After a spate of withdrawals from this year’s Le Mans 24 hours, the grid is cut to just twelve cars just weeks before the event will take place.
The latest cancellation is from Italian first-timers, Brama Slot Club. The team were due to enter a Nissan GTR-LM from The Area71 Slotcars in the LM P1 category but were forced to cancel with jus three weeks until race day.
Since the withdrawal of the two-car Stryker Racing effort following the death of team captain Jon Grainger, a series of unfortunate circumstances have prevented the four-strong reserve list from taking the grid slots.
At the Suzuka 6 hour race at SRC Eindhoven, Danish team Roadkings also announced they would be unable to compete at Le Mans in March following development problems with their new, scratch-built ByKolles CLM.
In February, a new Spanish team Model Hobby Red were hurriedly signed up to compete with a potential collaboration with Olifer, but after a switch to a Slot.it model the team also withdrew their entry only weeks after securing it – all behind the final deadline for inscriptions.
This year’s grid will be equal smallest, alongside the second edition in 2013. There will be just 4 cars in each of the 3 categories.
Summary of cancellations since September 2017:
- Stryker Racing (GBR), Porsche 919 Hybrid
- Stryker Racing (GBR), Porsche 919 Hybrid
- DiSCA Signatech (FRA), Alpine A450
- Roadkings (DNK), ByKolles CLM
- Batamba Racing Team (DEU), Audi R18 TDi
- Gasclavat (ESP), Ford GT LM
- Worthing HO Racing (GBR), Audi R10 TDi
- Model Hobby Red (ESP), Lola B12/60
- Brama Slot Club (ITA), Nissan GTR-LM
