JMW and Taisan Ferraris replace Viper entries for Le Mans 2014

SRT Motorsports has decided not to accept the invitation for the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours (14-15 June) given to their two Viper GTS-R. These withdrawals open to door to the JMW Motorsport and Team Taisan Ferrari F458 Italias.

In 2013, two of the muscular-looking North American GTs, a new interpretation of the model that had forged a great reputation in GT in the 90s at Le Mans, made a headline-grabbing return to Le Mans. This year despite being officially entered in LM GTE Pro, SRT Motorsports has had to withdraw from the Le Mans 24 Hours, but is still racing in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship in the United States, the reunified North-American endurance series.

“We regretfully and respectfully decline to participate in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. We are honored to once again be invited by the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest) to compete in this historic event, and they were the first to be informed of our decision. We will remain focused on our North American racing program in 2014.”

Vincent Beaumesnil, Sports Director of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: ”We’re very disappointed to learn of SRT Motorsports’ withdrawal from the Le Mans 24 Hours. Viper achieved numerous successes in our event in the nineties and its return last year was a very promising one. But we’re confident that in 2015 SRT will be back at Le Mans and we’ll be only too delighted to welcome this exceptional entrant again.”

The first two teams on the LM GTE reserve list will replace the two Vipers: the no. 66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia with Geoff Richardson as the first nominated driver, and another identical Ferrari entered by Japanese squad Team Taisan with Mateo Malucelli as first driver.

The two Vipers were originally entered in LM GTE Pro and the two reserves are running in LM GTE Am so in Pro there will be 10 cars at the start on 14th June, and GTE Am will supply eighteen out of the 56 cars on the grid for the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours.

There are two other withdrawals among the reserves. Risi Competizione (no. 57 Ferrari 458 Italia), a replacement in LM GTE has declined the invitation as well as Boutsen Ginion Racing (no. 40 Oreca 03-Nissan) in LM P2. There are still two cars left on the LM GTE reserve list and four on the LM P one.

24H Le Mans