Vaughan Cartwright, MD of REAL EQUIPE commented: “We are very proud to have been chosen by Jota Sport to provide race seat inserts and race seat insert fitting services… Driver comfort, positioning and performance is key for endurance racing where driver fatigue can have a direct link to results – being seated and positioned in the car is essential; certainly to ‘feel part of the car’ but also to aid and enhance driver performance, concentration and safety. Jota are highly respected in paddocks throughout the motor racing world and share many of our values in delivering professionalism and a ‘winning’ attitude.”

Jota Sport is a world-class, professional motor racing organisation with superb credentials of delivering success in sports car racing, both in Britain and internationally. Jota-prepared cars have competed seven times at Le Mans and taken podiums across six seasons of the Le Mans Series as well as in several American Le Mans Series events. This year Jota Sport will return to the European Le Mans Series and selected World Endurance Championship rounds with their Zytek Z11SN Nissan, to once again compete on the best sportscar grid in motorsport. The team will also head to the famous La Sarthe circuit for the seventh time to battle it out in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Jota Sport and Zytek have an illustrious history together with Jota having bought Zytek’s first ever car, which they ran in 2004 & 2005 in the Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2005. Over the years, this relationship has seen overall and class podiums in the Le Mans Series and in the American Le Mans Series, a feat that has already been repeated with a class win at the Spa World Endurance Championship round in 2012 and most recently with a class win at Silverstone European Le Mans Series race in April.

More drivers than ever are opting for the REAL race seat insert and professional race seat insert fitting service provided by REAL EQUIPE – one driver is rising star, Alex Lynn, who is currently competing in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Prema Powerteam.

Alex Lynn, one of the MSA’s Team UK and British Racing Drivers Club’s SuperStars, claimed two podium finishes in the second round of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at Silverstone recently, with a great drive that saw him storm through from a low grid position to sixth place. The next round supports DTM at the German Grand Prix circuit of Hockenheim on 4th/5th May and we’ll be watching his progress.

Vaughan Cartwright, MD of REAL EQUIPE, commented: “We have been incredibly busy this year with more and more drivers choosing our REAL race seat inserts across an increasing number of championships in the UK, Europe and further afield. As drivers become aware of the benefits and competitive advantages our race seat insert system provides; and teams and manufacturers understand the weight saving, there has been a greater demand for our technology and for the professional race seat insert fitting service. We are delighted with the feedback we’re getting for our existing products and we are working hard to improve and extend our range of race seat insert and associated products as drivers, teams, manufacturers and organisers recognise the vital part driver comfort, safety and ergonomics plays in motorsport’s future. Alex is, for sure, a driver with a bright future and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Alex’s career has included:

British Formula 3 Championship: Fortec Motorsport: 4th in championship: 2 pole positions, 5 fastest laps, one race win, three 2nd and five 3rd place podiums

Formula 3 Euro Series: Fortec Motorsport: 5 events, 2 podiums

Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix: pole position on debut, finishing 3rd overall. First rookie pole-sitter since 2006

2013:

Toyota Racing Series, NZ: M2 Competition: 2nd in championship: 4 pole positions, 3 fastest laps, 3 race wins, three 2nd place and three 3rd place podiums. Highest placed international driver.

Mitch Evans had a stunning debut in GP2 at the Malaysian Grand Prix with the 2012 GP3 Champion finishing on the podium in his second GP2 race! Only 18 years old, he is the youngest driver to stand on the GP2 podium since the series began. The winner was Stefano Coletti from Monaco and Brazilian Felipe Nasr finished second. This performance is even more impressive considering Mitch was suffering from food poisoning all weekend. Vaughan Cartwright, MD of REAL commented; “My fellow Kiwi is made of tough stuff – we all know he is a supremely talented driver but to compete at this level in his GP2 rookie year and to get a podium this early in the season is a real achievement. The fact that he was ill only adds to the achievement – as with all drivers at this level his fitness is that of a world class athlete and this will have been tested to the extreme with the heat at Sepang… driver conditioning and welfare is a key factor in the performance and ultimately the results; driver comfort and positioning equally contribute to performance and we are delighted Mitch chose a REAL race seat insert.”

In 2012 Mitch signed with MW Arden for another season in the Formula 1 supporting GP3 Series. The championship started well with a win in the first race in Barcelona. It was a season of ups and downs but he was in the lead of the championship going into the last round at Monza which resulted in one of the most nail-biting title races in motorsport history. Mitch took the championship after a drive from the back of the grid! In 2012 Mitch took 3 victories, 6 podiums and 4 pole positions.

2013 started with the Johnny Herbert Karting Challenge at Autosport International racing against teams that included professional racing drivers and finished an impressive 12th. Kartforce has organised three indoor races in Crawley, Cardiff and Manchester that allows more injured troops to get their first taste of team endurance kart racing now they have enough injured troops to create 2 KartForce teams, and a 3rd team later in the year. REAL entered a team for the Crawley event; team leader, Vaughan Cartwright, MD of REAL, (previous winner of the Le Mans 24 Kart Race) commented, ” These guys at KartForce are inspirational, the courage they demonstrate is really humbling – it’s the least we could do and we had a great time supporting such a good cause – especially as our ‘star driver’ Jody Fannin set the fastest lap – thanks Jody! Good luck to all the KartForce drivers this year – you’re all winners as far as we’re concerned.”

KartForce will be at the following events in 2013 and deserve all the support they can get:
Daytona 24hrs – Sat 4th & Sun 5th May – Milton Keynes
Henry Surtees Brooklands Team Challenge – Tue 25th June – Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands
Le Mans 24hr Karting – Sat 6th & Sun 7th Jul – Le Mans, France
British 24hr – Sat 24th & Sun 25th Aug – Teesside Karting, Middlesbrough

The 2013 racing season got off to it’s traditional start at the Autosport International – The racing car show up in Birmingham and the Kartforce team, supported by REAL, entered the JOHNNY HERBERT KARTING CHALLENGE and did a fantastic job – we’re proud of you guys.

Kartforce press release…

This was by far our best team performance to date. The lads performed on par with far more experience kart racers and professional racing drivers.

There were 20 teams – 6 drivers per team – in this 3 hr endurance race. We qualified in 20th place – last – but less than a second from pole position. That’s how tight it was.

As usual, Mark, our double amputee “Viking” was first out. Mark has an uncanny ability of slicing his way through the field at the start, and he did this again. By the end of lap 2 he’d made his way past 4 karts and at the end of his 30 min stint, handed over in 14th place.

Our Rookie, above knee amputee Welsh Guardsman Dale, was up next. This was Dale’s first race and he did us proud. He fought tooth and nail to defend his place, once getting into a real battle with World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff, only loosing 1 place on the grid in his 30 min stint.

Above knee amputee Stevie was up next – the “Fastest Tankie in the West”. In his usual calm but ruthless manner, Stevie picked off one driver after another and clocked up our fastest lap of the race – only 0.833 secs off the fastest lap of the race.

Ben Collins, ex stig and James Bond stunt driver, took over with the team in 12th place. The kart had to be re-fuelled which meant we dropped a couple of places to 14th but Ben quickly set about chasing down the opposition. Ben commented; ”I was blown away by how competitive the lads from the Kart Force team were and take my hat off to Davie who set our fastest overall lap time. Everyone in the team drove with real pace and consistency. They drove like absolute professionals out there and it was an honour taking part in their first major karting event.”

“Mr Consistant”, our efficient Household Cavalryman took over in 14th place. Even after having the shortest stint of all the drivers, Martyn took us up to 12th place as after 20 mins, for tactical reasons, we called him in under a yellow flag. He wasn’t impressed, but understood why.

It was now down to our “Flying Scotsman” to take us to the chequered flag. This double amputee Black Watch soldier is not short on determination and, as Ben Collins said, “has serious skills”. Davie took us to our highest place of 10th and after a couple of racing incidents, crossed the finish line 12th.

This is an annual charity race held every year at the Autosports International Show at the NEC. This year’s race was in memory of Dan Wheldon, a British driver that was sadly killed in an accident in a INDY race last year. Dan’s family attended the event, which was raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. Some of the drivers racing included Johnny Herbert, IndyCar racers James Winslow & Dillon Battistini, Italian sportscar ace Emanuele Pirro, double World Superbike Champion Troy Corser, WTCC World Champion Rob Huff, David Brabham, McLaren’s Sam Michael and McLaren test & development driver Oliver Turvey. Also driving were ex-footballer Robbie Savage and Travis drummer Neil Primrose.

Once again, the lads have shown teams made up of far more experienced racing drivers that you don’t need all your limbs to race on a totally level playing field – you just need BRITISH BULLDOG BALLS!

REAL has been chosen by G-Cat Racing; the UK distributors for Wolf Racing Cars to be the Offical Supplier of bespoke Race Seat Inserts for the new Sports Prototype car.

REAL MD, Vaughan Cartwright said, “The new Wolf Racing Prototype is already proving to be a popular choice for the European SPEED series and VdeV championship. G-Cat Racing operate to a very high standard of race car preparation and service and we are delighted to be supplying bespoke REAL seat insert solutions to their customers and clients.”

Kent-based, G-Cat Racing is renowned for their expertise in race-car preparation, engineering, and race support across varying formulae. Owner, Greg Caton, can count over 15 years racing experience, suppling in-car instruction and data engineering services to Ferrari for over 10 years, as well as time working for Cosworth Electronics.

Greg Caton commented: “We have known Vaughan for a few years now, and when it came to looking for a seat insert solution for the Wolf Sports Prototype we had no hesitation in appointing REAL. Vaughan’s attention to detail, understanding of what we and our clients demand, and quality of product are without question.”

The SPEED EuroSeries features FIA sports prototype racing and is a key rung on the ladder to Le Mans Series and 24hr racing. VdeV pitches CN endurance cars against each other in a races lasting 3 to 6 hours. The original French VdeV series races on many of the classic European circuits.

For more information: www.g-catracing.co.uk

The SPEED EuroSeries features FIA sports prototype racing and is a key rung on the ladder to Le Mans Series and 24hr racing. Showcasing chassis from leading manufacturers, drivers and teams compete across as they battle it out for the title with races covered on Sky, Motors and around the world. Racing in association with Honda Motorsport Europe and other commercial partners, SPEED EuroSeries offers sponsors, drivers and teams exposure on a grand scale and gives fans a chance to get to know the sportscar racing stars of the future as they race along the road to Le Mans. The SPEED EuroSeries showcases CN sportscars at premier venues including showpieces at the Le Mans Series and FIA World Endurance Championship events.

“When we first set up KartForce, one of the first people to contact us to offer support was Vaughan Cartwright from Real Equipe. He came to our launch event as he was keen to provide injured troops with his specialist seat inserts. His extensive knowledge of providing racing drivers with bespoke seating solutions and vast knowledge on issues such as pressure relief made his the ideal person to offer the best solutions. We needed to ensure troops with a variety of injuries, all racing as part of a team from the same kart in endurance races, had the best possible protection and support. Our lads need to be able to race and not end up damaging recently scarred skin, further injuring their stumps or damaging ribs etc, all of which could have serious knock-on effects that affect their lives, like not being able to walk on their prosthetics until recovered. Equally important was to ensure that lads with no legs are securely fitted in the kart seat so they can be secure in the knowledge that they can throw the kart around corners without fear of being thrown out.

Vaughan, in his usual cheerful and extremely positive manner, came to watch the lads racing and made the first seat insert. After some testing and tweaks, he came up with an insert that was super-lightweight and ticked all the right boxes. It’s hugely reassuring to know that we have Vaughan’s support and expertise so when more young injured soldiers join our team and have unique seating issues that need to be addressed, we know we can call him – nothing is too much trouble. I have no hesitation in recommending Vaughan and Real Equipe to any one that requires a unique seating solution, regardless of sport.”

Dave Player, KartForce – Karting for Injured Troops  |  www.KartForce.org

Vaughan Cartwright, MD of REAL, added; “Every day you have to be thankful, we are very fortunate to work in motorsport and to be a part of the worldwide motorsport community – we think we have stress and know ‘motor racing is dangerous’… no, these guys have faced real danger and demonstrate what real courage is. What we develop and learn in motorsport has many applications and this is one example of how we can adapt our technology to enhance their driving experience and support these guys to go racing. They do what we do; race, and race hard with no call or desire for special treatment… but I’m not sure many of us could do what they did or face the challenges they face with such strength, determination and dignity! REAL are proud to be supporting KartForce – they live to race another day.”

What is KartForce? A truly inspirational project with a goal of providing injured troops with memorable, adrenalin packed experiences. Unlike other similar events, which have a primary aim of raising funds, KartForce focuses on providing the injured troops themselves with the opportunity of enjoying action packed experiences of racing and socialising, something they never thought they could do again. In parallel to this, KartForce also has an agenda to raise funds, for organisations that support injured British forces personnel; and provide a lasting legacy whereby the event concept and infrastructure carries forward to provide similar activities at kart circuits around the UK.

Regards

Dave Player

REAL driver, Alex Lynn, is a winner in the British Formula 3 International Series after taking victory in a thrilling race on the British Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone; taking pole position for races one and three in the process – another first for the 18 year old F3 ‘Rookie’.

Vaughan Cartwright, MD of REAL, commented; “Congratulations to Alex and the Fortec team for a superb performance… everyone knew the speed was there but this weekend was a class act. Alex has used a REAL race seat insert this season and we’re proud to have our logo on the car. Alex; we’re right behind you!”

For the second time in an amazing race weekend Alex set the fastest lap and now moves level on points with Carlos Sainz Jnr. for fourth in the championship. Next race is the final weekend of the British F3 season, at Donington Park, on September 29/30.

MW ARDEN driver, Mitch Evans, clinched the GP3 Series title in a thriller of a race that went down to the final lap at Monza on Sunday. The 18-year-old from Auckland was the fastest driver on the track, finished last after a pit stop but, amazingly, also finished first in the best race of the season.

Daniel Abt needed to win to take the overall victory and was in the lead early on. Mitch had to get into the top eight… lapping like a Champion setting fastest lap… then he slowed; a puncture! Mitch finished 20th but up at the front the drama unfolded with Ellinas winning by overtaking Abt with a lap and a bit to go – this cost Abt the vital two points needed to take the title away from Evans.

Evans is GP3 Champion for 2012 with three race wins and four pole positions and takes the Pirelli prize (200,000 Euros towards a GP2 budget and a GP2 test).

Vaughan Cartwright, MD of REAL commented; “Congratulations to Mitch and the guys at MWArden – it is very special for me as a fellow Kiwi to see Mitch lift the GP3 title… and for him to do it using a REAL race seat insert is extra special.”

GP3 Series

Final GP3 Series Points (After 16 races):

1. Mitch Evans – New Zealand

2. Daniel Abt – Germany

3. Antonio Felix da Costa – Portugal

4. Aaro Vainio – Finland

5. Matias Laine – Finland

6. Connor Daly – United States

7. Patric Niederhauser – Switzerland

8. Tio Ellinas – Cyprus

9. Kevin Ceccon – Italy

10. Marlon Stockinger – Philippines