'We've got unfinished business at Le Mans (From This Is Local London)

'We've got unfinished business at Le Mans

3:40pm Friday 18th June 2010 in Sport By Alan Feldberg

A PRINCES Risborough businessman has vowed to go again after his Le Mans 24-hour dream ended just 17 minutes into the famous race.

Andrew Howard, team principal of the Bucks-based Beechdean Mansell Motorsport, watched in horror as former Formula One champion Nigel Mansell careered into both barriers during his fifth lap at the weekend.

A slow puncture caused the 180mph smash and a Beechdean spokesman said a neck and head device within the car had actually saved Mansell’s life.

The 56-year-old is now recovering at home in Jersey, but Howard returned to Princes Risborough on Tuesday determined to try again.

He said: “It’s racing, you just have to get on with it. We need to pick the team up, work hard and go again.”

Beechdean Mansell Motorsport was only formed in January with endurance racing, particularly the Le Mans 24-hour, in mind, and signing up the 1992 Formula One champion was a big step in the right direction.

He said: “I was at the back of the garage watching on Eurosport when the crash happened, and suddenly we had the world’s media at our front door.

“Nigel is incredibly popular and even on the way back from France people were coming up to us asking how he is. There is so much interest.”

Mansell had to be helped from the Beechdean Motorsport Ginetta Zytek following the crash, before being taken to hospital.

Howard said: “The data has shown that the cause was a slow puncture to the rear left tyre, and when he collided with the barriers the car was in sixth gear.

“So that gives you an idea of how fast he was going. He was going about 180mph.

“He’s ok but he’s very sore, as you’d expect from anyone involved in a crash at that speed. It’s going to knock your body about no matter how old you are.”

Particularly galling is that the crash was caused by something as innocuous as a puncture.

Howard said: “The race is on open [public] roads, so two or three hours before we start private cars are driving on the roads.

“There is a lot of debris. But the fact that it was a puncture that stopped us is a bit gut-wrenching. It sounds like the sort of thing that happens on the M25.

“But it can happen in the first hour or the 23rd. It’s just bad luck. It can happen to anyone.”

And Howard says despite the crash, there was plenty for the team to be satisfied with.

He said: “Of course I’m extremely disappointed, but we were there and we had qualified.

“I don’t think most people realise how difficult qualifying is.

“And the car had great pace and it looked like it had great reliability.

“Nigel was going at a quick pace. He had already beaten Greg’s qualifying time, he’d already overtaken one car and was closing in on the car in front of that.”

Mansell was poised to create history by becoming the first father and sons team to compete, but because of his early exit son Leo and Greg didn’t get a chance to race.

But Howard says the chance will come again next year, and already the team are preparing for six-hour Le Mans Series events in Portugal next month and Silverstone in September.

Howard said: “The car is repairable and we’ll try again. We’ve got unfinished business at Le Mans.”