ORECA, once again the most represented prototype manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans !
With its Technology division, ORECA will be the most represented manufacturer in the « prototype » categories not only at the 24 Hours of Le Mans but also at the FIA World Endurance Championship as well as at the European Le Mans Series. With no less than nine chassis on the start line and through its seven customer teams participating in the most legendary endurance race – six of which powered by the engine department based in Magny-Cours – ORECA will aim for victory in the LM P2 category.
« Last year already, ORECA was the most represented prototype manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is once again the case in 2014 which proves how much our work is recognized.» explains Hugues de Chaunac. « 2013 was a very successful year with our customer teams, but we fell short of victory in Le Mans. That race is clearly one of the main objectives of the season in the LM P2 category which is particularly competitive and where each team builds its potential and does its best. We will be present on many levels, showing a real diversity among our teams based in Europe, Asia and the Middle-East, not forgetting the United States. That is a perfect symbol of ORECA Group’s international expansion. I am happy to see that our manufacturer activity reaches further every single year. Endurance is definitely the backbone of that activity. While the ACO enters a new era of innovative rules and regulations, this season will be very important to us. »
12 ORECA chassis, 8 nationalities and 3 championships !
Once again in the 2014 season, endurance will be one of ORECA Technology’s threads. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, nine of the seventeen competing chassis in LM P2 will be ORECA’s : eight ORECA 03 and one Alpine A450, a car designed and built by ORECA. Seven teams are expected on the starting grid : Millenium Racing, Sébastien Loeb Racing, SMP Racing, Race Performance, KCMG, Murphy Prototypes and Signatech-Alpine, which stands a reservist with its second car. To that we can add Boutsen Ginion Racing, fourth reserve car.
Five ORECA 03 will be lined-up in the FIA World Endurance Championship : two with Millenium Racing, two with SMP Racing and the last one with KCMG. Their aim will be to fight for the title while trying to equal the exceptional 2013 season : six wins in eight rounds !
As for the European Le Mans Series, six chassis will be competing in the main class through Sébastien Loeb Racing, SMP Racing, Race Performance, Murphy Prototypes, Boutsen Ginion Racing and Signatech-Alpine. Keeping the title won at the past two editions will be the ambition on the Old Continent.
Finally, even though Muscle Milk Pickett Racing will not be at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the team will be participating in the entire Tudor United SportsCar Championship, the new American endurance series.
Therefore, in 2014, no less than 12 ORECA chassis will be in the action, in 3 different championships, representing 8 different nations : Belgium, China, The United Arab Emirates, the United States, France, Ireland, Russia and Switzerland.
Three seasons on, the ORECA 03 LM P2 has been eighteen times successful. The 20th chassis is currently being put together in the workshop in Signes.