The French team OAK Racing, usually entered in the European sportscar racing events including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Le Mans Series, are discovering Road Atlanta and the Petit Le Mans for the first time with their No. 35 LMP2 Pescarolo-Judd. An adventure into a whole new world.
François Sicard, Team Manager: “For the team it’s like being a fish out of water. We came here to learn and indeed we’ve got a lot to learn! Our drivers have acclimatised themselves well, especially on a track that has a lot of elevation changes, blind corners and little run-off area. You couldn’t make it much more difficult to learn. And the drivers have progressed quite a bit since their first lap of the track. They have been serious and have applied themselves.
There is only one negative point. The times don’t really reflect our performance. There is a real discrepancy. We are entered in the LMP2 category but we aren’t running under the same rules as the teams from the American Le Mans Series. We are following the ACO Le Mans rules, as we do in Europe, as we are participating in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Petit Le Mans is the second round of this series for us. The ACO rules are more restrictive, in terms of the engine restrictors, rear wings, autonomy and weight. As a result, this creates a bit of frustration for the team and of course for the drivers. But it’s a fantastic event and we are here to fight. The race will be long and we’ve already proven that we know how to deal with difficult situations, manage the drivers and that our car is reliable!”
Patrice Lafargue, driver:
“What’s great here is that it’s a festive event. The atmosphere is a lot like classic car races. The paddock is very accessible to the public. Everything here is done for the public and the show, and it works. It’s an idea that’s sometimes lost in Europe, apart from the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s very exciting for a driver, this public interest. At vendor village, we were stopped every two feet. People were giving us
encouragements during the autograph session and you can feel that the participation of a European team is much appreciated. You can feel that Americans love motor racing and it’s nice!”
Frédéric Da Rocha, driver :
“It is fntastic to be here, but there are a lot of big and small differences you have to get used to. There are no tyre warmers, you enter the pits in the case of a safety car period in a predetermined order – first the prototypes, then the GTs – and you can pass right at the drop of the green flag. In Europe, there are no GT3 or GTC classes. These cars are slower and we’ll have to be extra cautious. In the driver’s briefing, it was very clear! In case of an incident involving a prototype and a GT, both in the esses or the bridge corner, the ruling will systematically fall in favour of the GTs. We will have to be extremely patient.”
Jacques Nicolet, OAK Racing Team owner and driver:
“We were very well received by the organizers, the welcoming and knowledgeable fans, and the other competitors. For example, the Highcroft team came to offer help immediately. I think it’s a good illustration of the spirit of racing here. There is rivalry on the track but this doesn’t show in the paddock. The fact that teams aren’t enclosed in pit boxes must play a role. But it’s mostly a question of mentality! All this makes me want to come back, even if it will be difficult to run up front with the ILMC rules.”
Source : OAK Racing