Sunchaser 6 hour WERC, Utah: Turn One Automotive’s #82 Ligier JS2 R finished second.
The Ligier JS2 R, which has a strong presence on European circuits, continues its development on American soil. On July 26 and 27, it tackled a 6-hour endurance race in the American West, on the Utah Motorsport Campus, during the Sunchaser 6 hour WERC. The French GT car made its mark, taking second place in its class with the Turn One Automotive team and its two drivers Steven Aghakhani and Turbo Fenton.
The #82 Ligier JS2 R qualified second in class with young driver Turbo Fenton, 2023 NASA SOCAL ST3 Champion and 2023 WERC EO Champion.
LMP3 driver Steven Aghakhani, currently leading the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge with the #6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320, got off to an excellent start, overtaking four cars on the first lap. He showed himself to be both consistent and fast during his 2:17 double stint. Turbo Fenton followed. Halfway through the race, several competitors are already out of the running and only two cars, including the Ligier JS2 R, are still battling it out on track. Turbo Fenton was hit from behind, bringing the race to a premature end for the Ligier JS2 R. In second place at the time of the incident, the standings were frozen. The two team-mates finished second in their class and took the championship lead.
Turbo Fenton - Driver
“Coming into the NASA Sunchaser 6 hour event I was nervous hopping into a car I've never driven. After practice sessions and watching my times drop, I realized that the Ligier JS2 R was a super fun and reliable car to push and take around a track. Running the 200 treadwear tires definitely made it more challenging, but it was always easy to quickly catch and stay on the gas. Overall I enjoyed learning and pushing the JS2 R this weekend and I'm happy it gave us the points lead in the championship.”
Steven Aghakhani - Driver
“The Ligier JS2R is one fun GT car! To have the opportunity to drive the Ligier JS2 R in its U.S. endurance racing debut with NASA and the Turn One Automotive team, is legendary and an honor. Coming from a successful season so far driving the Ligier JS P320, hopping into the Ligier JS2 R felt like stepping into a different room at home; both cars have similarities and differences but the Ligier quality, ease of use and fun factor are the same. I like the driveability of the car which suits both an entry-level racer or experienced veteran. It has great steering feel as well. The Ligier JS2 R is sure to be a competitive and extremely capable race car in the states. Very happy that in our debut we were able to collect P2 and take the lead in the NASA WERC E0 Championship! Thank you to everyone on the team at Turn One Automotive as well as Madsen Motorsports and RMC Motorsports for the opportunity!”
David Morton - Crew Chief
“The Ligier JS2 R is a true engineering marvel. Every single component was designed to complement each other and it's a seamless symphony of absolute power & performance. Ligier has hit the mark with the JS2 R in every aspect.”
Kevin Madsen - Driver Performance / Strategy
“A lot of time and effort has been placed in this debut program and one of the most fun parts of the process to experience has been the versatility of the Ligier JS2 R itself. Coming off a championship drive in the Ligier JS P4 last year, I really enjoyed driving the Ligier JS2 R in our tests this year at COTA and Spring Mountain. We dialed in a great setup for the car with a new tire compound and it clearly worked well for our drivers at Utah Motorsports Campus. The Ligier JS2 R can be quickly and easily setup to run on various tire types, different power levels, and it fits all size drivers including my overly tall, lanky body. I see it being a choice for virtually any series in the USA. The reliability of the 3.7 liter Ford V6 and paddle shift gearbox suits endurance for WERC, WRL, or HSR but the formula-car-like handling could be useful in any sprint series including NASA or SCCA. I'm glad we could collect some hardware in this debut for Ligier and Turn One Automotive and I'm very excited with what's to come for this car and other Ligier JS2 R's heading stateside in the future!”
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Photo Credit: Richard Jellerson