1995 WR LM94 #8
Pilots: P. Gonin, P. Petit, M. Rostan
Team: Welter Racing
Race: DNF (LMP2 class) at Le Mans in 1995
Spark - S0338 (resin)
Published 06/28/24
Gérard Welter joined French automaker Peugeot at the age of 18. A brilliant car designer, he worked for Peugeot for almost 50 years. In that time, he was responsible for cars like the 405, 604 and the RCZ. However, he also had a taste for motorsports, or more specifically, endurance racing. So, in 1969, along with his wife and a fellow Peugeot engineer, he founded WM Racing. It was a true garagista operation – enthusiastic part-timers building cars in Welter’s garage. Nonetheless, despite the VERY humble operation, their cars competed in the 24 Heures du Mans of the 70s and 80s. Using small Peugeot engines, he knew that for a small and underfunded team a victory would be unlikely. Therefore, he concentrated his efforts in aerodynamics. To the point that in 1988 his WM P88-Peugeot achieved a record speed of 405 km/h in the Mulsanne straight. That record still stands.
However, his major partner left WM in 1989, yet he decided to carry on. Once again with his wife and now with his father, in 1990 Welter established Welter Racing (WR). Even though it was still a garagista effort, WR was a bit more structured. They also began building cars for privateers, like the WR SP2. The SP2 was a small inexpensive spyder, powered by a 2.0 engine from the Peugeot 405. For the 1993 Le Mans, Welter upgraded the SP2’s engine with a turbo (from the 405 Turbo), delivering 309 kW (420 hp). With an aluminum honeycomb monocoque chassis and covered by a smooth and one-piece body, he called it WR LM93. And it worked out quite well, coming in first in the LMP class. Encouraged by that result, for 1994 WR evolved the LM93 into the LM94.
Externally, the new car was very similar to the LM93. However, WR applied many small tweaks (like using a smaller 80 l fuel tank), making the car 35 kg lighter. The engine was the same unit used in the previous version. WR brought two LM94 to La Sarthe, unfortunately though, both DNF due to mechanical issues. In the following year WR came to Le Mans again with two cars, both LM94, with slight improvements. And more importantly, they thoroughly tested the cars in the off-season, proving to be wickedly quick. In qualifying, things started very well for the WR team. LM94 #9 (chassis #94001) started on pole position and LM94 #8 (chassis #95001) started in second. Even so, “to win Le Mans you first need to finish the race” – that is the law. Unfortunately, the WR team broke the law.
On the Mulsanne, on lap 33 car #8 flips over to rest on its roll bar. Despite the horrible crash, the pilot survived, though with four broken ribs and a broken shoulder plate. Car #9 continued, yet on lap 196 an electrical failure left it stranded on Arnage. And that was the end of the WR adventure at Le Mans in 1995. The team returned the following year (with the LM96), yet both cars DNF again. Despite his “corporate origins”, Gérard Welter was a literal garagista. Therefore, his work automatically becomes interesting to me. And let me be honest: the LM94 is THE best looking LMP2 car I’ve ever seen 😍. So, when I found this LM94 #8 up for grabs, I bought it on the spot. It’s an old mold from Spark, so the details are on the short side. Nonetheless, I think it looks totally gorgeous.