LeMans winner Romain Dumas a product of ACO driving school

Romain Dumas (C)

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest and its President Mr. Jean-Claude Plassart are delighted to celebrate Roman Dumas’ victory in the 78th Le Mans 24 Hours. He is part of a talented generation that includes Stéphane Sarrazin, Sébastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud who all began their careers in the Volant ACO on the Bugatti circuit.

Each of these four talented drivers was in the running for victory this year. The battle for first place between Audi and Peugeot was a hotly-contested one, but there had to be only one winner. And what a winner!

François Migault almost pulled it off with second place in 1976 and third in 1981. Sarrazin and Bourdais also distinguished themselves by setting the last four pole positions: 2007-2008-2009 for Sarrazin and 2010 for Bourdais.

The 78th Le Mans 24 Hours also saw several drivers from Formula Le Mans taking part in the race. Natacha Gachnang, David Zollinger and Gary Chalandon all raced in the 2009 FLM Cup before making their debut in the 24 Hours.

The ACO, which now has a real endurance ladder, beginning with the Young Driver Criterium for the youngest, then Karts, the ACO Volant the Formula Le Mans and the Le Mans Series as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours wanted to congratulate its former pupils by putting their names in golden letters in the fabulous history of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

"Every year, my parents and I went on holidays in a camping car and we said ‘what about heading for Le Mans rather than Le Castellet. We go south every year and it’ll be a change!’ So my parents decided to go to Le Mans. And that day I had absolutely no idea what would happen afterwards. I arrived there and I didn’t even know how to brake let alone how to heel and toe!"

"I’d never driven a single-seater in my life. After getting through the opening phases of qualifying, I realized that I had a chance of winning the Volant. Coming first in the final gave you a season in Formula Campus. My dad said to me, ‘if you win, you’ll start in single-seaters. If not, then at least you’ll have had your chance.’ On the way back home we understood it was the start of something big. That day, I beat Arnaud Sarrazin as well as Bourdais, Tréluyer and Cochet!"

"No, I didn’t even think of the future. I thought I was going to follow in my father’s footsteps and do some rallies. A fortnight after my victory I was in Sports Studies in the ‘Lycee Sud du Mans’ and I was driving a Formula Campus at the weekends. I wasn’t expecting it at all and I wasn’t even thinking about a career."

"Senna had died a few weeks earlier and he impressed me because of his sheer talent. Alesi too. They had the ability to compensate for the poor performance of their cars. The Scuderia Ferrari also made me dream, but to tell the truth I saw myself continuing in rallies and it was rally drivers who were my references."

"No. All that seemed to me to be so far out of my reach that I didn’t even dare think about it. As I was born in the Cevennes I saw myself trying to do even better than my father, which didn’t look all that easy."

"A modern prototype is a single-seater covered in bodywork. It’s a bit wider, a bit heavier but it’s still a top level single-seater. You learn very quickly driving a car like this. Le Mans makes people dream and allowing debutants to learn on a prototype is as prestigious as learning in a single-seater. My first open–wheeler had an aluminum chassis and a Renault 18 turbo engine! With the little prototype developed by Pescarolo, it’s just as good. The guy who manages to get the best out of this car will be able to get by anywhere."

"Work, work, work! There’s no mystery. When motivation is combined with work, the results follow. You must never give up as in this sport things aren’t always easy, and you must never hesitate to call yourself into question."