Orhès Racing wins the final round of the Ligier JS Cup France and ZOSH Compétition clinches the championship title!
A look-back at the seventh and last round of the Ligier JS Cup France on 18-19 October on the Nogaro circuit, which comprised two four-hour races. Orhès Racing put on a dominant performance with victory and third place on Friday with its #18 and #21 Ligier JS2 Rs and a second win on Saturday with the drivers in #21. Thanks to two pole positions and seven podiums including three victories, ZOSH Compétition won the championship title and filled the runner-up spot in the Ligier JS Cup France with its #72 and #10 Ligier JS2 Rs.
There was an innovation for the last two races of the season: all the Ligier JS2 Rs ran on slick tyres provided by Hankook, the new official tyre supplier for the series.
Race 1: Double podium for Orhès Racing
On Friday, the start of the four-hour race was given at 14:00. On pole position was #48 run by MT Racing driven by Yves Bandi and Steven Palette. It was the team's fourth pole position of the season! Alongside it on the front row was the #21 Orhès Racing entry shared by Nicolas Prost, Sacha Prost and Olivier Pernaut for this event.
It was an action-packed four hours with several safety car interventions. With 15 minutes to go to the chequered flag the safety car was deployed again followed by a red flag that brought the race to a premature end.
#18 entered by Orhès Racing for a 100% gentlemen driver lineup comprising Frank Dallavalle, Serge Gallic and Guillaume Breard finished first after starting in 14th place!
“Right from the start my team-mates and I drove very good stints enabling us to break into the top 10,” commented Guillaume. “Taking advantage of the safety car interventions and a very good strategy concocted by our engineer, we found ourselves in the top 3. A gamble just before half distance gave us the 50-second lead we needed to assure the final stint and the potential victory. When the last safety car was deployed and the cars bunched up I knew that the drivers behind me in #72 and #21 were faster so I had to fight. I managed to stay in front for a lap and a half and then the red flag was waved when I was third. The rule of the classification being that of the previous lap gave us back a well-deserved victory – a victory for the whole team!”
The #72 ZOSH Compétition - Dirob Ligier JS2 R leading the championship with Arnold and Maxime Robin at the wheel started in 10th place and finished the race on the second step of the podium. “We had to score the best possible result to stay in the title chase,” said Arnold. “It was our first race on slicks and we didn't have much feedback, but it all turned out okay. In the last twenty minutes after a safety car intervention we were in the running for victory. And finally we came second after a crazy end to the race!” Maxime who was in the car for the last stint added: “The end of the race was pretty stressful. Nicolas Prost was catching me hand over fist.”
The #21 Ligier JS2 R entered by Orhès Racing for Nicolas Prost, Sacha Prost and Olivier Pernaut finished just behind. “We were really in the thick of the battle for victory,” exclaimed Nicolas. “We just needed one more lap. The red flag cost us the win.”
#22 run by MT Racing and #154 by Cogemo completed the top 5.
Race 2: Orhès Racing on the first step of the podium again!
The second four-hour race kicked off on Saturday morning at 09:00. The drivers lined up in the finishing order of the previous day's event with the #18 Orhès Racing Ligier JS2 R and #72 run by ZOSH Compétition – Dirob on the front row.
This time the #21 Orhès Racing Ligier JS2 R finished first. “We learned our lessons from the first race,” explained Nicolas Prost. “It was a real endurance event in which you had to manage strategy and tyre degradation. I'm really happy to have won this race with my brother and Olivier. It was great fun. Let's do it again!” For Sacha it was also his first in the Ligier JS Cup France. “I really enjoyed myself behind the wheel and I got into the groove as the laps unfolded. I'm really conquered by the Ligier JS2 R and the format of these races. I'll be only too happy to come back again next year to gain more experience.”
“I'm absolutely delighted with the end of the season, which has rewarded the work of the mechanics all year,” concluded Olivier, the Team Manager of Orhès Racing and driver for the final round of the season. “This double victory shows that we know how to run fast cars! One with a 100% Am driver lineup on Friday and the other with a Pro-Am team on Saturday. With the arrival of slick tyres the Ligier JS2 R is even better to drive. I'm happy that Pro and Am drivers can have so much fun behind the wheel. It all points to a fantastic 2020 season!”
Into second came #42 run by MT Racing and driven by Grégory Servais and Dominique Lecru. “What a race”, exclaimed Grégory! “We knew that all we had to do was to finish the race without problems to end up on the championship podium. We had a mechanical issue that the team solved and which didn't stop us from finishing in a great second place. I had Grégory Guilvert glued to my bumper for the last four laps, and it wasn't easy I can tell you! What a reward for all the mechanics and my team-mate, Dominique.”
Into third came #28 entered by Defi Performance for Frank Dezoteux and Grégory Guilvert. It was Frank's first top-3 finish since he began racing four years ago in the Fun Cup. “I was frustrated with race 1 where we were harpooned with one hour and thirty minutes to go to the flag while we were sixth and fighting for the podium. We started in seventeenth place on Saturday. So I'm over the moon with this podium we clinched thanks to the huge amount of work done by the team who burned the midnight oil to repair the car and for my two friends Grégory at the wheel and François Grémy who manages the team!”
Grégory confirmed: “Our aim this weekend was to gather experience for next season and find the best possible setup with the new tyres. Mission accomplished! We had very good race pace and great fun. We're hoping to be fighting at the front from the start of next year!”
#72 entered by ZOSH Compétition - Dirob and Milo Racing's #280 saw the flag in fourth and fifth places.
ZOSH Compétition champion and runner-up in the Ligier JS Cup France
#72 entered by ZOSH Compétition – Dirob driven by Arnold and Maxime Robin clinched the very first Ligier JS Cup France title with a victory and three second places. In second place in the overall classification came another Ligier JS2 R run by the ZOSH Compétition team, #10 Di Environnement, for Jean-René de Fournoux and Hugo Rosati who scored three victories. The #42 MT Racing Ligier JS2 R and Dominique Lecru-Grégory Servais came third overall with four podium finishes.
To see the full results of these two races and the complete overall general classification go to: https://ligierjscupfrance.com/les-8h-de-nogaro-chronos/
A successful first season for the Ligier JS Cup France
With an average of 27 Ligier JS2 Rs per race in the hands of amateur and professional drivers the first season of the Ligier JS Cup France has been a resounding success. Rendezvous in 2020 on the Le Mans Bugatti circuit on 3-4 April! In the meantime, an exclusive Ligier JS Cup France track day is organised on the F1 Magny-Cours track on 21 November.
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Ligier JS Cup France
The Ligier JS Cup France is the first Ligier single-make series dedicated to the Ligier JS2 R, the latest sports car of the make. The series is organised by Max Mamers Management, the promoter of the Fun Cup and Classic Days among others. The Ligier JS Cup France includes seven races, six in France and one on the iconic Spa-Francorchamps track. For more information on the Ligier JS Cup France, please consult our website www.ligierjscupfrance.com.
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Ligier JS2 R
True successor to the Ligier JS2 that finished second in the 1975 Le Mans 24 Hours, the Ligier JS2 R has been designed exclusively for racing. Outside, a sporty look with powerful and dynamic lines. Inside, a comfortable cockpit to accommodate tall drivers. Its aim: to offer to all enthusiasts a car for endless hours of pleasure behind the wheel, in races or on track days.
Homologated in the FIA Free Formula Sports Cars (Group E) Category, the Ligier JS2 R has aleady two 100% Ligier playing fields with the Ligier JS Cup France and the Ligier European Series organised by the teams of the European Le Mans Series. It is also eligible in 24H SERIES, Ultimate Cup Series and in multiple national championships.
For more information:
Download the brochure on https://ligierautomotive.com/en/vehicles/silhouette/js2r/ or
Contact sales@ligierautomotive.com
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Photo Credit
Underground Pictures