DBR9 – Team Modena (DBR9/101)
DBR9 – Team Modena (DBR9/101)

DBR9 – Team Modena (DBR9/101)

(Cirtek/ Russian Age Racing, Team Modena) (2005 - 2008)

Cirtek Motorsport announced in May 2005 that they will be the first private team to compete with the Aston Martin DBR9 in the FIA GT Championship. The car, chassis DBR9/101, was first seen in public on the Aston Martin Racing stand in the paddock at Le Mans, June 2005. It was not a secret that the car had been bought by supercar enthusiast, AMOC member and prolific AM collector, Rik Bryan.

DBR9 – Team Modena (DBR9/101)

Whilst the car was initially prepared by Cirtek Motorsport in the UK, it carried the logos of ‘Russian Age Racing’ and was finished vivid Royal Blue. Previously the team had competed with the Ferrari 550 Maranello in the FIA GT1 class. First time out in a competitive race was at a rain soaked 1000 km of Silverstone where the car finished 15th overall and 4th in class. In the very next race of the Le Mans Series at the Nurburgring, the car came in first in class and 9th overall. The team then switched to the FIA GT series and at Zhuhai, the DBR9 failed to finish but then achieved 15th in Dubai and then gained a victory in the last race of the season, the 11th round of the FIA GT series in Bahrain in the hands of Christophe Bouchut and Antonio Garcia. In all three races entered in the FIA GT series, the car started from pole position.

For the 2006 season, the car was again entered by Cirtek but carried the Team Modena logos, a company run by Graham Schultz and based in High Wycombe. First outing of the season was at the Silverstone round of the FIA GT championship for the RAC Tourist Trophy where, in the hands of David Brabham, Christophe Bouchut, the car came home 4th.

During the Le Mans 24 hour race in 2006, the team had a brilliant result narrowly missing a podium with 4th in class and 9th overall being driven by David Brabham, Nelson Piquet Jnr. and Antonio Garcia

Following Le Mans, the team switched to running in selected races in the European Le Mans Series with two cars at Spa and Istanbul (chassis number of the second car unknown). Best result was 1st in class and 4th overall at Donington park in the hands of Antonio Garcia and Peter Hardman.

For the 2007 season, as well as Le Mans in June, the team appears to be concentrating on the Le Mans European Series (LMES). In March 2007, 101 also took 3rd in class at the Sebring 12 hours, a round of the American Le Mans Series. For Le Mans 2007, #101 achieved 18th overall and 10th in class.

In the last season that #101 raced, 2008, the car was run in four race in the European Le Mans Series achieving three firsts and a third but missed out on championship victory by a single point. Also the car ran for a remarkable third time in the Le Mans 24 hour race where it finished 8th in class. DBR9/101 is now considered the most successful DBR9 and the most successful privately-owned Aston Martin racing car in the marque’s history. After retirement from the track, it has been returned to 2006 spec and has been displayed the British Motor Heritage Museum in Gaydon, the Aston Martin Heritage Trust and during the Centenary Celebrations of the marque at Kensington Palace during July 2013.

Team Modena