GRAFF has decided to run in the Ultimate Cup Series with four LMP3 and one Formula Renault

GRAFF Racing – IMPRESSIONNANTES, les bibliothèques de Coupes et Trophées.

A trip to Morangis for the new Graff workshops

It is Pascal Rauturier, the current Team Principal who is guiding us round the imposing workshops of the team now owned by Eric Trouillet.

Pascal started sometime in 1998 at Graff, when the team, which was created by Jean-Philippe Grand and François Fayman, was based in Chinon in Touraine in Maine et Loire.

When its creators first sold it to former driver Jean Noel Lanctuit, then to Eric Trouillet, Rauturier followed. And now, it is he who ensures the daily management of this great team, whose magnificent facilities, which are worthy of the most respectable race teams all disciplines combined, we had the chance to discover and visit in the past years!

After visiting the various workshops, parts stores, stocks of tyres and bodywork, we headed to his office to get an idea of the various programs on the calendar for this upcoming 2019 season.

GRAFF-Racing- PASCAL RAUTURIER dans son bureau

To begin, it is confirmed that Graff shall be participating in a new discipline in the upcoming season: the Ultimate Cup Auto Series, the brand new Championship, promoted by Vincent Vigier.

Graff will line up four LMP3 cars and also one or two cars in Formula Renault!

In LMP3, Graff will run two Normas and two Ligiers. Eric Trouillet and Luis San Juan will be sharing the wheel of the first of Norma. The second M30 LMP3, will be running under RealTeam colors with Sébastien Page and Esteban Garcia.

As for the two Ligier crews, one should be driven by Gentlemen drivers Christophe Decultot and Pierre Fontaine.

And it is Franck Gauvin who will be driving the first single-seater in Formula Renault.

ELMS 2018 – Equipe GRAFF- L’Oreca 07 – Gibson – Photo -Antoine CAMBLOR

ONE ORECA IN ELMS

Therwise, continuity of programs for the stable of Morangis, located next to the Orly airport. The cars were just coming back from the 12 Hours of Abu Dhabi, played recently, running in January on the Yas Marina track.

12 HEURES D’ABU DHABI 2018 – Les trois LMP3 du GRAFF

Only one ORECA 07, has been entered this year in ELMS (European Le Mans Series) for Alexandre Cougnaud, Tristan Gommendy and Jonathan Hirschi, the same trio as last season.

But, let’s not forget, two applications have been submitted to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2019 (list unveiled by the ACO on Monday, February 11), one for Graff, the second under the name Graff-SO24 .

Also a Norma M30 will run in LMP3 in ELMS but under a Swiss license.

Graff will run this car for Realteam, driven by Esteban Garcia and David Droux.

Finally, concerning the Michelin Le Mans Cup, Graff will line up two Norma M30 LMP3s. One for Éric and Adrien Trouillet, the other with the former multiple French Champion, brilliantly reconverted for circuits two years running, Nicolas Schatz, partnered with Adrien Chila.

GRAFF-Racing-Le local des simulateurs.

Also Graff has two simulators and one week before each race, the drivers go regularly to the workshop to practice in these simulators and well absorb and memorize the lines of future events.

Gilles GAIGNAULT

Photos : Maurice CAMUS – Antoine CAMBLOR -Thierry COULIBALY and AutoNewsInfo