ORECA Racing

French team, DAMS, has accumulated a considerable amount of experience in the world of motor sport since 1988, in particular in single-seaters in the era of F3000 with three titles won by Eric Comas, Olivier Panis and Jean-Christophe Boullion, all exceptional French drivers, two of whom are still racing at top level in the Le Mans Series. DAMS has also built up a prestigious reputation in endurance with Panoz followed by Cadillac in the Le Mans 24 Hours between 1997 and 2001. Its endurance results include four victories in the 1999 Sports Prototype World Cup. Since then, the team has increased its involvement in single-seater championships, but it is now back on the forefront of the endurance scene.

The Sarthe-based outfit has always been a great talent spotter, and in 2009, under the leadership of Eric Boullier it won the FLM Cup with Nico Verdonck and Gavin Cronje. In 2010, Loïc David, ex-Toyota F1 engineer, has taken over the reins at DAMS, which is entering two Oreca-FLMs for three rookies: Eduardo Piscopo (I), Alessandro Cocognani (I), Andréa Barlesi (B) and the 2009 FLM drivers Gary Chalandon (F), Luke Hines (GB) and Dean Stirling (GB) in the FLM Cup. These three drivers are also taking advantage of the fact that the FLMs have been integrated into the Le Mans Series to do stint after stint in a modern prototype alongside the Audi R15 Pluses, and the Peugeot 908s, the current leaders in endurance.

No. 43 Oreca-FLM:
Andréa Barlesi (B)-Alessandro Cicognani (I)-Gary Chalandon (F)

No. 44 Oreca-FLM:
Dean Stirling (GB)-Luke Hines (GB)-Edoardo Piscopo (I)

Boutsen Energy Racing saw the light of day in 2007 when Olivier Lainé’s LO Racing and Georges Kaczka’s Energy Racing joined forces. As its name indicates the team has the support of Thierry Boutsen, ex-F1 and Le Mans 24-Hours driver. The Belgian star brings his precious advice and also his enormous racing experience to Boutsen Energy Racing. His friend, Lainé, has also gathered a great deal of experience in endurance after his debut as technical director in the Larrousse F1 squad. He was part of the Mazda team in 1991 and the Champion Racing team in 2005, both winners of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In 2009, Boutsen Energy Racing ran two cars in the FLM Cup, which has been reduced to a single entry in the 2010 championship for Dominik Kraihammer who drove the Oreca-FLM in 2009, and two Belgians, Nicolas de Crem, and Bernard Delhez having his first year in an endurance prototype.

No. 45 Oreca-FLM:
Dominik Kraihammer (AUT)-Nicolas de Crem (BEL)-Bernard Delhez (BEL)

Hope PoleVision Racing is a team based in Switzerland in the Fribourg canton. It was set up almost ten years ago, and over the ensuing period it has acquired a great deal of experience in the different international championships in which it has raced.

Jean-Marie Brulhart and Benoît Morand, the HPVR owners are both from Fribourg, and they decided to throw their full weight behind the training of young drivers, engineers and mechanics. Today, they are on target to fulfill their dream with their collaborators – victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours with men and women trained in their company, and a racing car that takes into account the new ecological challenges of today’s world. Before materializing its Le Mans project, the team managed by Benoït Morand was the first to invest in Formula Le Mans by buying two cars in the winter of 2008. It made itself known at the official presentation of the Formula Le Mans Cup on the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit by posing in front of its first Oreca-FLM prototype. Since then, Mathias Beche (CH) and Valle Makela (FIN) filled the runner-up spot in the 2009 FLM Cup, a great reward for the work, the precision and the passion of the Swiss team, which, this year, is again entering two cars in the full Le Mans Series. In its second year, the team will be racing with the big boys and Mathias Beche had resigned alongside the experienced Christophe Pillon (CH) and Vincent Capillaire (F).

The other driver line-up also has experience as Lucas Moro (I), Wolfgang Kaufmann (D) and Steve Zacchia (CH) are no longer debutants.

No. 47 Oreca-FLM:
Luca Moro (I)-Wolfgang Kaufmann (D)-Steve Zacchia (CH)

No. 48 Oreca-FLM:
Mathias Beche (CH)-Christophe Pillon (CH)-Vincent Capillaire (F)

Bruno Toulemonde’s team has changed names this year and is now called Applewood Seven after its official association with Laurent Daumet’s outfit in 2009. While the place of LD Autosport has been taken by Seven, Bruno Toulemonde’s team, the same people based in the Alès motor park are looking after the preparation and running of the Oreca-FLM prototype.

After the 2009 season whose highlight was third place in the drivers and teams’ FLM Cup, Applewood Seven is determined to win the title in 2010. Laurent Daumet has what it takes to achieve this, as he was the person who put Stéphane Sarrazin back on track in 1997 with the runner-up spot in the French F3 Championship. Sarrazin is now one of the key members in the Peugeot Sport outfit.

David Zollinger and Damien Toulemonde gained a lot of experience last year, and are among the favourites for the 2010 FLP Cup. They know how the Oreca-FLM prototype handles and their reputation as drivers needs no further confirmation. Australian, Ross Zampatti, sent to Applewood Seven by Oreca, is more familiar with touring cars and will make his prototype debut as the third driver of the no. 49 Oreca-FLM.

No. 49 Oreca-FLM 09:
Damien Toulemonde (FRA)-David Zollinger (FRA)-Ross Zampatti (AUS)

The Monégasque team, JMB Racing, founded by Jean-Michel Bouresche in 1995, is making its prototype comeback by running a Formula Le Mans in the Le Mans Series. The Oreca-FLM’s inherent qualities and its low maintenance costs attracted a team that knows endurance racing inside out, and has been closely linked to Ferrari since its creation. JMB Racing has won 15 titles, and has competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours on seven occasions in prototype or GT Ferraris.

Last year, Peter Kutemann and John Hartshorne drove a JMB Racing Ferrari 430 GT in the Le Mans Series. The two gentlemen drivers were delighted with their official test session at the beginning of March after their first taste of the Formula Le Mans in the Winter Series. Joining them is Maurice Basso who was also racing in the Le Mans Series in a Ferrari F430 with another team. This winter, JMB Racing moved to new premises on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit.

No. 46 Oreca-FLM:
Maurice Basso (CH) -John Hartshorne (GB) -Peter Kutemann (NLD)