The Mighty 38 Lives On

The car’s record is impressive. A class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014, two class wins in the  FIA World Endurance Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps and, of course, the wins and titles in the European Le Mans Series, including the 2016 driver’s title for Simon Dolan, Harry Tincknell and Giedo Van Der Garde.

In 2017 JOTA Sport moved to the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Jackie Chan DC Racing team, with the two Oreca07-Gibsons wearing race numbers 37 and 38 to continue the legacy.  It is also fitting that all LMP2 cars in 2017 are running Gibson engines, continuing the British manufacturers links to the Mighty 38 legacy. 

The no38 returned to winning ways at Silverstone with Ho Pin Tung, Oliver Jarvis and Thomas Laurent taking the chequered flag in the opening round of the 2017 season.  This was followed by another podium finish in round 2 in Belgium but the best was yet to come.

At the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans the no38 Jackie Chan DC Racing not only led the LMP2 class for some of the race, the car was leading overall up to the final hour when the no2 Porsche 919 retook the lead after a long stop.  Ho Pin Tung, Oliver Jarvis and Thomas Laurent stood on the second step of the overall podium and on the top step of the LMP2 podium.

The legacy of the ‘Mighty 38’, one of the most successful cars in the European Le Mans Series, continues on the world stage!

PICTURE CAPTION: 2016 ELMS Champion Harry Tincknell handing over the ‘Mighty 38’ baton to Ho Pin Tung at Spa-Francorchamps in May.