TDS RACING Bio
TDS Racing is a French auto racing team founded in 2004 by Xavier Combet and Jacques Morello and based in Saint-Aunès, France. The team competes across premier endurance championships, including the European Le Mans Series, the FIA World Endurance Championship and entries at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and has campaigned prototypes and GT3 machinery with notable championship success.
Early Life and Background
TDS Racing began competing in organized motorsport in 2005, initially entering the Eurocup Mégane Trophy under the Pouchelon Racing banner. That first season included drivers Ludovic Badey and Matthieu Cheruy and established the team on the continental GT and one-make stage before adopting the TDS Racing identity the following year.
From its base in Saint-Aunès the operation grew from a regional contender into a team with international reach. Leadership from co-founders Xavier Combet and Jacques Morello shaped the early technical and commercial direction, while Combet moved into an enduring management role for the organization.
Path to MotorSports
After the initial seasons in the Eurocup Mégane Trophy, TDS Racing consolidated expertise in car preparation and endurance strategy, which allowed the team to contest multiple categories. The team’s early focus on one-make GT competition provided a platform to refine race operations, pit procedures and driver development.
Success in the Megane Trophy opened opportunities to step into prototype competition; TDS Racing purchased an Oreca 03-Nissan for the European Le Mans Series program in 2011 and used that transition to build a program capable of challenging for class championships in multi-class endurance racing.
TDS RACING Career
Early Career (2005–2010)
TDS Racing’s first sustained era of results came in the Eurocup Mégane Trophy, where the team progressed from newcomer status to title contender within a few seasons. The team supported drivers who achieved race victories and produced competitive cars at circuits across Europe.
By the end of the 2000s TDS Racing had captured drivers’ and teams’ honors in the Mégane Trophy. Michaël Rossi won the drivers’ crown in 2008 after multiple race victories, and Nick Catsburg secured a drivers’ championship for the team in 2010. The organization also captured the Eurocup Mégane Trophy Teams’ Championship in 2009 and 2010, confirming its strength in one-make GT competition.
Eurocup Mégane Trophy Breakthrough (2008–2010)
The Eurocup Mégane Trophy era represented TDS Racing’s first string of championship hardware. Michaël Rossi’s 2008 title featured wins at circuits including Spa, the Hungaroring and Estoril, while Nick Catsburg’s 2010 campaign delivered another drivers’ championship and reinforced the team’s development pipeline.
Team-level success in 2009 and 2010 showcased consistent engineering and racecraft, with TDS Racing establishing itself as a benchmark in the series for car setup, teamwork and reliability over sprint formats that emphasized close competition.
European Le Mans Series Breakthrough (2011–2016)
TDS Racing expanded into prototype racing in 2011 by acquiring an Oreca 03-Nissan to contest the European Le Mans Series. The team signed Mathias Beche, Jody Firth and Pierre Thiriet for the initial ELMS campaign and used continuity in driver pairing to build experience in multi-class endurance events.
Retaining Mathias Beche and Pierre Thiriet for 2012 proved decisive: the duo delivered the European Le Mans Series LMP2 Drivers’ Championship while TDS Racing also secured the LMP2 Teams’ Championship that year. The achievement marked the team’s arrival as a serious LMP2 contender in European endurance racing.
In 2015 TDS Racing diversified into GT competition within the ELMS GTC class, campaigning a BMW Z4 GT3 with drivers Eric Dermont, Dino Lunardi and Franck Perera. That program succeeded in capturing both the drivers’ and teams’ championships in the GTC category, adding GT silverware to the team’s prototype titles.
Blancpain Endurance Series and GT Programs (2013–2015)
Between 2013 and 2015 TDS Racing competed in the Blancpain Endurance Series with BMW Z4 GT3 cars. The 2014 Blancpain season was a highlight for the team in GT competition as the pairing of Henry Hassid and Nick Catsburg won races at Circuit Paul Ricard and the Nürburgring, demonstrating the squad’s adaptability between prototypes and GT machinery.
The Blancpain campaigns broadened the team’s technical base and international profile and provided additional experience in multi-driver endurance formats that informed later prototype efforts.
FIA World Endurance Championship and Prototype Era (2017–2021)
TDS Racing stepped further into global endurance competition by entering the FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 class. The team acquired Oreca 07-Gibson prototypes for its WEC programme and ran entries beginning with the 2017 season, including collaborations with established endurance banners on select cars.
The move to WEC extended TDS Racing’s footprint to the world stage and to flagship events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, consolidating the team’s status as a professional endurance racer capable of preparing and running top-level LMP2 machinery.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Entry (2023–Present)
In September 2022 TDS Racing announced a full-time effort in the LMP2 class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for 2023, marking a deliberate expansion into North American endurance racing. The IMSA program built on the team’s prototype expertise and introduced TDS Racing to new tracks, competitors and regulatory environments.
The move into IMSA complemented TDS Racing’s continued campaigns in European endurance series and reflected a strategy of contesting major championships on multiple continents with Oreca prototypes and GT machinery when appropriate.
Driving Style and Strengths
TDS Racing’s competitive profile emphasizes endurance reliability, balanced chassis preparation and efficient pit execution across multi-driver formats. The organization has demonstrated strength in adapting setups between sprint GT races and multi-hour prototype events, fostering driver continuity and technical feedback loops that produce consistent race pace and race-to-race development.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones for TDS Racing include its first Eurocup Mégane Trophy drivers’ title with Michaël Rossi in 2008, the Eurocup teams’ crowns of 2009 and 2010, the European Le Mans Series LMP2 drivers’ and teams’ championships in 2012, and the ELMS GTC double in 2015. Race wins in Blancpain events and the step up to the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech competition mark major points in the team’s progression.
TDS RACING Career Wins
TDS Racing’s record across one-make GT competition, GT endurance and LMP2 prototype classes includes multiple drivers’ and teams’ championships and a range of race victories at European circuits. The team’s championship successes span the Eurocup Mégane Trophy and the European Le Mans Series in both LMP2 and GTC classes.
European Le Mans Series Highlights
In the European Le Mans Series TDS Racing secured the LMP2 Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships in 2012 with Mathias Beche and Pierre Thiriet, a defining achievement in the team’s prototype era. The team also achieved GTC class success in 2015 with Eric Dermont, Dino Lunardi and Franck Perera, taking both drivers’ and teams’ honors in that season.
Eurocup Mégane Trophy Highlights
TDS Racing enjoyed sustained success in the Eurocup Mégane Trophy, capturing the drivers’ championship in 2008 with Michaël Rossi and again in 2010 with Nick Catsburg, while winning the teams’ championship in 2009 and 2010. Those results established the team’s early reputation for excellence in one-make GT competition.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Beyond championships, TDS Racing recorded notable race victories in the Blancpain Endurance Series, including wins at Circuit Paul Ricard and the Nürburgring in 2014 with Henry Hassid and Nick Catsburg. The team’s programs in national and international endurance events have produced podiums and class wins across its campaigns.
TDS RACING Family
Founders and Management
TDS Racing was founded by Xavier Combet and Jacques Morello in 2004. Xavier Combet remains centrally involved in team leadership and is listed as the team general manager, a role that has guided TDS Racing’s strategy through its shift from one-make GT competition into prototype endurance racing and international championships.
Organization and Personnel
The team’s competitive achievements reflect continuity in technical personnel and driver pairings across seasons where championships were won. TDS Racing has combined retained driver lineups with targeted signings for specific series, allowing operations to scale between national GT events and long-distance prototype championships.