FAI SET TO RECAPTURE ‘SPIRIT OF ’69’ AT 24 HOURS OF LE MANS 2019
FAI Auto Parts returns to Le Mans in 2019, in search of glory with a leading team and a car sporting one of motorsport’s iconic liveries.
Leading UK parts distributor, FAI, has its roots in motorsport and an association with the Le Mans 24 Hours that stretches back over the decades. Fifty years ago, one of the factory Ford GT40s, driven by Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver, took victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours and DragonSpeed’s challenger – the Gibson-engined BR Engineering BR1 – evokes the spirit of that 1969 Le Mans victory.
Clothed in the famous livery of the Gulf Oil brand, as was the 1969 car, the sleek sports prototype is among the elite of endurance racing sportscars – the LMP1 category – and will, with support from FAI, battle against the might of Toyota’s star-studded factory team and other established names, like Rebellion and SMP Racing, in what is likely to be a fiercely-fought contest.
“When FAI was given the opportunity to partner with DragonSpeed’s LMP1 team on this, the 50th anniversary of one of the most memorable Le Mans’ of all time, it was certainly interesting, because FAI’s heritage lies in top-flight motorsport, and in top-flight motor racing it doesn’t come much bigger than the Le Mans 24 Hours, with 250,000 people spectating in the grandstands and millions watching on TV,” explained FAI Managing Director, Sean Walker.
“When I discovered that the car was going to run with Gulf support and in what is arguably the most famous racing car livery of all time, I knew it was something that we should be part of. Commercially, it will help reinforce FAI’s brand image – as is the case with our partnership with the factory Ducati squad in World Superbikes – but more than that, one can feel the passion and pride of everyone involved in this effort – these are qualities that are intrinsic to the way FAI does business.”
“FAI is an established international automotive aftermarket parts supplier with a reputation for excellence, along with an understanding of what motorsport can deliver that is embedded in the company’s DNA,” enthused DragonSpeed Team Principal, Elton Julian. “We are genuinely excited to have them join us as part of our 2019 Le Mans challenge, and I hope this is the beginning of a partnership that will see us continue working together in the future.”
DragonSpeed is a multi-programme race team with a great sportscar racing pedigree, and this season it has become the first team to have secured LMP2 class wins in the WEC, ELMS and America’s IMSA series.
Three weeks ago, the team also made its Indianapolis 500 debut, qualifying Britain’s Ben Hanley into the race in its first visit to the famed Brickyard. Hanley forms part of the driver line-up for Gulf and DragonSpeed at Le Mans, together with Dutchman, Renger van der Zande, and Swedish pilot, Henrik Hedman. Look out for the latter’s spectacular Le Mans tribute helmet.
Fans can catch the FAI-supported car in action all this week on Eurosport, with the race starting at 15.00 CET on Saturday 15th June.
About Us
About FAI:
FAI, based in Leighton Buzzard, England, is one of the UK’s leading independent distributors of replacement automotive parts. FAI offers an all-makes programme covering European, Japanese and Korean passenger cars and light commercial vans.
FAI distributes throughout the UK to the garage industry, via a network of local stockists (motor factors) together with direct supply to engine re-conditioners.
FAI also has a growing export division working in over 55 countries around the world.
Operating out of premises covering 67,500 square feet in total, FAI’s current range of products consist of over 40,000 part numbers, covering 100+ vehicle manufacturers and at any time, its average parts inventory totals over 5,000,000 items.
FAI’s motor racing and manufacturing background, together with 40 years’ experience of supplying engine specialists and distributors in over 50 countries worldwide, has enabled it to produce a true all makes range for European, Japanese and Korean cars and light vans.
About the Walker family motor racing pedigree:
FAI Automotive plc has evolved out of motorsport, with its attendant high standards of technical, logistical and administrative efficiency. Ian Walker, its founder, was a semi-professional racing and rally driver from 1956 to 1962, when he retired from driving and formed Ian Walker Racing (IWR).
This was a fully professional four-car race team, which campaigned all over Europe and North America with considerable success. The team was fortunate to have the services of such drivers as Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart as well as many others. When IWR was closed down in 1968, its assets and some of the personnel were integrated into Ian Walker Service – a garage business – which specialised in the sale and service of high-performance cars, particularly Lotus. It also produced and marketed performance conversions, such as camshafts, cylinder heads, inlet and exhaust manifolds and eventually competition engines.
In 1974, the company commenced engine reconditioning for road cars and, consequently, were regrinding road camshafts and, due to the cost of engine parts prevailing then, began sourcing outside of the franchised networks, and soon after, the small range included re-profiled camshafts, followers, tappets, rocker shafts, oil pump repair kits, timing chains and core plugs and the beginning of the FAI empire was born.
The Walker racing dynasty is now into its third generation with MacKenzie Walker, following in the footsteps of father, Sean, and grandfather, Ian. MacKenzie is racing in the Radical SR1 series currently and his ambition is to race competitively at Le Mans.
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