Hynes has his Le Mans hopes cruelly shattered (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Hynes has his Le Mans hopes cruelly shattered

A FORMER British Formula 3 champion's dreams of making his debut in next month's world-famous Le Mans 24-hour race have been cruelly shattered.

Tetbury's Marc Hynes, who is this year driving in sports car endurance, was gutted when told that organisers had had a change of heart after originally accepting an entry from his LNT team.

"It's a bitter blow," conceded the 26-year-old, "particularly as we have been doing pretty well in the series. Quite honestly, we had high hopes of achieving a good result at Le Mans."

"If it was just down to the fact that we're a new team, I suppose I could understand.

"But that doesn't seem to be the case at all as several other more established teams from Britain have also been thrown out by the OAC for whatever reason."

Hynes made his debut for the team in a TVR 400R in the Sebring 12-hour race in the USA earlier this year, but had to retire due to mechanical failure when challenging for a podium finish.

However, at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium last month, a triumphant Hynes finished second in the GT2 class in a gruelling 1000k race.

Ahead of him was the team's sister TVR, giving the British manufacturer a dream 1-2 result.

"I'm actually wondering," said Hynes, "whether our unexpected success and the decision to bar us has proved a bit embarrassing for the organisers of Le Mans."

Having put this upset quickly behind him, Hynes is now looking ahead to other races in the 1000k series - such as Monza in July and then Silverstone in August.

Always a driver ready to bounce back, Hynes concluded: "I can tell you one thing for sure - tasting that champagne in Belgium brought back many happy memories of my days in Formula 3."