Welter Racing will back with Zytek power next season
Courtesy of the American Le Mans Series
Another significant order for two of the Le Mans winning Zytek ZG348s underlines the fact that this has become the customer engine of choice in LMP2 racing. Long time Le Mans 24-hour stalwart and former class winner, WR is returning to the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2008 but is now sourcing it engines from Repton-based Zytek. It is not the only team to have chosen the 510bhp ZG348 for a new 2008 challenger, Embassy Racing having already announced that it will be using Zytek engines next year.
The engine has already been used to power the Le Mans LMP2 class winning Lola as well as Zytek’s own impressive chassis, the 07S. Now it is to be used by at least two more racecar manufacturers.
During 2007 the 3.4 litre ZG348 was not only the driving force behind the first and second placed cars in the LMP2 category at Le Mans but also took class wins elsewhere in Europe and in South America . This followed previous seasons when the engine had scored outright wins at Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburging and Laguna Seca, fitted to Zytek’s own 04S.
Gerard Welter has already enjoyed a 30-year history with Le Mans, having been responsible for the car that took the ultimate fastest speed on the Mulsanne Straight – 251mph – back in 1988, as well as a class winner in 1993. Now the Salini Group backed Welter Racing intends entering both the 24-hour classic and the season long Le Mans Series using Zytek’s ZG348 and EGS (electro-mechanical gear shift system), part of what the team describes as a “powerful and reliable package”. EGS has also proved its worth in the LMP2 class having been used by the three Acura-engined cars in the American Le Mans Series as well as the Zytek motivated racers.
“We welcome WR to the growing list of customers for the ZG348 engine,” said Zytek Engineering operations director John Manchester. “Last season has shown that this has to be the engine to choose for those serious about being successful in 2008.”