The Racing Experience team kicked off their 2019 Le Mans Cup campaign in style this weekend with Gary Hauser and Charlie Martin scoring a top four finish at the season opener at Le Castellet.
British driver Charlie Martin claimed P4 in the team’s Norma M30 LMP3 car in the morning qualifying session, earning the team a second-row position on the grid of 32 competitors for their championship debut.
Opting to take the first stint of the two-hour race, Charlie Martin took to the track for the rolling start of what would be an action-packed race. An incident-filled first half saw the rollout of the safety car as the race hit the half way point.
Pitting from P9 for the team’s mandatory pitstop under the safety car, Martin handed over the no. 11 Racing Experience car to partner Gary Hauser for the second stint of the race.
Rejoining the action in P17, the experienced Luxembourgian racer quickly carved his way through the pack, claiming four positions in his first two laps. A stellar drive from Hauser saw the 27 year old meet the chequered flag in P6.
Post race penalties for two competitors saw Hauser and Martin gain two further positions, earning them a fourth place finish and 12 championship points.
Christian Hauser, Racing Experience Team Principal said: “This is a very strong start for our team. Our focus was on having a clean race and learning as much as possible, so a top four finish is a great bonus. It was terrific to qualify the car in P4 and both drivers showed good pace in the race. We have scored valuable points in our debut and we move on to Monza even more determined to continue to improve.”
Gary Hauser, Racing Experience driver said: “I have mixed emotions about today’s race. This was our first outing in this championship, so we can be very proud to come away with 12 valuable points. If someone told me before today we would ultimately finish fourth on our debut, I would have taken it. We had a fast car today and it was fun to chase down overtake so many cars, but I think we could have finished even higher. I was praying for a safety car in the closing laps to give it one last push. Nonetheless, I am proud of the performance of our whole team and I’m looking forward to Monza.”
Charlie Martin, Racing Experience driver said: “There was a lot to learn in the preparation for this first race and I’m pleased with how the whole team worked together to give us this good start to the season. My focus was on getting this first race under my belt and get to grips with this championship in race conditions, but I’m also pleased I could qualify the car in a good position for our team. I’m looking forward to hitting the track in Monza and putting what I learned into practice.”
The six-round championship now moves to Monza. The second race of the season will take place at the iconic Italian circuit on May 11.
