Counting on the same rider line-up that claimed top FIM Endurance World Cup points in last September’s 100th-anniversary Bol d’Or – Jonathan Hardt, Chris Leesch and Wayne Tessels – Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda is leaving nothing to chance in its preparations for the new season.
It has relocated to a new 300-square-metre premises tailor-made to its needs, launched its pre-season testing programme and entered Leesch in the French Superbike Championship to help make the Luxembourg rider even faster than before as part of a parallel programme.
Team Manager Julien Diguet said: “We savoured our Bol d’Or victory because it was a really great race and it made us very happy. It motivated a lot of people around us, partners, riders and volunteers.
“For this season we have made lots of changes to the structure, setting up our new workshop but confirming our three riders who won the Bol d’Or for us are back this season. This is already great for us because they are a great trio and the work will be easier this season because we know each other well.
“We are happy because Honda is once again placing its trust in us and Chromeburner has renewed its partnership. The team changes its name and will no longer be called RAC41-Chromeburner but Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda. This demonstrates the confidence of both partners and will make the team evolve in the right direction. We also have new partners and those who continue to follow us.”
Of the team’s move to new premises in St Ouen, France, Diguet explained: “We have a new workshop for the team and we can prepare the box and work in the same configuration as we do for racing, which is good because we have all our bearings. We have a surface of 300 metres squared in which we will be able to store our parts properly and be much more ready for the races.”
Like a number of teams competing in the EWC, Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda relies on the support of volunteers.
“We do not have a big income and it’s quite difficult to be able to become professional so we bring together volunteers and permanent staff for our three services, the kitchen part, the VIP and communication part and the technical part,” Diguet said.
Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda will kick-off its bid for FIM Endurance World Cup glory at Le Mans from 13-16 April having completed three pre-season tests.
“I hope that sportingly we are at the level at which we were at the Bol d’Or and that our competitors are progressing more slowly than us because we’re not alone on the track,” said Diguet. “We are putting a lot of things in place to be able to bring the race to life for our sponsors, VIPs, communicating more on social networks and doing more things to make our passion live and that everyone clings to our passion.”