- George Kurtz, Colin Braun, James Allen to race Algarve Pro Racing (APR) ORECA 07-Gibson in French endurance classic
- First Le Mans for Kurtz and first for Braun since 2007
- Kurtz, CrowdStrike by APR coming off LMP2 pole position, third place at Laguna Seca in IMSA
- No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR entry placed second in class in Rolex 24 At Daytona
LE MANS, France (June 6, 2023) – CrowdStrike Racing is set to tackle one of motorsport’s greatest challenges this weekend with the Algarve Pro Racing team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
George Kurtz, Colin Braun and James Allen will drive together in the CrowdStrike-liveried No. 45 ORECA 07-Gibson prototype for the Algarve Pro Racing team as part of the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) category. The trio took to the Le Mans track for six hours of testing Sunday, along with the rest of the field for this year’s race.
There are 62 entries in the race with 24 cars in LMP2 – the largest class in this year’s Le Mans. The French endurance classic is one of the most difficult and unique races in the world. The 8.5-mile Le Mans circuit is a mixture of private, purpose-built racetrack and public roads through French villages and countryside. The challenge of Le Mans is so daunting that it has spawned a major motion picture, many race documentaries and millions of fans around the world.
More than 300,000 fans make the journey to the town of Le Mans, which lies to the west of Paris. The race was first held in 1923 with this year’s event being the Centenary celebration.
While this is the 100th year of Le Mans, it’s the first time in the race for Kurtz. A winner of multiple 12- and 24-hour races – including last year’s 24 Hours of Spa – he is no stranger to long-distance races and victories. Already this year, Kurtz has to his credit a runner-up LMP2 finish in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and a P2 pole position in the most recent IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Laguna Seca.
Braun will race at Le Mans for the first time since 2007 when he finished second in the production-based GT2 class. He is a three-time winner of the Rolex 24 including the LMP2 class in 2020. In Allen, they have an experienced driver who raced at Le Mans each of the last five years. He finished third in LMP2 in 2021.
CrowdStrike’s participation at Le Mans extends off the track, as well. CrowdStrike will welcome and host a number of guests during the race week, and a focal point will be a highly exclusive CXO Summit for its VIPs.
A fixture at major events in North America and at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, CXO summits allow CrowdStrike VIPs an opportunity to meet and discuss current trends in cloud computing and cybersecurity with industry thought. Each CXO Summit session will allow the VIP guests to learn how to best secure their businesses from breaches.
APR competes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, the latter beginning with Wednesday’s opening practice. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of all practice sessions, qualifying and the race with in-depth reporting via the CrowdStrike Pit Reports throughout the event weekend.
For more information, visit CrowdStrikeRacing.com. Follow #CrowdStrikeRacing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.
Driver quotes ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
George Kurtz, No. 45 ORECA 07-Gibson: “There aren’t too many races bigger than Le Mans. With this being the 100th anniversary, the buzz and energy is off the charts. My goal is to do my job and put the team in the best position to win. It’s heads-down, avoid mistakes, keep safe and stay out of trouble.”
Colin Braun, No. 45 ORECA 07-Gibson: “George has done a phenomenal job in the LMP2 car. “It’ll be interesting for me. In 2018, I drove the ORECA P2 in IMSA DPi. That was a full downforce, full power variant on Continental tires. Now it’s all changed. We’ll be on the Goodyear tire for Le Mans so that’s a bit different than the Michelin we are used to in Le Mans. What we both do in IMSA is going to help us in respect to a higher downforce, fast car. There are going to be nuances that are different. The track surfaces are so different in Europe compared to what we have over here. We have two days in Monza to get used to that exact aero and power spec plus the Goodyear tire to try and get our heads wrapped around it before Le Mans.”
James Allen, No. 45 ORECA 07-Gibson: “It’s always an exciting opportunity to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and this being the 100th anniversary makes it even more so. This will be my first time racing with George. I’ve been following his progress in LMP2 over the last few months and he has been very impressive. We tested together in Monza a few weeks ago and his ability to adapt to the change in tyres and aero kit was great. Colin was also really quick to adapt as expected from such an experienced and accomplished driver in the US, and both are incredibly pleasant and professional to work with.
“This will be my sixth Le Mans and I feel like every time I come here there is always something to learn. I did win the Pro-am category in Le Mans last year so I definitely feel like there is pressure to do the same again, but overall I just can’t wait to get into it.”
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