After 24 hours of unrelenting pace, Patrick Long, Patrick Dempsey and Marco Seefried claimed P2 in the GTE-AM class at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans Sunday.
With the Porsche 911 RSR, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car and is characterized by a consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics, the trio put in a strong team effort at their first joint Le Mans campaign. Particularly in the final phase of the world’s toughest automobile race they grabbed their chance: After falling back slightly in the field in the morning, around midday Patrick Long battled his way back to third place. Using the skill and routine from his twelve Le Mans starts, he realized the full potential of the #77 Porsche and laid the foundation for success. After putting in a faultless final stint, Le Mans rookie Marco Seefried finally swept over the finish line in second place.
Long said, “What a race. My last stint wasn’t easy, the speed that’s driven at Le Mans is incredible. My primary focus was on getting my car home unscathed. If I’ve learned one thing from my twelve Le Mans campaigns, it’s this: In the critical phase your car needs to be intact, only then do you have a chance. This is my third Le Mans attempt with Patrick and we’ve always dreamed of climbing the podium together. Now this dream has come true.”
Dempsey said, “Le Mans is a wonderful race. It’s always a great experience to compete here. For us, the last race hour was a particularly tough battle but the whole team did everything they possibly could. Luckily we were rewarded with a podium result. For that alone, all the hard work of the last weeks and months were worthwhile. I’m proud of the team.”
The FIA World Endurance Championship takes a bit of a break now after Le Mans, and will race next August 30th at the 6 Hours of Nürburgring.