Three Ligier JS2 Rs in endurance trim ready to tackle the challenge of the 2022 24 Hours of Dubaï!
The 2021 sporting season may be drawing to a close, but for some teams it's already time to start preparing for the first races in 2022. In particular, the opening round of the 24H SERIES 2022, the 24 Hours of Dubaï (13 - 15 January 2022). More than 90 cars are expected for this iconic event. Among the 10 entered for the TCX category are three Ligiers ready to take up this challenge: Three Ligier JS2 Rs in endurance trim entered by three French teams passionate fans of this discipline.
What better way to kick off the 2022 season than with a 24-hour race? The organisers of the 24H SERIES have understood this perfectly and the opening round of their different championships always attracts a packed field year in year out. For the first time three Ligiers in endurance trim will be at the start. With 350 bhp for 1010 kg and its endurance kit there's no doubt that the Ligier JS2 R is going to make sparks fly!
The CTF Performance team has been gearing up for action for several months now. It will enter the #295 Ligier JS2 R for a four-man driver line comprising Nicolas Béraud, Fabien Delaplace, Gilles Poret and Laurent Piguet. Nicolas and Fabien already know the car very well. In 2020, they won the Champions Am title in the Ligier JS Cup France and they continued their momentum in 2021 by taking part in the Ligier European Series. Gilles Poret can count on his experience of the Ligier JS2 R acquired during the Red Bull Ring round of the Ligier European Series. For Laurent, on the other hand, it will be his maiden outing in competition at the wheel of the Ligier JS2 R.
“We can't wait to discover the endurance version of the Ligier JS2 R in competition,” says Aurélien Sire, the CFT Performance Team Manager. “Nicolas, Fabien and Laurent already raced in the 24H SERIES in 2018 and we won the championship title in the 24H SERIES des Continents in the TCE/SP3 category. Our objective on our first participation with the Ligier JS2 R is to cross the finishing line, which is always a challenge for a 24-hour race. If everything goes according to plan we will then compete in the championnat des Continents with a race in Europe followed by Sebring in November 2022. In parallel we're thinking about entering our Ligier JS2 Rs – we've now got two – for the Ligier European Series, the Ligier JS Cup France or the Ultimate Cup Series.”
CTF Performance will meet up with Orhès Racing, also a Ligier JS2 R regular. Since 2019 Olivier Pernaut and Salim Bouziane's team has entered up to 6 Ligier JS2 Rs in the Ligier JS Cup France every year. In 2021, it filled the runner-up spot in the Ligier JS2 R category in the Ligier European Series with Mathieu Martins and Pernaut at the wheel of #24. They will arrive at the 24 Hours of Dubaï with a crack team including Olivier Porta who, among others, has had three outings in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and four gentlemen drivers: José Fernandes, Franck Dallavalle, Micael Cost and Rocco Spano, all regulars in the Ligier JS Cup France.
“It's the first time that Orhès Racing will take part in a round of the Creventic Championship,” explains Pernaut. “And a first for our team at the wheel of the brand-new Ligier JS2 R in endurance trim. We shook it down last week and our first runs seem promising. It's a new step for Orhès Racing and we're delighted to bring our clients with us in this adventure. It's going to be a great challenge and with the field as it's shaping up we're going to have to manage on-track traffic with very different cars. We're hoping to renew the experience next year in other races with our Ligier JS2 R that could be dedicated to this championship. The great advantage of the Ligier JS2 R is that the budget remains reasonable even for 24-hour races. We're very happy to continue exploring other championships with Ligier. For 2022, we're also working on being present in the Ligier European Series and the Ligier JS Cup France.”
Les Deux Arbres, Jack Leconte's team, will also be part of the adventure. After its first season in the Ligier European Series in 2021 with two Ligier JS P4s, the squad has entered a Ligier JS2 R for the 24 Hours of Dubaï. Several drivers including the father-son duo Patrick and Steve Zacchia, and Antoine Lepesqueux have already been confirmed. The team will be back racing in the Ligier European Series in 2022 with its two Ligier JS P4s.
“It'll be my first race in the Creventic series,” underlines Steve Zacchia. “I've already done several 24-hour races (3 outings in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa plus one participation in the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring). But my last one goes back to 2011 so I'm a bit apprehensive. It's a big adventure: 24 hours, the heat, the circuit with a slippery track and a lot of cars; it could be an explosive mixture. In July I had a run in the Ligier JS2 R and I felt at home in the car straight away. I can't wait to discover it with its endurance kit.”
Rendezvous on 13 - 15th January 2022.
To consult the full entry list, CLICK HERE.