Team Essex has concluded a three-day test with the Porsche RS Spyder that it will campaign in the 2008 Le Mans Series.

The team headed to Portugal for the test at Estoril, with driving duties shared between team manager John Nielsen and Casper Elgaard – who will line up in one of the first RS Spyders to race in Europe this season.

Elgaard conducted most of the running as the team worked with technicians from Porsche and also from Dunlop, who provide the team with tyres for the 2008 campaign.

"This test was not about setting quick lap times, but simply to get the car thoroughly tested so that we could get vital knowledge about the car as quickly as possible, so that we had plenty of data and information to analyse in order to prepare further for the races ahead," Nielsen said.

"Together [with Dunlop] we will be aiming to produce tyres that can help us beat Michelin, who has been dominant in producing tyres for endurance racing. I am very satisfied with our agreement, as we will be taking part in development work of the tyres and thus we will be able to run far more kilometres in testing than originally planned meaning that Team Essex will learn much quicker."