Taylor, van de Poele and Collard named Grand Marshals for Petit Le Mans

Wayne Taylor, Eric van de Poele and Emmanuel Collard, the three winners of the Petit Le Mans inaugural, contested in 1998, have been named Grand Marshals for the 2022 edition of the event, which will take place from September 28 to October 1. For the 25th anniversary of the race, the three original winners will share the tasks assigned to this role, including the famous "Drivers, start your engines." »

Eric van de Poel and Emmanuel Collard will not be able to be present on site, but will share a message with the competitors and the teams during the pre-race ceremonies. « Wayne, Eric and Emmanuel's victory in 1998 is a fundamental part of Petit Le Mans history, so we are extremely fortunate to have them participate in the 25th anniversary celebration as Grand Marshals, said Rick Humphrey, president and general manager of Road Atlanta. The opportunity to look back at the first race from where we are now to the 25th anniversary is a truly remarkable testament to the global significance of this race. Having the three original winners participate in our pre-race ceremonies is a very special way to connect this momentous year with the year it all began. »

“It was great to be part of the team for this race as it was my first time racing in the United States, declared Emmanuel Collard. I drove this car with JB Giesse Team Ferrari, so I already knew it, but I had never used the Pirelli tires that we used with Wayne. These tires were completely different from what I was used to. When I came out of the pits I released the speed limiter, the tire grip was poor and I lost the car. But after that, everything was perfect, and the mistake was behind me. Wayne and Eric were really nice to me, and we had a great weekend. The race was perfect and we had no problems. I really enjoyed the race. »

“We were very proud to be the first winners of this race, added Eric van de Poele. For me, the first Petit Le Mans was one of my best memories of that year because the team was very united and we had a lot of success. I knew Le Mans well having already raced there a few times. Participating in a race in America called Petit Le Mans was very strange at first. But when we arrived, I could see the enthusiasm and the organization around it. I realized it could be a fantastic race and it made quite an impression on me. »

“Petit Le Mans was clearly Don Panoz’s vision (creator of the race. Editor’s note), and it was for the fans, concludes Wayne Taylor, who was already Grand Marshal of the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. It is a unique 10 hour race and it is always characterized by a very spectacular and very exciting finish until the last lap. It's fantastic for Road Atlanta, for theIMSA and for our sport. To have been part of winning the inaugural race and now, 25 years later, to have this opportunity to be the Grand Marshal is very rewarding. I am very grateful for that. » Since then, Wayne Taylor has set up an eponymous team that currently leads the IMSA championship with a No. 05 Acura ARX-10 driven by Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor. They will be joined for the season finale by Brendon Hartley to try to win 25 years after their boss and therefore win the title.

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