I am excited for another year of racing!

The first Le Mans 24 Hours for American GT racer Bryce Miller is finished, and to say it was a whirlwind would be putting things mildly. Unfortunately for Miller at the rest of the JMW Motorsport team, the Aston Martin Vantage crashed near the six-hour mark Saturday. He tried to recollect his thoughts from the accident in his final Le Mans blog.

(June 13, 2010) — Le Mans finished with four of my friends on the podium – Wolf Henzler, Leh Keen, Richard Westbrook and Dominik Farnbacher. Also Marco Holzer and the team I scored second place with at Spa – BMS Scuderia – were third in GT2 It was fun to watch the celebration at the end and to have people to cheer for in the event.

We struggled with braking system issues all week, which undoubtedly affected our lap times. Unfortunately, our race efforts started to unravel around 8:30 pm Saturday. Rob Bell was pulling some great times in the Vantage, but we became sidelined in the garage for 30-plus minutes while the team repaired a broken steering pump that contributed to an off for Rob. He drove the car back to the pits as best he could with limited visibility due to the steering fluid on the windshield, which later contributed to another off and stop that I had to make after the car was repaired. Otherwise the steering appeared okay after the repair and I was coming to the car after the stop.

At the end of my stint and two laps before our next pit stop, I had an impact with the wall at the end of the Porsche Curves that ended our race. I sustained a pretty good concussion and am quite confused about the events leading up to the accident, especially after spending an hour at the site Sunday. The car had managed to get way offline and then veered back in the opposite direction of the next corner towards the wall for what was almost a direct head-on impact of 25 to 30 Gs. My doctor says it is normal at an impact like this to not remember the exact moments leading up to such a severe incident, but I cannot assume anything before knowing what happened. The next days will be important for me to review data and talk with the team about the car’s condition in a hope that there may be something I can learn or take from what has happened.
Whatever the case, I am grateful to JMW Aston Martin for the opportunity to drive at Le Mans. The experience has been a swing of emotions, but just that I’ve driven at this famed event has been a tremendous privilege and I will not forget the entire set of events that occurred over this week to deliver the experience that is Le Mans. I hope to come back and have the opportunity for redemption.

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(June 11, 2010) — Today was a day of rest until mid-afternoon. The crew did some pit-stop practice runs and Rob, Tim and I did some driver-change practices. Afterwards, we walked up the hill to the Dunlop Bridge where the car had been transported to do a team photo shoot and some photos with Dunlop executives.

We then hopped on a scooter to go to the driver parade. The crowds were so stacked up in Le Mans town it was really the best way to get over there. All the co-driver pairings were designated a classic car to ride a three-mile stretch of road. We were passengers in a 1927 Vauxhaull purpose-built for hill climbs.

The crowds were 10 people deep for three miles and the fans were absolutely crazed for our autographs and the coasters we were flinging. One man had gone shirtless and was screaming for the drivers to sign him with signatures overlapping all over his body. I presume that will take a couple soap bars to clean off!

Another woman had an incredible book that I was privileged to sign, with many pictures of famous drivers going back to the years when the Mulsanne straight did not have chicanes. Many already had team gear prepared for signing and the Aston Martin fans were particularly pleasant.

The entire experience again really felt like a dream. I kept asking myself, ‘How could so many people who love motorsports this much all congregate in the same place like this!?’ But these fans are for real and committed and I know many of them will be pulling hours through the night tomorrow similar to what we will be as drivers.

I spent a good amount of time on the scooter ride back digesting and processing what had just occurred. It is an exhilarating experience – something that feels as if it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience – but of course, you look forward to and hope for the opportunity to come back for years to come. I am really excited to drive in my first Le Mans ever starting tomorrow.

Photos: 2010 Autosport Image, Bob Chapman

American growing more comfortable in JMW Aston Martin

(June 11, 2010) — Bryce Miller filed his latest blog Thursday night after the final qualifying session at Le Mans for americanlemans.com.

The team opted to put in the race engine starting this morning. They did the job quicker than expected, so we stayed on schedule and ran the 10 p.m. session. The drying conditions were a big help to continue my progress on the dry line and with braking points. It was also good additional night-driving experience. I was able to learn the track some more and close the gap down on my lap times.

My comfort level with the car has also improved quite a bit this evening and I am starting to learn how to use the aero some more in braking and faster sectors.

Tomorrow is a chance for the drivers to all rest up and then we go to the driver’s parade. I am quite excited for this and hear it is an incredible experience where you get to feel like a hero for an hour! The fans here are so enthusiastic and appreciative of our sport – it makes it great fun and an honor to be here.

It’s hard to believe I am here driving at Le Mans. The atmosphere is so special you can’t miss it. It’s not something you have to look for – it just is … Le Mans!

Check back this week for more of Bryce’s blog from Le Mans.

JMW TEAMMATES THROUGH THE FIRST DAY OF QUALIFYING

(June 10, 2010) — It was a spectacular feeling to drive Le Mans today. I have never driven a race car and upshifted into fifth and sixth gear so many times in one lap. I enjoyed it so much that when my co-drivers, Rob Bell and Tim Sudgen, poked their heads in during the stop to ask how it was going, I just went speechless and then resorted to childish fist pumps.

We were held back in the garage by a couple of issues today, but I met my 10-lap day and three-lap night requirement, and the setup was improved again before Rob’s qualifying.

Unfortunately, a P2 car checked Rob up in the Ford chicane on his fast lap, but none of us are overly concerned with the grid position anyway because it is a 24-hour race.

The closing speeds by the P1 cars are significant – you must constantly check your mirrors and the circuit is very dark at night like Spa, but you must know where all the spotlights are so you don’t confuse them with prototypes.

Tomorrow is a prep day for the car. We will run again tomorrow night. Amen for Le Mans. MORE DAILY LE MANS BLOGS

(June 8, 2010) — It’s Day 2 of Le Mans 24 Hours week. We had a drivers meeting this morning, then I rode the circuit on a scooter with my co-driver Rob Bell, who has been here four times.

Many of the turns are sweeping and fast, so car placement will be critical as well as braking with many of the braking zones being coupled by multiple downshifts. Riding down the Mulsanne Straight, it is quite alarming to see just how long the original straightaway was. My father raced here three times before when the Mulsanne was wide open without chicanes. Anyone who’s done that in the cars from previous eras I have a great respect for!

We wrapped up this evening with autograph signings – the fans are super-enthusiastic and it’s great to meet all of them. They really know racing! I’m looking forward to driving the car here tomorrow. It will surely be an upgrade from my scooter.

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