After closing the doors on his own Racing for Holland outfit, versatile Dutchman Jan Lammers has signed up to compete for Horag Racing behind the wheel of its new Porsche RS Spyder in the Le Mans Series in 2008.
The ex-Formula 1 ace will join forces with Didier Theys and Fredy Lienhard in the LMP2 machine, the only one in recent times to take the fight to – and beat – Audi's record-breaking R10 TDi sportscar. In a career that began washing cars, the 51-year-old has gone on to participate in 41 grands prix, as well as lifting the silverware in the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours endurance classic.
“When you get more and more experience, you need more and more competent, no-nonsense people around you,” Lammers asserted. “I believe Didier, Fredy and Markus [Hotz, team owner] as the team captain are definitely all that! These men, in combination with the highly-competitive, reliable and good-looking RS Spyder, make me feel a lucky man.
“I can't wait to join the Horag Racing team and start driving. Listening to Fredy and Didier after the Barcelona test makes me even more excited! To start in Sebring is particularly special; it's a great, legendary event that I would love to win and add to my multi-page CV.
“Everybody always looks good on the 'wedding picture' and it is early, but I will give it my very best to make sure that this time next year we are all still as enthusiastic. I thank all the decision-makers for their faith in me, and I am proud to be part of the team.”
The squad is hoping to include a couple of American Le Mans Series outings on its 2008 schedule, and Theys was certainly buzzing after trying out the Lista Office and Lista-sponsored RS Spyder for the fist time at Barcelona.
“We had two good, full days of testing,” the Belgian remarked of the flawless Spanish shakedown. “We did quite a few miles, and we had no problems at all even though it was cold. We didn't concentrate on our set-up for that particular track, but instead tried different set-ups in order to learn what the car would do when we made certain changes. The car responded as we hoped, and we loved the feeling we got when driving it.
“Porsche sent several people to the test to make sure we got off to a good start. Led by Martin Meijs, they were very helpful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic – Porsche's support was excellent. Coupled with our Michelin tyres, we think our Porsche RS Spyder package will be very strong. The car is gorgeous too – it's already in its Sebring livery – and we're all happy that Jan has agreed to join us for 2008. We are very excited about the upcoming season.”
Following the iconic Sebring 12 Hours in Florida on 15 March, Horag Racing will focus its efforts on the five-round LMS campaign, as it bids to improve upon the fifth position in the LMP2 class title chase it accomplished with its Lola-Judd in 2007. It may conclude its season with an appearance in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta on 4 October.
