Ryan Cullen and Charlie Eastwood set for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

RTÉ News​

21 hours ago

There are two Irish divers, Ryan Cullen and Charlie Eastwood - the 2018 Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year - competing in this weekend's in world's most famous motor race: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Sadly, the race will not contain the Cork born racer Matt Griffin who finished on the podium at the Le Mans 24-hour race in 2013, as well as winning the Spa 24-hour race twice.
It's left to Cullen and Eastwood to fly the flag for Ireland in Le Mans with Cullen racing in a three-man driver line up for the Vector Racing team while Eastwood is with TF sport.
Cullen will race alongside the Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi, who is test and reserve driver with the Hass F1 team, and grandson of two-time F1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.
Cullen's other team-mate is the Russian Vladislav Lomko who, like the Irish man and Fittipaldi, is racing with Vector Racing in the European Le Mans series where the trio lie second in the championship after the opening two round in Spain and France.
The team will compete in the LMP2 category in Le Mans this weekend.
Eastwood, meanwhile, is poised to make a run at the LMGT3 category with TF Sport driving the #81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R and will be accompanied by teammates Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy.
While their Corvette has been held back so far by a few hiccups and sits 15th in the standings, its number 33 team car– which won the first round of the World Endurance Championship in Qatar - will arrive at Circuit de la Sarthe as leader of the LMGT3 standings.
The battle in a class of twenty-four cars will obviously be fierce and tight.
"Last year we didn't have a great race at Le Mans, but we took a big step forward after the race and during the summer break," said Eastwood.
"That showed with some really strong performances in the last three events last year, and we've carried that forward into this season.
"We are all looking forward to Le Mans, as for one reason or another we haven't had the start of the season we were hoping for.
"I love every single part of Le Mans. It is the best endurance race in the world and by far.
"I have so many good memories and key memories of Le Mans: my first laps, the first time I did the parade, the first time I did a qualifying lap, the first time I took the start and heard the roar of the crowd over the engine, which I've never heard anywhere else.
"And I have fond memories of winning in 2020. This race it is a dream for many, and I have been lucky enough to do it several times and win it."
Eastwood was part of the TF Sport team that won the LMGTE Am category at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The race will roar off the grid on Saturday at 3pm Irish time.
Meanwhile, Kris Meeke, the five time winner at World Rally Championship level, has withdrawn his entry for next week's Donegal International Rally.
The 45 year old was due to race in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 with navigator Brian Hoy in Donegal the car which is at the top of the standings with Meeke at the wheel in the 2025 Portuguese Rally Championship with the Irishman winning three of the opening four rounds.
However Hoy was hospitalised after a crash while navigating Garry Jenning's Ford Fiesta Rally2 at the recent Cavan Stages Rally and Hoy is not fit enough to compete in Donegal next week.
"I had hoped to be out on Donegal International Rally this year, and Brian Hoy was due to co-drive" said Meeke on social media.
"Out of respect to Brian, I felt uneasy to search around for a co-driver who I'd no experience with.
"So, finally we decided to postpone our entry until the future. Huge thanks to all who put in the effort to put everything together.