LE SARTHE, France (June 17, 2018) – Overcoming several setbacks without a single driver or pit error, Black Swan Racing and drivers Tim Pappas, Spencer Pumpelly, and Patrick Long would enjoy a hard-fought 24 Hours of Le Mans to earn fourth-place honors in the GTE-Am class.
“This was an incredibly special event to be a part of, and overall I think we can all be satisfied,” stated Black Swan team owner and co-driver Tim Pappas. “Patrick and Spencer have been friends for such a long time, to compete together and have my first experience with such an experienced duo really helped make this unforgettable. Luck didn’t go our way, but I think we can all be proud of our own performance; no major driving mistakes, no major mistakes in the pits, and with some different fortune we would have been even higher in the order. I have to thank Porsche Motorsport and the entire crew at Proton Competition for helping to make this a reality, it was a one-of-a-kind opportunity.”
Making the brand debut in partnership with Proton Competition, the famous green colors of Black Swan Racing would arrive at the historicCircuit de la Sarthe with high ambitions for the No. 99 Porsche 911 RSR. With Pappas, a newcomer to the event, joining forces with the highly experienced Spencer Pumpelly and two-time winner Patrick Long, hopes were high for a strong finish.
Qualifying in 12th, limited practice time would challenge the team’s ultimate search for speed, but given the experience of all three drivers, a focus on consistent and reliable driving became the key focus.
Sticking to the plan, during the race’s early hours the team would steadily climb up the order, placing well within the top-10 by nightfall, and top-five before the sun would rise again.
Unfortunately, a series of mishaps beyond their control would malign the team’s hopes for a podium. Two punctured tires would send the Porsche crawling to the pits to avoid damage, as well as a minor mechanical gremlin that would create a third unscheduled pit stop.
With the setbacks putting the team too far behind to gain ground on pace, all focus turned in to pit strategy and hopes for attrition, eventually elevating the team to fourth where they would finish.
It was a satisfying result even if just short of a podium.
For Patrick Long, any opportunity to race at Le Mans is a good one.
“Overall I think we should be content with the weekend,” stated Long. “We were definitely on course for a podium with a change in fortune, and everyone in the whole program did their part to perfection. I’ve worked with both Black Swan and Proton Competition, and it was great to be part of a joint venture like this. Tim did an incredible job getting up to speed on such a tricky circuit, and Spencer was the fast, absolute professional we all knew he would be. We can only hope for more in the future.”
For Spencer Pumpelly, a similar sentiment is shared.
“This was a memorable weekend for everyone,” stated Pumpelly. “I’ve known Tim for a long time, and it was great to be part of Black Swan’s first-ever Le Mans experience. Tim did a great job all week, improving every session and running mistake-free, which is tough at a place like this. Patrick was excellent as expected, and the guys at Proton Competition had us well prepared. Overall this was as good a result we could have asked for given the setbacks. Hopefully we’ll all be back."
While the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a one-time race for the team’s ambitions in the World Endurance Championship, however their international exploits will continue in just one month’s time, taking to the 24 Hours of Spa on July 28 and 29.