For the first time in 5 years a Garage 56 Entry has been listed on the 24 hours of Le Mans Entry list, La Filiere Frederic Sausset by SRT41 racing being entered as an ‘innovative car’ to accommodate for it’s drivers.
SRT41 will field a modified car to accommodate two disabled drivers who are racing for the team. The team is run by Frederic Sausset, who himself in 2016 became the first quadruple amputee to both race and finish the Le Mans race, whilst driving a modified OAK-run Morgan-Nissan LMP2. Nigel Bailly and Takuma Aoki, who are both paralyzed from the waist down, have been named on the 62-car entry list for Sausset’s return to the race this time as a team manager.
The two drivers will be joined by Francois Heriau who is an LMP3 race winner in the European Le Mans Series. In preparation for the race Bailly and Aoki will compete in the Barcelona and Paul Ricard rounds of the ELMS.
Bailly and Aoki have both been wheelchair-bound, since motorcycle accidents in 2004 and 1998 respectively, but through Sausset’s SRT41 initiative have been able to compete in sports car races using hand-control technology.
The Silver-rated pair have contested several races in a modified LMP3 Ligier including the 2019 Road to Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe alongside Snoussi Ben Moussa.
The team had originally planned to enter last year’s race, but were forced to abandon their plans after the COVID-19 pandemic put them in a situation where they were unable to enter the race.
The team will be racing a 62-strong field in the famous Le Mans Race, which will take place on the 21/22 August and will be the 89th running of the race.
