Luc Alphand Aventures, with partners Solution F and Care Racing, completed a successful preliminary test this past weekend for the 24 Heures du Mans, ending up third quickest in the GTS class despite losing several hours of track time due to a technical problem.

The Care Racing owned blue and white Ferrari 550 Maranello’s quickest lap time of 3:58:785 was set by Jérôme Policand towards the end of the day, just ahead of one of the marque’s closest track rivals, the US Corvette team.

The experienced Policand was first to take to the 13.6km track at the start of the 8 hours of testing, and he then handed the car over to Le Mans debutant, Frederic Dor.  The founder of Care Racing Development has extensive rallying, but limited racing, experience, but was determined not to be over-awed by the surroundings or the occasion.  He was assisted in his preparations by the Solution F operated team and his team-mates who gave him as much time behind the wheel as possible. 

The delay in the pits meant that Luc Alphand had to forfeit some of his planned laps, but he proved his skill and experience at Le Mans by setting a very competitive time in just a few laps. 

After the end of the day, the drivers commented:

Luc Alphand:  “We haven’t had so much time to test the car – just a few laps at Le Castellet and the race at Nogaro, of course – and it was obviously our first time here with this car.  I only had a few laps in which to do a good time, straight off, first time after 12 months away from Le Mans, but the Ferrari is fantastic here.  We had a small clutch problem, which lost us some time, but the power and stability of the car is very good.  It is well built and well developed, so even if it was only four laps for me today it was pure pleasure.”

Jérôme Policand:  “I am confident the car has more to come. The quickest time was set in one flying lap, with just a few minutes of the session left, plus we did it on race tyres.  The main goal now is to get a good average lap time between all the drivers.  Luc was very quick straight away, and Frederic ended up with some respectable times once he’d learnt the track.  Now we think that if he could do 2 or 3 stints in the race he could lap at under 4m10s which would give us a good average time between the three of us.  Our main aim is to finish the race and, in such a car as we have, it could be a top three [GTS] placing.”

Frédéric Dor:  “It was good.  I wasn’t nervous, just a little apprehensive, but I took my time to learn the track, and didn’t try to set the fastest time of the day!   We lost some time with the clutch but the other two drivers were very generous in giving me as many laps as possible to get used to the track and the car.  There was a lot of information to take in, and so many new things to get used to.  Braking, for example.  In rallying you brake through the corner, in racing you brake before the corner and accelerate out of it.  Not difficult when you are used to it, but it just takes time to familiarise yourself with it.”