Drayson Racing Signs Sports Car Legend Emanuele Pirro

Sports Car Racing News

Drayson Racing has signed sports car racing legend Emanuele Pirro (Rome) to race the team's No. 8 Drayson Racing Lola Coupé with Judd Power at the three major, Automobile Club De l'Ouest (ACO)-sanctioned, endurance races of 2010. The five-time, overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will join Drayson Racing regulars Paul Drayson (London/Gloucestershire, UK) and Jonny Cocker (Guisborough, Yorks, UK) in the programme's Le Mans Prototype One (LMP1) entry. Pirro will drive for the UK-based team at the 12 Hours of Sebring (Fla.) on 20 March, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (12-13 June) and the American Le Mans Series' season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta (2 October). He will assist in testing the car for the first time this week.

The name Pirro is found across the record books not only of the three world class endurance events but in sports car sprint races, touring cars and formula car races. The native of Rome reached the pinnacle of the sport driving three seasons of Formula 1. He made the fulltime move to sports and touring cars in 1992 and joined Audi two years later. Since, he has won five championships - including two American Le Mans Series LMP1 titles - with the German brand. Pirro has started sixteen 24 hour races including twelve 24 Heures du Mans driving to five overall wins. He has two overall 12 Hours of Sebring victories in 10 starts and three Petit Le Mans P1 titles in 10 races. In total, the tall and popular Italian has earned eight championships from karting to the American Le Mans Series. He has an unprecedented nine consecutive Le Mans podiums and was part of the first driver squad to race to an overall victory at Le Mans with a diesel-powered entry (2006).

As a long-time Audi works driver, Pirro was instrumental in the development and competitive domination of the innovative Audi R8 and Audi R10 TDI. His impact on Audi and Audi Motorsports continues today as a brand ambassador and driver in select events. Audi AG gave the former Formula 1 driver special permission to join Drayson Racing for three events and testing this season.

2010 marks the first full year in which the Dale White (Bozeman, MT, USA)-managed team will race in the prototype class. The effort made the transition from LM GT2 cars to the purpose-built prototypes in late 2009 debuting in the LMP1 class at Petit Le Mans. They continued onto Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca before closing the year at the Okayama Circuit in Japan. In the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series championship, Drayson Racing earned one pole position and set two fastest race laps winning the Michelin ® Green X Challenge ®.