Edgar Lau will take another huge step forward in his career as a professional driver next month, after being selected to pilot the #43 KEO Racing Ligier JS P3 in the Road to Le Mans sprint event. It is a monumental opportunity for the sim racer turned professional driver, and it marks another important milestone in his journey to become one of Asia’s top motorsport stars. Lau will take to the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in France on June 15th and 17th with the hopes of claiming victory against the world’s top prototype sprint drivers in two one-hour races. This incredible chance not only recognizes Lau’s talents as a driver but will see him perform on motorsport’s world stage in the biggest event of his career.
After impressing during round three of the Asian Le Mans Series Sprint Cup last season in the Ligier JS P3, Lau has been asked to join teammate, Yoshi Mori, in the fight for victory at the Road to Le Mans event. Together, the pair had a hugely successful round three, taking victory in race one, followed by a second place podium in race two. Thanks to their amazing results, Lau was able to finish fifth overall in the championship despite only competing in one round, clearly proving his ability to steer the Ligier JS P3 to a top result and paving the way for him to get the call-up for Road to Le Mans.
The 26-year-old driver has been a rising star on the motorsport scene since competing in the renowned Nissan Gran Turismo Academy in 2014. Lau beat over 400,000 participants in North America to make it into the final round of the competition in Silverstone. Since then, the Lau has taken on the highly competitive North American region, contesting the 25 Hours of Thunderhill and the West Coast Endurance Championship, enjoying wins in both events. With Lau having found success in the US, he knew it was time for a new challenge in Asia. After joining the Pan-Delta Super Car Festival in China, the rising star finished second overall in the GT class championship after scoring an incredible five out of six podiums. In November 2016, Lau then went on to realize his lifelong dream of driving in the historic Macau GP, where he managed to score a top-ten finish on his debut, demonstrating that he could not only take the fight to but beat some of the world’s best touring car drivers. 2017 has seen Lau contest the 12 Hour Chinese Endurance Championship, in which he qualified second, before heading back to the USA to compete in the first round of the United States Touring Car Championship, where he produced another great qualifying performance to take third. Unfortunately, Lau suffered mechanical issues in both races, preventing him from achieving what would likely have been top results.
After making the jump from the simulator with the Nissan Gran Turismo Academy, Lau has continually developed as a driver and has worked tirelessly to progress up the motorsport ladder. His dedication to his craft and the increasing number of top results scored in international series around the world has catapulted the former simulator driver to the highest level of competition. Lau is ready for the challenge and thanks to his time behind the wheel of the Ligier JS P3, he is confident that he can make his mark at the famous Le Mans Circuit in June.
Quotes
Edgar Lau, Driver #43
“I am flattered to have the opportunity to race at the Circuit de la Sarthe. I have never dared to dream of racing at Le Mans and to be able to do this so soon in my career is absolutely out of my imagination, words cannot describe my feelings. This is a very important step to reaching my dream goal of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. I believe I am going in the right direction. I am also very proud to be able to bring my sponsors to this prestigious race in front of the world’s biggest motorsport audience. I will be putting in some very hard work in the simulator to ensure that I know the circuit well and that I am as prepared as possible for when I get to France.”
Kim Olsen, KEO Racing Team Principal
“I am very excited to welcome Edgar to KEO racing for the very important event that is the Road to Le Mans. The team of engineers and mechanics are very enthusiastic about meeting Edgar and helping him integrate into the team. I know that Edgar and Yoshi Mori have found success in the Ligier JS P3 in the Asian Le Mans Series Sprint Cup, so I am very confident that the pair will be able to challenge for top results at the Circuit de la Sarthe. We are a very united and dedicated team here at KEO Racing, and we can’t wait to get started in Free Practice on Wednesday the 14th of June.”
