Strakka Racing celebrated a class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours on Sunday, crossing the line first in the LMP2 category to take victory in their HPD ARX-01.
(Left to right) Danny Watts, Nick Leventis, team manager Piers Phillips and Jonny Kane celebrate Strakka Racing's LMP2 class victory at Le Mans
Danny Watts was at the wheel for the Silverstone-based team when the chequered flag was being waved, with Strakka having completed 367 laps over the length of the race – six ahead of nearest rivals OAK Racing.
The team of Watts, Nick Leventis and Jonny Kane ensured Strakka took the win in their first Le Mans and set a class lap record in the process.
Watts said: “It’s great to win any race, but it’s absolutely fantastic to win here at Le Mans. We came here as underdogs, but after the performances at Paul Ricard and Spa, we knew the car would be strong, and we believed we were in for a shot.
“We established a benchmark for the class in practice and qualifying, but after Jonny put us in such a strong position during his opening stint we were able to set the pace all the way to the chequered flag.
"That put the pressure on the others to catch us. This result has put Strakka on the map in sportscar racing, and against the best in the world. It’s a fantastic achievement.”
Meanwhile, Yardley Hastings-based Oliver Gavin suffered his second consecutive retirement at Le Mans after his Corvette C6 ZR1 suffered an engine failure in the 19th hour.
One of Gavin’s team-mates, Emmanuel Collard, had already been involved in an accident after he was pushed into the barriers while being lapped by the faster Peugeot of Anthony Davidson.
The team were able to repair the car after Collard had managed to make it back to the pits, but more bad luck struck later on while Gavin was out on the track.
“The guys fixed the car brilliantly after the crash, and I was able to run my fastest lap of the race with a rebuilt car,” he said.
“The team is fantastic, and I literally trust them with my life. I’m impressed with their spirit, guts and determination to take on everybody – it was all a bit of a mess at the back of the car.
“We had the fastest GT2 car for 18 hours, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”