24 Hours of Le Mans

The Le Mans 24 Hours list – LMP2/GT1 analysis

© Planetlemans – Marcel ten Caat

Last week we took a look at the LMP1 and GT2 entries for the Le Mans 24 Hours. This time it is time for the two remaining classes: LMP2 and GT1. Even though both categories are small in size compared to the LMP1 and GT2 classes, they are nevertheless still very interesting.

In LMP2 we will see nine cars. None of the cars that dominated in 2009 will return. The Porsche RS Spyders will not be competing at Le Mans so no Team Essex or Team Goh and Speedy Racing Team Sebah, which finished in second place, has moved into LMP1. So who is there?

OAK Racing, third in 2009, will enter two Pescarolo cars again this year. This year Richard Hein and Jacques Nicolet will be in different cars, the exact line-up of the #24 and #35 cars is yet to be announced. Much will depend on the other drivers.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) will have two cars and three engines running in LMP2. After not taking part in France with the Acura ARX-01a/b and the ARX-02a the new ARX-01c will make its debut in France. American Le Mans Series champion Highcroft Racing will enter one car for David Brabham, Marino Franchitti and a yet to be announced driver. The team’s regular Patrón livery will be replaced by something new as alcohol laws prohibit Highcroft Racing from running with alcohol sponsoring.
Strakka Racing is the second team with an HPD ARX-01c in the race. The British team has moved into LMP2 and could well win the race. With Danny Watts, Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis the team has a strong line-up. The third HPD car is the RML Lola B08/80 of Mike Newton and Tommy Erdos. After a difficult 2009 season with the Mazda badged engines the British squad hopes to do better this year.

Zytek Engineering has a similar situation: two Zytek chassis and another chassis with a Zytek engine. 2009 Le Mans Series LMP2 champion Quifel-ASM Team is back at Le Mans with one target: wipe out any memory of the disastrous 2009 race, when the Zytek retired after just 46 laps. Miguel Amaral, Olivier Pla and a TBA-driver will do whatever they can to win this class. Team Bruichladdich will bring Karim Ojjeh, Tim Greaves and Thor-Christian Ebbesvik to France. Their Zytek is not a likely winner, but in the LMP2 class one never knows. The other Zytek engined car is the WR. After being denied an entry in the last two years the small French was finally given an entry this year…a decision that was really appreciated by the people in Thorigny-sur-Marne.

The final confirmed entry is the Lola B08/80 Judd of Racing Box. Luca Pirri will lead the Italian squad at Le Mans. After a season of ups and downs it remains to be seen what this team can do in June. Last year’s edition of the 24 Hours ended in a DNF.

The LMP2 reserves are Pegasus Racing Norma Judd, the brand new LMP2 car being the first reserve car and the KSM and Ibanez Lola’s.

With new regulations in place for the 2010 GT1 season there were some doubts about the future of the class at Le Mans. The ACO however insisted they would have around eight GT1 cars on the grid this year…and so it is.

2009 race winners Corvette Racing have moved into GT2, but there will still be three Corvette C6.Rs racing around the 13.629 km long circuit. Luc Alphand Aventures will enter two C6.Rs, with Luc Alphand, Stéphane Gregoire and Julien Jousse already confirmed. Luc Alphand Aventures finished second in 2009 and with the factory squad not in GT1 Alphand hopes to win on his home circuit.
The third C6.R is the Peka Racing NV car. Having finished second in FIA GT in 2009 the team was given an automatic entry for Le Mans. Anthony Kumpen is confirmed as driver and it might be his only drive in a C6.R this year as Peka will not compete in the FIA GT1 World Championship.

Larbre Competition will enter one of its Saleen S7Rs at Le Mans. The LMS runner-up was not given an automatic selection due to missing one round of the 2009 series, but in the end the ACO gave Jack Leconte’s team an entry. The team’s regular drivers Roland Berville and Patrick Bornhauser will take up the fight against the seven other GT1s.

Aston Martin Racing will support the only Aston Martin DBR9 entered by Young Driver AMR. The 2003 GTS winners, Peter Kox and Tomas Enge, will join Young Dane Christoffer Nygaard. A strong line-up and with Prodrive support this could well be a class win candidate.

The other three entries are cars that are built to the new FIA GT1 regulations. Matech Competition will enter one of their Ford GTs. Natacha Gachnang and Cyndie Allemann are confirmed for this car, which is set to have a full-female driver line-up. The team’s second car is on the reserve list. Marc VDS Racing, will also enter its Ford GT at Le Mans. Eric de Doncker is confirmed, the other drivers are yet to be announced. The team is the only team that has taken the GT1 Ford into a 24 Hour race so far, having competed at the Spa 24 Hours last year.

The final confirmed entry is that of JLOC. Its Le Mans participation in 2009 lasted no more than one lap, after an equally disappointing practice session (driveshaft failure) and qualifying (55th). Winning the GT1 class of the Asian Le Mans Series meant an invitation was sent to Japan. The team will enter a Lamborghini Murcielago R-SV.