Cyndie Alleman Press Release
Okayama, Japan, March
18, 2012 – It was a dressed rehearsal for
Cyndie Allemann this weekend as she took part of the Japanese Super GT Series
pre-season official test at Okayama International Circuit. After signing a
contract for an Audi R8 LMS driving seat with Hitotsuyama Racing last month, it
was the first chance for the motor racing star from Switzerland to taste the
Super GT experience, and meet competitors and fans alike.
“First weekend, first tests in Super
GT. First of all, it was all about starting to really work with the team and to
discover the series – in particular the GT500 cars on track, as sharing the
track with those can be a bit stressful as they are much faster than us (the
GT300) on the straight line. I feel like I’m back at Le Mans having to manage
the traffic while at the same time focusing on my driving and on-track
performances. For the next race, not loosing too much time in traffic will be a
big challenge.”
“Otherwise, discovering the paddock was
impressive. The cars are amazing and now I’m even more looking forward to this
whole season – for me, it’s positive all the way. The Japanese fans who
followed me this weekend gave me a lot of support and it’s great to see that a
race car driver coming from Switzerland can have a lot of success in another
country, especially in Japan.”
Even more important, Cyndie still had
to pass the very strict Super GT rookie test – a necessary step to be allowed
to race in the prestigious series. She passed this test on her very first attempt,
despite the difficult and treacherous weather conditions, clocking the mandatory
ten laps all faster than a minimum set time.
“The main thing for me to remember this
weekend was the rookie test. Needless to say that there was some pressure, as
it was under difficult conditions with sometimes rain, sometimes sun and
sometimes greasy track conditions. In addition, the rookie test is fairly
strict, as we must make good lap times and if we’re too far off the pole time,
or if we spin or go off the track, we don’t pass the test. So I must admit that
with the difficult conditions, my stress level was a bit on the high side. But
I did pass on my first try and I’m therefore qualified for the series, so it
was positive.”
The celebrations were very short for
the hard-working Swiss as she spent the rest of the weekend learning the twisty
Okayama track, as well as getting to know her new Audi R8 LMS. On Sunday, she
was joined by her new teammate Akihiro Tsuzuki for further tests and making
even more laps on the Okayama International Circuit, in prevision for the
opening round of the Super GT Series in two weeks at the same track.
“In general, my test program went well
and I’m progressively getting better – my experience in GT racing is not really
big, after all. In addition, it was a new team for me, as well as a new car and
a new track, so I took it one step at a time in order to get better track
performance. With my teammate Aki, I was able to do some good testing, with
tires tests and see the difference between the different types of compounds –
that was very interesting, incidentally, as I didn’t think that there was that
many differences.”
“In terms of performances, I reached
all the goals that I set, but it is clear that there is still a lot of work
before getting to the top-3. Little by little, I’m starting to understand the
car, but we must still get better to find the right setups on the R8 LMS,
because we still have some understeer issues. But all in all, those tests have
been quite positive to prepare the first race of the season in two weeks.”
About Cyndie Allemann:
Cyndie Allemann: a World class driver,
top athlete and brand ambassador. Always a fan favorite, whether in Europe, in
the USA and soon in Japan, 25 years old Cyndie Allemann was literally born for
speed.
Her 18-year racing career has seen her compete at the highest levels in many
different series and tracks around the World: karting (winning the European
junior title when she was only thirteen), open-wheel (EuroF3, Indy Lights,
etc.), GT (FIA-GT1 World Championship) and endurance racing (GT1 podium at Spa
in the Le Mans Series, 24 Hours of Le Mans, etc.). In 2012, she races in the
Japan Super GT Series with the Hitotsuyama Racing team on the Audi R8 LMS.
For more info on Cyndie or to follow
her, visit her web site and her facebook fan page at:
About Hitotsuyama Racing:
Founded
in 1990 by Mikio Hitotsuyama, Hitotsuyama
Racing team has an experience of more than twenty years in auto racing. The
team has competed in many top level championships such as the Super GT (formerly
known as the JGTC), the Le Mans Series, the Japan Le Mans Challenge (in LMP1,
GT1 and GT2 classes), the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan and the
Japan Touring Championship. The team has raced many top drivers and set itself
apart by its bold vision regarding its racing programs, as well as its
ultra-professional approach. Its 2012 racing program includes a full
participation in the Super GT championship with two Audi R8 LMS in the GT300
class.
For more info on Hitotsuyama Racing,
visit the team web site at:
About the Super GT series:
Born 20
years ago under the name of All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC),
the Super GT is the most prestigious auto racing GT series in Japon and Asia.
With its two classes (GT300 and GT500), Super GT races are highly competitive
with more than 40 regular car entrants. The series is authorized by the FIA and
many teams get official support from car manufacturers.
For more info on the Super GT series,
visit the series web site at:
Photo Credit: Eric Gilbert www.motorsport.com
