In the 24H Series, the IDEC SPORT Porsche finished in second place in the SP2 category, and eleventh overall in the Portimao 24-Hour race. The Ligier LMP2 JSP217 also ended up in eleventh place at the Paul Ricard 4-Hour Race in the ELMS, in spite of some adjustment problems.
This weekend was something different for the IDEC Sport team, as they took part in two championships at the same time. For this special weekend, IDEC Sport sent out the LMP2 to the South of France to compete in the Paul Ricard 4-Hour race in the European Le Mans Series and the Porsche 991 Cup to Portugal for the Portimao 24-Hour race in the framework of the 24H Series.
Both cars ended up in eleventh place. But eleventh place in the 24H Series means they made it to the podium in the SP2 class, so this was a positive outcome.
In endurance racing, the goal is to be as consistent as possible. The gang of five, David Abramczyk, Romain Vozniak, Stéphane Adler, Michael Blanchemain and Christophe Cresp, managed to be just that in spite of a complicated race: “It was tough physically and mentally. There are a lot of ups and downs in the circuit, but it is also very fast. You hit the brakes at 160 mph at the end of the straight stretch. You have to cope with the heat, which gets close to 50 degrees C in the car,” explained David Abramczyck after the race. “We made the most of a great car, which drove well. It was great being involved even in the handovers. The secret is that it is like that for all the drivers. You don’t have to take the adjustments to the edge.”
The Porsche 991 cup #75 IDEC Sport made it to the podium for the third time this year thanks to a hard fought race. The five men may get back together again for the next races, as communication worked well and there was a great atmosphere.
In the ELMS, technical problems upset things for the balance of the LMP2 JSP217 #28. The IDEC SPORT team never found the right adjustment and had some tricky moments. Even the highly skilled Olivier Pla could not overcome that. In these conditions, it is hard to do well. As in Portugal, the thermometer rose in the south of France, making the race difficult. The IDEC Sport held on. Olivier Pla even made it to the top three drivers at the end of the race. And as in Portugal, the team finished eleventh.
Trials will take place before the Spa-Francorchamps 4-Hour race so that they are ready on 24th September for the penultimate race in the 2017 ELMS.
IDEC Sport will be back in the 24H Series in the USA on 11th and 12th November with the Mercedes GT3 and the Porsche 991 Cup.
