Pegasus Morgan-Nissan Completes Shakedown

Photo: Romane Didier

Pegasus Racing’s new Morgan-Nissan completed its first laps this week at Magny-Cours in preparation for the European Le Mans Series season.

The French squad announced last month that it will compete in the five-round championship, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, entry pending, with the OnRoak Automotive-developed prototype.

Team owner/driver Julien Schell took to the wheel of the LMP2 contender, already painted in the team’s traditional blue livery, and was pleased with the early progress made.

“I found the car very easy to drive and I immediately had a great feeling of confidence,” Schell said. “It builds trust. The Nissan engine has excellent torque and a beautiful sound.

“It’s really a pleasure driving this car. Of course, we’ll work on a few of the details, like the driving position, but the setup is already nice.”

Schell and Speed EuroSeries champion Niki Leutwiler are the confirmed drivers thus far, with the team still searching for a third pilot.

The Pegasus entry is the second Morgan LMP2 confirmed for the ELMS season, joining Morand Racing, which contested the championship last year.

“The folks at OnRoak Automotive have been very enthusiastic from the beginning of our relationship,” Schell added. “They are very professional and have met our dynamic and responsive wishes.

“They tried to give us the best possible package in a short period of time. Proof of that was with how smoothly the first run went, with the help of their team of engineers and mechanics.

“We enjoyed these perfect conditions to discover the car.”

The team plans to conduct additional testing prior to the official ELMS test at Paul Ricard in April.

The fate of their Le Mans entry request, meanwhile, will be known on Feb. 13 when the list of 56 entries is unveiled by the ACO.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John