Luyendyk completes United Autosports’ Spa 24 line-up

Two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk will make his return to top-level motorsport for the first time in almost a decade this summer after joining United Autosports to complete the Anglo-American team’s Spa 24 Hours driver line-up.

The 57-year-old Dutch driver hasn’t raced at the top level since the 2002 Indy 500 and hasn’t competed in Europe since 1989’s Le Mans 24 Hours, although he has appeared at the Goodwood Revival and Mille Miglia in recent years.

Surprisingly, despite Luyendyk’s vast experience, July’s Spa 24 Hours race will mark his race debut at the iconic Belgian circuit. He will share one of the team’s three Audi R8 LMS cars with Brit Richard Meins and Frenchmen Henri Richard and Alain Li. He tested the car for the first time at Spa last month.

The team’s second Audi will be crewed by team co-owners Zak Brown and Richard Dean as well as former F1 stars Johnny Herbert and Stefan Johansson, while Matt Bell, Mark Blundell, Eddie Cheever and Mark Patterson will share the third R8.

“I’m excited about driving in the same team with the likes of Eddie, Johnny, Mark and Stefan – they’re a great bunch of guys and we all go back a long way – it’ll be so much fun,” said Luyendyk. “The Audi is a very sexy looking car and the guys had told me it was a blast to drive which I found out for myself last month.

“I like 24 Hour races and have always enjoyed doing them. It’s about getting into a rhythm, a flow, so I’m looking forward to that again and the fact that I get to drive at Spa which was a very important factor in my decision. I have never raced at Spa – in fact I’d never been to the track before last month’s test – and I always thought that something was missing in my racing career.

“From what I’d seen many times on television and of course what I’d been told, actually getting out on the circuit just confirmed that the place is simply awesome. One session of eight laps would have been worth it to me in flying from the USA! The track has everything, it’s just tremendous, probably one of the greatest if not the greatest track I have driven. The team is very professional and a top notch operation. I love the Audi R8 LMS but still have to get used to the electronic gizmos such as ABS braking and traction control.

“My father, Jaap, raced an Alfa Romeo 1300 at Spa in 1965 but I didn’t go with him, I was too young and in school. He suffered a huge accident, crashing off the road and hit a tree head on – which ended up next to him in the car! He was lucky to survive but broke both knees!”

Brown expressed his delight at adding the American-based veteran to an already stellar line-up for his team’s first-ever three-car assault on the event.

“I’ve of course known of Arie for a long time,” said Brown. “I watched him race many, many times in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League and was at both of his Indy 500 wins. The guy was truly incredible around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It will therefore be a privilege to welcome Arie in to the United Autosports team which allows him to fulfil his dream of racing at Spa.”

Watch the Spa 24 Hours LIVE on Motors TV in 2011.


Andy Wilkinson

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