"At Portimão this weekend, the action on the track was undeniably intense. The racing programme was particularly competitive. In the European Le Mans Series season finale, 39 competitors took the start, including 18 in LMP2, 13 in LMP3 and eight in LMGTE. In the Michelin Le Mans Cup on Sunday, 26 driver line-ups participated in the LMP3 and GT3 classes. Portimão is a very pleasant circuit for racing this time of year, but the mood was extremely focused with so much on the line. The entire season, with the exception of the LMGTE title, came down to the round in Portugal, proof of the caliber, diversity and competitiveness of the grid across the six races of the 2019 championship. 

The champions were crowned at Portimão, and the automatic invitations to the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans (13-14 June) were awarded: two in LMP2, one in LMP3 and two in LMGTE for the European Le Mans Series as well as one in the Michelin Le Mans Cup for the GT3 winner. This system illustrates the strength of the endurance racing pyramid, and the classes, series and championships in place to open the door to endurance racing and eventually allow competitors to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the pinnacle of the discipline."

As a result of the 2019 European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup, the six invitations granted to the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans (13-14 June) are as follows:

- first and second places in LMP2: IDEC SPORT Racing's #28 and G-Drive Racing's #26 

- first place in LMP3: Eurointernational #11 (provisional result for LMP3)

- first and second places in LMGTE: Luzich Racing's #51 and Dempsey-Proton Racing's #77

- first place in GT3 in the Michelin Le Mans Cup: Kessel Racing's #8

"The 2019 ELMS season is now over, and on to 2020! There are six races on next year's calendar: the championship will kick off with testing sessions and the first round at the circuit in Barcelona before heading to Monza, then Le Castellet, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Portimão. In 2020, the European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup will be joined by a new series, the Ligier European Series. The latest generation of LMP3s will make their first appearances in competition. Endurance racing is dedicated to creating and evolving. I would like to thank the competitors in the Michelin Le Mans Cup for welcoming a new automotive innovation at the free practice sessions for the last two races. The MissionH24 project's LMPH2G prototype, entrusted to H24Racing, benefitted from the experience gained through track time during those race weekends. This hydrogen-electric car is a symbol of the future of endurance racing and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as MissionH24's goal is to promote hydrogen in competition. A class dedicated to hydrogen will debut at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. The future of endurance racing has its foundation in the European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup. Endurance racing is creating its own future."

For more info, go to the official European Le Mans Series website.

PHOTO (Copyright - Jakob Ebrey)