WEC - Le Mans 24h Press information “US” VIBES AROUND THE PROSPEED COMPETITION PORSCHE #79 BOLLINGBROOK (ILLINOIS, USA) - The WeatherTech Racing will be at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the team comprised of Cooper MacNeill (USA), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL) and Bret Curtis (USA). These three drivers will be sharing the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #79 entered by ProSpeed Competition in the LMGTE Am category. This world-renowned French 24 Hours race will take place on 14th and 15th June at Le Mans, on the mythical la Sarthe circuit. Winners of the Prix Ascra (2011), awarded for the best technical assistance, the ProSpeed Competition team is present at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the fifth consecutive year. The Belgian team is also entering a second Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, in the “Triskell” Art Car livery, to be manned by François Perrodo (FRA), Emmanuel Collard (FRA), Markus Palttala (FIN). Active in the recent Tudor United SportsCar Championship (*), WeatherTech Racing has entrusted it’s entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to the Belgian ProSpeed Competition team, one of the Porsche teams with a fair reference on the international scene. Cooper MacNeill (Illinois, USA) will be competing in his second 24 Hours of Le Mans, as was the case with Bret Curtis (California, USA)… already present with ProSpeed Competition in 2012. Jeroen Bleekemolen has no less than eight participations under his belt. The Dutch driver and MacNeil have already triumphed together, winning amongst others the “GTC” category of the American Le Mans Series 2013. From his side, Bret Curtis, who was also teamed up with Jeroen Bleekemolen, is competing in the Pirelli World Challenge GT Series. The ProSpeed Competition team boasts real expertise when it comes to the Porsche 911 RSR and the demanding nature of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For the drivers of the #79, their impatience to join the other competitors of the LMGTE Am category is great. Cooper MacNeill – USA (Driver - Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #79 – LMGTE Am) “My first experience at Le Mans, last year, is engraved in my memory. I was the youngest … but I felt as though I was the biggest! Worldwide this race has no equivalent. Today I’m grabbing this exceptional opportunity to join up with the ProSpeed Competition team at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR “ 2012 Spec “. I’m delighted to once again be teamed up with Jeroen, a few mere months since our collaboration in ALMS. Bret Curtis is a true character. We’ve had the opportunity of competing against one another in the past, to our greatest enjoyment. Bret also has an initial experience of Le Mans. Our objective is to keep the car on the track … the furthest possible away from our stand! Should that be the case a result will be on the books. I can’t wait to be back at Le Mans.“ Bret Curtis – USA (Driver - Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #79 – LMGTE Am) “I had my first taste of Le Mans in 2012 with ProSpeed Competition, the team run by Rudi Penders and Luc Goris. Unfortunately, after some thirteen hours of racing one of my teammates caused some heavy damage to the car when he hit a safety barrier. With Jeroen and Cooper, our team is a mixture of youth and experience. In fact loads of experience seeing Jeroen has enjoyed success not only at Le Mans but in the world of endurance racing. Cooper has also proved his worth with his two consecutive victories in the “GTC” category of the ALMS in 2012 and 2013. I’m taking on this second participation with the same philosophy as the one I had in the first: be out on the track and clock up the laps at a constant pace. I have the ambition of achieving a great result. A podium? We have the drivers, the car and the team to get there! “ Jeroen Bleekemolen - NL (Driver - Porsche 911 GT3 RSR #79 – LMGTE Am) “I’ve competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans these last eight years … with, as best results, a victory in the LMP2 category (2008) and a sixth place (2011), synonym of the first “petrol” prototype classed in the LMP1 category. 2014 will be my ninth participation. I’m supporting Cooper and Bret with whom I have won some competitions in the United States. Both have already competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We’re not merely here to guarantee the numbers in the LM GTE Am category, but on the other hand I do appreciate how redoubtable this event can be. I’m fully convinced that we can achieve a great result. However, in a 24 hours race lots of unexpected events can occur. If we get through these pitfalls we won’t be far form a podium spot.” (*) On 5th September 2012, the officials of the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Road Racing officially announced the historic merger of two major American endurance championships. The new competition, the Tudor United SportsCar Championship, a unique championship, saw the light of day in 2014.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 07:09:51 +0000
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