First runs for CD Sport’s Ligier JS P217, entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
CD Sport is getting ready to live their first 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. The team has chosen their trio to drive the #27 Ligier JS P217, Dane, Michael Jensen and two Frenchmen, Steven Palette and Christophe Cresp, in what is a key moment in the team's history. CD Sport shookdown their new car for the first time on the Monza circuit in April.
CD Sport entered for the Michelin Le Mans Cup with a Ligier JS P320 and the French FFSA GT Championship is preparing to live an extraordinary moment in their history. The team was founded in 1995 by former French Formula Renault and Formula 3B champion, Claude Degrémont, who will be at the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time this coming June. The French squad based near Périgueux won their invitation by clinching the Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 title in February with their Ligier JS P320. They have entered the #27 Ligier JS P217 driven by Dane, Michael Jensen and Frenchmen, Christophe Cresp and Steven Palette, for the LMP2 Pro-Am category.
First shakedown at Monza for CD Sport's Ligier JS P217
The team and drivers will discover the Le Mans Classic together as well as the LMP2 category. They all met up on the Monza circuit in April for their first shakedown to be fully prepared for this great adventure.
“I felt great emotion when I saw our Ligier leave for its first run, a symbol of our debut in LMP2,” said team owner Claude Degremont. CD Sport worked late yesterday to install everything and mould the seats for the drivers. “For us, this is a kind of culmination. We are not yet in the Le Mans paddock but this first contact with the car already represents something big. We picked up the selection for Le Mans 7,000 kilometers from our base and now everyone is going to live a dream. We have already taken part four times in Road to Le Mans, which takes place as a curtain raiser to the 24 Hours, but this year the race will not last 55 minutes. It will certainly be a highlight for Vivien Fouquet, our data/systems engineer and assistant team manager, who is from Loué, in Sarthe. I would also like to involve all CD Sport staff in this new adventure to experience this incredible week together.”
Jean-Noël Le Gall who will be the team manager at the 24 Hours of Le Mans added: “I know the Ligier well. Its reliability is a major plus in the context of CD Sport's first outing in the race. Our aim is to cross the finishing line and we'll do everything in our power to achieve it. Today, the objective is to run the car in its Le Mans setup. So we've drawn up a test plan that prioritises fast circuits. This means that the team's drivers can prepare and progress with the aero kit for the 24 Hours, which provides less downforce to increase straight-line speed. Our first day at Monza was a productive one, but of course, we still have a lot of work to do between now and June.”
Laurent Cazenave, assistant team manager, is also delighted to see CD Sport at Le Mans: “We had a lot of enquiries when it came to selecting our driver lineup. But we wanted to put together this project with the drivers who put their trust in us for the Asian Le Mans Series. There were six of them and we could only keep three for Le Mans so our thoughts go to the other three. For Christophe, Michael and Steven, it's the fulfillment of a lifetime's dream. Our car is the only Ligier entered which means we'll stand out and we'll be well looked after by the constructor. Ligier Automotive is going to support us in this adventure. For any team involved in motor racing, Le Mans is the pinnacle and the Holy Grail! Among all the races that enjoy worldwide renown it's the only one that a private team like ours can access... It'll be a premier for Claude and myself and even if we're not on the operational side we'll let the experts do their job. We can count on Jean-Noël to run the whole show. We're going to keep our eyes wide open to live our dream together!”
More test sessions are scheduled at Motorland Aragon in May, with in particular, nighttime testing on the programme.
To find out more about CD Sport, CLICK HERE.
To know more about the Ligier JS P217, CLICK HERE.
Photo credit: CD Sport