ASTON MARTIN DBR9 ‘DIRTY GIRL’
Aston Martin’s relationship with Le Mans is best described as ‘complicated’. Sixty years ago it was winning the 24 Hours – and the World Sports Car Championship – with Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby in the DBR1. And then… nothing, either in its own name or via the likes of the fearsome Nimrod project.
Then, 15 years ago, the British marque started to take its responsibilities seriously and founded Aston Martin Racing with an end- goal of Le Mans glory. It released a swarm of purposebuilt V12 DBR9s at La Sarthe to contest the brutal LMGT1 class. Based on the DB9 – but with an extra R not just for racing but to emotionally echo that famous 1959 victory – it shared little with the road car beyond its scintillating V12 engine. Carbonfibre was used extensively for added strength and added lightness, while wind-tunnel testing added a rear diffuser and wing. The model made an impressive start to its career, winning LMGT1 at the Sebring 12 Hours before being bettered by the Corvettes at Le Mans. The following year it found its feet, but still Le Mans eluded it, the Corvette again taking victory.
That would change in 2007, when the DBR9 claimed the first of two back-to- back class wins in the 24- hour epic. The spoils went to the crew of David Brabham, Darren Turner and Rickard Rydell, who completed 343 laps to beat the Corvette by a single lap and come fifth overall. The sacrifice or importance of the victory cannot be underestimated, with the drivers prepared to suffer burns to their legs and raceboots melting on the pedals in order to see it through. With its duck broken, the DBR9 went on to dominate the class in 2008 with a little help from incockpit air- con.
The four Le Mans DBR9s had not qualified especially well, coming no higher than fourth and fifth in GT1 behind a brace of Corvettes and a Saleen. Come the race it was a different story, with all faring well. At the head of them, and top of the class, was DBR9/8 – Dirty Girl – a car that had a lacklustre career until given to Brabham, Turner and Antonio Garcia that weekend. It was a real nail- biter, though, with the Aston on the sam- e lap as the chasing Corvette of Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen and Ron Fellows. DBR9/8 didn’t compete again and still wears the dirt it gathered en route to that famous Le Mans win.