Preview: iRacing 24 Hours of Le Mans
For a long time, there was uncertainty whether the biggest endurance race of the year would take place at all, as it wasn’t until just a few weeks ago that iRacing announced that indeed, the event will happen.
After making the LMP2 debut in the iRacing 6 Hours of the Glen last month, this weekend’s race will be the first big endurance race for Fischer Motorsport in competition in the LMP2 class.
Drivers Kyle Birnie, his brother Jason and David Koopmans and Andrew Smith will build a team of four drivers to pilot the machine through the 24-hour event.
Smith, from Florida and Koopmans from the Spanish island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean, both join the team for the first time, but were already with the team at Watkins Glen, despite not participating in the race.
After showing very strong performances throughout the free practice sessions this week, the team enters the event with high expectations.
“I feel pretty confident about where we stand. The team has worked tremendously hard. I really have to compliment the guys. Everybody has put in long hours. We have probably logged about a full race distance in laps here. Our pace is really good, though it’s hard to say with the competition.”, said Kyle Birnie.
Winning last year’s iRacing 24 Hours of Le Mans and earning Fischer Motorsport a spectacular one-two finish, the two Porsche 911 RSR GTE teams return this year, looking to repeat last year’s feat.
Piloting the No. 84 Porsche, Benjamin Fischer, Niclas Pedersen and newly signed drivers Marton Tihanyi of Hungary and Great Britain’s Stephen Nobes build a strong lineup that will attack the endurance classic in full force.
“I am so excited. This is a great car. Porsche has done an amazing job building this car. The downforce and grip levels are incredible this year, compared to last year. Our setup is perfect. I think we should be able to compete at or near the front this weekend.”, said Benjamin Fischer.
“On the other hand, we understand anything can happen. So we are kind of hitting the brakes emotionally and try focus on stint by stint, instead of the big picture. It’s dangerous to get too far ahead of yourself in such a long race.”, Fischer added.
Teaming up in the team’s second Porsche 911 RSR GTE, featuring car number 85, it is team veteran driver Pascal Theis and Victor Brill, who makes his first start with Fischer Motorsport since claiming third place in the 2019 iRacing 24 Hours of Daytona. Tobias Abel and Evan Wood, who signed with the team just this week to race in the event, round out the drivers lineup for the No. 85 car.
“To think that we’re here, at this amazing racetrack and get to compete in one of the biggest races of the year, in these awesome cars. It’s special, it really is. It means a lot to me personally and even more, because of this team. Everybody has been really great.”, Evan Wood said.
The sixth edition of the iRacing 24 Hours are scheduled to go under way on Saturday 20:45 CEST / 2:45 pm EDT. Fischer Motorsport will provide live onboard streams through its YouTube channel, throughout the race.