Tech1 to Support PR1/Mathiasen for Team’s Le Mans Debut

PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports will receive support from European Le Mans Series team Tech1 Racing for its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut this August, as well as the upcoming Total 6 Hours of Spa.

The California-based team gained an automatic invitation to Le Mans after its driver Patrick Kelly was awarded the Jim Trueman Award for his title-winning campaign in LMP2 last year.

Kelly’s co-drivers for the French long-distance race as well as next month’s FIA World Endurance Championship season-opener will be Simon Trummer and Gabriel Aubry.

Trummer was Kelly’s main co-driver throughout the last WeatherTech Championship season, while Aubry joined PR1 for the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.

PR1 plans to send its American staff over to Le Mans but will also receive equipment and technical assistance from Tech 1, the team behind Panis Racing.

The French team placed fourth in the 2020 ELMS standings and has a single Le Mans LMP2 entry of its own confirmed for Le Mans.

“I am very excited to begin our road to Le Mans efforts with this great group of drivers and new team affiliation with Tech1 Racing,” said PR1 team principal Bobby Oergel.

“To have the opportunity of assembling our alumni drivers who also have previous history with both teams is amazing.

“Pat, Gabby and Simon are a great combination and I couldn’t be happier to be able and work with them all in one car again.

“Everyone at Tech1 Racing has been very helpful and thorough in making this collaboration possible and I can’t thank them enough for this opportunity in our first European racing experience for our PR1/Mathiasen team.”

Tech1 team principal Sarah Abadie added: “Life is an amazing journey. We worked in Formula Renault 2.0 single seater with Gabriel in 2016 and 2017 and we crossed paths with Simon in GP3 in 2010.

“I’m very impatient to meet Patrick, such passionate person. It will a very strong line-up and an exciting program!”