Having made his debut on the international stage in the Asian Le Mans Series, Nobu is continuing his development as a driver and continuing towards his ultimate objective of competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The first round of European Le Mans Series takes place at Paul Ricard, home of the French Grand Prix. The event will be Nobu’s first on European soil. Located in southern France near Marseille, La Castellet opened in 1970 and has undergone various revisions to the original layout over the decades with the most recent changes being made over the winter to include a new pit lane entry.
It remains a challenging circuit to this day, dominated by the Mistral straight as well as the distinctive high friction run off areas and it is a circuit that Nobu is looking forward to racing on for the first time.
“I am so excited to join the first race of ELMS at Paul Ricard with Nielsen Racing,” Nobu said. “It will be great to work this summer with my partner driver James Littlejohn. This is my first experience racing in Europe and all of the circuits that are new to me, but I will enjoy the new experiences and I very much appreciate ACO, Nielsen Racing and James for having me join them this year.”
Nobu and the team will take part in the two-day test on 8-9 April ahead of the race weekend which gets underway at on Friday 12th. Sunday’s four-hour race starts at
12.30 CET.
About the European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series is the primary feeder series to the FIA World Endurance Championship and comprises of six four-hour races across Europe. Run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, winners of the category get an automatic entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
About Nielsen Racing
An extensive and very successful background in Radical Racing across Europe saw Nielsen Racing step up to LMP3 competition in 2017. With title success in the Henderson Insurance LMP3 Cup in the UK and championship challenges in Michelin Le Mans Cup, the British-based team fields four entries in ELMS and Le Mans Cup in 2019.
About James Littlejohn
Teaming up with Nobu for the 2019 ELMS Campaign, James is a double champion in Radicals and has a season of LMP3 experience under his belt with Nielsen Racing which includes an impressive near 50-percent podium strike rate. With four podium positions in his debut season in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, James finished a close third in the overall standings.