Confirmation of next year’s V8 Supercars calendar has paved the way for Australia’s top local talent, including Craig Lowndes, to pursue drives in the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Classing Le Mans as a lifelong dream, Lowndes had been sweating on the release of the calendar, needing both the race (June 14-15) and pre-event test (June 1) clear of V8 Supercars commitments.
With the month’s only V8 Supercars event, the Skycity Triple Crown at Hidden Valley, not falling until June 20-22, Lowndes’ management will now restart negotiations with teams for a drive in the French classic.
Australian interest in the Le Mans 24 Hours is already guaranteed to be at an all-time high next year with Mark Webber set to return to the race after 12 seasons in Formula 1.
“It’s great that both dates are clear of race weekends,” Lowndes told Speedcafe.com.
“Now that we can confirm that we’re available we can start talking to teams again and seeing exactly what’s out there.
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“Sorting through all the details will be a bit of a process but I’m optimistic that in the next couple of months we can get something secured.
“It’d be great to have something done going into Christmas so we can be organised, set-up and ready to go.”
Although not having raced internationally since his single Formula 3000 season in 1997, Lowndes is likely to have several doors open to him through the likes of his V8 Supercars team sponsors Red Bull and General Motors (Holden/Chevrolet).
The fact that the 39-year-old will drive Maranello Motorsport’s Ferrari 458 in February’s Bathurst 12 Hour may also help his efforts.
“Having that connection with all the Ferrari guys won’t hurt, we are talking to everyone and seeing what’s available,” he said.
While the early release of the V8 Supercars calender gives Australians an extended period in which to sort Le Mans deals, not all options will be apparent until the new year, when the 2014 World Endurance Championship line-ups firm.
After years of waiting, Lowndes’ fellow V8 Supercars driver Jason Bright took the opportunity to compete at Le Mans this season, and is already plotting his return visit.
Unlike Lowndes, who is focussed on Le Mans, Bright is optimistic that a drive in February’s Daytona 24 Hours could also be on the cards.
The Daytona race will kick-off the inaugural United SportsCar Racing Series following the pending amalgamation of the Grand-Am and American Le Mans Series competitions.
The move will bring the race closer to Le Mans rules and can be expected to increase the number of teams that’ll take on both events.
“If you can get your foot in the door with a team that’ll be able to do both, that’d be an ideal scenario,” Bright told Speedcafe.com.
“The 24 Hour races are the only ones that require three drivers and those doing Daytona and Le Mans will more than likely want to use the same line-ups for both.”
Although the team that Bright competed with this year, AF Corse Ferrari customer squad 8Star Motorsports, fields both World Endurance Championship and Grand-Am teams, Bright will be assessing all options for 2014.
“I had a couple of different options this year and the 8Star one worked out best for me, but now that I’ve got a race under my belt and some miles it gives me the opportunity to talk to a larger range of teams,” he said
“We’ll just have to feel out what’s available.”
Bright and Lowndes will be on track with their V8 Supercars teams today and tomorrow respectively as a large portion of the field undertakes pre-Bathurst running.
Sadly for next year’s Bathurst 1000, many top endurance drivers will be unavailable for the 2014 event due to a date clash with a World Endurance Championship round at Fuji, Japan.
Tekno Autosports is utilising two WEC competitors, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Marc Lieb, for the entire 2013 Pirtek Enduro Cup.
