Archived Motorsport Sector News - Pre-2007

Editors - please refer to the Notes to Editors for background information on Umeco plc and its operating divisions.

Mitsubishi Breaks Records with ACGs BPS240

A New Generation of Motorsport Products

FS2006 Teams Accept the Challenge

Grand Prix Masters 2006

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Motorsport

Mitsubishi Breaks Records with ACG's BPS240 - March 2006

Mitsubishi Motors claimed a record-breaking eleventh overall victory by winning the 2006 Dakar Rally, making this the sixth consecutive win for the Japanese manufacturer at this legendary event.

Mitsubishi's long experience of cross country competition started with an entry into the Dakar in 1983. This demanding rally covers more than 9,000 kilometres over some of Africa's most remote and inhospitable terrain, continuing over fifteen gruelling days during January.

The winning Pajero/Montero Evolution MPR12 underwent several improvements from the original MPR10 driven during the 2003 competition, with two independent test sessions in Morocco ensuring total compliancy with current race regulations. The car body is constructed from ACG's carbon ZPREG® BPS240 technology, emphasising the product not only provides the highest quality surface finish achievable on composite panels, but also offers excellent robustness in extreme environments and conditions.

For further details contact ACG Sales Department.

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A New Generation of Motorsport Products - March 2006

ACG has a long and hard earned reputation for being leading innovators in the Motorsport Industry. The company behind the very first use of carbon fibre in Motor Racing in 1974, the first constructor of a complete carbon fibre and honeycomb monocoque in 1981 and the developer of MTM®49-3, the market leading flexible cure resin system launched in 1999.

2006 now sees the launch of MTM®70. MTM®70 is from a new generation of prepreg resin systems and while it retains the very process friendly attributes of MTM®49-3, it offers major steps forward in levels of matrix toughness and performance under impact.

As those in the Motorsport Industry are very well aware, ACG products are thoroughly tested and characterised before they are finally offered to customers.

The launch of MTM®70 is not only supported by an extensive database of physical and mechanical properties, but also by the results of a wide ranging impact and side intrusion panel testing programme. This thorough pre-launch checklist means ACG are confident that MTM®70 will import real benefits to its customers when employed on real structures and put through the regular round of FIA tests.

For further details contact ACG Sales Department.

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FS2006 Teams Accept the Challenge

For 4 years running Advanced Composites Group has been pleased to join forces with Team McLaren Mercedes to offer an Award for the Best Use of Composites to the student teams that build and race single-seat race cars at the IMECHE Formula Student event.

ACG has been an Official Supplier to Team McLaren Mercedes since 1999 and throughout the years of co-operation and development it has always been clear that skilled engineering and design expertise are the starting point for successful competition.

The aim of the Formula Student event is to provide opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate their skills, enthusiasm, ingenuity and commitment to engineering excellence. The future of the industry depends on the promotion of careers and excellence in engineering.

This real-life exercise, which includes design, manufacture, marketing and people skills, gives a realistic insight to future career aspects of commitment, team working and tight timescales. Many students experiences to develop their skills and talents.

As shown by the majority of the teams on the Grid, the use of ACG's low temperature composite materials has proved to be highly successful, and ACG is pleased to encourage young engineers in the innovative use of composites in their race-car designs.

Competitors have impressed the judges from ACG and Team McLaren Mercedes with their fresh approach and sound engineering when incorporating composites in their build.

The winning team for this Award in 2006 was Graz University of Technology with their car, Tankia 2006. The car featured a number of high quality components made from carbon fibre composites including the chassis, pedal box, steering wheel, side pods, wheel rims and items of engine equipment. Of these, the judges were most impressed by the composite monicoque.

The team used MTM®49-3 prepregs and a Nomex honeycomb core to construct a chassis weighing less than half the weight of their previous entry. Their intelligent use of composites in this and other applications helped the team to achieve second place in the overall competition.

For further details contact ACG Sales Department.

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Grand Prix Masters 2006

It looked like Mission Impossible when Delta Motorsport was awarded the contract to design and build a full grid of 15 cars for the Grand Prix Masters series in just 14 weeks. However, on the 13th of November last year when Nigel Mansell crossed the finish line to win the inaugural event at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa, it proved that the organisers' trust in Delta Motorsport had been well-founded.

Delta is owned and run by two motor-sport engineers, Simon Dowson and Nick Carpenter. At the heart of the new car was to be a carbon fibre monocoque similar to a modern ChampCar, with the construction designed to reflect the latest thinking in driver-safety requirements. The remainder of the car was an all new design - bodywork, aerodynamic devices, suspension and a new installation of the 3.4 litre Nicholson Mclaren 600 hp engine.

With a team of only three full-time design engineers the new designs were worked on literally day and night. Relying upon their former contacts within the industry, manufacture of the new moulds and composite components for the new cars was split between three composite moulders. SPA was chosen to build the monocoques, wings and crash-boxes, whilst KS Composites and Universal Race Technologies manufactured the new moulds, bodywork and floors between them.

Advanced Composites materials were used exclusively to manufacture the monocoques, wings and crash structures as well as most of the bodywork. The use of T700 12k carbon in the chassis construction allowed the new design not only to meet the side-intrusion and other crash test requirements but also to reduce the cost of manufacture by almost 25% compared with previous ChampCars.

The GP Masters series, which pits the skills of previous Formula One drivers against each other, was a resounding success with a sell-out 70,000 crowd witnessing some close competitive racing at the first race in Kyalami. Winner Nigel Mansell remarked after the race, "The dedication and patience invested by everyone involved in Grand Prix Masters is nothing short of exemplary, and I take my hat off to Scott Poulter (CEO, GP Masters) and Delta Motorsport who have given us these wonderful race-cars".

First race of 2006 was held at the Losail circuit in Qatar, also won by Nigel Mansell, who will be hoping for a hat-trick at the next race which is at Silverstone on 13 August.

For further details contact ACG Sales Department.

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