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Le Mans / ALMS
LE MANS: OAK SIgns Baguette, Plowman, Gonzalez For WEC
Driver lineup for second OAK Racing Morgan-Nissan for FIA World Endurance Championship complete...
OAK Racing has firmed up the driver lineup for its No. 35 Morgan-Nissan. (Photo: John Dagys)
Following last week's news of its lineup for its No. 24 Morgan-Nissan, OAK Racing firmed up the second driving squad for its two-car FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 program.
The French team revealed Monday that Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo Gonzalez will pilot the No. 35 entry, making for another strong lineup in OAK's bid for the WEC title.
“I am very proud and happy with the composition of our new FIA World Endurance Championship crew, which I feel is just as competitive and consistent as No. 24’s," said team manager Sebastien Philippe.
"Bertrand and Martin know all about the Morgan LMP2 from 2012, making them a very strong and experienced duo. Meanwhile Ricardo is a silver-rated driver of great talent who has been around the endurance racing scene since 2010 and will greatly benefit from his team-mates’ experience.
"Together they can also work with #24’s drivers. This is a genuine opportunity to run two entries capable of fighting for victories and start the season with a car that has a year of development behind, not to mention one that proved itself during 2012. We should be at the heart of the battle.”
While former open-wheel and IndyCar driver Baguette remains with the team, following a dual-season LMP1/LMP2 program in 2012, Plowman will make his OAK Racing debut after an impressive rookie season in the American Le Mans Series in a Conquest Endurance-entered Morgan-Nissan.
Former ALMS PC champion Gonzalez completes the lineup, with the designated Silver-rated driver bringing a season's worth of WEC experience with him from Greaves Motorsport.
"I am extremely grateful to OAK Racing for showing their belief in my abilities by bringing me into the team," said Plowman, who earned two ALMS P2 class victories in 2012. "Last year I had a successful debut season with their chassis in the American Le Mans Series, so to get the call from the factory team to race in the World Endurance Championship is a huge honour.
"There will be a lot of hard work ahead to prepare for the season but I will be surrounded by a very strong engineering team and, of course, partnered with two very strong drivers who I respect. I can't wait to get to work, especially as we look towards the Le Mans 24 Hours."
Gonzalez added: "We had a long off-season and took our time to evaluate all the options to make sure we could find the best program for me. We wanted to ensure that I could fight for the championship and victory at Le Mans. There's no doubt that we have achieved that: OAK Racing has always been a top team and I have no doubt that we will be one of the cars to beat.
"This will be my second year in the FIA World Endurance Championship, so now that I have more experience under my belt and know all the tracks it’s time to go to every event with nothing but a win in mind."
The trio join OAK's already announced lineup of Oliver Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson, making for arguably the strongest two-car team in LMP2 this year.
OAK has an extensive testing program planned prior to the season opener at Silverstone next month, including a two-day test at Magny Cours, beginning today.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
The French team revealed Monday that Bertrand Baguette, Martin Plowman and Ricardo Gonzalez will pilot the No. 35 entry, making for another strong lineup in OAK's bid for the WEC title.
“I am very proud and happy with the composition of our new FIA World Endurance Championship crew, which I feel is just as competitive and consistent as No. 24’s," said team manager Sebastien Philippe.
"Bertrand and Martin know all about the Morgan LMP2 from 2012, making them a very strong and experienced duo. Meanwhile Ricardo is a silver-rated driver of great talent who has been around the endurance racing scene since 2010 and will greatly benefit from his team-mates’ experience.
"Together they can also work with #24’s drivers. This is a genuine opportunity to run two entries capable of fighting for victories and start the season with a car that has a year of development behind, not to mention one that proved itself during 2012. We should be at the heart of the battle.”
While former open-wheel and IndyCar driver Baguette remains with the team, following a dual-season LMP1/LMP2 program in 2012, Plowman will make his OAK Racing debut after an impressive rookie season in the American Le Mans Series in a Conquest Endurance-entered Morgan-Nissan.
Former ALMS PC champion Gonzalez completes the lineup, with the designated Silver-rated driver bringing a season's worth of WEC experience with him from Greaves Motorsport.
"I am extremely grateful to OAK Racing for showing their belief in my abilities by bringing me into the team," said Plowman, who earned two ALMS P2 class victories in 2012. "Last year I had a successful debut season with their chassis in the American Le Mans Series, so to get the call from the factory team to race in the World Endurance Championship is a huge honour.
"There will be a lot of hard work ahead to prepare for the season but I will be surrounded by a very strong engineering team and, of course, partnered with two very strong drivers who I respect. I can't wait to get to work, especially as we look towards the Le Mans 24 Hours."
Gonzalez added: "We had a long off-season and took our time to evaluate all the options to make sure we could find the best program for me. We wanted to ensure that I could fight for the championship and victory at Le Mans. There's no doubt that we have achieved that: OAK Racing has always been a top team and I have no doubt that we will be one of the cars to beat.
"This will be my second year in the FIA World Endurance Championship, so now that I have more experience under my belt and know all the tracks it’s time to go to every event with nothing but a win in mind."
The trio join OAK's already announced lineup of Oliver Pla, Alex Brundle and David Heinemeier Hansson, making for arguably the strongest two-car team in LMP2 this year.
OAK has an extensive testing program planned prior to the season opener at Silverstone next month, including a two-day test at Magny Cours, beginning today.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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