 [20-03-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX TAKES LMP2 PODIUM AFTER HARD-FOUGHT COMEBACK AT SEBRING
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 [20-03-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES ENDURES LATE DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER COMPETITIVE SEBRING
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 [20-03-2011]
ELLIP6 JUNIOR TEAM MAKE SOLID DEBUT AT LE TOUQUET RALLY
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 [16-03-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX DOMINATES LMP2 TESTING AT SEBRING
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 [16-03-2011]
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[20-03-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES ENDURES LATE DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER COMPETITIVE SEBRING
 Pierre Ragues and the OAK Racing LMP1 team endured late disappointment in the 12 Hours of Sebring after a fuel tank problem forced them to retire from a competitive fourth place just three hours from the end.
Pierre had enjoyed consistent race pace and battled for the leading LMP1 positions with his team-mates, carrying out a competitive double stint after two hours of the race. Pierre’s performance had helped OAK Racing consolidate fourth place in the overall standings, but the fuel tank problem took them out of the race quite unexpectedly. It was even more frustrating given their difficult start to the opening weekend of the 2011 ILMC calendar.
Preparations for Pierre’s debut at Sebring were certainly not as smooth as hoped with the team experiencing recurring issues with the alternator during the practice sessions which limited running on the opening day.
Nonetheless, the team began to accumulate laps in the night-time practice session with 23 laps completed across the team’s driver line-up of Pierre, Matthieu Lahaye and Guillaume Moreau. Pierre was able to set a best time of 1m54.12, all the time still finding improvements in his own driving around the demanding Sebring track. The team ended the session ninth overall in a competitive LMP1 field.
The final practice session allowed the team to finalise its race and qualifying preparations with Guillaume Moreau on qualifying duty for this race. His best time (1:51.781) was set right at the end of the session and put the team ninth on the grid with Matthieu Lahaye set to start.
The team had a great start with Lahaye vaulting from ninth place to sixth during his stints, reporting no problems from the OAK-Pescarolo car. Pierre took over around two hours into the race and continued the positive momentum with a strong double stint before handing over to Moreau. The fuel tank problem occurred with Lahaye at the wheel and the problem proved irreparable and suitably severe that there was no option but to retire from an almost certain fourth place.
Nonetheless, OAK Racing and Pierre have plenty of positives to take away from their first ILMC weekend together, especially in terms of the race pace that they displayed against a competitive field at a circuit that was new to Pierre.
Pierre Ragues said: “It was a really disappointing end to my first ever 12 Hours of Sebring after a race that had seemed to be going very smoothly. Guillaume had done a good job to qualify ninth after the various problems that we had encountered with the alternator in practice. Matthieu then had a good start to the race and made full use of his opportunities to take sixth place. I took over for my double stint from sixth place and the car felt good to drive. The second stint was better than the first but we were able to keep in the action. We were up to fourth when the fuel tank problem brought Matthieu in and forced us to retire from the race. We deserved more luck, I think, but I was really pleased with the speed, consistency and feeling from the car, which gives us a lot to look forward to with Le Mans Official Test next month and the next round of ILMC at Spa in May. I’d like to thank all members of the OAK Racing team for their efforts during a difficult weekend and also to Dunlop and my personal partners Group Auto.”
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