24h Le Mans
The IMSA Performance team has always been loyal to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the French outfit has not participated in the 24 Hours since 2014. Team manager Franck Rava, who attended the WEC Spa-Francorchamps round last weekend for the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), talks about his passion for endurance racing.
How many times has the IMSA Performance team participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
"We have participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 10 times."
Is there an edition that stands out? Perhaps one of your class wins?
"I can't really cherry-pick any particular edition. Every time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans there are highs and there are lows, but it will always be a worthwhile adventure. Of course what stands out are the victories (in 2007 with Raymond Narac, Patrick Long and Richard Lietz in GT2, and in 2013 with Raymond Narac, Christophe Bourret and Jean-Karl Vernay in LM GTE Am, with a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR both times, Ed.), but even when we don't make the podium, the atmosphere at Le Mans and what you experience personally are important."
What does the 24 Hours of Le Mans mean for the team?
"Between IMSA Performance and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, there is a real history. We are a French team, we have the support of a lot of fans and not to be there is hard. We hope to bring the #76 (the region number of the "Seine Maritime" from which hails IMSA Performance, Ed.) back to Le Mans very soon. I admit we miss the 24 Hours of Le Mans and endurance racing. It's the work of an entire team, we put in time to put it together and we know in that type of race, it's important."
When will IMSA Performance return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
"We're thinking about it! We are waiting to see if the new Porsche 911 RSR will be available to clients next year. We are trying to prepare ourselves for a return to the European Le Mans Series and to the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans. We are currently working on a project with a car, but if we get other sponsors or if there is an interested driver line-up, we have shown in the past we are capable of managing two cars. Raymond Narac will once again be in the driver line-up so we can count on his significant experience in endurance racing (10 participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and LMGTE Am Champion in the Le Mans Series in 2011, Ed.), so he is an asset for us."
Photo: The IMSA Performance team's last win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans dates back to 2013.
