Article appearing in The Advertiser Newspaper (Adelaide, Australia) on Saturday, August 22, 2009. "Adelaide race driver Tom Drewer had his race weekend wrecked after an incorrect black flag during round nine of the IMSA Lites Championship at Road America..."
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Drewer dudded. (The Advertiser)
Team statement regarding incorrectly issued black flag during Road America weekend.
Comprent Motor Sport driver Tom Drewer’s weekend was effectively ruined after he was incorrectly issued
a black flag during Round 9 of the 2009 IMSA Lites Championship at Road America.
Drewer qualified in sixth position for Round 9. However, after setting that time his sealed spec-engine failed.
Comprent motorsport replaced the sealed Élan Power Products engine with an identical sealed spec-unit, under the watch of an Élan representative before Round 9 and Drewer was given a ‘hardship’ lap 1 hour prior to the race commencing to complete an ‘installation’ lap on the new engine.
After not questioning Drewer or the team regarding the engine change prior to taking his starting position for the race, race officials incorrectly black-flagged Drewer during the first green flag lap of racing after the first full-course yellow and restart.
It must be noted that Comprent Motor Sport, its team members and driver Tom Drewer did in no way breach any rules or regulations.
Complying with race control, Comprent Motor Sport instructed Drewer to pit on that lap for the incorrectly applied stop and go penalty. Drewer, who was running 6th at the time of being issued the black flag rejoined the track as the last placed runner. Before completing one full lap of the circuit at full pace the race was again placed under full-course yellow and the race remained under full-course yellow until the chequered flag was displayed. Drewer was classified as finishing in 15th position, 14th in class.
As a result Drewer did not have the opportunity to complete a full ‘flying-lap’ to set his qualifying position for race 2 of the weekend, Round 10. Drewer started race 2 in 15th position and fought hard to move up to finish in 8th position.
Kevin Kloepfer, Team Owner, Comprent Motor Sport:
“I’m extremely disappointed with what happened, for both my team and our driver Tom Drewer. We did nothing wrong, the team didn’t break any rules or regulations.”
Tom Drewer, Driver, Car #1, Ubantu Resort / Daily Planet Racing:
“I have been denied of two likely top six finishes and valuable Championship points. It will likely effect my final Championship position. I am very disappointed, particularly for all my sponsors, including Ubantu Resort, and my supporters, fans, friends and family both here in America and back home in Australia who give up so much to allow me to race.
But I have already put this behind me and I’m just looking forward to getting on with it. I live to race and love and respect the sport. I love racing here in America. I just hope my backers will see fit to continue given this adversity.”
Prior to the Road America weekend Drewer sat in 5th position in the 2009 Lites 1 Championship standings, only 4 points behind 4th placed Comprent teammate Jonathan Gore. Drewer is the reigning 2008 IMSA Lites 2 Drivers’ Champion. A copy of the corrected time sheet with the notation for the incorrect issuing of the black flag is included with this release.
Drewer in Wisconsin. (The Advertiser)
Article appearing in The Advertiser newspaper (Adelaide, Australia) on August 15, 2009. "Tom Drewer takes on the Road America race circuit in Wisconsin this weekend carrying new lead sponsorship on his Panoz Elan car..."
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Ubantu Resort to sponsor Drewer's 'new' approach at Road America.
A change of sponsor and a change to his preparation regime have resulted in Australian Le Mans hopeful, Tom Drewer feeling more positive than ever heading into this weekend’s Road America Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase featuring the American Le Mans Series (August 13-16, USA).
His new sponsor is Ubantu, a South-East Asian resort that will feature a full racing circuit.
In his quest to be Australia’s next Le Mans Series and 24 Hour starter, the twenty four year old from Adelaide, South Australia (venue of the ALMS Race of a Thousand Years, New Year’s Eve 1999-2000), has also teamed up with Health Defence and fitness trainer Gary Daniels.
“I’m more determined than ever to reach the top. Over the last year I have received a lot of recognition from Australia’s motor racing press, and while some would consider that pressure, it fuels me to succeed.”...
Australia’s AutoAction magazine has named Tom ‘Best Overseas Rookie’ in their annual awards while prestigious Wheels magazine has put Tom in their ‘Hot Half Dozen Watch List’ for 2009. Recently AutoAction magazine’s Cartoonist John 'Stonie' Stoneham pencilled in Drewer as one of Australia’s future Le Mans winners in a cartoon.
“2009 has been rather tough as I expected, even after winning the 2008 IMSA Lites 2 Championship. I’m on a very limited budget, with no testing; I have stepped up to Lites 1 which means a different car and new circuits again, like Road America.
But I proved I had the pace at New Jersey, which I hadn’t seen before and I’m looking forward to racing on what I’ve been told is one of America’s premier road racing venues.”
Drewer took pole position for Race 2 of the New Jersey Round of the 2009 IMSA Lites Championship presented by Frisby Performance Tire with the fastest Lites 1 lap of the entire weekend.
“I’m always looking to improve as a driver and for quite some time I have been trying to find the right fitness adviser to ready myself for the next step, either ALMS prototypes or GT2, or maybe GrandAm.
I was approached by Gary Daniels of Health Defence, and he has devised a specific program taking into account the specific anatomical demands of a racing driver based on his background in professional cycling, martial arts and boxing.
He has been pushing me really hard at the gym and I can already feel the results. I think his unique background will really give me an edge - he has certainly got some demon tweaks that, I believe, no one else has.
We are also working on diet and mental strategies, and I have also recently taken up yoga. I must say I feel more positive and focused than ever heading into this weekend.”
The positive energy of change has also rubbed off elsewhere. Drewer’s new sponsor on the car for the remainder of the season is Ubantu Resort. Long time supporter John Trimble, and the Daily Planet will stay on board as a personal sponsor.
Ubantu Resort is a fully integrated major residential and hotel development in South East Asia on a subtropical island that has had minimal western influence, with a climate similar to Bali and Phuket. The self-sustaining, socially and environmentally responsible facility will work with, and benefit, the local community and will feature 5 international hotels, a super-yacht harbour and a unique motor racing circuit.
Drewer is optimistic that with these changes, will come a change in luck for the remainder of the season.
“We have made a very strong progression throughout the season, but on numerous occasions I have been robbed of my first Lites 1 podium or victory. This weekend at Road America I’m hoping to change all that.”
The long high-speed 4 mile (6.43km), 14 turn Road America circuit located at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin is one of the fastest on the IMSA Lites calendar with Drewer expecting to exceed 155mph (250km/h) at least three times per lap.
Drewer’s first ever outing on the circuit will be for first Practice on Thursday, August 13. Race 1 will be held on Saturday, August 15 and Race 2 on Sunday, August 16.
Aussie Abroad Mid-Term Report. (Auto Action)
Article appearing in Australia's Auto Action magazine. "Racing overseas can be a steep learning curve for young Aussie racers trying to make it around the world. In a way it's just like school, readying them for what lies ahead. So just like school Auto Action has awarded each a mid-year grade to let them and you know just how they're going..."
To view and read article click on image.
Drewer rumbles. (The Advertiser)
Article appearing in The Advertiser newspaper. "Adelaide race driver Tom Drewer has risen from 7th to equal 5th in the IMSA Lites Championship after Rounds 7 and 8 at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut- part of the American Le Mans Series.
Drewer described the "rough-and-tumble" weekend as frustrating. In the first practise session, Drewer was inside the top six when an incident with a Lites 2 car caused damage to his Daily Planet Elan DP-02."
Drewer consistent at Lime Rock. (Auto Action)
Article appearing in the July 25 edition of Australia's Auto Action Magazine. "Tom Drewer had a consistent run in last weekend's IMSA Lites round at Lime Rock, finishing fifth in the first race and seventh in the second to move to fifth in the L1 Championship."
Click on image to view article.
Drewer moves to 5th in IMSA Lites Championship.
Australian Tom Drewer has moved from 7th to equal 5th in the 2009 IMSA Lites Championship presented by Frisby Performance Tire after Round’s 7 & 8 at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut, as part of the American Le Mans Series’ North East Grand Prix.
Drewer described the ‘rough and tumble’ weekend as one of “frustration” which almost ended in heartache before it had really even begun.
In the first practice session Drewer looked strong and was inside the top-six when an incident with a Lites 2 car left Drewer’s Daily Planet Élan DP-02 with heavy damage, including a broken front upright, and his weekend potentially in tatters.
“I was behind my team-mate from last year, Eric Vassian, in a West. After both slowing to pass a stricken car before the last corner we both began accelerating onto the main straight towards the next flag point.
As I approached him on the straightaway I caught him just as his car rapidly decelerated for a second time. I’m not sure if he had a problem. In the video it looks like he lost power. It took me completely by surprise- we were on a flat-out straightaway. I tried to avoid him, but I had nowhere to go. I turned but just couldn’t react fast enough to get the left front corner out of the way.
I couldn’t believe it. It was a devastating blow because it really disadvantaged us. Lime Rock is a very condensed two-day schedule. There is very little time between sessions and we had heavy damage to contend with.
The Comprent team did a great job to get me out for the second session, but we never got the car back on the flat-patch. I was instructed to take the session tentatively in case there was further damage sustained we didn’t know about. I had a fair bit of play in the steering box and a cocked steering wheel.
We weren’t worried about only being P10 in the session because we had qualifying to go and we had chosen not to put on new rubber like most of the guys in-front of us but, due to the weather, that proved to be a costly decision.”
During the American Le Mans Series session, 45 minutes prior to the scheduled IMSA Lites qualifying session a Severe Weather Warning was issued for Lime Rock and the entire surrounding area. Like storms of the previous day, thunder, heavy rain, hail and winds of up to 70mph were expected.
IMSA stopped the ALMS session short, and even though only light rain was falling, abandoned Lites qualifying declaring the session would become another practice and combined practice times would decide the grid for race 1.
“The rain came, but it wasn’t the down-pour they expected. However, it left the track wet enough for rain tyres and meant practice 2 times would be the day’s fastest. I had no way of putting in a lap to better my grid position. It was very frustrating.”
In Race One, Drewer made an amazing start and rocketed from tenth to six by the first corner, passing team-mate Charlie Sheers who had started 6th on the grid.
“It was a really tough aggressive race. We were all lapping around the same pace and battling it out. I found myself in fourth place when the safety car came out.
On the restart I had both teammates behind me. As we barrelled into Turn 1 Jonathan Gore dived on both Charlie and I but couldn’t make it stick. We battled it out for the rest of the race, and unfortunately I was behind both of them at the chequered flag, in 5th place.”
Race Two again saw Drewer make a great start from tenth on the grid.
“Race One was so intense I don’t think I ever had a clean lap, and that put me a little further back on the Race Two grid.
Again I got a great start and found myself in around seventh by the first corner, this time behind Charlie. The car felt good and the leaders just kept falling off the track. I was looking like I was on for fourth or possibly even third.
On around lap 7 it felt like something let go in the left rear corner. It started to sag around right-handers. I radioed the team and said I would proceed with caution. The rear was falling over itself and producing a lot of over-steer. It was like driving a sprint car. I couldn’t maintain my pace and started to fall into the clutches of the cars behind. Then one of the leaders fell off and brought out the safety car.
Just after the restart the two cars in front of me made heavy contact into turn 1 and spun. I had to lock-it all up to avoid contact with them, but that left the door open for a couple of cars to go by.
It was a real shame. Until the car had issues I thought we were knocking on the door of a podium. In the end I had to settle for 7th, struggling to just bring it home.”
Post race inspection revealed extremely heavy blistering and on both rear tyres of Drewer’s Daily Planet machine.
“There was almost no rubber left on the middle of the rear tires. The team is yet to determine if that was the cause or effect of the miss-handling car, or if something else broke. Looking at them I think I was really lucky to finish at all.
At least we kept hauling points. I gave it my all but it just wasn’t our weekend. I’m just glad it’s over and I can’t wait to get to Road America to make up for it.”
Despite the weekend’s frustrations Drewer still collected valuable Championship points and now sits equal fifth with Gary Gibson, within striking distance of team-mate Jonathan Gore in fourth.
2009 IMSA Lites Championship – Current Points Score
1 | Matt Downs 130pts
2 | Joel Feinberg 127pts
3 | Lucas Downs 110pts
4 | Jonathan Gore 84pts
5 | TOM DREWER 80pts
= | Gary Gibson 80pts
Tom Drewer’s next event is the Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase at the famous Road America circuit, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 14-16.
Drewer ready to 'rock'n'roll' in Connecticut.
Coming off the back of his best performance of the year, the young American Le Mans Series hopeful Tom Drewer is looking forward to Round’s 7 & 8 of the IMSA Lites Championship at this weekend’s North East Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut.
At last month’s stand alone Mazda Formula-X event the Australian hot-shot took his first pole position for 2009, setting a new qualifying lap record for New Jersey’s Thunderbolt raceway with what proved to be the fastest lap of the weekend.
It was also his first pole position in the Lites 1 category, which he moved to this year after winning the 2008 IMSA Lites 2 Championship in only his first year of competition in North America.
Asked whether he was possibly inspired by a recent test in the Panoz Team PTG Esperante American Le Mans GT2 car at Summit point raceway Drewer said,
“That was certainly a positive experience, but I think it was about time we put the Daily Planet car back up where it belongs. I’m very committed to progressing to the next level. I’ve been working hard with the guys at Comprent (Drewer’s Lites 1 team) and it’s paying off.
It was great at New Jersey to take the green from the front and to have clear air in front, leading the pack, even if the car went away a little after the restart. It was frustrating that we finished off the podium in fourth.
This year I’ve had the challenge of a new car, with no testing, and Lites 1 is very competitive, after all most of these guys have lots of experience in these cars and on these circuits. But this is the junior category to the American Le Mans Series and tough competition is why I came to America.
We showed in New Jersey we have what it takes. We proved we have the speed.
I know a win is just around the corner now and I want to be the one to get Comprent’s first win of the year.
I think it should be a great weekend at Lime Rock. It’s a beautiful part of the world. I can’t wait to get back into the car and keep the momentum of New Jersey going. I’m at one with the car now, and I’m more determined than ever. I’m ready to rock’n'roll!”
Drewer’s determination and results are being noticed too. Drewer was recently pencilled in as a future Le Mans Winner. Drewer’s name was included in a cartoon by world-renowned motorsport cartoonist John ‘Stonie’ Stoneham for Auto Action magazine suggesting he will one day follow in the footsteps of fellow countrymen David Brabham who won this year’s 24 Hour with Peugeot.
This comes after he was named by Auto Action magazine as Australia’s ‘Best Rookie Overseas’ following his stellar performance in 2008 and was also included in Australia’s Wheels Magazine’s Hot Half Dozen watch list.
Drewer makes his first appearance on the Lime Rock circuit at 10:40am EST Friday, July 17. Qualifying will occur later that day, while Race 1 and 2 will be on Saturday, July 18.
Drewer pencilled in as future Australian Le Mans winner.
World-renowned Australian motor sport cartoonist, John 'Stonie' Stoneham has pencilled in Tom Drewer as one of Australia’s future Le Mans winners.
In a cartoon published in this week’s Australian Auto Action magazine, 'Stonie' has put forward two possible successors for David Brabham who was only the fourth Australian outright winner of the famous French Le Mans 24 Hour race.
Joining the statues of Bernard Rubin, Vern Schuppan, Geoff and David Brabham in the cartoon are two names adorning unfinished plinths, that of current V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup and that of US-based Tom Drewer, an American Le Mans Series’ feeder category champion.
Drewer is attempting to follow in the footsteps of fellow South Australian Vern Schuppan, who won
Le Mans outright with Porsche in 1983, and 2009 Le Mans winner and American Le Mans Series regular, David Brabham.
“To be mentioned in the same sentence or in this case the same drawing as the likes of the Brabham brothers, Vern and Whincup is a huge honour.
Both David and Vern have been fantastic mentors to me in the last year and a half. Vern is also from Adelaide, South Australia. He helped advise me, and endorsed my decision to come to America last year. And ‘Brabs’ has been fantastic to talk to in the paddock during the season.
They have both achieved so much, both racing in Formula 1 and winning the 24 Hour. They are definitely people I look up to and I’m absolutely focused on one day matching their international motor racing success, especially Le Mans. Hopefully I can beat Whincup to becoming the next Australian!”
2009 is only Drewer’s second year competing in America and already he looks set to make the transition into the AMLS GT2 category after testing with Panoz Team PTG earlier this month.
The young up-and-coming Australian sold up everything to pursue an international sportscar career and last year, his first time racing in America, he won ten from twelve races including the opening two rounds at the Sebring 12 Hour event to claim the 2008 IMSA Lites 2 Championship.
This year Drewer has stepped up to the Lites 1 category driving for Daily Planet Racing/Comprent Motor Sports in an Élan DP-02 junior prototype and is again his talents are impressing. With the fastest lap of the weekend, Drewer qualified on pole position for the last race (Round 6) at New Jersey Motorsports Park and went on to dominate the first half of the race.
“I am determined to make the transition to the main-game (American Le Mans Series) by the end of the year. Make no mistake, I want to drive prototypes and that is why I chose IMSA Lites, but I think GT2 would be the next logical progression.
I nearly had a seat at Sebring for the 12 hour this year. It was really disappointing when that team decided to withdraw their entry, so it was fantastic to get a taste of a GT2 with Panoz the other day. Having that big rumbling Ford V8 up front reminded me of the V8 Supercars I drove back home.”
Asked if the Panoz drive is a sign of things to come, Drewer remained a little vague.
“Now that would be following in David’s footsteps! [Brabham drove both Panoz GT and Prototypes]. We’re currently investigating all sorts of avenues. But yes I certainly have my sights set on North American GT and Prototype drives.”
Drewer’s next IMSA Lites races, Rounds 7 & 8 are to be held at Lime Rock, Connecticut, on July 17 & 18 as part of the American Le Mans Series North East Grand Prix. The ALMS race will be David Brabham’s first event since winning Le Mans for Peugeot. He will be back driving in the Patron Highcroft Acura.
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