KCMG and TDS Racing will use the ORECA 05

2015 is a year of change for ORECA, as the French manufacturer will build its first LMP Coupé car since its start as a manufacturer, in 2008. There are still no proper images of the ORECA 05 model, but at least they have already found their first customers.

Hong Kong-based KCMG doesn’t have anything to complain about ORECA, as they changed from the Onroak-built Morgan LMP2 to the ORECA 03R, and the results appeared in no-time, with three class wins and the third place in the Teams and Drivers standings in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship season.

The plans for 2015 include using the acquired ORECA 05 as the primary car, with the ORECA 03 still with KCMG to be probably used in selected rounds as their second car. About the drivers, there’s nothing confirmed at the moment, but the lineup seen in 2014 is expected to return, with Richard Bradley, Matt Howson and Alex Imperatori.

Physically closer to ORECA is the Thiriet by TDS Racing team, which has a long history with ORECA and their 03 model, as the Xavier Combet-led team used the car from 2011 to 2013 and won 6 races in the European Le Mans Series, as well conquering the 2012 ELMS Drivers and Teams titles.

TDS Racing is coming from a 2014 ELMS season of ups and downs, as they left ORECA to hop into the Morgan LMP2, and subsequently, the Ligier JS P2. They got a win on ELMS and a runner-up class finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the remainder of their ELMS season saw them abandon three times in sequence as the Ligier hit trouble. Thiriet by TDS Racing guys got disheartened with the Onroak coupe and sold it to Algarve Pro Racing.

In 2015, Xavier Combet and his crew return to an ORECA chassis, as they are the second confirmed customer of the ORECA 05 LMP2, to race in the European Le Mans Series, as well in the 24 Hours of Le Mans if they get an invite. The driver lineup isn’t closed yet, but the duo of Pierre Thiriet and Ludovic Badey is confirmed, just waiting for the third driver, as there’s no confirmation that Tristan Gommendy will return.

At the moment, four ORECA 05 chassis were sold, but there’s no confirmation of the other two customers aside KCMG and Thiriet by TDS Racing.

PHOTOS: ORECA