Henri Pescarolo will campaign his new Pescarolo 03, based on the 2011 Aston Martin AMR-One monocoque with a 3.4-liter Judd engine, in the WEC this year—except for the Sebring round, because the new car will not be ready.
According to Endurance-Info.com, the Automobile Club de l‘Oueste and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile will let the revered French former driver enter his 2011 Pescarolo 01 in the LMP1 class for the 60th anniversary Sebring 12 Hours on March 17. Further, the car will be allowed to use its 5-liter Judd V8, with limited time to fit a 3.4-liter in the old chassis.
“I found the sportsmanship reigning in endurance racing in general and in the WEC in particular to be exceptional,” Pescarolo on his website. “I thank both the ACO, the FIA and all the competitors LMP1.”
Pescarolo, a long-time driver and team owner, nearly went bankrupt a few years ago. So beloved is he in racing circles, Jacques Nicolet and Joël Rivière at Oak Racing bought Pescarolo’s failing racing car business and basically gave it back to him, just to keep the Frenchman involved in the sport. This new largesse by the ACO is further evidence that even amid the fierce competition at the top of the sports car world, participants have hearts.
