24 Hours of Le Mans: News, Photos and Travel Tips » pescarolo

Pescarolo Sport has Entered Liquidation

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:19:11 +0000

Pescarolo Sport, the company behind the endurance racing team founded by Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo, has been ordered into liquidation by the Tribunal de Commerce of Le Mans.

So how did Pescarolo get here? A couple of years ago Henri Pescarolo encountered difficulties finding sponsors and was looking for a solid partner to invest in his endurance racing team and make sure the team will be able to go on. Such a partner was eventually found in the person of Jean Py, owner of Sora Group, who acquired Pescarolo Sport for a symbolic 1 Euro. The deal was that Henri Pescarolo would stay in command and Sora Group would provide the financial resources required to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other endurance races.

However, Jean Py’s interest in racing has faded away and he cut off Pescarolo Sport’s racing funds. He only showed interest in building Pescarolo racing prototypes for other teams, a rather lucrative business. Since Henri Pescarolo didn’t play along he was fired from the team he founded and Jean Py forced Pescarolo Sport into bankruptcy.

Henri Pescarolo, however, is not the kind to give up. “Jean Py has destroyed a company, he did not destroy the team” said Henri in a statement to the press. The former Pescarolo Sport team is coming back together and they are all hard at work, building a new endurance racing team that will be able to race next year. A new web site was created and some solid partners have already join the effort. We wish them the best of luck.

Pescarolo will not race the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:44:00 +0000

Local radio stations here in Le Mans confirmed this morning that Pescarolo Sport will not be able to honor the two invitations they were awarded for this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is most certainly due to their inability to raise necessary funds. This is sad. But it won’t keep me from wearing my Pescarolo t-shirt and cap and whatever else Pescarolo labeled items I can wear or carry around the track.

I really hope Pescarolo Sport will recover and be back on the track next year.

Pescarolo’s Worst Fears Are About to Become Reality

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:30:23 +0000

If you were following what was going on in the Le Mans racing community over the last years you might remember Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo criticizing the A.C.O. for the inclusion of diesel prototypes in the LMP1 category. Back in 2006 Henri wrote an open letter explaining why it is unfair to have diesel fueled prototypes compete in the same category with traditional gas prototypes. He demonstrated that the superior torque provided by diesel engines make it impossible for a gas prototype to compete.

Later on, Henri Pescarolo expressed concerns about his – and other privateers – ability to recruit sponsors given this new situation. For a few years now, both Audi and Peugeot, two extremely wealthy factory teams, participate at Le Mans with diesel prototypes. They afford to hire exceptional drivers so they’ve got the talent and the cars. And if Audi and Peugeot enter three cars each, and they don’t screw up, it’s very likely they snatch the first six places in the race. This means that the best a privateer like Pescarolo can hope for is seventh place, maybe sixth of fifth if one or two diesels abandon. And that’s a place they have to compete with Aston Martin Racing for. This is a huge problem for Pescarolo and the like, because it hurts their ability to attract sponsors. Sponsors tend to give money to teams with chances to win. If from the start on, no matter how good you are, you can only do seventh, who’s going to give you money? When Pescarolo was fighting the big factory teams with equal arms – in terms of engine technology – he was always in the top and sponsors – and as such money – could always be found. Well, things have changed.

Today, Pescarolo Sport is in pretty bad shape. The sponsors problem and the economic / financial crisis hurt the team pretty badly. After surviving for one season by forming a joint venture with Sora Group, the team has failed to raise more funds, despite excellent results last season: second in Le Mans Series and a first place in the Asian Le Mans Series at Okayama. The press reports that negotiations with a Luxembourg based investment group to raise money for the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans are about to fail and Pescarolo Sport might have to give up the two invitations it was awarded by the ACO.

If this is true and Pescarolo Sport has to give up their Le Mans participation, it would be a shock to many. We really hope they will be able to recover and find the funds to keep racing.

Peugeot Partners with Oreca for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010 and 2011

admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:57:46 +0000

Peugeot Sport announced they have decided to trust Team Oreca Matmut with a LMP1 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP prototype for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010 and 2011. According to the announcement, Oreca was chosen for their professionalism, performance record and because they were able to prove the availability of the funds required to run the Peugeot prototype at the 24 Hours.

We all remember that last year Pescarolo Sport was chosen to race the spare 908 at the 24 Hours, but that didn’t turn out very well. Pescarolo’s 908 HDi collided with a factory Peugeot in the pit lane. It was clearly Peugeot’s fault. Le Mans rules are very clear: a car cannot leave the pit as long as another car is running on the pit lane. Pescarolo’s Peugeot was already running when the factory Peugeot was instructed to leave and the two cars collided. Even though it was clearly their fault, Peugeot tried to blame it on Pescarolo. That didn’t work and apparently Peugeot haven’t gotten over it yet because this year Peugeot’s spare diesel prototype will go to Oreca instead.

How bad is this for Pescarolo? Hard to say. Pescarolo is now part of a powerful industrial group and the multiple La Mans winner has proven very resourceful in the past so I’m confident he’ll always find a way to tackle big factory teams. Go Pesca!

Sora Racing’s Pescarolo-Judd Wins First Asian Le Mans Series Race

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:56:27 +0000

Henri Pescarolo and the rest of the his Le Mans based team must have uncorked some nice bottles yesterday after the results of the first Asian Le Mans Series. That, of course, in order to celebrate the double victory the Pescarolo cars have scored at the Okayama circuit this weekend.

First, Sora Racing’s Pescarolo-Judd driven by Tinseau and Nakano won the overall and LMP1 category in front of Aston Martin Racing’s Lola Aston Martin and Team Oreca Matmut AIM. Then Oak Racing’s Pescarolo-Mazda won the LMP2 category. This is great news for the Le Mans based indie team and should help them to attract more sponsors for the next season. Even though it was Sora and not Pescarolo Sport itself who raced at Okayama, it is obvious the later has put a lot of resources in this project: Sora’s Pescarolo-Judd was no. 17, which is traditionally a Pescarolo number at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and C. Tinseau who drove Sora’s prototype to victory is a regular Pescarolo driver.

The GT1 category went to team JLoc of Japan and GT2 to Hankook Team Farnbacher of Germany.

As per A. C. O. regulations, the winner of each category will be awarded an automatic invite to the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2010.

Asian Le Mans Series goes to Okayama

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:30:07 +0000

Many teams have already signed up for the Asian Le Mans Series race, an event that will take place on October 31^st at the Okayama track in Japan. Some important names have put their names on the list, one of them being Aston Martin Racing. Indeed, the British team is sending over a Lola Aston Martin prototype to compete in its class against a couple of Kolles’ Audi R10s and Team Oreca Matmut’s Oreca AIM.

A couple of French teams – Oak Racing and Ibanez Racing – are competing in LMP2 while GT1 should provide a nice race between Larbre Competition’s Saleen S7R, two of JLOC’s Lamborghini and a Aston Martin DBR9 raced by Japanese team HITOTSUYAMA TEAM NOVA.

The GT2 entry list contains a few cars we’re not used to see at Le Mans or in Le Mans racing series, such as a Ford GT MK7 of Robertson Racing, a BMW E92 M3 of Rahal Letterman Racing and an Aston Martin Vantage of Chinese Team Hong Kong Racing. Besides them we’ll see the usual Ferrari F430 GT and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR lineup.

Even though Pescarolo Sport have not announced their participation yet, the Team from Le Mans will have two cars running at Okayama: Sora Racing’s Pescarolo Judd in LMP1 and OAK Racing’s Pescarolo Mazda.

The stakes here are high, as the top performers in each category will likely see themselves awarded automatic invites to the 24 Heures du Mans 2010.

Team Oreca-Matmut AIM wins at Silverstone

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:11:23 +0000

Team Oreca-Matmut AIM has won the 1000 Km of Silverstone, in front of Aston Martin Racing and Pescarolo Sport. This race concludes this year’s Le Mans Series with Aston Martin winning the overall first place. LM-P2 team Oreca-Matmut snatches the second overall place thanks to their Silverstone victory while Pescarolo Sport, third overall, pay for their failed Nurburgring race.

Le Mans Series Finale at Silverstone

admin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:34:40 +0000

Le Mans Series is going to Silverstone this weekend for the last race in the 2009 season. Just like at Nürburgring, Aston Martin Racing will line up three LMP1 prototypes, two of it own plus the one of AMR Eastern Europe. The big fight will be between the Aston Marting 007 and the Pescarolo Sport no. 16 who are leading the series with 33 and 26 points each.

Silverstone Entry List

Aston Martin Racing wins at Nürburgring

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:58:35 +0000

Aston Martin Racing takes the LM-P1 and overall win at this year’s 1000 Km of Nürburgring, the 4th event in this year’s Le Mans Series championship. Pescarolo Sport’s Pescarolo Judd no. 16 driven at that moment by Jean-Christophe Boullion broke the gear box and had to retire permanently.

So, Aston Martin Racing secured the first two places followed by AMR Eastern Europe. In LM-P2 the first three places went to Quifel – ASM Team, Racing Box and Oak Racing, in this order. In GT1 Larbre Competition’s Saleen S7R prevailed over Luc Alphand’s Corvette C6.R while in GT2 the winner was Team Felbermayr Proton who raced a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, followed by Snoras Spyker Squadron and their Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2 – R and team FBR who raced a Ferrari F430 GT.

Nürburgring Entry List

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:13:53 +0000

The Le Mans Series championship will continue the weekend to come with the 1000 Km of Nürburgring. The race shows an interesting entry list with no less than three Lola Aston Martin prototypes being entered, two by Aston Martin Racing and one by AMR Eastern Europe. After being beaten by Pescarolo Sport in Algarve, it really seems Aston Martin is very keen to score some valuable points. The Pescarolo-Jud no 16, the only official Pescarolo car to race at this year at Nürburgring, is currently leading this year’s Le Mans Series with 26 points, followed by the Lola Aston Martin 007 with 22 points.

The GT1 category – which will disappear next year – will only see one of Luc Alphand’s Corvettes C6.R racing against one of Larbre Competition’s Saleen S7R

So the question everybody’s going to ask this weekend is: will the three Aston Martins manage to beat Pescarolo Sport, or is Henri’s extensive Le Mans and endurance racing experience going to pay again and lead his team to victory? Can’t wait to see.