The Le Mans 24-Hours' historical richness makes the race one of the greatest challenges in motor sport. Since 1923, the major manufacturers have all tackled the mythic Sarthe event that has no equal in the world.
Following in the footsteps of the Le Mans 24 Hours, which has resulted in multiple technical innovations, endurance racing is entering a period of growth with several championships showcasing its success: in Europe, the "Le Mans Series", in North America, the "American Le Mans Series" and soon in Asia, the "Asian Le Mans Series".
This type of racing is attracting more and more teams and drivers, and to meet this increasing demand the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and ORECA are launching the Formula Le Mans Cup in 2009. This championship will provide an ideal springboard for drivers to discover endurance racing, and prepare for an entry in the top category in the future.
Why Formula Le Mans Cup?
"A number of increasingly young drivers are arriving in endurance from many different branches of the sport", explains Rémy Brouard, the ACO General Manager, who is in change of the project with Pierre Fillon.
"Our aim and ORECA's is to build a bridge allowing drivers and teams to make their prototype debut via a monotype formula. The Formula Le Mans Cup is the missing link in the endurance chain!"
ORECA's role is to provide its top-level expertise. Its design office has penned the Formula Le Mans prototype while Pole Marketing is looking after the championship's promotion.
"We wanted to provide a prototype at a reasonable price whose characteristics closely resemble those of the benchmarks in this type of racing", comments Hugues de Chaunac.
"The Formula Le Mans Cup has to be closely associated with the myth of the Le Mans 24 Hours. Thus, a young driver can get to grips with the way a prototype feels, and have the opportunity to show his skills in front of the media and the major teams. It's the first step on the road to racing in endurance proper in the future."
