Photo : Jean-René ROGER - ACO/Nikon
Hugh Hayden, founder of the team Sebah, died suddenly on Saturday of a suspected heart attack at the age of 66 while with his team testing in Portugal. Hayden's son, Bart, will continue as the team manager, and along with team owner Pesci, will carry on testing in Portugal, in the certain knowledge that it would have been Hugh's wish.
Hugh Hayden established a racing team in 1990, to participate in the Caterham Super Seven Championship. in 1999, they won the British Superlight championship running Caterhams. It was the Caterham Seven and his professional past in the Middle East, which had inspired the name "Sebah" (seven in Arabic). He made his debut in endurance racing at Petit Le Mans in 2001 and the 12 Hours of Sebring the next year. It was in winning the LM-GT category of the Le Mans Series in 2004 where Hayden made his mark in the discipline. In 2005, his blue Porsche participated for the first time in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won a second title in LMS.
After a short stint with Proton Felbermayr in 2008, Hugh Hayden returned with Sebah in conjunction with Speedy Racing, winning the LM P2 class at the 1000 km of Silverstone in 2009 with a Judd engined Lola B08/80. Late in 2009, Speedy Sebah rebranded as Rebellion Racing, and as Rebellion ran two red, white gold Lola B10/60 in LM P1 at the 24 hours of Le Mans 2010, and ended the season 3rd in the Le Mans Series LMP1 Teams championship.
Julien Hergault - Translated by Dave Davies
