12H Sebring : Two ORECA 03 in the FIA-WEC top 5

For the first rendezvous of the FIA World Endurance Championship, no less than 12 ORECA chassis were present on the starting grid for the 12 Hours of Sebring, in Florida.  Three ORECA 03 were entered in the LMP2 class, by team Signatech-Nissan (Franck Mailleux, Jordan Tresson, Olivier Lombard),  ADR-Delta  (John Martin, Robbie Kerr, Tor Graves) and Pecom Racing (Soheil Ayari, Pierre Kaffer, Luis Perez Companc), as well as nine ORECA-FLM09 in LMPC.

LMP2 : Good showing from the ORECA 03 …

Despite difficult traffic conditions – with 63 cars on track – the three ORECA 03, starting from the 4th, 5th, and 8th positions take the first corner without difficulties.  As Signatech-Nissan and ADR-Delta maintain their spots in the top 5, Pecom Racing quickly gains several positions. The Argentinian team would be the highest-finishing ORECA representative.

At the controls of the No. 49, Luis Perez-Compac, Pierre Kaffer and Soheil Ayari avoid problems and, after regularly pointing in the top 3 in LMP2, finish in the fourth spot. Pecom Racing, which had a perfect reliability in the race, nonetheless finished on the FIA World Endurance Championship podium and takes home precious points !

ADR-Delta also had a convincing showing, finishing fifth in FIA-WEC. After stopping to secure the rear cover, loosened after contact in traffic, the debuting British team was forced to return to the pits with radio problems.  Although the first few hours were challenging, John Martin, Robbie Kerr and Tor Graves spent the next several hours making their way back up to a positive result, giving hope for the future.

Less lucky, the team Signatech-Nissan ORECA 03 retired in the first quarter of the race while Jordan Tression, Franck Mailleux and Olivier Lombard were in second place.  The Bourges-based team was forced out after contact with a Ferrari, provoked by an oil spill.

These three ORECA 03 will contest the FIA World Endurance Championship debut in May at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.