Graff Racing is set to provide technical support to Ultimate for the 2023 ELMS season, assisting the team in running its #35 Ligier JS P320.
This year, the French team, founded in 2013 by Matthieu Lahaye, will return to the ELMS’ LMP3 ranks after spending the 2022 season in the FIA WEC’s LMP2 Pro/Am category.
The last time the team competed in the ELMS’ LMP3 category, it ran a Norma M30 in the final year of the previous generation of P3 chassis back in 2019. It finished third in the class standings and was the highest-placed Norma customer in the series.
Brothers Matthieu and Jean-Baptiste Lahaye will be behind the wheel this season, joined by Eric Trouillet who will take part in his fourth ELMS campaign in a row.
“I would like to thank Matthieu and Jean-Baptiste for their trust,” said Pascal Rauturier, Graff’s team manager. “I really think we have a competitive line-up to battle for the win with the support of Eric Trouillet who is one of the most experienced Bronze drivers in LMP3.
“Our team has good momentum since our title in LMP3 in Asian Le Mans Series last winter and we will give our best.”
In addition to supporting Ultimate in ELMS, Graff is also running in Ultimate Cup this year and has an LMP2 entry for the Le Mans 24 Hours, which was awarded to the team for winning the 2023 Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 title in February.
Graff having an entry to the centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours is particularly fitting, as it is the last remaining team to have competed in the Group C era (though Joest racing are still active in support of Glickenhaus).
The team competed at Le Mans in Group C as Graff Racing from 1986-1991 in its original form under owner Jean-Philippe Grand and campaigned first a Rondeau M482 in C1 then later a Spice SE89 in C2. Its best result at Le Mans was 12th overall in 1987.
Group C image courtesy of Jeremy Jackson via Racing Sportscars
