Kuwait City, Friday, Sep 6th, 2013:– The fourth round of the European Le Mans Series takes place at the European track of Hungaroring, in the penultimate race of the season on September 14th.
The country of Kuwait will be represented in this prestigious endurance Championship for the first time by Kuwaiti racing driver Khaled Al Mudhaf.
Joining the Belgium based Boutsen Ginion team in the #4 Oreca-Nissan LMP2 car, Khaled will team up with British drivers John Hartshorne and Alex Kapadia for the three hour endurance race. The team currently lays seventh overall in the ELMS championship.
“I really want to thank the Boutsen Ginion for this chance to race in the team. After a two day test in Dubai with an LMP2 car I knew it would be my first choice to race in this class and I’m excited to be making positive steps towards my dream of ultimately joining the 24hr of Le Mans.”
“The race will be challenging with no prior testing with the team but I’m really looking forward to racing on such a demanding circuit, especially as we will be racing into dusk by 7pm, I just hope the rain stays away,” commented Khaled ahead of his trip to Hungary.
The 4.38km Hungaroring circuit is located 20 kilometres north-east of Budapest, and is best known for hosting the annual Formula 1 Grand Prix.
“I am really pleased to be back with Boutsen Ginion to continue my ELMS season. It will be even more exciting for Alex and Khaled as they discover the Oreca for the first time,” commented ELMS driver John Harthorne.
The race weekend kicks off on Friday 13th for free practice followed by qualifying and the race start on Saturday at 4:00pm finishing at 7:00pm.
About the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and LMP2 class cars
The ‘European Le Mans Series’ is a natural training ground for drivers wanting to tackle the FIA World Endurance Championship and in the ELMS drivers typically race the same type of machinery that competes on the world stage, the ELMS is deemed a breeding ground for future World Champions.
There are two main classifications in the ELMS, Prototypes and GTs which are sub-divided into LMP2, LMPC and LMGTE and GTC classes.
The LMP2 or “Le Mans Prototypes 2” class is effectively the premier class of the European Le Mans Series. The chassis and engine are free choice, and drivers and teams must form a mix of professionals and amateurs.
Featuring open or closed cockpit bodywork, the LMP2 class is intended only for privateer teams and is excluded to manufacturers entering. This category has similar characteristics to LMP1 with its carbon monocoque chassis while at the same time respecting a strict cost cap on machinery.
In order to balance performance between different makes, cars are equipped with air restrictors, their diameter is varied according to the engine configuration, induction system, the type of fuel used for Prototypes, and weight for GT cars.
The car itself is an Oreca 03 chassis with a Nissan-powered 4.5L V8 engine, weighing in at a minimum of 900kgs.
In Europe live coverage is available on Motors TV across the continent. Worldwide live coverage will be available on the official ELMS website via the live streaming of the race and Radio Le Mans will be available to radio and internet users in all four corners of the globe.
