24h Le Mans
For many spectators and fans of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Dome manufacturer often seemed the underdog of the Audi R8s at the beginning of the 2000s, via privateers. Nonetheless, in 2008, it was quite officially the Japanese went to La Sarthe, with a certain measure of success.
From 2001 to 2007, the S101 and S101.5 models embellished the LMP900, LM P1 then LM P2 classes thanks to Racing For Holland, Chamberlain, Kondo Racing, Den Bla Avis, Jim Gainer and T2M Motorsport teams. With great success, including two FIA Sportscar Championship titles in 2002 and 2003, the different performances allowed the measurement of the quality of the cars produced in Maihara, Japan.
Thanks to constant development and optimization work, Dome Racing took an important step in its history in designing a new closed LM P1 prototype for the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans. Against Peugeot, Audi, Lola (Charouz), Epsilon Euskadi, Pescarolo and Oreca, the challenge was considerable, 22 years after the last appearance of an official Dome in La Sarthe. It was in 1986 and while Toyota was still in Group C, the No. 36 and No. 38 cars were not ranked.
The first laps of the S102 took place on June 1st on Test Day of the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans. Powered by a Judd GV5.5 V10, the Japanese car was entrusted to "house" drivers Daisuke Ito, Yuji Tachikawa and Tatsuya Kataoka. In difficult and unstable weather conditions, the start was cautious while the driver line-up learned the track, and the 3:38:773 time is small indication of the potential performances of the monochrome beast. The No. 11 Dome S102 solidified these performances at the qualifying sessions by clocking the 8th time overall, with a best lap in 3:26:928, certainly in retreat from the Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs , but not far from the three Audi R10s TDI.
The Japanese delegation kept its promises after having announced on the sidelines of the event that its car would be especially fast at the qualifying sessions. Symblic proof of their determination and state of mind, the driver line-up of the S102 would use white sidewall qualifying tyres at the Thursday evening qualifying session. With limited development and without the help of a major constructor, this performance moved them to the forefront not surprisingly given the know-how of Dome's men. As a matter of fact, even before this lap time confirmation, observers were able to judge the level of the team's preparation solely by observing the mechanics in action at the beginning of the week, for whom discipline reigned in the box of the 11.
Characterized by a variety of technical issues, as well as several touches, Dome Racing's race was not at all easy-going, the consequence of an early project on the rise. Ranked 33rd, at 109 laps from the winners (McNish/Capello/Kristensen - Audi), the No. 11 trio nonetheless fulfilled its mission by taking the checkered flag for its first… and only attempt. At the end of the 2008 24 Hours, the S102 would not come back out until May 5, 2012 at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, round of the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). At that precise moment, it was called S102.5 and was entered by Pescarolo Team for Nicolas Minassian and Sébastien Bourdais… A different story.
