for Petit Le Mans assault
Geneva-based racing driver Harold Primat has been signed by Creation AIM for the British team’s assault on the prestigious Petit Le Mans endurance race in the USA.
Primat has enjoyed his best-ever season in 2008, winning the ‘petrol class’ at the Le Mans 24 Hours and leading the same category for much of the season in the Le Mans Series with Pescarolo Sport, and he will now be looking to add a strong finish at Road Atlanta to his season’s impressive cv.
Harold, who began his racing career in the States in US Formula Ford, has twice raced at the Petit Le Mans, both times with Creation, and has secured fine results on both occasions. In 2006 he finished fourth overall after a strong drive and returned last year to secure a well earned podium with second in the premier LMP1 class.
Next weekend’s race will see Primat join Creation’s Le Mans Series regulars Jamie Campbell-Walter and Stephen Simpson at the wheel of one of the team’s two AIM-powered cars, with both machines displaying their ‘green’ credentials by being powered by Bio Ethanol E85.
“It’s a very exciting project and I’m delighted to be part of it,” said Primat. “I’ve raced with the team several times before in the USA and we’ve always had good results together. I see no reason why that can’t continue at Petit Le Mans. Jamie and I have driven together many times before and I hear good things about Stephen too, so we’re in confident mood ahead of the race.
“After Sebring, Petit Le Mans is the biggest race on the American Le Mans Series calendar and it ranks highly on my list of objectives for this year. The grid is exceptional in the prototype class, with huge manufacturer involvement from Peugeot, Audi, Porsche and Acura, and that adds a lot of prestige to the race. I know the boys at Creation very well and their ambitions are the same as mine, so we’ll go to the States looking to challenge for honours. It will also be good to showcase my partners Banque Baring Brothers Sturdza and Crans Montana in the US and I want to finish the season well as a thank you for their support this year.”
Creation AIM Team Principal Michael Jankowski welcomed Harold on board and looked forward to an exciting race for the team. “I’m delighted that Harold is joining us again. He is a quick driver who is highly regarded by the team and who is always a pleasure to work with. Alongside Jamie and Stephen we feel we have assembled a strong driver line-up and everyone is now focusing on the race.”
The Petit Le Mans begins on Saturday 4 October and can be watched live on Speed TV in the USA and Motors TV in Europe. For full listings information, visit speedtv.com and motorstv.com.
