AYLESBURY racing driver Danny Watts and his Silverstone-based team Strakka Racing have been granted entry into the official Endurance World Championships, including the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the authority responsible, has rubber-stamped the team’s intention to take part in some of motorsports’ most famous races as it takes some of the biggest names in races in its inaugural year competing in the FIA Endurance World Championships.
Watts said: “Competing in a world championship will be a new experience for me and one I relish and look forward to after finishing runner-up in LMP2 for the last two years.
“To race in the WEC is a natural progression for me as a driver and for us as a team, and with it comes a whole new challenge in many areas.
We have a new car from HPD, there are new circuits to learn along with new competition.
As a team we will rise to the challenge with the expertise we have on board here at Strakka Racing and with everything we have learned over the past seasons in endurance racing we are ready and prepared for the challenges ahead.”
The opening round of the WEC is the Sebring 12 Hours in Florida on March 17, while the Le Mans 24 Hours takes place over the weekend of June 16 and 17.
In addition to Honda, which powers Strakka’s V8 HPD, other manufacturers on the grid include Audi, Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, Corvette, Nissan and Morgan.
Watts said: “Personally, Sebring, Interlagos and Fuji are all circuits that are new to me, but as always I’ll prepare 100 per cent with simulation, on-board footage and track notes from friends who have been there before, and the homework will be done before arriving at the track.”
