Back on road to Le Mans

Ecurie Ecosse team returns

Scotland’s legendary Ecurie Ecosse racing team has revealed its plans for a return to the scene of a famous 24 Hours of Le Mans victory, six decades on from the remarkable triumph.

The Edinburgh-based privateer outfit wrote its name into the annals of motorsport with overall wins at the blue riband sports car endurance events with its Jaguar D-Types in 1956 and the following year.

In 1957 Ron Flockhart and Ivor Beub led an Ecurie Ecosse one-two at the famed Circuit de la Sarthe in north-west France, and Le Mans is back on the radar of the famous team, which has continued to taste sports car success – including last year at the hands of Angus schoolboy star Sandy Mitchell.

The team revealed it has paired up with Nielsen Racing to take on the Le Mans Cup feeder series to the European Le Mans Series, as well as the new Henderson LMP3 Cup.

The championship starts in May at Monza, Italy, before heading to Le Mans for the biggest race of the season – dubbed the Road to Le Mans.

Four further rounds follow at top European circuits and the series concludes in October in Portimao, Portugal.

The team will field Ligier LMP3 machinery in both championships, with Colin Noble and Alasdair McCaig competing in the Henderson LMP3 Cup and Noble and Tony Wells in the Le Mans Cup.

“We have plenty of exciting news to come but, to start with, it’s great to confirm our race programme for the coming season,” said director and driver McCaig.

“We are pushing hard to get back into the sports car scene and we feel this is the perfect time and the best opportunity for us to build on our experience, history and passion for endurance racing, while delivering the results for our sponsors.”

PA. Brian Morley, warden at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, beside a Jaguar D-Type Long Nose 1957. The famous metallic blue cars were originally prepared in a garage on Edinburgh’s Merchiston Mews.