 [09-04-2008]
Mortara geared up for season start at Hockenheim
[Full Article]
 [08-04-2008]
RAGUES ENJOYS COMPETITIVE SEASON-OPENER AT BARCELONA
[Full Article]
 [07-04-2008]
Mortara sets promising pace in Magny-Cours test
[Full Article]
 [03-04-2008]
RAGUES KICKS OFF 2008 CAMPAIGN
[Full Article]
 [25-03-2008]
Pierre Ragues gets to grips with new LMP2 Pescarolo at Magny-Cours
[Full Article]
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[03-04-2008]
RAGUES KICKS OFF 2008 CAMPAIGN
 Frenchman Pierre Ragues kicks off his campaign in the Le Mans Series this weekend at Barcelona, where he will drive Pescarolo’s new LMP2 car.
The brand new car has recently undergone its first tests, showing a lot of potential at the latest session in Magny-Cours. However, the 1000-kilometre Barcelona race – round one of the LMS Series this weekend – will be its toughest challenge to date, as Pierre takes on some of the brightest young talents in sportscar racing. Pierre will drive the car throughout the six-race LMS season this year, plus the famous Le Mans 24 Hours itself in June.
His team mate will be Matthieu Lahaye, another promising young Frenchman, in line with the Pescarolo team’s established philosophy of actively promoting the best up-and-coming drivers in the series. They will be joined by a third French driver for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Having spent last year in single-seaters with the inaugural Formula Master Championship, proving himself capable of scoring podiums, Pierre is relishing the chance to get back behind the wheel of a fully-fledged sportscar. The brand-new car – built by the company headed up by Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo – incorporates cutting-edge technology, and it is uncompromisingly aimed at victory in the LMP2 class.
“The car is fantastic, but this will also be only its very first race,” said Pierre. “Everything is still very new. If we can stay out of trouble then I expect us to have a strong race, but there are many unknown factors as well. We will be pushing hard of course – but endurance racing is equally about using your head and not only your right foot. The test was extremely positive; now we move onto the even bigger challenge of racing.”
The Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona is well-known as the home of the Spanish Grand Prix, and it is also a popular test venue because of its strategic location and temperate weather. Nonetheless, a 1000-kilometre race has to be approached in a different way to a sprint event – as Pierre explains. “It’s all about finding the right compromise between speed and reliability,” he said. “Unlike single-seater racing, an endurance race is much more of a team sport as you share the car. There’s no room to be selfish at all as you are not just racing for yourself.”
The Le Mans series, inspired by the La Sarthe endurance classic, has seen entry lists grow year after year, with factory participations from prestigious manufacturers such as Audi, Peugeot and Porsche.
The Barcelona race gets underway at 11:30 on Sunday, and is expected to last for around six hours. Pierre’s Pescarolo-Judd will have to face a top quality field of contenders, with star sportscar drivers such as Jos Verstappen, John Nielsen and Michael Vergers taking the start in Spain.
Amongst the cars Pescarolo will have to beat are the new LMP2 Porsche RS Spyders, which have enjoyed a great deal of success in America – winning the prestigious Sebring 12 Hours overall earlier this year.
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