Greaves Motorsport
Greaves Motorsport
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Greaves Motorsport

Greaves Motorsport is a British racing team, currently competing in the European Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2006, Greaves Motorsport, founded and run by Tim Greaves, entered the Le Mans Series (LMS) for the first time, running a Radical SR9 in conjunction with Radical, and competing under the Bruichladdich Radical banner. After four years of Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S/2 in 2010 to replace the old Radical SR9. In 2011, the team became known as Greaves Motorsport, and they switched to the new Zytek Z11SN, winning the LMP2 category of both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Le Mans Series. For 2012, they entered the new European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and FEndurance Championship (WEC), finishing third in the LMP2 category of the ELMS, and fifth in the WEC.

In 2006, it was announced that Greaves Motorsport would be running the works Radical team in the Le Mans Series (LMS), with Tim Greaves and Stuart Moseley driving a LMP2-class Radical SR9-AER under the Bruichladdich Radical banner. The team entered the 1000 km of Nürburgring, and finished fifteenth overall, fifth in class. Ben Devlin joined the team for the following round, the 1000 km of Donington, but the team retired after 151 laps. Following this race, the team entered Greaves, Moseley, Ben Devlin and Colin McRae in the inaugural round of the Radical World Cup. McRae's weekend proved unsuccessful, as he retired from the first race, and finished eleventh in the second. Having returned to the LMS, the team retired from the season's final race, the 1000 km of Jarama, after 27 laps. Following this, Moseley and Michael Vergers were entered in the American Le Mans Series season finale at Laguna Seca, where they finished 22nd, and fifth in class.

In 2007, Bruichladdich Radical competed in the entire LMS season. Having retired at the opening event, the 1000 km of Monza, the team took a ninth place overall finish and third in class at the 1000 km of Valencia; in the latter race, Greaves and Moseley were joined by Robin Liddell. Following this event, the team participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, however, Tim Greaves crashed out after 90 minutes, forcing the team to withdraw. The following LMS race, which was the 1000 km of Nürburgring, was little more successful; Greaves and Moseley finished 35th, and ninth in class, after a starter motor problem had cost the team around 30 minutes. A retirement at the 1000 km of Spa followed, due to engine failure after 81 laps, before the season finale, the 1000 km of Silverstone saw the team take 14th overall and seventh in class; Jacob Greaves filling the third driver's slot for the team. The team finished joint-eighth in the LMP2 team's standings; level with Team LNT and Kruse Motorsport on eight points.

Bruichladdich Radical remained in the Le Mans Series in 2008, but had an all-new driver line-up of Jens Petersen, Jan-Dirk Leuders and Marc Rostan. The season opener, which was the 1000 km of Catalunya, saw the team finish 15th overall, and seventh in class. However, the rest of the season was unsuccessful, as the team did not finish above 30th overall in any of the remaining LMS races, or the 24 Hours of Le Mans; although 30th at the 1000 km of Spa equated to seventh in class, due to attrition. As a result, the team slipped to joint-eleventh in class, with four points.

For 2009, Pierre Bruneau joined the team, and as a result, the team became known as the Bruichladdich-Bruneau Team, with the team continuing to use the AER-engined Radical SR9. The opening round of the season, which was the 1000 km of Catalunya, saw Bruneau, partnered by Moseley and Nigel Greensall, finishing tenth overall, and fourth in the LM P2 category. At the 1000 km of Spa, Tim Greaves and Jonathon Coleman replaced Moseley and Greensall, but the team were disqualified from the event for an unspecified technical infringement. Rostan partnered Greaves and Bruneau at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but retired from the race after just over fourteen and a half hours, having completed 91 laps. At the 1000 km of Algarve, Greaves and Bruneau were partnered by Francesco Sini, but could only finish 25th overall, and tenth in class. Michael Vergers replaced Greaves at the 1000 km of Nürburgring, but the team retired after 114 laps. Greaves returned for the 1000 km of Silverstone, the season finale; the team finished 16th overall, and sixth in class. The team were classified seventh in the LM P2 standings, with eight points.

In 2010, the team ended their association with Radical, and replaced the SR9 with a LM P2 class Ginetta-Zytek GZ09S/2; Tim Greaves, Karim Ojjeh and Thor-Christian Ebbesvik were named as the team's regular drivers, resulting in the team being known as Team Bruichladdich. The team's first race with the car came at the LMS opener, the 8 Hours of Castellet, and they finished twelfth overall, fifth in class. The 1000 km of Spa proved to be less successful; the team suffered a blown engine during qualifying, and Ebbesvik crashed out of the race after 15 laps. For the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Gary Chalandon replaced Ebbesvik, and the team finished tenth overall, fifth in the LM P2 class. Next up was the 1000 km of Algarve, and Ebbesvik returned to the team; fifth overall, and second in class, for their first class podium of the season. The 1000 km of Hungaroring saw another fifth place overall, although mechanical difficulties with the LM P1-class cars meant that this also equated to fifth in class. The season finale, which was the 1000 km of Silverstone, saw the team end the season with a 19th overall, and eighth in class. The team finished the season ranked fifth in the LMP2 Team's Championship, with 46 points.

In 2011, the team changed their name to Greaves Motorsport, and were the first team to use the new LM P2-class Zytek Z11SN-Nissan. With Ojjeh, Chalandon and Tom Kimber-Smith driving the car, the team won the LM P2 class and came third overall at the 6 Hours of Castellet, which was the first round of the season. Although the team struggled at the 1000 km of Spa, finishing 37th overall, and eighth in class, the team won the LM P2 category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, and finished eighth overall; Chalandon was replaced by Olivier Lombard from this event onwards. Another eighth place overall, and class victory followed, at the 6 Hours of Imola; the team then won the LM P2 class for the third race in a row at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, this time finishing tenth overall. The team finished the season with a fourth overall, and second in class, at the 6 Hours of Estoril; this meant that the team won the LM P2 Championship, with Kimber-Smith and Ojjeh being crowned as the LM P2 Driver's Champions.

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