09.05.2004 Larbre Competition fended off early pressure to run out comfortable GTS class winners with their Prodrive-built Ferrari 550 Maranello IN THE FIRST EVER LMES RACE AT Monza TODAY

Larbre Competition Ferrari 550 Maranello at MonzaThe Larbre Competition team made its best possible start to the new Le Mans Endurance Series by securing GTS victory with a Care Racing supported and Prodrive built Ferrari 550 Maranello. 

Christophe Bouchut, Pedro Lamy and Steve Zacchia held off extreme pressure from its GTS competitors in the early stages of the race but the car’s reliability and power, together with the team’s extensive experience in sportscar strategy, proved too strong for the opposition and the Larbre Ferrari finished 3 laps ahead of its nearest GTS rival, the surviving Barron Connor Racing Ferrari 575 GTC.

The pressure was particularly intense for 21-year-old Swiss driver, Steve Zacchia, who was driving the last two stints of the race. Just twenty laps before the end of the 1,000 km race, it started to rain heavily and Zacchia had to use every bit of his GT experience to keep the car on the track and take it to the finish.   

Christophe Bouchut (F): “It’s wonderful to win the first race of the LMES Championship, a very good start to a wonderful Championship. We have to do some work on a few areas where we know we have to progress but it can’t start better than this weekend. Wonderful!” 

Pedro Lamy (P): “This is a real Championship! Winning with a professional team like Larbre and with the Ferrari it just great. It was my first race with the 550 and I won. It can’t be better than that.”

Steve Zacchia (CH): “My first stint was quite difficult because it was my first time racing in the car and we were leading the class, and for my second stint there was even more pressure because of the rain. I had to run very carefully and not make any mistakes to ensure we finished.  I’m very happy that we did.” 

Jack Leconte, Owner and Team Director of Larbre Competition: “I can tell you that Larbre is once again at the sharp end. We are at the first event of the LMES, the main target of the year for the team, and with our new Ferrari car and relationship with Care Racing it seems I only have the minimum to do for victory. The car has already won in FIA GT and at Le Mans (GTS) and now in the new series. I am very, very happy to work with Care Racing and Prodrive and I believe we are on a good path for more success.”

Meanwhile Porsche took honours in the hotly contested GT category, Stephane Ortelli and Romain Dumas took victory in the Freisinger Porsche after changing the alternator under the safety car and losing just one lap.

The JMB Ferrari of Romain Rusinof, Jaime Melo and Stephane Daoudi was second after a trouble-free run while the Choroq Q Racing Porsche of Nishizawa Kazuyuki, Haruki Kurosowa and Manabu Orido was third.

The Auto Palace Ferrari of Steve Hiesse, Giovanni Lavaggi and Gian Paolo Ermolli, caused the race's only full course caution after it crashed heavily during the second hour, breaking open the rear of the 360 Modena.
Le Mans Endurance Series Rd 1, Monza, 09.05.2004: Result
Pos  Num  Class  Drivers  Team  Car  Gap 
1.  88  LM P1  Davies, Herbert  Audi Sport UK Audi R8  5:05.520 
2.  8  LM P1  Kaffer, McNish  Audi Sport UK  Audi R8  -0.663 
3.  5  LM P1  Ara, Capello, Kristensen  Team Goh  Audi R8  -1 Lap 
4.  17  LM P1  Ayari, Collard  Team Pescarolo  C60 Judd  -4 laps 
5.  6  LM P1  Short, Barbosa, Barff  Rollcentre Racing  Dallara Judd  -5 laps 
6.  22  LM P1  Wallace, Brabham, Johansson  Zytek Engineering  Zytek 04S  -8 laps 
7.  7  LM P1  Erdos, Ramos, Newton  RML MG Lola LMP Lola MG  -12 laps 
8.  14  LM P1  Dumas, Stirling, Lupberger  Nasamax Nasamax MG  -15 laps 
9.  86  LM GTS  Lamy, Bouchut, Zacchia  Larbre  Ferrari 550 Maranello -19 laps 
10.  61  LM GTS  Biaggi, Sullivan, Bosch  Barron Connor Racing  Ferrari 575 GTC  -22 laps 
11.  85  LM GT  Ortelli, Dumas Freisinger Motorsport  Porsche 996 GT3 RSR  -22 laps 
12.  70  LM GT  Rusinov, Jaime, Daoudi  JMB Racing  Ferrari 360 Modena  -22 laps 
13.  77  LM GT  Kazuyuki, Kurosowa, Manabu  Choro Q Racing Team  Porsche 911 GT3 RSR  -25 laps 
14.  81  LM GT  Thyrring, Nielsen, Long  The Racers Group  Porsche 911 GT3 RSR  -27 laps 
15.  80  LM GT  Pompidou, Hayden  Sebah Automotive Ltd  Porsche 911 GT3 RS  -28 laps 
16.  93  LM GT  Mountain, Wilson  Cirtek Motorsport  Ferrari 360 Modena -28 laps 
17.  92  LM GT  Jones, Maassen  Cirtek Motorsport  Porsche 911 GT3 RSR  -32 laps 
18.  99  LM P2  Rostan, Bruneau  PIR Competition  Pilbeam JPX  -42 laps 
19.  84  LM GT  Rosa, Caffi, Riccitelli  Seikel Motorsport  Porsche 911 GT3 RS  -50 laps 
20.  59  LM GTS  Berte, Alzen, Konrad  Vitaphone Racing  Saleen S7-R -53 laps 
21.  52  LM GTS  Gabbiani, Orts  Graham Nash Motorsport  Saleen S7-R  -54 laps 
22.  91  LM GT  Hartshorne, Mundy, Stanton  Race Sports Salisbury  TVR 400R  -72 laps 
23.  3  LM P1  Minassian, Walker  Creation Autosportif  DBA Zytek  -26 laps 
24.  79  LM GT  Kox, Smith, Khan Perspective Racing  Porsche 911 GT3 RS  -42 laps 
25.  28  LM P2  Randaccio, Maddalena  Team Ranieri Randaccio  Tampolli Ford  -42 laps 
26.  83  LM GT  Rosa, Caffi, Riccitelli Seikel Motorsport  Porsche 911 GT3 RS  -68 laps 
27.  62  LM GTS  Hezemans, Deletraz, Barde  Barron Connor Racing  Ferrari 575 GTC  -79 laps 
28.  82  LM GT  Cohignac, Noel, Desbrueres  Cohignac Racing  Porsche 911 GT3 RSR  -102 laps 
29.  26  LM P2  Belmondo, Gosselin, Saviozzi  Paul Belmondo Racing  C65 Courage AER  -118 laps 
30.  69  LM P1  Stack, Hignett, Collini  Team JOTA  Zytek O4S  -122 laps 
31.  76  LM GT  Tenchini, Moccia, Groppi  Autorlando Sport  Porsche 911 GT3 RSR  -125 laps 
32.  32  LM P2  Field, Binnie, Field  Intersport Racing  Lola Judd  -129 laps 
33.  89  LM GT  Berridge, Stockton, Caine  Chamberlain Motorsport  TVR 400R  -130 laps 
34.  97  LM GT  Hiesse, Lavaggi, Ermolli Auto Palace  Ferrari 360 Modena  -135 laps 
35.  51  LM GTS  Morini, Strada, "Base Up"  MAC Racing  Chrysler Viper  -158 laps 
36.  9  LM P1  Katoh, Michigami  Advan Kondo Racing  Dome Mugen  -164 laps 
37.  90  LM GT  Ickx, Ihara, Kaufmann  T2M Motorsport  Porsche 911 GT3 RS  -168 laps 
38.  60  LM GTS  Kumpen, Hallyday, Besson  Force One Racing  Chrysler Viper -171 laps