Patrice Goueslard
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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. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
. He competed in the
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...
each year from
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
until
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, having initially made his debut at the event in
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
. His best finish in the event came in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, when he and
Larbre Compétition Larbre Compétition is a French auto racing team founded in 1988 by racing driver Jack Leconte and based at the Circuit du Val de Vienne in Le Vigeant, France. The team has had considerable success in a number of sports car racing series and major ...
drivers Luc Alphand and
Jérôme Policand Jérôme Jean Édouard 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 ...
took seventh overall, and third in the GT1 category. In addition to this, he has won the French GT Championship 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 ...
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 G ...
on one occasion.


Racing career


Early career

Goueslard began his auto racing career in 1990, whilst competing in the Championnat de France Formule Renault, with his best finish in the series being 11th in 1993. He made his debut in the
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...
the following year, driving for Elf Haberthur Racing with Olivier Haberthur and Patrick Vuillaume, but a
turbocharger In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into th ...
failure on the team's Porsche 911 Turbo forced them to retire. That year, he also competed in the
Porsche Carrera Cup France Porsche Carrera Cup France is a Spec racing, one make motor racing championship held in France. The cars are Porsche 911 GT3#Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991.2) with 4.0 liters, Flat-six engine, flat-6 naturally aspirated engines that pr ...
, 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 Porsche 911 Turbo, 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin ...
, 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 racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...
, driving a Porsche 911 GT2 entered by
Roock Racing Roock Racing is an auto racing team based in Leverkusen, Germany that was highly successful in numerous sports car and endurance racing series during the 1990s.
. Goueslard spent the majority of the season competing in the French GT Championship 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 t ...
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 (motorsport), homologation purposes. The ...
alongside
Armin Hahne Armin Hahne (born 10 September 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 highlig ...
and
Pedro Lamy José Pedro Mourão Nunes Lamy Viçoso, OIH, known as Pedro Lamy (; born 20 March 1972), is a Portuguese former professional racing driver. He was the first Portuguese driver to score a point in a Formula One World Championship event, in the ...
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 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. 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 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 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, 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 ...
(LMS), now driving for Luc Alphand Aventures in a
Chevrolet Corvette C5-R The Chevrolet Corvette C5-R is a grand touring auto racing, racing car built by Pratt Miller and Chevrolet for competition in Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing. The car is based on the Chevrolet Corvette C5, C5 generation of the Chev ...
, and finished sixth in the GT1 standings. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he, Luc Alphand and
Jérôme Policand Jérôme Jean Édouard 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 ...
took seventh overall, and third in class. Goueslard remained with Luc Alphand Aventures in the LMS for
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, and took third in the series (winning one race), whilst driving the team's new Chevrolet Corvette C6.R. 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 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, 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 and Laurent Pasquali 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 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 Saint-Raphaël, Var) 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 For ...
and Xavier Maassen 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 G ...
, driving for Team SOFREV ASP in a
Ferrari 458 Italia The Ferrari 458 Italia (Type F142) is an Italian mid-engine sports car produced by Ferrari. The 458 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 Turi ...
. 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 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup 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 24 Hours of Spa drivers