Lech, Arlberg, 15 January 2012. Aston Martin, a sports car manufacturer with a long standing successful tradition in motorsports, sets the same tone on the winter race slopes: At this year’s ski race “The White Ring”, which took place this past weekend for the seventh time in Lech Zürs at Arlberg in Austria, the British sports car maker took an overall victory in the men’s competition. Further Aston Martin achieved two class wins as well as a third place. Aston Martin was present with two teams, comprised of both customer and fans of the luxury brand.
Team leader was Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez himself. As an enthusiastic amateur skier, this was his fourth time at the start. This year he invited to race alongside him as part of the Aston Martin Team racing legend Marc Girardelli, the former Austrian World Cup champion and winner of the race at Arlberg last year Josef “Pepi” Strobl together with ex-pro Jürgen Grabher.
In freezing temperatures of minus 20 degrees in bright morning sunshine, the 1,000 entrants started the race in picturesque winter scenery promptly at 9 o’clock, covering a distance stretching over 22 kilometers of slopes and 5,500m altitude.
After 46.03,62 minutes Josef “Pepi” Strobl with the bib number 10001 of Team Aston Martin Differences 1 once again proved fastest to the finish line and was able to reconfirm last year’s victory as the fastest man on the White Ring. He also won the individual championship in the class B for men. Team mate Marc Girardelli (bib number 10004) won the individual rating of class C men who needed just 46.38,58 minutes to cover the distance. On the third place in class C, Jürgen Grabher (bib number 43) followed in a time of 47.5526 minutes.
“Many of our customers are not only racing, but also winter sport fans. Therefore, we take advantage of opportunities like this to step beyond familiar motorsport race tracks like the Nürburgring or Le Mans to also be present at other competitive events,” said team leader Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez. “The White Ring is such an event, where we are pleased to join with our customers and friends of the brand in an active family atmosphere. This corresponds to the values of Aston Martin.”
“We are delighted on our successes this year. I congratulate Pepi Strobl, Marc Girardelli and Jürgen Grabher who took great results and thank them as well as all our team mates for entering the race on behalf of Aston Martin, and showing a great sportive spirit,” said Ulrich Bez. “We look forward to the racing again next year.”