OAK Racing, and its newly-named constructor department Onroak Automotive, have unveiled a new LMP2 chassis designed for privateer teams in the World Endurance Challenge, American Le Mans Series, and European Le Mans Series.
The new chassis will be available in North America through OAK’s new partner, Conquest Endurance, and offshoot of IndyCar team Conquest Racing.
“The 2012 OAK-Pescarolo LMP2 and the creation of Onroak Automotive are the results of our large-scale interest in the class, demonstrated as early as 2008 with the creation of the initial LMP2 using the LMP1 Pescarolo chassis,” said OAK Racing’s Jacques Nicolet on the team OAK racing website.
“The 2012-spec car benefits from the experience we have acquired since, both as a constructor and a racing team. We believe we have achieved the best balance in terms of performance, integration of the new safety regulations and respect for the low-cost spirit requested by the ACO.”
The new chassis conforms to all 2012 ACO and FIA regulations (Automobile Club de l‘Ouest and Federation Internationale de l’Automobile—the two major international sanctioning bodies) for the cost-capped LMP2 class. The new design will accept a variety of popular P2 racing engines: Judd, Nissan, HPD and Roush-Ford engines can all be accommodated.
The new car was designed with input from OAK’s racing team. The 2011 version was exceptionally reliable, finishing every race it entered, earning third in its first race at Sebring, second at Petit Le Mans, and second in class in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup series.
Onroak Automotive will provide owners complete technical support at the racetrack.
Conquest Endurance: Sole U.S. Distributor
The LMP1 class has been dominated by big-budget factory teams: Peugeot and Audi, and soon Toyota and in 2014 Porsche have made P1 the playground for the best-funded, most advanced endurance racing cars on the plant. Private teams race for “Best of the rest,” with no hope of overall wins, or even podiums unless all the factory cars break.
This has led to an increased interest in the cost-capped P2 class, where smaller teams can still compete for class wins. Seeing this, OAK Racing has teamed up with former racer Eric Bachelart’s Conquest Racing to import and distribute OAK-Pescarolos in North America.
With Level 5 returning with a pair of cars and Black Swan racing entering the class, P2 is looking more and more like the best racing for the money in the ALMS or any ACO-sanctioned series.
Conquest Racing’s newly formed Conquest Endurance division will also campaign one of the new chassis in the American Le Mans Series in 2012.
“We are delighted to have formed a partnership between Conquest Endurance, OAK Racing and Onroak Automotive,” said Bachelart in a press release.
“The OAK-Pescarolos have proven their worth in Europe and now we cannot wait to demonstrate their performance and reliability in America. We are convinced that this will be the chassis of choice in ALMS during 2012 and beyond.”
The new car will debut at the ALMS Winter Test on Feb. 8–9.
