|
Like many other prominent "names" in French motor racing, Hugues de Chaunac's introduction to the sport was made possible thanks to the Renault Gordini series and to the launch of "Formule France" at the end of the "Golden Sixties". After driving a few races himself, he rather turned his attention to running a team and created ORECA (ORganisation et Exploitation Courses Automobiles). Since winning the FIA F2 Championship with Jacques Laffite in 1975, the success story of Team ORECA has been endless and unrivalled in variety : Hugues de Chaunac and his crew have gained a well-deserved reputation for their ability to adapt quickly and successfully to various forms of motorsport. A regular winner in the single-seater formulae, ORECA has played a prominent role in the making of French F1 drivers (Alain Prost, Didier Pironi, Patrick Tambay, Philippe Alliot, Jean Alesi, etc.), before being highly successful in such different categories as rallying, rallycross, desert raids, ice-racing, Le Mans 24 Hours and endurance racing, Super Touring sprints and GT racing. Apart from motorsport, the ORECA Group has extended its activities in other directions such as the sale of tuning parts and automotive accessories (ORECA Diffusion), the organization of driving courses (orientated towards safety or high-performance) and incentives for companies (ORECA Challenge). Beside Hugues de Chaunac, three prominent characters in the management of ORECA Motorsport are Technical Director Arnaud Elizagaray, Sporting Director Pierre Dieudonné and Team Manager Philippe Leloup. With ORECA since 1981, Arnaud keeps vibrant memories of the time spent with such fantastic cars as the rally-version of the M1 BMW, the Peugeot 206 Turbo 16 campaigned in rallies and rallycross, the Le Mans-winning rotary-engined Mazda and, of course, the GT-dominant Chrysler Viper GTS R/T. He also has fond memories of his privileged collaboration with young talents such as Laurent Aiello, Yvan Muller and Olivier Beretta, all of them having won major championships working with Arnaud during their spell with ORECA. A successful driver for many years, Pierre Dieudonné was introduced to ORECA when Mazdaspeed asked de Chaunac's organisation to assist in their Le Mans and Sport-Prototypes World Championship's entries in 1989. Two years later, in June 1991, Team ORECA managed Mazda's famous victory at Le Mans, the first and only such success by a Japanese manufacturer. Gradually stepping from the cockpit into a management role, Pierre has stayed close to ORECA since then, using his vast experience and solid background to fulfill many tasks. He has been Sporting Director since the start of the Chrysler Viper Team ORECA in 1996. Philippe Leloup spent several years in Formula 1 with the AGS and Larrousse teams, gradually becoming an expert in the complicated logistics involved when operating a racing team all over the world. Since 1996, his vast experience has been used to good effect in the running of Viper Team ORECA, both at home and abroad. Under the direction of Hugues de Chaunac and ORECA, the Viper GTS R/T has won five international championships, including two ALMS GTS-class titles in 1999 and 2000, and the FIA GT Championship in 1997, 1998 and 1999. In 2000, the factory-backed Vipers finished first and second at Le Mans for the third time in succession, and scored an outright victory at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. ORECA has been appointed by DaimlerChrysler motorsport division to exclusively build and sell the Chrysler Viper GTS R/T to racing customers. ORECA faces a new challenge in 2001: an all new Chrysler LMP sportscar has been built in an attempt to clinch outright victory at Le Mans within the next two years.
Information Courtesy of Oreca Chrysler Motorsport |