#29 Dallara P217 – Gibson (LM P2)

Owner: Frits van Eerd
Team Manager: Mark Koense and Robert van Ulden
Race Engineer: Davy Lemmens
Location: Katwijk (Netherlands)
Website: racingteamnederland.nl

2017 ELMS results

4 Hours of Silverstone: 18th (11th in LM P2), Lammers/van Eerd (NL/NL), Dallara P217 – Gibson

4 Hours of Monza: 10th (10th in LM P2), Lammers/van Eerd (NL/NL), Dallara P217 – Gibson

Racing Team Nederland was founded last autumn by Jan Lammers, winner of the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Jaguar XJR9, shared with Andy Wallace and Johnny Dumfries. Lammers made 22 appearances in the French endurance marathon between 1983 and 2011. He also started 41 Formula One Grands Prix from 1979 to 1992.

Lammers created Racing For Holland in 2001, enabling the driver to field Dome S101 – Judds in the FIA Sportscar Championship, taking the title in 2002 and 2003, and the Le Mans Series. Racing for Holland also entered its Dome S101 Judd at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2001 and 2007 with an outright sixth place for Lammers, Wallace and John Bosch in 2003 its best result. The Dutch outfit also participated in the A1 Grand Prix under the name of A1 Team The Netherlands.

The Racing for Holland project was made possible by Frits van Eerd, owner of Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo. When the team was disbanded, Lammers promised van Eerd that, one day, they would race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans together. That promise will be fulfilled in 2017 with Racing Team Nederland, owned by van Eerd.  

The team is fielding a Dallara P217 in this season’s European Le Mans Series. To get to grips with its new car, the outfit organised tests at Magny-Cours (France) in early November, and then at the Sebring raceway in Florida. At the opening round of the ELMS 2017 campaign at Silverstone (UK), the duo finished in a lowly 18th place overall (11th in LM P2). A month later on the Italian circuit of Monza, the two men showed progress, placing 10th in the race and in their class. 

Lammers and van Eerd will be joined at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by  Rubens Barrichello, who holds the record for most starts in Formula One Grand Prix history (323). He won eleven of those races and is the most experienced Formula One driver in the world. Like co-driver van Eerd, and the whole of the Dutch team, Barrichello will be making his first 24 Hours of Le Mans appearance. They will, however, be able to bank on the vastly experienced Lammers whose ambition is to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans 24 times – just two to go! Davytec will provide technical support. 

Photo: PASCAL SAIVET / VISION SPORT AGENCY