Repton, UK-based engine manufacturer Gibson Technology is celebrating after making history at the Le Mans 24 hour race last weekend. In the history of Le Mans, a race which expects LMP1 dominance, an LMP2 car has never led the race or taken an overall podium place. In the 85th year of Le Mans this has now changed, with Jackie Chan DC Racing run by Jota Sport taking 2nd and 3rd on the overall podium with their Oreca-Gibson #38 and #37 cars respectively, as well as 1st and 2nd in LMP2 class.
Engine manufacturer Gibson Technology was chosen by the FIA/ACO as the single engine supplier for LMP2 class sportscars from 2017 to 2020. Gibson developed and manufactured the 4.2-litre GK428 V8 engine, supplying all LMP2 teams in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Le Mans 24 Hours, the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and the Asian Le Mans Series (from 2019 onwards). Gibson engines are installed in the FIA/ACO approved chassis manufacturers Dallara, Onroak (Ligier), ORECA and Riley Multimatic.
This year saw the largest ever number of Gibson engines on the LMP2 grid at Le Mans, a record 25 cars powered by Gibson engines, in total supplying and supporting 19 different teams. This is an amazing achievement for the UK manufacturer, with their GK428 engines making their Le Mans debut.
During the world famous endurance race the performance of the Gibson engines was unprecedented, with reliability second to none, especially given the extreme temperatures and conditions. 21 out of the 25 Gibson-powered LMP2s finished the 24 hours, with the fourretirements unrelated to engine issues.
Throughout Le Mans race week and during the 24 hour race itself, Gibson engines covered a total of 143,440.03 kms, equating to 719 hours and 27 minutes.
“We are extremely proud and pleased with the results at Le Mans, and would like to congratulate all the Gibson LMP2 teams for their achievements”, said Bill Gibson, Chairman of Gibson Technology. “It is testament to our workforce and their commitment to developing such high performance race engines that we have been part of history in the making this weekend”.
