Lola sets sights on Silverstone victory.
Having made a highly successful debut overseas, the new Lola LMP2 sportscar makes its home debut at the weekend as the Le Mans Endurance Series reaches Silverstone for the third round of the five race championship.
Having made a highly successful debut overseas, the new Lola LMP2 sportscar makes its home debut at the weekend as the Le Mans Endurance Series reaches Silverstone for the third round of the five race championship.
Twenty five years after Alain De Cadenet and Desire Wilson's giant killing win over the works Lancia and Kremer Porsche 935K3's in their Lola T380 Cosworth, Lola sportscars teams, cars and drivers fight it out over another 1000kms of the fabled Northamptonshire circuit. Racing deep in to the evening, Lola sportscars will again be battling with their rivals to keep and further enhance an already hard won lead in the LMP2 points standings.
Chamberlain Synergy are tackling their home event head on after a superb start to the season with Bob Berridge, Peter Owen and Gareth Evans having scored a win and a second place at Spa and Monza respectively.
The small and dedicated team have found that the AER powered Lola chassis is tough to beat after impressive strategic drives by the trio have thrust them in to a five point series lead.
"Considering we didn't do that much testing before the season started we have done well," Berridge commented ahead of the meeting. "Peter and Gareth have been totally solid and the team are working well together. We have tended to try and keep touch in the early running and do our own thing while a lot of others go off as hares and hit trouble."
Chamberlain Synergy will also be entering another car, the Lola B98/10, for the all female team of Amanda Stretton and Spanish racer Balba Camino. This car last raced at the FIA Sportscar event at Donington in 2003 and prior to that scored several wins with the DAMS team in 1999.
RML Group's MG-Lola EX264 has proved to be among the fastest LMP2 car in each of the two previous LMES rounds but small delays have cost them challenging for the top spot. Based just up the road in Wellingborough the team will be heading back to the track where they first tested the car back in February this year with their quick and reliable partnership of Tommy Erdos and Mike Newton.
Horag Lista had a solid debut at Monza with their strikingly liveried Lola B05/40 Judd. Experienced sportscar campaigners Fredy Leinhard and Didier Theys got to grips with the car at Monza after very limited testing and Leinhard for one believes that a podium position is well within their grasp this season.
"We have started half way through the season but this car is so good I think we can be very quick and consistent straight away," said the Swiss racer. "There were many things to learn at Monza and we still have some to do but it is such a pleasure to drive that we can be very competitive from Silverstone onwards."
The Horag run car, benefiting from the experience of Markus Hotz and former SportsRacing Team Sweden team manager, Dick Jonsson, could be up at the front come ten o'clock on Saturday evening.
Binnie Motorsports will have fresh faces in their pit this weekend as Sam Hancock and current Global Lights GT points leader, Allen Timpany joining team owner Bill Binnie in the McLaren Nicholson engined Lola.
Binnie has drafted in last years LMP champion driver, Hancock to offer some experience and pace, as the Londoner not only impressed last year but also at Le Mans where he qualified and raced well in the Intersport example of the B05/40.
"I can't wait to get to work with the Binnie guys as I am convinced they are due a great result - several in fact!" said an excited Hancock. "These are serious guys with serious ambition and bags of potential - hopefully at Silverstone, I can help them tap into it."
Qualifying for the third round of the Le Mans Endurance Series takes place on Saturday with the gruelling 1000kms following later that day.