Having lost the Larbre Competition Saleen after the French team withdrew, the GT1 class of the Le Mans Series will gain a new entry this weekend at Spa as the Strakka Racing team makes it debut.
The team is the latest incarnation of Silverstone-based EDM Motorsport and is an evolution of the partnership between team principal Peter Hardman and racing partner Nick Leventis.
In addition to developing the existing association with the Peroni Endurance Touring Car Series, where the team's
BMW M3 GTR has been a regular race-winner, the squad will contest three rounds of the Le Mans Series - Spa, Nurburgring and
Silverstone - with the Aston Martin DBR9, with further outings for the Aston Martin scheduled for later in the year.
The team completed a trouble-free shakedown test at Silverstone on Tuesday ahead of the DBR9's immediate departure for Belgium.
With Rob Schirle acting as team manager, Hardman and Leventis will share driving duties in the car, and Hardman admitted that he couldn't wait for the debut race.
This is a big step forward for the team, he said. We're coming in at the highest level in GT racing, and joining one of the most prestigious championships. Our initial expectations are realistic we know what we're up against - but we'll get on with it and do the best we can.
We've had a series of excellent tests this year, at Paul Ricard in March, then at
Jerez last month, and Silverstone yesterday, and I believe we have the potential to be serious challengers in the Le Mans Series.
Leventis himself said he was confident of a solid weekend.
I'm feeling very optimistic and looking forward to getting into the Le Mans Series, he said. Peter's running well, the car is running really well, and everything is looking very positive.
![Hardman/Leventis - Strakka Racing Aston Martin DBR9 [Pic credit: Tim Scott]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/436654.jpg)
