2022 Michelin Le Mans Cup Attracts Record Entry

Forty-Two entries across the LMP3 and GT3 classes have been revealed for the 2022 season, beating the previous record of 32 by a large margin.

The grid will feature 34 LMP3 and 8 GT3 cars – and H24 Racing will once again be continuing the development of the Innovative Class hydrogen race car, details are awaited of whether the car will race, or once again take part in Free Practice sessions.

The series will again feature seven races, as revealed on DSC late last year the standard race length will be slightly reduced to 110 minutes, five events will run to that format, plus the pair of 555 minutes at the Road To Le Mans, in support of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

LMP3 Notes

• Reigning champions Nielsen Racing, Tony Wells, and Colin Noble return to defend their titles and will be hoping to exceed the two wins and one other podium they took in 2021. Nielsen will also run a second Ligier JS P320 for Matt Bell and John Melsom.
• Four-time LMP3 champions DKR Engineering will also run a two-car entry, with double MLMC and reigning ELMS LMP3 champion Laurents Hörr teaming up with American Jon Brownson in the #3 Duqueine M30-D08.
• United Autosports are entering four cars this season, with 2020 ELMS LMP3 Champion Wayne Boyd being joined by John Schauerman in the #23 Ligier.
• Father and son duo Shaun and Max Lynn will be at the wheel of the #2 Ligier.
• Two car teams include Team Virage, Graff Racing, Racing Spirit of Leman, and MV2S Forestier Racing,  all with Ligier JS P320-Nissans.
• There are seven Duqueine M30-D08-Nissans on the entry list, with single car entries by WTM Racing, Haegeli by T2 Racing, Optimum Motorsport, Rinaldi Racing, and TS Corse, with DKR Engineering entering two M30-D08s.
• The rest of the 34-car grid is made of Ligier JS P320s, with single cars entered by ANS Motorsport (who entered an Addess at a single round last season), AT Racing Team, IDEC Sport, 24-7 Motorsport (stepping up to a full season after a one-off in 2021), Frikadelli Racing Team, AF Corse, CD Sport, AF2 Motorsport, RLR MSport, Cool Racing, Reiter Engineering, 360 Racing, and Team Thor.
• The LMP3 grid will feature teams and drivers from 21 different nations from as far away as Australia and South America.

GT3

• The grid for the 2022 season will feature four different manufacturers – Aston Martin, Ferrari, Honda, and Lamborghini.
• 2017 GT3 champions Ebimotors make a welcome return to the series with 2017 MLMC GT3 Drivers’ Champions Emanuele Busnelli and Fabio Babini also returning to drive the #46 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.
• Danish team GMB Motorsport are making their MLMC debut with a trio of Honda NSX GT3s, the first outings in the Le Mans Cup for the Japanese supercar, with five of the six drivers announced all Danish as well.Gustav Birch and Jens Moller will drive the no44 NSX, Kasper Jensen and Kristian Poulsen the #55 Honda, with Mikkel Pedersen and Lars Engelbreckt Pedersen in the #88.
• AF Corse are entering a pair of Ferrari 488 GT3s, the #51 Ferrari driven by British duo Luke Davenport and Marcos Vivian de la Pedrosa, with Gino Forgione and Andrea Montermini in the #61 488.
• Japan’s 2020 Road to Le Mans double race winner Hiroshi Hamaguchi will join Italian Giacomo Altoe in the #63 VSR Lamborghini Huracan.
• The final place on the GT3 grid will be filled by the no99 Bullitt Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, with British driver Stephen Pattrick and his French teammate Valentin Hasse-Clot.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “This year’s Michelin Le Mans Cup promises to be an exciting one. As with our other championships, we are delighted to see a record number of entries this year. The 42 competitors will be able to gain experience in this essential series, which forms the base of the endurance racing pyramid, at seven races on prestigious tracks in four countries. I wish all the competitors an excellent season!”

Frédéric Lequien, CEO Le Mans Endurance Management: “The Michelin Le Mans Cup continues to grow and provide teams and drivers with that important first step into the world of endurance racing and we are pleased to see a grid of over 40 entries for the first time. I would like to welcome the new teams and drivers to the Michelin Le Mans Cup, and we are eagerly looking forward to the first race of the 2022 season in Le Castellet.”

2022 MLMC Entry List >>