Having competed in the European Le Mans Series since the team’s founding, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport will again be taking part in the series in 2024. Following the the announcement of driver Lorenzo Fluxa a few weeks ago, the team will also rely on the presence of TOYOTA driver Ritomo Miyata. The 24-year-old Japanese driver will drive the #37 ORECA 07 in the LMP2 class.
Double champion in Super GT and Super Formula!
COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport continues to build on its sporting program for 2024 including its driver line-ups. Ritomo Miyata’s arrival is an ambitious move from the team to support the Spaniard Lorenzo Fluxa, himself having made his debut with the team during the Rookie Test.
The official TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver possesses an impressive racing background. Twice champion in Japan F4 (2016, 2017) and runner-up in Japan F3 the following year (2018), he was crowned champion in Super Formula Lights with no fewer than 12 wins in 17 races (2019). Since then, he has shone in Super Formula and Super GT, the two top series in Japan. In fact, Ritomo is the 2023 champion in both series, an incredible achievement! Having discovered the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023, he will make his debut in the European Le Mans Series LMP2 category.
“After winning both Super Formula and Super GT titles, I am very happy to take on this challenge in an international championship” says Ritomo. “I am excited to join COOL Racing and to participate in the European Le Mans Series this season. COOL Racing has a lot of experience, so I look forward to learning about endurance racing in the ELMS and the characteristics of an LMP2 car. I will learn from team staff and teammates, and also do my best to contribute to the team.
As a member of TGR Driver development program, I would like to thank Morizo-san, TGR staff and all the partners who created this opportunity and supported me to be able to race in Europe this season. I will do the maxium to meet everyone’s expectations.”
As in 2023, with José-Maria Lopez, COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport will benefit from the services of an official TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver for its European campaign in 2024. “We are thrilled to continue this relationship and we’d like to thank TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for the confidence they put in our team” says Nicolas Lapierre, co-founder. “Ritomo has shown his speed in all of the series in which he has competed, with many successes and championship titles. It’s up to us to help support him so that it’s also the case in ELMS, a new championship for him. This news fits well with our philosphy of accompanying young drivers. It’s both a certain responsibility and a nice opportunity to have such a talented driver with us. He will bring to the table his experiences from highly competitive series, which is good for the LMP2 class, itself known for competitiveness.”
COOL Racing / CLX Motorsport is actively preparing its participation in the Asian Le Mans Series, which begins in Sepang on 2 and 3 December, and will unveil the entirety of its 2024 program in the following weeks. These will focus on the LMP2 and LMP3 classes in the European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup.
