OAK Targeting Mid-Season Debut for Ligier P2 Coupe

OAK P1 Car Pictured (Photo: DPPI)

OAK Racing’s new Ligier LMP2 coupe could debut in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship as early as this summer.

Speaking to Sportscar365, newly appointed team manager Philippe Dumas revealed that the all-new prototype, designed and built by OnRoak Automotive, could replace its open-top Morgan-Nissan following the car’s planned debut in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

“It’s an option to come after Le Mans with the Ligier,” Dumas told Sportscar365. “I can’t say that’s the plan [right now]. But the goal is to introduce the Ligier in P2 here [in America].”

The French squad has yet to confirm a full-season TUDOR United SportsCar Championship program but is at Daytona International Speedway for this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24, ahead of a planned assault on the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.

OAK’s newly re-signed driver Olivier Pla will be joined by Roman Rusinov, Martin Plowman and Gustavo Yacaman in the three-day test, which kicks off on Friday.

While all four drivers could take part in the season-opener, Yacaman is working to put a budget together for the entire season, with Pla likely to split his driving duties between the FIA WEC and TUDOR Championship.

“The goal is to do the whole championship,” Dumas said. “I can’t say with 100 percent [certainty] but we’re here right now [with the intention] of being here for the full championship.

“The only problem in the end is the budget. Roman is quite interested to do Daytona with us. Maybe the four drivers we have right now would be the drivers for the 24. That would be good.”

Dumas said that Rusinov is in talks with the team for a potential WEC LMP2 program. The Russian competed with Delta-ADR last year, which saw him claim four class wins in the last five races in the G-Drive-backed effort.

OAK could run up to two Morgan-Nissans in the WEC this year, in what’s a reversal of the team’s original plans of not competing directly against its customers.

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