ProSpeed Competition’s fifth place at the 82nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LM GTE Pro category is in itself a brilliant result, but the adventure that the American Cooper MacNeil and the Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen, not forgetting the entire technical crew of the Belgian Porsche team is definitely one for the history annals of the greatest motorsport event in the world. Following an accident earlier in the week the car was rebuilt, Bret Curtis was unable to take the start and for the first time in ten years a duo completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As such the fifth place at the finish in its own right was worthy of a victory. Regular drivers François Perrodo, Emmanuel Collard and their teammate, the Finnish-Belgian Markus Palttala battled it out for a place in the top-10 of the LM GTE Am, until a wheel sheared off and brought an end to their adventure.
Following the training and qualifying sessions for the 82nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans it was soon apparent that for medical reasons Bret Curtis would not be able to be at the start, however due to regulatory reasons to find a replacement driver was impossible. MacNeil and Bleekemolen refused to throw in the towel, just as the ProSpeed Competition technical team. They literally worked day and night to bring the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to the start and succeeded. The car ran spotlessly, apart from two punctures, and the adventure came to a happy ending with the chequered flag being waved at 15.00hrs.
Rudi Penders (ProSpeed Competition Team Principal)
“The #75 Triskell Art Car experienced bad luck, which we really regret, especially after what all of us here together with the team, the drivers, the medical staff, Porsche and the partners have experienced … But I’m leaving the La Sarthe circuit feeling very proud following one week that perhaps ProSpeed Competition will never experience again. Let us for a moment reflect on what our technical team achieved. Some of the lads here have not had any sleep since Friday, worked for hours on the #79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche of MacNeil and Bleekemolen and worked flat out during the race itself. Our strategists managed to keep the car on the road for a maximum amount of time and the drivers drove a faultless race. This is the emotion that turns motorsport into a sporting, but more especially a human adventure. Our fifth place is also our best result at Le Mans.”
Cooper MacNeil – USA (Driver – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #79 – LMGTE Pro)
“To finish here was a dream, especially having completed the race with just two of us. This has only occurred once in the last five years, and that was by André Lotterer, who wins here for the third time and…a Dutchman Charles Zwolsman. Speaking about a Dutchman, my teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen spent no less than 14 hours in the car, something unheard of in these times… I must also thank the ProSpeed Competition boys, for everything during this week!”
Markus Palttala – FIN (Driver – Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #75 – LMGTE Am)
“A great pity that we did not make the finish, but with these emotions I can only say that we also were part and parcel of an unbelievable adventure.”