[07-10-2011]
NEW CAREER HIGHLIGHT FOR FRANCK MAILLEUX WITH ILMC CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
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[07-10-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES CONTINUES POSITIVE MOMENTUM FOR OAK RACING WITH ATLANTA POINTS
[Full Article]
[02-10-2011]
FFSA RALLY TEAM FRANCE – RALLYE DE FRANCE-ALSACE REVIEW - PIERRE CAMPANA REGISTERS DEBUT WRC POINTS
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[02-10-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES FIGHTS TO THE END TO CLAIM SOLID POINTS FINISH AT TOUGH PETIT LE MANS
[Full Article]
[02-10-2011]
FRANCK MAILLEUX AND SIGNATECH-NISSAN CLINCH ILMC TITLE WITH LMP2 PODIUM AFTER THRILLING PETIT LE MANS
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[02-10-2011]
PIERRE RAGUES FIGHTS TO THE END TO CLAIM SOLID POINTS FINISH AT TOUGH PETIT LE MANS
Pierre Ragues added more valuable championship points to OAK Racing’s 2011 tally at Road Atlanta yesterday as the Frenchman fought hard to secure the team a top six finish in the LMP1 class after a late technical problem dropped the #15 car down the field.
It was a very positive Petit Le Mans performance for Pierre and OAK Racing with the car showing its capability to fight at the front of LMP1 but a broken front left damper with just two hours remaining saw the team drop from fourth to eighth overall. Pierre’s team-mate Guillaume Moreau enjoyed a strong opening to the race, making the most of numerous safety car periods to move up into the top five as Pierre took over for his first race appearance at Petit Le Mans. The Frenchman comfortably retained the team’s position with a competitive performance that kept the #15 car in position as the fastest petrol car on track.
The scheduled driver handover to Matthieu Lahaye and then back again to Moreau went smoothly and the team was on course for its best result of the season with Pierre resuming for his second run in an excellent fourth place. It was then, however, that the damper problem arose forcing Pierre to pit. Some determined and professional work from the OAK Racing team enabled Pierre to get back out on track, although down in eighth place.
Never one to give up, Pierre set about clawing back some of the lost time and he was able sensationally to grab back seventh spot with just a handful of laps left of the race. In a race affected greatly by safety car periods and yellow flags with lots of traffic to navigate throughout the busy field, it was a second consecutive race finish for the OAK Racing #15 car and a more resilient performance even than at Silverstone, giving the team plenty of reason to be cheerful ahead of the final race of the season in China.
Pierre Ragues said:“I think we can be generally pleased with this result, even if it is frustrating that we could not maintain our fight for fourth place right to the end of the race. Everything felt quite good during my stints, the car was good to drive and I was pleased with my pace when we running in the top four. The race required a lot of concentration and focus, however, because of the number of incidents and amount of traffic, but it was fun. This was my first race at the circuit and I have to say that it is very enjoyable. Unfortunately, during my final stint, we had a problem with the front left damper that broke and meant I had to pit. The guys did a great job to get me back out quickly and minimise the disruption to our race. Resuming in eighth place, I was able to get back into a good rhythm quickly and set a good pace to claim back seventh just before the end of the race. It’s good to have a second consecutive points finish to our name and to help OAK Racing up to fifth in the LMP1 standings. We have to use this momentum well at China and look to end the season on a high. The OAK Racing team performed well this weekend and I have to say thanks also to Dunlop for their work on tyres here, as well as my personal sponsors Group Auto Union. We can leave here with a positive outlook for the next race.”
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