Gounon joins Kremer for Magny-Cours

Jean Marc Gounon has temporarily shifted his allegiance back to Lola for his home event at Magny-Cours this weekend after signing an 11th hour deal with the Cologne-based Kremer team.

Jul 23, 2001, 3:44 PM

The lanky Frenchman will partner fellow six-footer Sam Hancock in the 6-litre Lola-Roush for the fifth round of the FIA Sportscar Championship.

Gounon was scheduled to race in the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari but had to make way for Christian Pescatori, who has returned after two clashing GT races at Spa and Brno. Pescatori will be back in a prototype for the first time since his heroics at Le Mans, where he finished second in a works Audi, and will now be helping Marco Zadra to increase his lead in the championship.

For Gounon it will be a welcome return to one of the Huntingdon-built cars, as he won four races for DAMS in a similar sportscar in 1999. The former French F3 champion also won the 1992 Formula 3000 race at Magny-Cours.

"It will be nice to race in the Lola again and, after the Ferrari, it will be interesting to compare the two chassis," he said.