DragonSpeed’s 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series (BES) effort will benefit from the return to the cockpit of team principal Elton Julian alongside Swedish racer Henrik Hedman. After the finale of Hedman’s Pirelli World Championship campaign this weekend, the Florida-based team’s top priority will be to fill the third seat in its Ferrari 458 GT3 BES entry for next year, with plans to return to the PWC with Henrik in 2015 already settled.
Following two years as a frontrunner in the Ferrari Challenge North America, culminating in a victory at the World Finals last November, Hedman has impressed many in his maiden PWC season. Going into the season-ending double-header at Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park, Henrik is second in the series’ GT-A (amateur) class points and its highest-placed rookie overall – and still in with a shot at the class title.
Julian enjoyed considerable success in a driving career which started in single-seaters and then stalled for almost a decade before a triumphant revival in sportscars. The Ecuadorean, who turned 40 in August, still holds the record for the youngest-ever winner of a British F3 race, earned an F1 test contract at age 20, was the highest-finishing rookie at Le Mans in 2005, scored six LMPC class wins in ALMS competition, and was fifth in the final LMP2 standings of the inaugural WEC in 2012.
The Blancpain Endurance Series of three-hour enduros for GT3 machinery has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons, and now boasts 40-plus fields representing no less than a dozen marques contesting five rounds at Monza, Silverstone, Paul Ricard, Spa, and the Nürburgring.
“It may be just five weekends, but it’s 36 hours of racing,” said Julian. “And all the tracks are current or past Grand Prix venues. The highlight is obviously the Spa 24 hours, which is clearly the world’s top GT race now. I can’t say it took me very long to say yes when Henrik asked me to drive with him. The three-hour races are just the right length for me to fill the role of ‘player-manager’, which I think will make me that much more effective in helping Henrik and whoever is in the third seat. The fact that our PWC crew will be carrying over to the BES is also key to my getting behind the wheel again.”
“The driver rating system is continuing to evolve and I’m not sure how I’ll be classified, but I’ll either be a cheap Gold or an expensive Silver! We do know Henrik will have Bronze status, so based on where I end up, we can take on a Silver or Bronze. We’ll be talking to drivers in both categories both here and overseas over the next few weeks. We want someone with speed and experience, of course, but who will also fit in with the team and share in the spirit of the adventure the BES program represents for us. And if we can find another driver with Henrik’s finesse in the rain, we’ll be in good shape for Spa!”