United, High Class Added to Le Mans; 62 Cars Now Confirmed

The grid for the 24 Hours of Le Mans has been expanded to a record 62 cars with the addition of an entry each for United Autosports and High Class Racing.

Two temporary garages will be set up at the entrance to pit lane to accommodate the two European Le Mans Series LMP2 teams that were originally at the top of the 10-car reserve list.

United will field a No. 32 Ligier JS P217 Gibson for its European Le Mans Series driver Ryan Cullen and two more drivers who have yet to be announced.

The Anglo-American team now has two cars confirmed having already sealed an automatic invitation for one car after winning the 2018-19 Asian Le Mans Series.

High Class, meanwhile, currently competes against United with an Oreca 07 Gibson in the ELMS and has full-season drivers Dennis Andersen and Anders Fjordbach listed so far in its single-car effort.

The Danish team is now set for its Le Mans debut two years after making its first appearance in the LMP2 ranks.

ACO president Pierre Fillon explained that the high demand for entries this year resulted in a rethink about how to approach this year’s selection process.

“In February, the selection committee faced a harder task than it has in many years,” he said.

“There were 75 applications – all of a high standard – and it was particularly difficult to choose 60, only 60 of them should I say.

“We quickly came to the conclusion that we had to find a way of accepting additional competitors, and our crews confirmed the feasibility of adding two garages to pit lane.

“We knuckled down and are overjoyed to be able to accept 62 entrants for the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s a record number and a sign that this race is as popular as ever.”

Elsewhere on the updated entry list, Jordan King and Ricky Taylor have been added to the No. 38 Jackie Chan DC Racing Oreca next to David Heinemeier Hansson.

In GTE-Am, the No. 62 WeatherTech Racing Ferrari will be co-driven by Rob Smith, Cooper MacNeil and Ferrari factory driver Toni Vilander.

Additionally, the reserve list has been whittled down to five cars with Eurasia Motorsport now first backup for LMP2 and Team Project 1 at the front of the queue for GTE-Am.