DragonSpeed today confirmed details of its planned graduation from GT to LMP2 prototype competition in 2016 – its tenth season of racing. The Florida-based team will open its campaign at the Mobil 1 Sebring 12 Hours classic, round one of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, before switching its focus to the ACO European Le Mans Series for the remainder of the year.
Plans call for DragonSpeed’s new ORECA 05-Nissan LMP2 racer to be delivered in the autumn with a shakedown at Circuit Paul Ricard in France to be followed by winter testing in the US. Sebring in mid-March will bring the sternest test of the season, the legendary airport circuit subjecting cars and drivers alike to a test of endurance more severe than the 24 hour races at Le Mans or Daytona. A month later, the ELMS starts its tour of five current or former F1 venues at Silverstone (England), Imola (Italy), Spielberg (Austria), Paul Ricard (France), and Estoril (Portugal).
Pilots will be current DragonSpeed Pirelli World Challenge drivers Henrik Hedman and Frankie Montecalvo, joined by team principal Elton Julian. Former Ferrari Challenge frontrunner Hedman, 47, returns for a third season with the team as he zeroes in on his goal of contesting the Le Mans 24 Hours. LMPC and GT ace Montecalvo, 24, is challenging for the PWC GT-A class title with five of 20 rounds remaining. Julian, 41, is a familiar figure to sportscar fans, having recorded a pair of top-five class results at Le Mans and podium finishes at Sebring and Daytona in his 25-year career. The close-knit DragonSpeed crew also remains intact under the leadership of engineers Mark Schomann and Leon Gutfreund.
“This is a move we’ve been planning for a while,” said Julian. “Our sprint and endurance racing efforts over the past five years have allowed us to build a strong team and develop our drivers. Frankie’s pace and consistency this season have been a revelation, as was Henrik’s night stint at the Spa 24 Hours last month. Our current crew came together when we ran an LMPC ORECA in 2013 and are all prototype guys at heart anyway. I know the ORECA people well and their win at Le Mans in June shows they’ve struck the right balance between speed and durability, while Nissan’s dominance on the engine front speaks for itself. The ELMS calendar is just right for Henrik, given his business commitments, and for DragonSpeed as well, with our GT programme in North America.”
“After driving GTs in PWC and now the BES, I sat down and looked at my ultimate goal, which is to compete at Le Mans,” said Hedman. “Looking at the cars and talking to guys who have done Le Mans in both GT and LMP2, they all recommended going P2. The ELMS seems to be a great series and a perfect set-up for Le Mans, plus I’ve really enjoyed racing in Europe this year. Elton’s knowledge of the technology and people in P2 has helped guide me toward the right package. I’m excited to be taking this next step in company with my ‘home team’ at DragonSpeed.”
“I’ve spent time in GTs and prototypes cars, and raced against Elton and with Elton, and I can say the combination of an LMP2 car with DragonSpeed is the one I want!” said Frankie Montecalvo. “The one time I drove a P2 car was testing the Porsche RS Spyder that ruled the class in the mid-2000s and I loved it, so I can’t wait to race the ORECA. I’m also happy to return to the ELMS after taking third in the 2013 GTE standings there. The venues and the fans are really special, and the extra track time they’ve added makes the series more appealing than ever.“
ORECA Group President Hugues de Chaunac said, “We’re delighted to welcome Dragon Speed to ORECA’s LMP2 family. Having raced with Elton before in LMPC, it’s a pleasure to work together again. The DragonSpeed effort is serious and ambitious and we feel honored they have chosen ORECA to be part of it. We also look forward to seeing the DragonSpeed ORECA on the starting grid at Sebring as a significant step in the development of our presence in the US.”