Ligier JS P2
Onroak's first in-house closed-cockpit LMP2, named after Jo Schlesser.
The Ligier JS P2 is a closed-cockpit racing car built for the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class. French manufacturer Onroak Automotive designed and constructed it entirely in-house, a first for the company, and named it in partnership with former racer Guy Ligier. It served as a second model alongside Onroak’s existing Morgan LMP2. The car made its race debut at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans and later competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series, and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Onroak originally planned a car for the LMP1 category but shifted focus to LMP2. The closed-cockpit design, required for LMP1, was seen as marketable in North America, where such bodywork was also popular for LMP2s and Daytona Prototypes in the new United SportsCar Championship. The LMP1 concept was adapted to meet the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s cost limits for LMP2. The JS P2 could use several available engines: a flat-plane crankshaft Nissan V8 (VK45), Judd’s naturally aspirated HK V8 (based on the BMW S65), or Honda’s HPD V6 twin-turbo (HR28TT). Onroak offered both high-downforce sprint and low-downforce Le Mans configurations.
The JS P2 name came from an alliance between Onroak and Guy Ligier’s Équipe Ligier and Automobiles Martini partnership. It followed Ligier’s tradition of naming cars after French driver Jo Schlesser (JS). The partnership also saw Onroak take over development of Ligier-Martini’s Group CN car.
Testing began in March 2014. The first race was the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, where three JS P2s entered: two from OAK Racing (one with a Nissan engine and drivers, the other with a Honda engine and Chinese drivers) and one from privateers Thiriet by TDS Racing (Nissan-powered). The TDS car qualified on pole, and the first OAK car took third. All three finished, with TDS second in class and OAK fifth and seventh. After Le Mans, TDS ran the European Le Mans Series but finished none of its three remaining races. OAK took its Honda-powered car to the United States for the final two United SportsCar Championship rounds, where Alex Brundle put it on pole at Circuit of the Americas and finished second. The Nissan-powered OAK car moved to the FIA World Endurance Championship, earning five consecutive poles and class wins at Fuji Speedway and Shanghai International Circuit.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Onroak Automotive
- Partner
- Guy Ligier
- Category
- Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2)
- Debut
- 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Engine options
- Nissan VK45 V8, Judd HK V8 (BMW S65 variant), Honda HPD HR28TT V6 twin-turbo
- First pole position
- 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans (TDS Racing)
- Notable wins
- 2016 24 Hours of Daytona, 2016 12 Hours of Sebring
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Onroak initially planned a Le Mans Prototype 1 car but cancelled those plans to concentrate on LMP2, seeing the closed-cockpit design as marketable in North America where such designs were prominent for LMP2s and Daytona Prototypes in the new United SportsCar Championship. The LMP1 design was evolved into an LMP2 with measures to meet the ACO's cost limitations. The car was designed to accept available LMP2 engines: a flat-plane crankshaft Nissan V8, Judd's naturally aspirated HK V8, and Honda's HPD V6 twin-turbo. High-downforce sprint and low-downforce Le Mans setups were offered.
Naming came through an alliance between Onroak and Guy Ligier's partnership of Équipe Ligier and Automobiles Martini, following Ligier's scheme of naming cars after French racing driver Jo Schlesser (JS). The partnership included Onroak taking over development of Ligier-Martini's Group CN car. The JS P2 began initial testing in March 2014, with its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, where the Ligier name raced for the first time since a Ligier JS2 had finished second overall.
Reader's Guide
The Ligier JS P2 marked a significant step for Onroak Automotive as its first entirely in-house design and its first closed-cockpit LMP2 car. Its development from a cancelled LMP1 project reflected strategic adaptation to North American market preferences, where closed cockpits were required for LMP1 and increasingly chosen for LMP2 and Daytona Prototypes. The car's debut at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans was strong: three cars entered, with TDS Racing's Nissan-powered car taking pole position and finishing second in class, while OAK Racing's two cars finished fifth and seventh. The JS P2 quickly demonstrated competitiveness, earning five consecutive pole positions in the FIA World Endurance Championship and class victories at Fuji and Shanghai in its debut season. In 2016, Extreme Speed Motorsports' JS P2 won both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, becoming the first car to defeat a Daytona Prototype at Daytona and the first team to win the '36 Hours of Florida' since 1998. The car's ability to accept multiple engine suppliers—Nissan, Judd, and Honda—broadened its appeal to privateer teams across multiple championships, cementing its role as a versatile and competitive platform in global endurance racing.
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