Patrice Goueslard (born 26 November 1965) is a French
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
.
He competed in the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
each year from
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
until
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, having initially made his debut at the event in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
. His best finish in the event came in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, when he and
Larbre Compétition
Larbre Compétition is a French auto racing team founded in 1988 by Jack Leconte. Based at the Circuit du Val de Vienne in Le Vigeant, Larbre has had considerable success in the Porsche Carrera Cup, French GT Championship, and international ...
drivers
Luc Alphand
Luc Alphand (born 6 August 1965) is a former FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, World Cup Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer from France. He specialized in the speed events and later became a auto racing, race car driver.
Ski racing
Born in Briançon (Ha ...
and
Jérôme Policand
Jérôme Policand (born 1 October 1964 in Grenoble) is a French racing driver.
He drove in Le Mans Series Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in GT1 class for the Team Luc Alphand Aventures. He is currently the team principal of French Bla ...
took seventh overall, and third in the GT1 category. In addition to this, he has won the
French GT Championship
The FFSA GT Championship (''Championnat de France FFSA GT'') is a French Grand Touring-style sports car racing series that began in 1997. It is the main event of the ''Championnat de France des Circuits'' (formerly called ''Super Série FFSA'' and ...
and the GT1 category of the
Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
on three occasions each, as well as the Gentleman Trophy category of the
Blancpain Endurance Series
The GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, formerly for sponsorship reasons the Blancpain Endurance Series from 2011 to 2015 and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup from 2016 to 2019, is a sports car racing series developed by SRO Motorsports Gr ...
on one occasion.
Racing career
Early career
Goueslard began his auto racing career in 1990, whilst competing in the
Championnat de France Formule Renault
The Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup (WEC) was a Formula Renault 2.0 championship that replaced the Championnat de France Formula Renault 2.0 as of 2008,[24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...]
the following year, driving for Elf
Haberthur Racing with
Olivier Haberthur and
Patrick Vuillaume, but a
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
failure on the team's
Porsche 911 Turbo
The Porsche 911 (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in german: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and ori ...
forced them to retire. That year, he also competed in the
Porsche Carrera Cup France
Porsche Carrera Cup France is a one make motor racing championship held in France. The cars are Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991.2) with 4.0 liters, flat-6 naturally aspirated engines that produce and 480 N·m.
Champions
References
External ...
, finishing fifth in Class B.
He remained in the series for the next two seasons, finishing sixth in 1995 (winning Class B in the process), and fourth in 1996.
In the latter year, he also competed in the
BPR Global GT Series The BPR Global GT Series (sometimes referred to as the BPR Global GT Endurance Series or simply abbreviated as BPR.) was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997. The ...
, driving for
Larbre Competition in a GT2-class
Porsche 911 GT2
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a high-performance, track-focused sports car built by the German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 1993 to 2009, and then since 2010 as the GT2 RS. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engin ...
, and he finished the season in 21st place.
[ He also drove for Larbre Competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing 20th overall, and seventh in the GT2 class.
]
1997–1999
In 1997, Goueslard started his season with a class win in the 24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
, driving a Porsche 911 GT2 entered by Roock Racing. Goueslard spent the majority of the season competing in the French GT Championship
The FFSA GT Championship (''Championnat de France FFSA GT'') is a French Grand Touring-style sports car racing series that began in 1997. It is the main event of the ''Championnat de France des Circuits'' (formerly called ''Super Série FFSA'' and ...
with Larbre, and, partnering Christophe Bouchut
Christophe Bouchut (born 24 September 1966 in Voiron, Isère) is a French professional racing driver. He currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving for Dexwet-df1 Racing and Alex Caffi Motorsport in a part-time effort. He won ...
for most of the season, took the title at his first attempt, with ten wins. During the season, he also drove a Porsche 911 GT1
The Porsche 911 GT1 is a car designed and developed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche AG to compete in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street-legal version for homologation purposes. The limited-production street ...
alongside Armin Hahne
Armin Hahne (born September 10, 1955 in Moers, West Germany) is a German racing driver, best known for his exploits in touring car racing. The highpoint of his career was winning both the 1982 and 1983 Spa 24 Hours driving BMW's. Another highli ...
and Pedro Lamy
José Pedro Mourão Lamy Viçoso, OIH, known as Pedro Lamy (; born 20 March 1972) is a Portuguese professional racing driver currently racing in endurance races teaming up with Mathias Lauda and gentleman driver Paul Dalla Lana. He was the fir ...
at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, helping the Schübel Engineering effort to finish fifth overall, and third in the GT1 category; as well as competing in one race of the inaugural FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...
with Larbre, in which he scored a single point.
Goueslard started the 1998 with a third in the 24 Hours of Daytona, driving for Larbre Competition. He remained in the French GT Championship, but was unable to retain his title, despite winning five races; instead, he finished third. A pair of outings with Larbre Competition in the FIA GT Championship did not yield any points, whilst he, Jean-Luc Chéreau and Pierre Yver
Pierre Yver (born 23 July 1947) is a French racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invent ...
took 23rd overall, and ninth in the GT2 category in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 1999, Goueslard won four races of the French GT Championship on his way to second place in the championship.[ He drove for Chereau Sports in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but the team did not complete 70% of the race distance, and were not classified. Three entries in the FIA GT Championship, driving for Haberthur Racing, did not yield any points.]
2000–2002
The dawning of the new millennium marked a change of focus for Goueslard, as he began to primarily compete in the FIA GT Championship, entering all ten races of the season, and taking the N-GT class title, with six wins in Larbre Competition's new Porsche 911 GT3-R
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance homologation model of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is a line of high-performance models, which began with the 1973 911 Carrera RS.
The GT3 has had a successful racing career in the one-make national ...
. He did, however, continue to compete in the French GT Championship, winning one race. In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he partnered Bouchut and Chéreau, but the trio lasted 34 laps before accident damage forced them to retire.
In 2001, Goueslard would be less successful in the FIA GT Championship; entering ten of the eleven rounds with Larbre, he finished 12th in the NGT category (after competing in nine races), whilst his single GT category with Larbre saw him classified 12th. He won two races of the French GT Championship in 2001, on his way to third overall. In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Goueslard drove alongside Chéreau and Sebastien Dumez, finishing tenth overall, and fourth in the GT category.
In 2002, Goueslard left the FIA GT Championship, and instead focused on the French GT Championship; with four victories, he took the title, whilst driving for Nourry Team Competition in a Porsche 911 GT2. He partnered Bouchut and Vincent Vosse
Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer'').
People with the given name Artists
*Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor
*Vincent van Gogh ...
at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the trio took 18th overall, and fourth in class.
2003–2005
For 2003, Goueslard switched back to Larbre Competition in the French GT Championship, and retained his title, winning two races in the process. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he drove alongside Bouchut and Steve Zacchia, and they finished 16th overall, and fourth in the GTS category. In 2004, Larbre Competition switched to a Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello, and Goueslard was less successful in the French GT Championship; he did not win a race all season, and finished 12th overall.[ However, he was able, along with teammates Bouchut and Olivier Dupard to take 14th overall, and fifth in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and his only entry in the ]Le Mans Endurance Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
, which came at the 1000 km of Spa, saw him finish second in the GTS class, and tenth overall. In 2005, Goueslard primarily focused on the French GT Championship, and took his final win in the series on the way to tenth in the overall standings. He did also compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and partnered Dupard and Vosse to 12th overall, and fourth in the GT2 category.
2006–2008
In 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Goueslard entered each of the six rounds of the Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
(LMS), now driving for Luc Alphand Aventures in a Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, and finished sixth in the GT1 standings. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he, Luc Alphand
Luc Alphand (born 6 August 1965) is a former FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, World Cup Alpine skiing, alpine ski racer from France. He specialized in the speed events and later became a auto racing, race car driver.
Ski racing
Born in Briançon (Ha ...
and Jérôme Policand
Jérôme Policand (born 1 October 1964 in Grenoble) is a French racing driver.
He drove in Le Mans Series Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in GT1 class for the Team Luc Alphand Aventures. He is currently the team principal of French Bla ...
took seventh overall, and third in class. Goueslard remained with Luc Alphand Aventures in the LMS for 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, and took third in the series (winning one race), whilst driving the team's new Chevrolet Corvette C6.R
The Chevrolet Corvette C6.R is a grand tourer racing car built by Pratt & Miller and Chevrolet for competition in endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing. It is a replacement for the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R, Corvette C5-R racing car, app ...
. He partnered Policand and Alphand at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and once again took third in the GT1 class, although the team slipped to 12th overall. He was retained by Luc Alphand Aventures for 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, and this time, with two victories from five races, won the GT1 category of the LMS. In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Goueslard, Jean-Luc Blancheman
Jean-Luc may refer to:
In politics:
* Jean-Luc Bennahmias (born 1954), a French politician and Member of the European Parliament
* Jean-Luc Dehaene (1940–2014), a Flemish politician
* Jean-Luc Laurent (born 1957), a French politician
* Jean-Luc ...
and Laurent Pasquali
Laurent may refer to:
*Laurent (name), a French masculine given name and a surname
**Saint Laurence (aka: Saint ''Laurent''), the martyr Laurent
**Pierre Alphonse Laurent, mathematician
**Joseph Jean Pierre Laurent, amateur astronomer, discoverer ...
finished 21st overall, and sixth in class.
2009–2011
The 2009 Le Mans Series season
The 2009 Le Mans Series was the sixth season of Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. It was contested over five events between 5 April and 13 September 2009.
Aston Martin Racing trio Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke finished ev ...
was a repeat of the 2008 season, as Goueslard won two races on the way to winning the GT1 category. However, an accident after 99 laps forced the Corvette C6.R of Goueslard, Alphand and Stephane Gregoire Stephane may refer to:
* Stéphane
Stéphane is a male French given name an equivalent of Stephen/Steven. Notable people with this given name include:
* Stéphane Adam (born 1969), French footballer
*Stéphane Agbre Dasse (born 1989), Burkinabé f ...
to retire from that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2010, Goueslard and Luc Alphand Aventures switched to the Saleen S7-R, and dominated the GT1 category of the Le Mans Series, taking four out of five possible victories on the way to their third title in a row. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, however, they retired for the second year in a row; this time, the trio of Goueslard, Julien Jousse
Julien Jousse (born 21 January 1986 in Les Issambres) is a professional racing driver from France.
Career
Formula Ford
After spending time in karting between 1997 and 2001, Jousse began has circuit racing career in 2002 in the Formula Ford Kent ...
and Xavier Maassen
Xavier Maassen (born 22 June 1980 in Heerlen) is a Dutch racing driver who previously competed in the FIA GT1 World Championship for Mad-Croc Racing. Recently, he has participated in the Blancpain Endurance Series for Prospeed Competition. He l ...
completed 238 laps.
Goueslard left Luc Alphand Aventures in 2011, after not securing a new contract. Instead, he moved to the Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series, competing in the opening two rounds, and eventually being classified 38th overall in the Elite class, with 53 points. Following these events, he announced that he would be competing in the new Blancpain Endurance Series
The GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, formerly for sponsorship reasons the Blancpain Endurance Series from 2011 to 2015 and Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup from 2016 to 2019, is a sports car racing series developed by SRO Motorsports Gr ...
, driving for Team SOFREV ASP in a Ferrari 458 Italia
The Ferrari 458 Italia (Type F142) is a mid-engine sports car produced by Ferrari. The F458 is the successor of the F430, and was first officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was succeeded by the 488 GTB (Gran Turismo Berl ...
. He did not win a race, however, and was classified 20th in the GT3 Pro Cup.[
]
2012–2014
In 2012, Goueslard remained with SOFREV in the Blancpain Endurance Series, and was classified fourth in the GT3 Pro-Am Cup.[ In 2013, Goueslard competed in the Blancpain Endurance Series' Gentleman Trophy category, and, still driving for SOFREV, won the category, with three victories from five races.] In an interview with Endurance-info.com, he revealed that he preferred the GT1 cars he had used in the LMS to the GT3 cars of the Blancpain Endurance Series, and that he hoped to find a budget to remain in GT racing for the 2014 season.
Racing record
24 Hours of Le Mans results
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goueslard, Patrice
1965 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Caen
French racing drivers
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
Blancpain Endurance Series drivers
European Le Mans Series drivers
FIA GT Championship drivers
American Le Mans Series drivers
24 Hours of Daytona drivers
French Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
Larbre Compétition drivers