Pescarolo 01
Encyclopedia
The Pescarolo 01 is the first sports prototype
racing car built entirely by French
team Pescarolo Sport
. It is designed to meet the LMP1 and LMP2 regulations for Le Mans Prototype
s in the Le Mans Series
as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, and replace Pescarolo's previous C60 chassis which had been heavily modified from cars purchased through Courage Compétition
. The first 01s debuted at the 2007 1000 km of Monza
, and are still used by several teams today.
(ACO). These regulations required extensive changes to the layout of a chassis, leaving many teams to purchase or build new cars as their current cars would be ineligible in 2007. Pescarolo Sport at the time was campaigning two Pescarolo C60s, cars which Pescarolo Sport had extensively modified from their origins as Courage C60s a few years prior. The C60s however did not meet the 2007 regulations, and team owner Henri Pescarolo
chose to become a full constructor for the first time. Many features from the C60 were carried over in the design of the 01.
Unlike the C60, the 01 was intended to be not only used by the Pescarolo Sport team, but also to be sold to customers. In order to broaden their customer base, the 01 was designed to meet the regulations of both the LMP1 and LMP2 classes with minor variation required.
alongside the two Pescarolo Sport cars. The German Kruse Motorsports team were the first to purchase an LMP2-spec car, using the smaller Judd V8 as a powerplant. Lister Cars also announced their intentions to purchase a chassis, which they would later modify, to replace their ineligible Storm LMP.
At the Pescarolo 01's debut in the Le Mans Series opener, the #16 car of Pescarolo Sport managed to finish in second place, between the two factory Peugeot
diesels, while the #17 car finished fourth. The Rollcentre and Kruse cars also finished the event in points-earning positions. Pescarolo's #16 car earned two further second place finishes over the six race season, and was able to secure second place in the LMP1 Teams Championship. Pescarolo's #17 car struggled to earn points and finished seventh in points, but the Rollcentre team were able to outperform the one factory Pescarolo and finish fourth in the championship. Kruse's season was cut short as a fire onboard the team's transporter destroyed their car.
At the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans
, Pescarolo Sport was returning as the previous year's runner-up. All four 01s from the Le Mans Series were entered, and three of them were able to successfully reach the finish. The #16 Pescarolo of Emmanuel Collard
, Jean-Christophe Boullion
, and Romain Dumas
was classified third, eleven laps behind the winning Audi
, while Rollcentre Racing's car was a further eleven laps behind in fourth place. Pescarolo's #17 car finished well back in 13th, while Kruse's car suffered mechanical problems and retired in the first half of the event.
In the LMP1 category, the four teams faced stiffer competition from not only the returning Peugeots, but also newcomers Audi. Pescarolo Sport finished on the podium twice in five races, once each for the #16 and #17 cars. It was the #16 car which once again led amongst Pescarolos in the Teams Championship, finishing in sixth place, while every other Pescarolo team managed to earn at least a point during the year. In LMP2, the Saulnier car using the latest V8 from Judd had a best finish of second in class at the 1000 km of Nürburgring
and successfully finished the year fourth in the Teams Championship, the best non-Porsche in the field.
As in the previous year, the entire contingent of 01s competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
, and once again nearly all were able to finish. #17 led the 01 field home in seventh place, the best finisher using petrol
fuel. Rollcentre's race ended in eleventh place, while the LMP1 Saulnier entry survived for 26th. In LMP2, the Saulnier 01 was third in its class, 21 laps behind the winning Porsche, and ranked eighteenth in the overall standings. Only the #16 Pescarolo, which had earned a podium the previous year, was unable to complete the full race.
with only one car beig #16. Their #17 car will be a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. It will also be racing in LMP2 by OAK Racing with two Mazda MZR-R
-powered prototypes. Pescarolo Sport and OAK Racing, partnered with Mazda
France are currently competing in the Le Mans Series season
, each with two Evo chassis'. Pescarolo Sport are currently leading in the LMP1 class, finishing second in the opening two races and OAK Racing are currently fifth in LMP2.
at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans
. OAK Racing will race their own modified version of the 01 with two LMP1 cars and two LMP2 cars. The No. 35 OAK Pescarolo 01 finished third in the LMP2 class at the 2011 12 Hours of Sebring
, the other two cars OAK Racing brought along (which were LMP1 cars) both retired, one of which led the race overall for a brief period after a full course caution. Pescarolo Team competed at the 6 Hours of Castellet
with one car. Pescarolo's return was a dream comeback as they won overall. The grandfathered V10-powered car finished one lap ahead of second place car with Emmanuel Collard, Christophe Tinseau and Julien Jousse
piloting the car.
Sports prototype
A sports prototype, also referred to as simply a prototype, is a form of racing car that is used as a top category in sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars differ from street-legal and production-based racing cars that also compete in sports car racing.Prototype racing cars have...
racing car built entirely by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
team Pescarolo Sport
Pescarolo Sport
Pescarolo Sport is a motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo. They race in the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In October 2007, Henri Pescarolo purchased Jacques Nicolet's Saulnier Racing and created Pescarolo Automobiles,...
. It is designed to meet the LMP1 and LMP2 regulations for Le Mans Prototype
Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype is a type of sports prototype race car most notably used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series and Le Mans Series...
s in the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, and replace Pescarolo's previous C60 chassis which had been heavily modified from cars purchased through Courage Compétition
Courage Compétition
Courage Compétition was a racing team and chassis constructor company now owned by Oreca, based in Le Mans, France near the Circuit de la Sarthe. It was founded by Yves Courage, a French race driver who ran hillclimbs before founding the company...
. The first 01s debuted at the 2007 1000 km of Monza
2007 1000km of Monza
The 2007 1000 km of Monza was the opening round of the 2007 Le Mans Series season. It took place on April 15, 2007, at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy.-Official results:Class winners in bold...
, and are still used by several teams today.
Development
At the end of 2006, new regulations came into effect for the various series supposed by the Automobile Club de l'OuestAutomobile Club de l'Ouest
The Automobile Club de l'Ouest , sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race...
(ACO). These regulations required extensive changes to the layout of a chassis, leaving many teams to purchase or build new cars as their current cars would be ineligible in 2007. Pescarolo Sport at the time was campaigning two Pescarolo C60s, cars which Pescarolo Sport had extensively modified from their origins as Courage C60s a few years prior. The C60s however did not meet the 2007 regulations, and team owner Henri Pescarolo
Henri Pescarolo
Henri Pescarolo is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 64 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 22 September 1968. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of 12 championship points...
chose to become a full constructor for the first time. Many features from the C60 were carried over in the design of the 01.
Unlike the C60, the 01 was intended to be not only used by the Pescarolo Sport team, but also to be sold to customers. In order to broaden their customer base, the 01 was designed to meet the regulations of both the LMP1 and LMP2 classes with minor variation required.
2007
As the first 01s were being completed, several teams announced their intent to purchase the chassis. Rollcentre Racing chose to reenter the LMP1 category and campaign an 01-JuddJudd (engine)
Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...
alongside the two Pescarolo Sport cars. The German Kruse Motorsports team were the first to purchase an LMP2-spec car, using the smaller Judd V8 as a powerplant. Lister Cars also announced their intentions to purchase a chassis, which they would later modify, to replace their ineligible Storm LMP.
At the Pescarolo 01's debut in the Le Mans Series opener, the #16 car of Pescarolo Sport managed to finish in second place, between the two factory Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
diesels, while the #17 car finished fourth. The Rollcentre and Kruse cars also finished the event in points-earning positions. Pescarolo's #16 car earned two further second place finishes over the six race season, and was able to secure second place in the LMP1 Teams Championship. Pescarolo's #17 car struggled to earn points and finished seventh in points, but the Rollcentre team were able to outperform the one factory Pescarolo and finish fourth in the championship. Kruse's season was cut short as a fire onboard the team's transporter destroyed their car.
At the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans
2007 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 75th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France from 16–17 June 2007. Four classes of cars raced together, with each class having honors for its highest finishers...
, Pescarolo Sport was returning as the previous year's runner-up. All four 01s from the Le Mans Series were entered, and three of them were able to successfully reach the finish. The #16 Pescarolo of Emmanuel Collard
Emmanuel Collard
Emmanuel Collard is a French racing driver. He is a member of the Porsche Junioren factory team, but drives also for other marques....
, Jean-Christophe Boullion
Jean-Christophe Boullion
Jean-Christophe "Jules" Boullion is a former Formula One driver who raced for the Sauber team....
, and Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas is a French racing driver.Dumas started karting in 1992, in 1996 he competed in the French Formula Renault Championship. In 1998, he joined the French Formula 3 Championship....
was classified third, eleven laps behind the winning Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, while Rollcentre Racing's car was a further eleven laps behind in fourth place. Pescarolo's #17 car finished well back in 13th, while Kruse's car suffered mechanical problems and retired in the first half of the event.
2008
For the 2008 season, five Pescarolo 01s would once again be entered in the Le Mans Series. Pescarolo Sport and Rollcentre Racing remained as they had the year before, but two more 01s were entered by the French Saulnier Racing. The team, which had been purchased by Pescarolo Sport at the end of 2007, entered an 01 each in the LMP1 and LMP2 classes.In the LMP1 category, the four teams faced stiffer competition from not only the returning Peugeots, but also newcomers Audi. Pescarolo Sport finished on the podium twice in five races, once each for the #16 and #17 cars. It was the #16 car which once again led amongst Pescarolos in the Teams Championship, finishing in sixth place, while every other Pescarolo team managed to earn at least a point during the year. In LMP2, the Saulnier car using the latest V8 from Judd had a best finish of second in class at the 1000 km of Nürburgring
2008 1000km of Nürburgring
The 2008 1000 km of Nürburgring was the fourth round of the 2008 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Nürburgring, Germany, on August 17, 2008.-Race results:Class winners in bold...
and successfully finished the year fourth in the Teams Championship, the best non-Porsche in the field.
As in the previous year, the entire contingent of 01s competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance, taking place on 14–15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The test day was on June 1. The race was attended by 258,000 spectators...
, and once again nearly all were able to finish. #17 led the 01 field home in seventh place, the best finisher using petrol
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
fuel. Rollcentre's race ended in eleventh place, while the LMP1 Saulnier entry survived for 26th. In LMP2, the Saulnier 01 was third in its class, 21 laps behind the winning Porsche, and ranked eighteenth in the overall standings. Only the #16 Pescarolo, which had earned a podium the previous year, was unable to complete the full race.
2009
In 2009, Pescarolo Sport will be competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans2009 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 77th Grand Prix of Endurance, an endurance auto race run over 24 hours. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and was organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest over June 13–14, 2009 and was started by Fiat and Ferrari chairman Luca...
with only one car beig #16. Their #17 car will be a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. It will also be racing in LMP2 by OAK Racing with two Mazda MZR-R
Mazda MZR engine
MZR is the brand name of a generation of Straight-4 engines engineered and built by the Mazda Motor Corporation between 2001 and 2011. The MZR generation includes gasoline and diesel powered engines ranging in displacements from 1.3L to 2.5L. All gasoline-powered MZRs feature an all-aluminum block...
-powered prototypes. Pescarolo Sport and OAK Racing, partnered with Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
France are currently competing in the Le Mans Series season
2009 Le Mans Series season
The 2009 Le Mans Series season was the sixth season of Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. It was contested over five events between 5 April and 13 September 2009....
, each with two Evo chassis'. Pescarolo Sport are currently leading in the LMP1 class, finishing second in the opening two races and OAK Racing are currently fifth in LMP2.
2011
2011 saw the return of Pescarolo Team after their financial difficulties in 2010. Pescarolo Team will be racing in the LMP1 class in the 2011 Le Mans Series season2011 Le Mans Series season
The 2011 Le Mans Series season was the eighth season of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. The series began on 3 April with the 6 Hours of Castellet and ended after five rounds on 25 September. It is a series for Le Mans Prototype and Grand Touring style cars broken into 4 classes...
at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans
2011 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 79th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 11–12 June 2011 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest...
. OAK Racing will race their own modified version of the 01 with two LMP1 cars and two LMP2 cars. The No. 35 OAK Pescarolo 01 finished third in the LMP2 class at the 2011 12 Hours of Sebring
2011 12 Hours of Sebring
The 59th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida was held at Sebring International Raceway on March 19, 2011. It was the opening round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series season and the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.-Qualifying Result:...
, the other two cars OAK Racing brought along (which were LMP1 cars) both retired, one of which led the race overall for a brief period after a full course caution. Pescarolo Team competed at the 6 Hours of Castellet
2011 6 Hours of Castellet
The 2011 6 Hours of Castellet was the opening round of the 2011 Le Mans Series season. It will take place at Circuit Paul Ricard on April 3, 2011...
with one car. Pescarolo's return was a dream comeback as they won overall. The grandfathered V10-powered car finished one lap ahead of second place car with Emmanuel Collard, Christophe Tinseau and Julien Jousse
Julien Jousse
Julien Jousse is a professional racing driver from France.-Formula Ford:After spending time in karting between 1997 and 2001, Jousse began has circuit racing career in 2002 in the Formula Ford Kent series. In the three races he contested he took three podium finishes, including one race win...
piloting the car.