|
|
|
 mail your news to
editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk
Larbre
Competition return to the Le Mans
Series
 Multiple
champions Larbre Competition will return to the Le Mans Series with one
of their GT1 Saleen S7Rs in 2009.
The French squad have been stalwarts of the LMS since its inception in
2004, where they won the inaugural GTS-class drivers’ and teams’
championships with a Ferrari 550 Maranello, and also took both GT1
titles in 2006 with an Aston Martin DBR9.
Last season Larbre competed in the opening round of the championship
with their Saleen, taking a hard-fought class podium in the Barcelona
1000kms, before concentrating on dual campaigns in the FIA and French GT
Championships, the latter of which saw the team take their 12th major GT
title.
While the Val de Vienne-based squad will return to the French
championship this year to defend their crown, they will also compete in
the LMS and have applied for an entry for the Le Mans 24 Hours, where
they will be competing for a 17th consecutive year. Last year at La
Sarthe the team qualified second in GT1 on a grid dominated by works
entries, while in 2007 they scored a pole position, ahead of both
factory Aston Martins and Corvettes, before going on to take a fine
podium finish.
While more details of both the French GT and Le Mans programmes, on
confirmation of an invitation from the ACO, will be announced soon, the
team have already completed their driver line-up for April’s first round
of the Le Mans Series, the Barcelona 1000kms.
The team have named an all-French trio for the race in the form of
Patrick Bornhauser and David Hallyday, who should be joined by Patrice
Goueslard.
Bornhauser, a Larbre Competition regular, is the multiple and reigning
French GT champion who has experience of both the LMS and Le Mans 24
Hours. He was part of Larbre’s driving strength at La Sarthe last year
and also helped them to the podium in Barcelona. Hallyday, son of
legendary French star Johnny and a well known singer/songwriter in his
own right, is another experienced racer who competed with Larbre at
Le Mans
and in French GT last year. Goueslard is the reigning Le Mans Series GT1
champion and boasts 14 appearances at the Le Mans 24 Hours with a best
finish of third-in-class during the 2006 race.
Larbre Competition Team Principal Jack Leconte said: “The team is
delighted to be returning to the Le Mans Series. We are long-term
supporters of the LMS and have enjoyed great success with them over the
past few years. As well as defending our French GT crown and racing at
the Le Mans 24 Hours we will have a very exciting sporting programme in
2009.”
|
Features