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Ford GT at Le Mans!!

Gentlemen,

I DVR'd the race and just finished watching the entire 24 hours. What a ride for Audi, Corvette, and especially Robertson Racing and the Ford GT. A podium finish at Le Mans.....in 2011.....in a Ford GT. Am I dreaming? Amazing effort, calm, cool, steady as she goes. Nice touch at the end, with David Murry getting out and Andrea driving to finish the race. I don't know how many women have taken the checkered flag for a top 3 finish at Le Mans but it can't be too many. One more history making chapter in the saga of 4038 cars that Ford thought would mostly sit protected and unmolested in car collections. And again this year, it was kind of cool knowing that my name was on the clam shell of Robertson Racing Ford GT #68 during the race!!

I think I'm going to make another Le Mans Sponsor plaque!! :biggrin :cheers :lol :banana

Chip
 
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Howard

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Robertson Ford GT On Podium At LeMans

Surely you know by now that the David and Andrea Robertson's Doran/Ford GT took third place at LeMans today in the GTE Amateur Class (one of four LeMans classes). Along with co-driver David Murray the Ford GT was far from the fastest car in the class but the car's endurance resulted in a late race pass of an injured Ferrari, one of only four cars left in the class by then. This was the Robertson's maiden appearance at LeMans and they must be thrilled to death. I congratulate them on this unexpected achievement.

Audi won the Prototype class by 13 seconds, ahead of four Peugeots. This after Audi dramatically crashed two of their three cars early in the race. Corvette won the GTE Pro class, on the 100th anniversary of Chevy.

A great day for Audi, Corvette and, especially, the Ford GT.

Howard
 

ChipBeck

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Thread Merge

Gentlemen,

I have merged 3 separate Robertson Racing Le Mans threads.

Chip
 

FlorIdaho Chris

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We need to invite these guys to the rally!
 

ChipBeck

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We need to invite these guys to the rally!

I've already done it.

Chip
 

MTV8

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Nicely done. Congrats.
 

ChipBeck

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I don't know how many women have taken the checkered flag for a top 3 finish at Le Mans but it can't be too many.

Gentlemen,

From the website of Robertson Racing (press release below) I found the answer to my question above. In the last 80 years, the answer is ZERO. the last time a woman was on the podium in any class at Le Mans was 1931.

Chip
_________________________

American sports car Team Robertson Racing today wrote one of the great fairytales in history of the 24 Hours of LeMans by claiming a superb GTE Am third place finish at Circuit de la Sarthe in France. This is a first for any kind for the team with only a four-year history.

The storyline of the plucky privateer American Le Mans Series squad, which receives little manufacturer support in a class dominated by factory-developed machines, could not have been better composed with team owners/drivers Dave and Andrea Robertson celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary today.

Foregoing traditional festivities in favor of the world’s most famous twice-around-the-clock endurance race, alongside long-time co-driver, friend and lynchpin David Murry, the crew kept to a strategy built around the consistency and bullet-proof reliability of the Braselton-based team’s fan-favourite # 68 Ford GT.

285 laps and 3876 kilometres later, Andrea crossed the finish line to become the first female to climb a Le Mans podium in any class since 1931. The records do not end there though, for this was also the first husband and wife driver team to finish on the rostrum in Le Mans’ 79-race history. Murry meanwhile picked up his second consecutive GT podium finish at La Sarthe following a ten-year absence.

No modern Ford GT has finished the gruelling Grand Prix of Endurance, let alone recorded a podium finish, since the car was first produced seven years ago, while the last Ford chassis of any kind to repeat the feat did so in 1972. Of course, the last Ford GT40, on which Robertson Racing’s machine draws such iconic styling cues, last finished in the top three at this race way back in 1969 when Jackie Ickx and Jackie Oliver triumphed.

While the rest of the GTE Am class fell by the wayside, Robertson Racing kept up a metronomic pace, the car’s only reliability issue of the entire race occurring after four hours when the team lost two laps converting to the ‘manual’ sequential gearbox when its paddleshift system developed problems.

Dave Robertson: “We are as happy as can be. From day one I honestly thought we had a chance in this class, which is why we entered it. We are not the fastest, and I know we have a lot of progress to make, but if the team could work together and have a mistake-free run I always believed this was feasible. We just kept going for 24 hours. We are so glad to be here, but wouldn’t be were it not for the fantastic group of people in the garage and back in Braselton. This is for them. It’s also great to be the first husband and wife on the podium and it makes it even more special that it’s our anniversary. The only problem is I’ve no idea how to top this next year!”

Andrea Robertson: “It comes as quite a shock to be the first woman since 1931 to make the podium and just proves what a male-dominated sport this is. I’m not sure why; perhaps they’re intimidated?! I am also still in awe at being the first married couple on the podium but I think it’s kind of neat. I would once again like to thank everyone in the team from the bottom of my heart because without them, their hard work and dedication, we would not have come this far.”

David Murry: “I am so happy for Dave, Andrea and the team. We have worked so hard for the past four years and this is the pinnacle of what they wanted to achieve, so to come and get a podium on debut is just fantastic. You always dream about a possible result but don’t ever think it could happen so we have just taken one step at a time. This was a 100% team effort and that is what contributes to podiums at Le Mans.”

Andrew H Smith, Team Manager: “Unexpected, fantastic, awesome! Everybody worked so well and it’s been a true team effort over the last two days. It’s taken years of preparation to get here. With just a small bunch of people and a lot of desire we’ve taken on some of the world’s major car manufacturers at the world’s greatest race. I think we can all be immensely proud of our achievement.”

Lee Penn, Chief Engineer: “Awesome! It was absolutely amazing. I never expected it and never dared imagine it even in my wildest dreams. It is just the most unbelievable result ever and beats the podiums I have achieved here so far, including the win with Panoz.”
 

tpraceman

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Anyone able to post up a podium photo?
 

HJJ

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Nov 17, 2010
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http://www.americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=news|15851

http://www.michelinalley.com/?p=5530

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialFordRacing Robertson Racing is now getting more attention of Ford Racing.

http://sundayafternoonclub.blogs.topgear.com/2011/06/09/topgear-com-live-from-the-le-mans-24hrs/ The guys at Top Gear loved RR in their Le Mans blog referring to the team as "complete mentalist".

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/Le-Mans-Guide-2011-06-08?imageNo=35

Jeff Milligan
Social Media Director
Robertson Racing

I will have H and David Murry stop by later in the week for their comments about this epic achievement.
 

Matech GT1

GT Owner
Apr 2, 2009
340
London
Well done to the Robertsons ! Outstanding achievement. Podium at your first attempt in the world's toughest motor race. I salute you.
All the best,
Steven
 

Superfly

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Congratulations to the Robertsons! That is an amazing achievement, and for Andrea (finishing on the podium), that's one awesome anniversary present for your hubby Davis!!!
 

ChipBeck

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And here's to you, Mrs. Robertson.

Anyone able to post up a podium photo?

Here you go.

Chip

Podium.jpg
 

Stef

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Is History Repeating ???

Ford has supported many other great family, small mom and pop racing teams.
And they where and still are super successful I might add too,
such as.........................


BOB GLIDDEN

JOHN FORCE

and now

THE ROBERTSONS ???

Wow now that would really be something, please let it be so.:banana:banana:banana:banana