Aussie road racing star Jason O’Halloran has made a sensational start to his FIM Endurance World Championship career, helping the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team to a thrilling victory at the iconic 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans—his first ever attempt at the gruelling round-the-clock race.
O’Halloran, who was drafted into the squad following Niccolò Canepa’s retirement at the end of 2024, joined experienced teammates Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika to deliver a hard-fought and emotional win under the lights at Circuit Bugatti. Despite having never raced at Le Mans—or at night—the 37-year-old from Wollongong rose to the challenge.
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“It was probably the toughest race of my career,” O’Halloran admitted. “I’d never been to the track before, never ridden at night, and I was sent out on slicks in sketchy conditions—it was tough, but we pushed through and got the result. I had a small crash, got back up and kept going. The team did an amazing job. To get the win at my first attempt was incredible.”
The challenge began straight away, with O’Halloran facing his first stint in fading light and marginal conditions. “We were going to go out on wets, but switched to slicks at the last second. The dry line was narrow and it was already getting dark, so I was nervous. But I settled in, put in some solid stints and we got into a rhythm through the night.”
The YART trio weren’t without drama—each rider experienced a crash over the 24-hour battle—but their pace and consistency kept them in contention. With just an hour to go, they were sitting second behind the Kawasaki Webike Trickstar team until Román Ramos went down, handing the advantage to Yamaha.
“It’s a bit of a bittersweet way to win,” O’Halloran said. “You never want to gain from someone else’s misfortune. But that’s endurance racing—anything can happen, and you’ve got to be there at the end. We had our own dramas but managed to get to the flag first, which is what counts.”
O’Halloran’s debut couldn’t have gone better, especially given the pressure that comes with riding for a factory-backed team with championship ambitions. “There’s always pressure, but winning your first race definitely helps. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season—Spa is next and I’ve always wanted to do well at Suzuka. With this team, I’ve got the best opportunity I’ve ever had. Our goal is the world title and this is the perfect way to kick it off.”
Jason was straight back into work with the YART squad this week, testing at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium ahead of the next round of the EWC—the 8 Hours of Spa Motos on June 6–7.
