Aston Martin race cars

Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans in an Aston Martin DBR1.

http://www.xkevocation.com/photos/le_mans/1959a.jpg

Aston Martins raced with green and yellow paintwork many years ago.

Here is a DB3S. The DB3S took at least 15 victories.

http://www.astonmartins.com/racing/am169.jpg

Another DBR1

http://www.speedarena.com/gallery/albums//Misc.%20Motorsports/2004%20Monterey=Historics/119.jpg

Check the link for an interview with Roy Salvadori

Roy Salvadori (http://www.classicdriver.com/uk/magazine/3200.asp?id=11512)

Carroll Shelby put nitroglycerin pills under his tongue to ease the pain in his heart during the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/112_0210_Shellfire_And_Brimstone+Shelby_Cobra_427+ Front_Grill_View.jpg

DBR1s

http://www.netcarshow.com/wallpaper/Aston_Martin/1959-DBR1/l/02.jpg

http://www.netcarshow.com/wallpaper/Aston_Martin/1959-DBR1/l/01.jpg

http://www.classicdriver.com/upload/images/_uk/12655/img13pop.jpg

http://fast-autos.net/events/05revival/188.jpg

This 1962 Aston Martin DP212 was based on the DB4 GT, but it was lighter (2150 pounds), had more power (327 hp vs. the 302 of the race-spec DB4 GT from a 4.0 liter DOHC I-6), and had a different suspension.

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/7/1233.jpg

DB4 GT Zagato in the background

http://www.theraceforum.com/images/forum/2915-39-3.jpg

The Victory By Design dvd shows more than a dozen Aston Martin race cars.

http://www.victorybydesign.com/cars/aston_martin.html

1953 DB3

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/8/1565.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/8/1564.jpg

1957 DBR2

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/6/1016.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/6/1017.jpg

Having minimal success with the DB3, Aston Martin had designer A.G. Watson engineer a new car. In May of 1953 a new prototype appeared at Charterhill. The car was largely based on the DB3 and featured a lighter chassis with a reduced wheelbase.

Through the years of 1953 to 1957, the DB3 raced and evolved greatly. The first version featured the specification below, with the final version having a 240HP supercharged Inline-6.

The DB3S introduced many welcomed changes over the DB3. Most importantly, the Salisbury hypoid-bevel final drive was replaced with a David Brown spirial-bevel verison. It was the hypoid spiral drive which retired two DB3s at the 1952 Le Mans. Other changes included a new body, chassis and rear suspension geometry.

DB3Ss helped Aston Martin establish many international victories. During its debut at Charterhill, a DB3S driven by Reg Parnell beat out an Ecurie Escosse C-Type for an overall victory. Shortly after, three DB3Ss raced Le Mans with little success. This was the only race which Aston Matrin lost in 1953. During the Tourist Trophy, Goodwood Nine Hours and British Empire Trophy, Aston Matrin took overall victories against British competition. With some newely found victories, Aston Martin looked to secure more international success.

In 1954, the DB3Ss didn't take overall victory at Le Mans, Sebring or the Milla Miglia. For Silverstone, two coupe versions were made up with twin-spark engines developing 225 horsepower. One of the Le Mans cars was fitted with a supercharger for the first time. This helped the car develop 240 horsepower at 6000 rpm. Despite the developments, a 4.9 litre Ferrari took the victory at LeMans.

In 1955, Aston Martin benefitted from a 3-litre sports cars limitation on engine capacity. This year Aston Martin abandoned the DB3S coupes which raced and crashed at Le Mans. These designs were very unstable at high speeds. Both coupes were rebodied as open cars for the 1955 season. Victory was seen at Silverstone with a second place at Le Mans. This was the best Le Mans result Aston Martin achieved up to 1955.

1956 was a non-eventfull year for Aston Martin. A second place was again achieved by Moss and Colins at LeMans. It was also this year that Aston Martin started to focus on an all-new car that would see most success the firm had ever achieved. This car was the DBR1 which replaced the DB3S in 1957.

From 1953 to 1957 around 30 DB3Ss were produced. Eleven of these were factory works cars. The Aston with a blue egg crate grill featured below is a factory team car DB3S/10.

http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=1956_aston_martin_db3s-1.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=1956_aston_martin_db3s-2.jpg

- supercars.net

Another DB3S

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/gallery/palmbeach2006/1279.jpg

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/gallery/palmbeach2006/1280.jpg

DB3S Coupe

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/large/1436-1.jpg

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/large/1436-2.jpg

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/large/1436-3.jpg

DB3S

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/gallery/vde2006/2428.jpg

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/gallery/vde2006/2429.jpg

Team Modena races a DBR9

http://www.teammodena.com/

The following is a press release form late March of this year:

Team Modena to compete in LMES and Le Mans 24 Hours
Cirtek Motorsport ASTON MARTIN DBR9/101to run under new team identity

A new British team fielding two Aston Martins will be competing in this year's Le Mans Endurance Series and Le Mans 24 hours. Newly-formed Team Modena announced today it intends to race Aston Martin Aston Martin DBR9/101 - the first privately-owned DBR9 car ever produced - in the GT1 class starting in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 9 2006.

Team Modena is headed by long-term sports racing enthusiast and Buckinghamshire-based businessman Graham Schultz, along with owner of the Aston Martin DBR9/101 Rik Bryan.

The Aston Martin DBR9/101, which first hit the LMES series in July 2005, already has an excellent 2005 championship season behind it, having won in September at the Nurburgring, in November at Bahrain and in January in Brazil, also claiming pole position in Zhuhai and Dubai.

The Aston Martin DBR9/101 is now the most successful Aston Martin DBR9 and the most successful privately-owned Aston Martin racing car in the marque's history.

The team's technical side will be overseen by experienced Formula 1 designer Sergio Rinland. The cars are currently run by Cirtek Motorsport, which will continue to provide operational and technical services from the start of the 2006 LMES series, while the driver line up is still being finalised but is likely to include Spain's Antonio Garcia, and Scotsman Nathan Kinch

Team chief Graham Schultz said: "We have created Team Modena with the intention of running a pair of highly-competitive customer chassis in the GT1 class to begin with and have high ambitions for the future. We have assembled an extremely talented management team and have great hopes for next month's LMES opener in Istanbul following the speed shown by our car in testing at Paul Ricard. I am pleased that Cirtek will continue to operate this car under the umbrella of Team Modena - its race-winning pedigree is well established."

Rik Bryan said: "When I bought the first of the Aston Martin DBR9 GT1 cars, my ambition was not only to win races but also to create a team which can compete at the highest levels of sports car racing each season, providing both sponsors and drivers with a highly professional, competitive and credible way to race successfully at this level.

"Cirtek Motorsport has helped to bring us great success since last summer and that relationship will continue under the Team Modena banner. The advantage of this new structure is that we will be bringing key commercial and engineering management into the project, enabling us to develop our future plans in GT1 and other classes."

From the FIA GT race at Silverstone recently

http://www.the-paddock.net/gallery/expose/img/2006/fia-gt_silverstone/sunday/_lg_15.jpg

The DBR9 shown above had a new paintjob at the 1,000 km of Spa which took place last weekend. They finished fourth in GT1.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/gallery/spa1k06/2630.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/781/359075.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/781/359070.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/781/359071.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/781/359072.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/781/359073.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/781/359074.jpg

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/781/359076.jpg