Boyd gets United Le Mans debut
Wayne Boyd has landed the plum
United Autosports LMP2 seat alongside Paul di Resta and Alex Lynn for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The North Irishman, winner of the LMP3 European and Asian Le Mans Series titles with United in 2020 and 2021 respectively, was the team’s preferred option for the vacant seat in its #23 ORECA-GIBSON 07 for the centrepiece World Endurance Championship round on August 21-22. But United boss Richard Dean stressed that he needed to find the finance to make the move possible. That has now happened and Boyd will make his Le Mans 24 Hours debut.
“We’re getting close with the budget and, with the deadline for nominating drivers coming up, we decided to push the button on it,” explained Dean. “To our minds Wayne has completed a line-up that has on paper got to be one of the best out there. People don’t see what a good job he has done for us: he’s quick, never damages the car and has been very loyal.”
“Le Mans is one of my favourite circuits and, luckily, I’ve had a decent amount of mileage around the track after doing the Le Mans Cup [support race] the last two years,” said Boyd. “We were on pole last year in LMP3 by eight tenths so I’m confident I’ll be up to speed quickly.”
The 30-year-old has landed the drive after racing in P2 for the first time this year. He has contested the Sebring and Watkins Glen IMSA rounds for United, will also do Petit Le Mans later in the year, and raced in the Algarve WEC event after Fabio Scherer was ruled out following a positive COVID test result.
Before his career pause, Boyd won the 2008 British Formula Ford title and Brands Hatch Festival in a Jamun-run Mygale. He then took his only British F3 success in the wet at Donington Park the following year, driving a T-sport Dallara.
Mercedes Formula E driver and Toyota WEC reserve Nyck de Vries will return to the Racing Team Nederland LMP2 line-up in this weekend’s Monza WEC round. The Dutchman will drive with Giedo van der Garde and Frits van Eerd in place of Job van Uitert, who failed a COVID test ahead of last weekend’s Monza ELMS round.