HOME LATEST NEWS BIOGRAPHY YOUTH 4 HUMAN RIGHTS SPONSORS TRACK DAYS PRESS RELEASES BLOG CONTACT DOWNLOAD A BROCHURE	LATEST NEWS Lanik pleased with LMS Debut Niki Lanik declared himself very pleased with his debut in the prestigious LMS championship at the Spa 1000 km race. The race was hard for all the competitors with very mixed conditions, difficult tyre choices, a stoppage due to a power cut caused by lightning and several safety car periods. The young Austrian was following up on his 2009 podium in the Spa 24 hour’s race by stepping up to the more powerful GT2 version of the Porsche RSR and renewing his partnership with Oscar Slingerland. “It was a new car and new championship for me, a new experience being in the same race as the Le Mans 24 hours winning Peugeot and Audi prototypes and competing directly in the same GT2 class against Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella. I can honestly say that achieving our aim within the team to finish the race with no problems gave me huge satisfaction, I look forward to doing more in LMS and hopefully I’ve moved a step closer to racing at the Le Mans 24 hours in the future” Niki would like to extend his gratitude to Paul Daniels and the James Watt Automotive. Lanik to debut in LMS series 2009 FIA GT3 championship Porsche cup winner Niki Lanik will make his debut in the Le Man Series GT2 category in this coming weekends Spa 1000km race. The Rapidman managed Austrian was invited to test the Porsche RSR GT2 at Snetterton recently and impressed the team enough to be asked to make his debut in one of Sports cars classic races, the Spa 1000km. Niki is looking forward to being reunited with former team mate Oscar Slingerland and driving for the first time with Paul Daniels. “I loved racing at Spa in the 24 hours race last year, where we finished on the podium, and this race will give me the opportunity to drive against some of the World’s best Sports car drivers in a race which is thought of as the dress rehearsal for Le Mans” commented Niki. 26 October 2009FIA GT3 European Championship Rounds 11 & 12 – Zolder, Belgium Niki Lanik Secures the Porsche Manufacturers Title in Belgium Niki Lanik scored a top ten finish in the final race of the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship at Zolder in Belgium and secured his position as the top Porsche driver in the leading European sports car series. In tricky weather conditions the 22-year-old Austrian brought the car home to take the chequered flag and the applause of his family and sponsors who had travelled to Belgium to see the successful end to his debut season in European competition. The first 60-minute race of the day was started under the safety car, with Niki at the wheel for the first part of the race. On lap 11 he was hit by a BMW Alpina, which span the Porsche round, but the Austrian continued to climb up the order before handing over the car to his co driver, Finland’s Mikael Forsten. Their race ended on lap 20 when a puncture put Forsten into retirement. The second race proved to be much better. Forsten drove a steady race, with the Finn handing the car over to Niki just after the safety car came out when rain soaked the circuit, causing a few cars to spin off. After taking over the Porsche, Niki Lanik kept the car on track in the tricky conditions, slowly moving up the order to finish in the top 10 at the end of the 34 lap race and claim his trophy as the top Porsche driver of the 2009 season. “It was a bit up and down throughout the year but I’m happy to say we made it,” said Niki Lanik. “I’ve had a couple of different team mates throughout the season, but it usually went quite well, I’ve learnt a lot and we came out on top. I’ve still got a lot of work to do but I’m pleased at what I’ve achieved in my first season in European competition. I’ve improved a lot as a driver and I’d like to come back next year and go for podium finishes and maybe a shot at the overall title. But tonight I’m going to celebrate an end to a good first season in the FIA GT3 European Championship.” Sunday 4 October 2009FIA GT3 European Championship Rounds 9 & 10 – Paul Ricard HTTT, France Lanik Leaves France as Porsche Cup Leader A top ten finish in the second of two FIA GT3 European Championship races at Paul Ricard in the South of France gave Niki Lanik the lead of the Porsche Manufacturers Cup. The 22-year-old Austrian, who lives in Ashurst Wood in Sussex, was handed the car by Finland’s Mikael Forsten in 14th and drove a determined race to finish the 60-minute encounter in a creditable 9th overall. The weekend got off to a poor start with Niki only getting eleven laps in the car on the unfamiliar Paul Ricard circuit during free practice on Friday due to technical problems. He then qualified the car 14th out of 30 cars for the first of the two 60-minute races on Saturday afternoon. A short rain storm on part of the circuit caused the race to be stopped on lap 2 after several cars crashed heavily, with Lanik classified as 14th in the final results but scoring one more than his Porsche Cup rival David Ashburn. In the second race Mikhael Forsten drove the first part of the race handing the car over on lap 12 in 14th place. Lanik then drove well to move up the order to finish 9th overall to secure the lead in the Porsche Manufacturers Cup with two races remaining. Niki Lanik said: “The weekend didn’t start well with very little time on track on Friday due to problems with the car. I qualified OK considering we hadn’t had much time to set up the car. Some of the other Porsche’s had qualified faster, so I knew there was more to come in the car. We had a good race, especially from where we started and we finished in the top 10, ahead of David Ashburn. The goal was to be in the lead of the Porsche Cup and we’ve achieved that. We just need to do the same in Zolder in three weeks. The Prospeed Competition team, which are Belgian, have plenty of experience at Zolder so I’m confident that we will get the job done.” The final two rounds of the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship will take place on 24/25 October at Zolder in Belgium. Niki Lanik will once again be partnered by Mikael Forsten in the Prospeed Competition Porsche. Live coverage of the two races can be seen on the championship website at www.fiagt3.com, with highlights shown in the UK and across Europe on Motors TV. Sunday 13 September 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship Rounds 7 & 8 – Algarve, Portugal Double Porsche Win for Lanik in Portugal Niki Lanik stood on the podium for both FIA GT3 European Championship races at the Autódromo Internacional Algarve in Portugal after scoring two wins in the Porsche Manufacturers Cup with teammate Marco Holzer. A determined drive in the second 60-minute race by Lanik saw the 22-year-old Austrian overtake the BMW Alpina B6 of Jens Klingsmann on the penultimate lap to take 4th, equaling his best overall finish this season. Full story - click here FIA GT3 - Round 5 Algarve Algarve in Portugal – 12th – 13th September is the stage of Round 5 of the FIA GT3 Championship and will be Lanik’s first race since his successful Spa 24 hour debut where he finished 3rd. Porsche Motorsports supported driver, Marco Holzer will partner Niki in the no 12 Prospeed GT3 Cup car in Portugal. Full story - click here Exciting News From 26th July 2009: NIKI Lanik, Austrian GT race driver, made his GT 24 hour debut today, on Saturday 25th July at Total Spa 24 Hours. The double UK Clio Winter Champion finished 3rd in the GT3 class, with team mate Markus Palttala setting fastest lap. For 2009 Niki is racing with a Belgium-based and official Porsche-supported race team – Prospeed Competition. Sponsorship: If you would like to sponsor Niki Lanik and see if there are commercial opportunities available, please email his manager, Justin Keen. E: jk@justinkeen.co.uk