By Rahul Banerji
Racing Team India are set to become the first all-Indian driver team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, after getting provisional entry for the 2021 edition of the classic race.
The team of Narain Karthikeyan, Arjun Maini and Naveen Rao, will compete in the LMP2-AM category of the iconic twice-round-the-clock race in France.
The #74 car will be prepared and run by Eurasia Motorsport, making it an all-Asian effort.
Speaking on the development, Karthikeyan noted, “This is a proud moment not just for our team, but for the nation as a whole.
“Racing at Le Mans with an Indian team is a dream I have nurtured since 2009 when I first visited the Circuit de la Sarthe.
“I would like to thank all our sponsors and partners, and especially the ACO and the Asian Le Mans Series team, without whose support this wouldn’t have been possible.
“It’s been a long time coming but finally we’re all set to put Indian motorsport on the global endurance racing map.”
Clear purpose
Racing Team India was set up in 2021 with the aim of becoming the first Indian team at Le Mans.
The team debuted last month at the Asian Le Mans Series where they finished fifth in the standings.
In February, Racing Team India ended their maiden Asian Le Mans series campaign fifth in the overall standings, with two solid finishes at Abu Dhabi.
At Dubai previously, they were fifth and fourth, and added two fifth-place finishes at the Yas Marina circuit.
Karthikeyan, Maini and Rao, raced their Oreca 07 LMP2 to top-five finishes placings over the February 21-22 weekend.
RTI are backed by JK Tyres and with technical support from reigning Asian Le Mans champions Algarve Pro Racing.
At Abu Dhabi, former F1 racer Karthikeyan and European Le Mans veteran Maini were blisteringly quick with their racing experience.
2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge champion Rao also made big strides forward in performance levels from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.
Also read: Solid debut for Racing Team India in first step to Le Mans
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