Keating Expecting Race Strategy Shakeup Amid Return to Wheel

Photo: John Dagys

Ben Keating said that he’s expecting to have to take a different race strategy from previous editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in his first race back from injury.

The FIA Bronze-rated driver broke his elbow and was forced out of the opening two FIA World Endurance Championship races in the No. 33 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, but has been cleared to race next weekend.

Keating will get his first laps behind the wheel, of any race car, in tomorrow’s Le Mans test day, although said he’s confident everything will go to plan.

“I did about four hours straight in my sim with the force feedback turned pretty high,” he told Sportscar365. “I think it’s a pretty good comparison. I might have had the force feedback turned up higher than the actual car.

“It was fine. I was sore but I think it was pretty good preparation, a pretty good workout to prepare for the race.”

The 54-year-old Texan said he’s been fully medically cleared to race but is expecting to be in some level of pain.

“The doctor has said you can’t hurt it,” he said. “‘You do whatever you want but it’s probably not going to feel very good.’ He’s completely cleared me.

“What he said is that you’ll first build the muscle and then it will take time to build endurance.

“I’m working on building the muscle and I expect it to be tired at the end of the race.”

When asked if that will shake up his car’s race strategy, which has traditionally seen Keating meet the minimum six-hour drive time early in the race, Keating said “maybe.”

“Last year I did five stints in a row at the beginning of the race,” he said. “I probably won’t do that.I think I can but I probably won’t. We’ll see.”

Keating will be seeking his third Le Mans class victory, and first 2023 in the final year of GTE-Am when he was at the wheel of a Corvette Racing C8.R with Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone.

Corvette Racing factory ace Catsburg is part of next weekend’s lineup, along with Jonny Edgar.

“I expect that we have a really good car and a really good team,” said Keating. “I also expect that every single car is a long shot. There’s so many things that can happen.

“Like every other year, I put together the best team I can do and hope for the best.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John