Capacity ELMS Entry List Revealed

Photo: MPS Agency

A capacity provisional entry list for the European Le Mans Series has been revealed, with a full grid of 41 cars set to tackle the mixed prototype and GT championship this season.

The ELMS has received more entry requests than available places for the first time, forcing organizers to use a selection process, similar to that used for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to fill the available slots on the grid.

It will include 18 cars in LMP2, 13 in LMP2 and nine GTE entries, with the latter class set for its largest full-season grid since 2014.

The premier LMP2 class includes 11 Oreca 07 Gibsons, six Ligier JS P217 Gibsons and one Dallara P217 Gibson, including regular teams such as reigning champion G-Drive Racing as well as DragonSpeed, United Autosports, Panis Barthez Competition, Algarve Pro Racing, IDEC Sport and several others.

They are joined by four teams moving up from LMP3, including 2018 class champion RLR MSport, Inter Europol Competition, Cool Racing and BHS Motorsport, along with top British single-seater outfit Carlin with a Dallara.

The LMP3 field will comprise ten Ligier JS P3 Nissans and four Norma M30 Nissans entered by the likes of RLR MSport, United Autosports, Nielsen Racing, Ultimate and Graff (as Realteam Racing).

The championship’s largest GTE grid in five years features a quintet of Ferrari 488 GTEs alongside four Porsche 911 RSRs.

Reigning champion Proton Competition will enter a pair of Porsches and will go up against JMW Motorsport, Ebimotors, Spirit of Race, Kessel Racing, Project 1 and Luzich Racing.

“Once again the European Le Mans Series continues to attract the leading European race teams, underlining its position as the world’s leading continental endurance racing series,” said ELMS CEO Gerard Neveu.

“With a large, high quality, entry in the LMP2 category this season, we will invite not only the LMP2 ELMS Championship winning team to the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, but also the vice champions from this year’s series.

“So combined with the invitation to the LMP3 champions and the top two teams in the LMGTE class, the European Le Mans Series will have five guaranteed entries in next year’s race on the full La Sarthe circuit in June 2020.

“We will be very happy to welcome all the Motorsport fans at the six ELMS events, starting with the 4 Hours of Le Castellet on Sunday 14th April.”

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.