Farano, RLR looking to add Rolex 24, Le Mans to 2019 schedule

RLR Msport and Canadian driver John Farano are working on racing in the 2019 running of the Rolex 24 Hours and the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their new ORECA 07 Gibson, RACER has learned.

The team, which currently leads the LMP3 class standings in the European Le Mans Series with just one race to go, has announced that it is going to enter its new ORECA 07 Gibson with Farano in the full ELMS season next year. The team hopes part of its 2019 season will include Le Mans, should it obtain an invite.

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"I've driven Le Mans three times in the past, but not in the main race, so I hope we can race there in 2019 as I love the track and the whole event," Farano told RACER at Snetterton during his second LMP2 test with regular RLR driver Job Van Uitert.

"We hope to put the 24 Hours of Daytona on our list for 2019, too. If we do that, we won't have any other testing time after the end-of-season ELMS test at Portimao, but we'll get the Roar in January and the late test in December at Daytona."

"We're working on it," he continued when asked about his pre-2019 ELMS preparation schedule.

"I've run at Daytona many times, and there's a lot I like about it. The car is well suited to the track, and it's a great way to prepare for the season, we'll almost be using the Rolex as a test. It suits everybody in the team and other drivers we hope we can have come along too.

"As a Gentlemen, I like what they've done with splitting the classes, it's perfect. IMSA recognised that they needed the change. I'm now interested in doing an IMSA program with the long races; one day maybe we'll do that in the future, too."