24 Hours of Le Mans

Guy Smith joins Quifel ASM Team at Le Mans

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat // The Quifel ASM Team Lola at Silverstone in 2007

Former winner Guy Smith returns to Le Mans to contest the legendary 24 Hour race in June. Smith, from Yorkshire, won the world’s “blue riband” endurance sportscar race in 2003 with Bentley and then finished second overall on his last appearance in the French “classic” three years ago for Audi.

Smith will drive a British-built Lola, powered by a British-made AER engine, for the Portuguese ASM Team in the LM P2 category along with Olivier Pla (F) and Miguel Paes do Amaral (Por) on 14-15 June.

“I have a great opportunity to win the LM P2 category at Le Mans,” confirmed Smith. “The Lola AER package is proven in its class and combined with Dunlop tyres, all the ingredients are in place for success.

“I’m fortunate enough to have finished first and second already at Le Mans and intend to be back on the top step of the podium on my return this year. António Simões and his ASM team run a first class operation and I look forward to working with them at Le Mans.”

Smith’s Lola B05/40 LMP2 Sportscar chassis is manufactured in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, with the 2-litre turbo AER (Advanced Engine Research) engine built in Basildon, Essex. The ASM Team is based in Lisbon.

Guy added: “You must be driving a diesel-engined car at Le Mans these days to win the race outright. “Therefore the next best thing is to get a top drive with a competitive LM P2 car and bid for class honours.”

Smith, who hopes to test the Lola early next month for the first time, starts his American Le Mans Series campaign by contesting the Sebring 12 Hours in Florida on 15 March for the Dyson Porsche team.

(Guy Smith)