The Automobile Club de l’Ouest, in cooperation with Le Mans Endurance Management, has announced the entry list for the 2016 ‘Road to Le Mans’.
Intended to allow drivers an opportunity to enjoy and experience the full 24 Heures du Mans circuit and to introduce top-level prototype and GT3 racing to teams and drivers possibly not familiar with Circuit de la Sarthe, 39 cars will take to the grid for a race start at 11:10 on Saturday June 18.
For the LMP3 class, entries were invited from teams who have competed, or are currently competing, in an ACO series. Although results from the one hour race will not count towards the European Le Mans Series LMP3 championship, it will constitute the second round of the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup. The first round of the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup was held at Imola on May 15.
22 cars are entered in the LMP3 category with all but two being Nissan-powered Ligier JS P3s. Jan Lammers’ Racing Team Holland has entered the #9 car to be driven by team owner Lammers and Bernhard Van Oranje-Nassau. Ecquevilly, France-based N’Race has entered the #23 car with a driver line-up of Jordan Perroy and Yves Provins.
A Nissan-powered Ginetta P3-15, a car of which a number of examples were raced in the 2015 European Le Mans Series, will be seen on track with team owner Lawrence Tomlinson at the wheel. The second driver has yet to be announced.
A car not seen yet in the European Le Mans Series and which has been entered for the Road to Le Mans is the Adess 03, of which PS Racing Ltd has entered the #48 with Angelo Negro as the only declared driver currently. DC Racing, the reigning Asian Le Mans Series champions has entered its Ligier JS P3 with Thomas Laurent and Alexandre Cougnaud sharing the driving duties.
Wineurasia Limited has entered a Ligier JS P3 with William Lok, who has driven in the Asian Le Mans Series, as the sole declared driver currently.
United Autosports , with two victories in the opening rounds of 2016 European Le Mans Series, brings its pair of Ligier JS P3s. Martin Brundle, ex-Formula One driver and father of United Autosports driver Alex Brundle, will share the driving duties in the #2 car with Christian England. Drivers for the sister #3 car have yet to be declared.
In GT3 six cars are entered in addition to the 11 which contested the first round of the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup.
TF Sport, current leaders in the British GT Championship, has entered a second Aston Martin V12 Vantage, to be driven by Andrew Jarman and Devon Modell. IDEC Sport Racing has entered the #37 Mercedes AMG GT3 with Patrice and Paul Lafargue sharing the driving duties. A second Mercedes AMG GT3 has been entered by Team Larbre Competition with Christian Philippon and Franck Labescat at the wheel.
DKR Engineering has entered its BMW Z4 GT3 with a driver line-up of Jan Storm and Niels Bouwhuis.
Barwell Motorsport has entered its #66 Lamborghini Huracán for Mark Poole and Richard Abra to drive.
A 30 minute qualifying session for the Road to Le Mans will be held on Thursday June 16 which with the lights going out for the start of the race at 11:10 on Saturday June 18.