24h Le Mans
The drivers and teams from the Americas have had a stunning 2016 season. Among them, Ricardo Gonzalez: driver, team owner, winner and organizer of the 6 Hours of Mexico!
Since the inception of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2012, Mexican driver Ricardo Gonzalez has amassed an impressive record. In 2013, he won in LM P2 both at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA Endurance LM P2 Trophy in the World Championship, along with Belgian driver Bertrand Baguette and the Brit Martin Plowman.
At the time, he was a driver with French team OAK Racing and its Morgan chassis. After a stint with G-Drive Racing in 2015, he created his own outfit in 2016 called RGR Sport with two top-notch teammates: Filipe Albuquerque, factory Audi driver, and the Brazilian Bruno Senna. This new team triumphed in its first race, the 6 Hours of Silverstone: "Winning for the team's first outing at Silverstone this year was a big surprise, since the LM P2 class this year is a tough field with very good drivers," says Gonzalez. Throughout the 2016 season, RGR Sport was Signatech Alpine's fiercest rival for the LM P2 crown. Ricardo Gonzalez's team ended up second, 30 points behind, but with a very promising record: two victories, six other podium finishes and a pole in nine races!
The icing on the cake for a special 2016 season, Ricardo Gonzalez and RGR Sport won at home at the 6 Hours of Mexico, of which Ricardo Gonzalez was also the organizer. "The opportunity came when the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo retired from the WEC schedule," explained the Mexican gentleman-driver. Gérard Neveu (CEO of the World Endurance Championship, Ed.) came to Mexico and I introduced him to Ocesa, the company producing events on the Mexico circuit. They started talking and I understood that I had to get involved myself to make the Mexico WEC race happen, so I ended up as being the promoter of the 6 Hours of Mexico. I just was there with the right people at the right moment!"
Click below for the previous installments:
2016 Review - The American Dream (1): Ford
2016 Review - The American Dream (2): this year's honor roll
2016 Review - The American Dream (3): Brazenly talented Brazilians
Photo: RGR Sport's Ligier JS P2-Nissan sports the colors of the 6 Hours of Mexico of which its driver-owner Ricardo Gonzalez was also the organizer.
