Spyker Squadron

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Spyker Squadron" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["dutch-auto-racing-teams", "fia-gt-championship-teams", "24-hours-of-le-mans-teams", "european-le-mans-series-teams", "american-le-mans-series-teams", "dutch-racecar-constructors", "auto-racing-teams-established-in-2001", "auto-racing-teams-disestablished-in-2011"] topic_path: "geography/netherlands" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyker_Squadron" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

|name = NED Spyker Squadron |logo = |founded = 2001 |base = Zeewolde, Flevoland |principal = Peter van Erp Ronald van de Laar |founders = Spyker Cars N.V. |current series = |former series = FIA GT Championship European Le Mans Series American Le Mans Series 1000 kilometrų lenktynės |drivers = NED Peter Kox GER Norman Simon NED Hans Hugenholtz NED Tom Coronel NED Peter van Merksteijn Sr. NED Donny Crevels NED Jeroen Bleekemolen NED Mike Hezemans GBR Jonny Kane GBR Peter Dumbreck ITA Andrea Belicchi SUI Andrea Chiesa ITA Alex Caffi CZE Jaroslav Janiš GER Ralf Kelleners RUS Alexey Vasilyev |current drivers = |website = |driver titles = |team titles = 2008 1000 kilometrų lenktynės |folded = 2011

The Spyker Squadron was the factory racing team from Dutch sportscar manufacturer Spyker Cars. The team raced in various endurance championships and non-championship races from 2002 to 2010. Daily operations were managed by Peter van Erp, the later Spyker Cars COO.

History

Spyker C8 Double-12R

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/2002_Le_Mans_Spyker_at_Coventry_Motor_Museum.jpg" caption="The Spyker C8 Double-12R at the [[Coventry Transport Museum]] in 2011."] ::

Reiter Engineering developed the Spyker C8 Double-12R to compete in the 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans GT class. The team debuted the car at the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring with Derek Hill, Peter Kox and Hans Hugenholtz. The team retired after four hours due to accident damage. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans the team retired over halfway through the race. A valve problem in the BMW engine caused the retirement.

The C8 Double-12R was again raced in 2003. Engine trouble again hampered their 12 Hours of Sebring effort. The team retired just past the half way mark. Sponsored by telecom provider Orange S.A. the team presented drivers Tom Coronel, Hans Hugenholtz and Norman Simon. Gearbox trouble prevented a strong finish, the team finished the race but was not classified as it was to far behind. The team also entered the lone race of the 2003 Le Mans Series, the 1000km of Le Mans. Norman Simon, joined by Belgian Patrick van der Schoote, finished the race in 25th place overall.

Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R

In 2004 the team focused on developing a new variant on the C8, the C8 Spyder GT2-R. The car debuted at the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Audi powered car failed to finish the race due to an engine fire almost seven hours into the race. The team returned at the 1000km of Nürburgring, the fourth round of the 2005 Le Mans Series season. Drivers Jeroen Bleekemolen and Donny Crevels finished eighteenth overall, second in the GT2 class. The team finished in the same lap as the class winning Porsche 996 GT3. Near the end of the year the team made its debut in the FIA GT Championship. Racing at Zhuhai and Dubai the team scored two top five class finishes. At Dubai the team finished third in class.

For 2006 the Spyder was fitted with a roof. The team entered the full 2006 Le Mans Series. The team's best result was a sixteenth place overall, third in class, at the 1000km of Jarama. Both Spykers entered the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, but both did not finish. In the 2006 Spa 24 Hours the team fought for a fourth place in class most of the race, before having to settle for tenth.

The team scaled down to a single car for the 2007 season. In the Le Mans Series, drivers Mike Hezemans and Peter Dumbreck scored a third place in class finish at the 1000km of Silverstone. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans the team did not finish the race. An engine problem seven hours into the race stopped the car at Tetre Rouge.

In 2008 the car won its final race, the 1000 kilometrų lenktynės with Jonas Gelžinis, Ralf Kelleners, Peter Dumbreck and Alexey Vasilyev.

Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Spyker_Squadron_Side.jpg" caption="Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R"] ::

Introducing the C8 Laviolette GT2-R in 2008 the team did not finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Three fourth-place finishes in the 2008 Le Mans Series placed the team third in the constructors championship. Despite the main company moving to Coventry, the racing team remained in Zeewolde. The team repeated its performance feat in 2009. The team even scored to second in class finishes at the 1000km of Nürburgring and the 1000km of Silverstone. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans the team finished the race. Drivers Tom Coronel, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Jaroslav Janiš finished the Snoras sponsored car in fifth place in class. Snoras became a major stakeholder in the Spyker Cars company.

In 2010 the team again entered the Le Mans Series as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team again finished the prestigious sports car race, as the last classified car. The team finished in 27th place, 117 laps behind the overall winning car.

Spyker C8 Aileron GTE

In 2011 the team took a sabbatical to develop the C8 Aileron to race in 2012. But as the major shareholder Snoras filed for bankruptcy and a deal with its owner Vladimir Antonov fell through, the team folded.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

::data[format=table] | Year | No. | Model | Engine | Drivers | Class | Pos. | Class Pos. | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2002 | 85 | Spyker C8 Double-12R | BMW 3.4L V8 | NLD Peter Kox DEU Norman Simon NLD Hans Hugenholtz | GT | DNF | DNF | | 2003 | 85 | Spyker C8 Double-12R | Audi 4.0L V8 | NLD Tom Coronel DEU Norman Simon NLD Hans Hugenholtz | GT | NC | NC | | 2005 | 85 | Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R | Audi 3.8L V8 | NLD Tom Coronel NED Donny Crevels NLD Peter van Merksteijn Sr. | GT2 | DNF | DNF | | 2006 | 85 | Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R | Audi 3.8L V8 | NLD Tom Coronel NED Donny Crevels GBR Peter Dumbreck | GT2 | DNF | DNF | | 86 | Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R | Audi 3.8L V8 | NLD Jeroen Bleekemolen GBR Jonny Kane NED Mike Hezemans | GT2 | DNF | DNF | | | 2007 | 85 | Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R | Audi 3.8L V8 | ITA Andrea Belicchi SUI Andrea Chiesa ITA Alex Caffi | GT2 | DNF | DNF | | 86 | Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R | Audi 3.8L V8 | CZE Jaroslav Janiš NED Mike Hezemans GBR Jonny Kane | GT2 | DNF | DNF | | | 2008 | 85 | Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R | Audi 4.0L V8 | GER Ralf Kelleners RUS Aleksey Vasilyev GBR Peter Dumbreck | GT2 | DNF | DNF | | 2009 | 85 | Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R | Audi 3.8L V8 | NED Tom Coronel CZE Jaroslav Janiš NED Jeroen Bleekemolen | GT2 | 25 | 5 | | 2010 | 85 | Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R | Audi 4.0L V8 | NED Tom Coronel GBR Peter Dumbreck NED Jeroen Bleekemolen | LMGT2 | 27 | 9 | ::

Gallery

File:06LM 85Spyker.jpg|Spyker C8 Spyder GT2R at the 2006 24 Hours of Le mans. File:IAA 2003 083 - Flickr - Axel Schwenke.jpg|Spyker C8 Double-12R at the 2003 International Motor Show Germany. File:Lemans janis.jpeg|Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R at the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans File:Spyker 85 Side.jpg|Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R at the 2008 1000 km of Silverstone.

References

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::