Welter Racing
Welter Racing is a French motor racing team.
The Peugeot designer Gérard Welter founded in 1969 together with Michel Meunier his team, to participate in the 24 - hour race at Le Mans with the target in the next few years regularly. Therefore, the type designation for World Cup Welter - Meunier. In 1976, he debuted at La Sarthe with his third race car, the WM P76. The flat, closed prototype was powered by a 2.7-liter Peugeot engine. At the wheel sat the three French racing driver Guy Chasseuil, Claude Ballot -Lena and Xavier Mathiot. The first appearance in this endurance race ended after 125 laps down. A leak in the fuel tank could not be closed and the vehicle had to be turned off.
In the next few years Welter came with his team again and again to Le Mans. The first target arrival reached the team in 1977, as Mathiot with its partners Max Mamers and Jean -Daniel Raulet came on 15th place. Welter in 1978 could secure the support of the oil company Esso, which will then turn funded the development of its extremely fast, but vulnerable defective cars. 1980 drove Roger Dorchy and Guy Chasseuil their WM P79 to fourth overall on the finish line.
1988 the team wrote motorsport history. Roger Dorchy reached with his WM P88 at the end of Hunaudiers straight top speed of 405 km / h This record still holds true today and, by the installation of two chicanes on the straight line no more likely to be broken. Welter had it set out to achieve the record. As "Project 400 " defined, the car had barely driven in the curves. The French tire manufacturer Michelin supplied tires with a special blend and guaranteed a speed of 410 km / h
1995 were both WR LM94 Le Mans in the front row. In a year of upheaval were almost only GT cars on the grid at the Sarthe. Still, it was remarkable that the Frenchman William David the qualifying time of 3:46,050 minutes - scored with a LMP2 prototype - which corresponded to an average speed of 216.589 km / h. Both Welter cars led to the start of the race, but fell out.
In 1997, the team had its worst hour, as Sébastien Enjolras on a WR LM97 was killed in practice for the 24 - hour race. Because of the Automobile Club de l' Ouest then the second car refused to start, a conflict broke out between welter and the Official. The team remained the race then away three years.
2004, the racing team particularly unlucky, as the lying in the LMP2 class in the lead WR LM2001, Yojiro Terada driven by, in the final laps had a break at the rear suspension and the team lost the class win. Between 2006 and 2010, Welter was not at the start of the Sarthe. Other engagements have failed due to lack of funds.
2008 Welter Racing returned while back on the race tracks, played with the new racing car - the WR LMP2008 - but only selected races of the Le Mans Series. After four years of absence Gérard Welter presented at Le Mans his new prototypes and again took part in the race. The French brothers Philippe and Stéphane Salini and their fellow countryman Tristan Gommendy reached the 23th place in the overall standings.