 [03-07-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES SHOWS COMPETITIVE PACE AT IMOLA BUT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS NEGATE OAK RACING’S CHALLENGE
[Full Article]
 [02-07-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX AND SIGNATECH NISSAN ON LMP2 PACE IN IMOLA AND AIM TO EXTEND ILMC LEAD
[Full Article]
 [02-07-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES CONFIDENT FOR IMOLA 6 HOURS AFTER OAK RACING TAKES PETROL-POWERED POLE IN QUALIFYING
[Full Article]
 [28-06-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX RETURNS TO ILMC ACTION WITH SIGNATECH-NISSAN AT IMOLA 6 HOURS
[Full Article]
 [28-06-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES AIMS TO GET SEASON BACK ON TRACK AT IMOLA 6 HOUR RACE
[Full Article]
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[28-06-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX RETURNS TO ILMC ACTION WITH SIGNATECH-NISSAN AT IMOLA 6 HOURS
 Franck Mailleux will be putting all his recent 24 Hour race experiences to good use as the Signatech-Nissan team embarks on round four of this season’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola this weekend.
Leading the ILMC LMP2 category after three rounds following their heroic second place result in class at the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours last month, Signatech-Nissan will be aiming for the podium once again, to cement their stronghold on the 2011 ILMC championship.
Franck has enjoyed a productive few weeks with a competitive performance alongside Lucas Ordonez and Soheil Ayari in Le Mans, which was followed with an equally impressive competitiveness at the Nürburgring last week, which Franck contested with Volkswagen Motorsport.
Imola is new to the ILMC championship and this weekend’s event will be the first time that most drivers have raced at the new-look circuit following its facelift and modernisation in 2007 under the supervision of famous track designer Hermann Tilke. The 4.909km track combines nine right and 13 left hand turns incorporating a mixture of fast, sweeping corners and slower sections, which provides a totally different challenge to what the ILMC teams have faced so far this year.
The track’s anti-clockwise direction adds an additional dimension to what should be a thrilling six-hour race with around 50 cars on the provisional entry list across the various LMP and GT classes and combining both ILMC and Le Mans Series cars.
The Signatech-Nissan team carried out a shakedown of their Dunlop-shod Oreca 03 at Lurcy-Levis in France on Tuesday before moving to Imola for the race weekend, which gets underway in earnest with two free practice sessions on Friday afternoon.
Franck Mailleux said: “I have had an unbelievably enjoyable few weeks with Le Mans and Nürburgring 24 Hour races, but I am excited to be going to Imola for the first time to contest round four of this year’s ILMC with Signatech-Nissan. We had a very competitive outing in Le Mans and were able to successfully negotiate a number of issues during the 24 hour race to claim a class podium, which was an amazing result for us. As a result of the double points from Le Mans, we find ourselves at the head of the LMP2 class in ILMC and we want to stay there. Imola will be a completely new challenge for us, but one which I am confident we will face with a competitive Signatech car, Nissan engine and Dunlop tyres. It is going to feel like a much more ‘normal’ race after the intense preparations required for the 24 hour races but it doesn’t mean we relax our approach. We are racing against ILMC and LMS cars this weekend, so we want to fight for our rightful place on the podium. As usual, I will have the backing of my personal sponsors Sojasun, whose support continues to be greatly appreciated.”
SIX HOURS OF IMOLA - SCHEDULE
Friday 1 July
12.15-13.45 Free Practice
16.30-18.00 Free Practice
Saturday 2 July
8.55-9.55 Free Practice
13.55-14.15 Qualifying
Sunday 3 July
9.00-9.20 Warm Up
12.00-18.00 Six Hours of Imola
For more information about Franck Mailleux, visit www.franckmailleux.com or www.quadrasport.com
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