OAK Racing is a Le Mans-based endurance racing team specialising in Sport-Prototypes that has competed in a number of prestigious international series, including the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and the Le Mans 24 Hours. After a number of successful years in the LMP2 class they made the step up to LMP1 in 2011 and capped the season with a third place overall finish at the 6 Hours of Silverstone. At the end of 2011, the team is 2nd in the ILMC ranking in LMP2 class.
The team has competed in the famed orange and blue colours of Gulf Oil during the 2011 campaign through their partnership with CAR OIL, Gulf Lubricants’ exclusive distributor for France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Powered by Judd engines, OAK Racing have acted as the development team for Dunlop since 2009 and compete on the company’s tyres in all competitions.
OAK Racing’s recent history has also seen them become involved in the manufacture of Sport-Prototypes with a design office created for this purpose in 2010. The team currently develops the OAK-Pescarolo LMP2 and as of 2011 will make the car available for sale to privateer outfits.
Since late 2006 OAK Racing has been owned by entrepreneur and racing driver Jacques Nicolet.
Contents |
Founded by Serge Saulnier in 1980, the team began life in the French Formula 3 championship as Promatecme before becoming Saulnier Racing in 2000 and entering the World Series by Nissan and its successor the World Series by Renault. In 2006 they switched their attention to Sport-Prototypes and the Le Mans Series, competing in the LMP1 category.
Nicolet assumed control of the team in late 2006, remaining in the LMS with a switch to the LMP2 class for the following season. In 2008 OAK Racing embarked on a more ambitious programme by fielding a pair of Pescarolo-Judds, with one in both LMP1 and LMP2. This was rewarded with a third place LMP2 class finish at the Le Mans 24 Hours where the team ran one of the youngest crews ever to contest the race, averaging 24-years-old, and also fielded the first Chinese driver ever to enter the event.
The team officially became OAK Racing in 2009, taking the name as a symbol of solidity, force and longevity, essential qualities for success in endurance racing. The name also makes a nod to nature and the increasing environmental awareness found in modern-day motorsport. A partnership with Mazda Automobiles France was formed at this time with OAK Racing entering two Pescarolo-Mazda LMP2s in the 2009 Le Mans Series and Le Mans 24 Hours as well as participating in the two Asian Le Mans Series events at Japan’s Okayama circuit. By the end of the season the team had achieved six podiums from eight races, including a top-three LMP2 finish at the Le Mans 24 Hours and a victory in the Asian Le Mans Series.
In 2010 the team fielded two LMP2-spec Judd-powered OAK-Pescarolos in both the Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 Hours whilst also entering the ACO’s new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Their efforts were rewarded with numerous titles and podium finishes, including a third consecutive top-three finish at the 24 Hours in LMP2 (taking second and fourth place), four podiums from five LMS events, the ILMC LMP2 class title and the Michelin Green X Challenge trophy in the LMS and ILMC.
For the 2011 season the team entered two OAK-Pescarolo LMP1 prototypes and one OAK-Pescarolo LMP2 in the ILMC, as well as an additional LMP2 for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
OAK Racing has recently assumed constructor status, taking over the manufacturing department of Pescarolo Sport in late 2009. The subsequent season saw the team clinch the LMS LMP2 title and create a design office to facilitate the development of its own prototypes. In September 2011 the OAK-Pescarolo LMP2 was launched and made available for sale to privateer teams ahead of the 2012 season.
On 15 October 2010, during the asset sale of Pescarolo Sport, OAK owner Nicolet and Prestige Racing’s Joël Rivière joined forces to purchase the lots, later presenting them to Henri Pescarolo and thus allowing him to revive his team.
| * Didier André (F3) | * Alain Filhol (LM,LMS) | * Jacques Nicolet (LM,LMS) |
| * Enrique Bernoldi (F3) | * Ryo Fukuda (F3,WSR) | * Simon Pagenaud (WSR) |
| * Bruno Besson (F3) | * Tristan Gommendy (F3,WSR) | * Olivier Pla (F3) |
| * Jenson Button (F3) | * Bruce Jouanny (F3,LM) | * Andy Priaulx (F3) |
| * Emmanuel Clérico (F3) | * Franck Lagorce (F3) | * Harold Primat (WSR,LMS) |
| * Marcel Fässler (LMS) | * Nicolas Minassian (F3) | * Christophe Tinseau (F3) |
| * Karim Aljani (LMS, LM) | * Alain Filhol (LM,LMS) | * Shinji Nakano (LM) |
| * Andrea Barlesi (ILMC) | * Richard Hein (LM, LMS, ILMC) | * Jacques Nicolet (LM, LMS, ILMC) |
| * Jan Charouz (LM) | * Bruce Jouanny (LM) | * Olivier Pla (ILMC) |
| * Cheng Cong Fu (LM) | * Patrice Lafargue (ILMC) | * Alexandre Prémat (LMS, ILMC) |
| * Frédéric Da Rocha (ILMC) | * Matthieu Lahaye (LM, LMS, ILMC) | * Pierre Ragues (LMS, LM, ILMC) |
| * Nicolas De Crem (LM) | * Guillaume Moreau (LM, LMS, ILMC) | * Jean-François Yvon (LM) |
| * Marc Faggionato (LM) | * Tiago Monteiro (LM) |
1992: French F3 champion with Franck Lagorce
1997: British Formula 3 Championship: 2nd (eight wins)
1998: British Formula 3 Championship: 2nd (six wins)
1999: British Formula 3 Championship: 3rd (three wins)
2001: French F3 champion with Ryo Fukuda
2004-2005: World Series by Renault
2006: Le Mans Series, 4th (two podiums)
2007: Le Mans Series, 4th in LMP2 (one podium) - Courage-AER LC75
2008: 24 Hours of Le Mans, 3rd in LMP2 and 12th in LMP1 - Pescarolo-Judd
2008: 5th in LMP2 (one podium) and 12th in LMP1 - Pescarolo-Judd
Le Mans 24 Hours: 3rd in LMP2 - Pescarolo-Mazda
Asian Le Mans Series: winner in LMP2 (two wins) - Pescarolo-Mazda
Le Mans Series: 6th (two podiums) and 7th (one podium) in LMP2 - Pescarolo-Mazda
Le Mans 24 Hours: 2nd and 4th in LMP2, 7th and 9th overall - Pescarolo-Judd
Le Mans Series: 3rd (one podium) and 4th (three podiums) in LMP2 - Pescarolo-Judd constructors’ title in LMP2
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup: winner in LMP2 (three podiums) - Pescarolo-Judd
Michelin Green X Challenge (Le Mans Series and ILMC): winner - Pescarolo-Judd
Le Mans 24 Hours: 5th in LMP2 - OAK-Pescarolo-Judd
6 Hours of Silverstone: 3rd and 5th overall - OAK-Pescarolo-Judd
6 Hours of Zhuhai: Michelin Green X Challenge for the #24 LMP1 - OAK-Pescarolo-Judd
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup: 5th in LMP1 class, 2nd in LMP2 class (team ranking) - OAK-Pescarolo-Judd