Former BAR test driver Patrick Lemarie has signed with new ChampCar team PK Racing for the 2003 season. Lemarie, who was appointed BAR test driver by PK Racing founder Craig Pollock, will be the lead driver for the team in their one-car assault on the championship.
The 34 year old has four years testing experience with BAR as well as a handful of sportscar races under his belt and is looking forward to the new challenge.
" For me, CART is the most complete racing series because you have all the disciplines – ovals, road and street circuits. It is a big test for a driver, and I enjoy racing on all of these circuits. I'm very pleased that Craig and PK Racing have given me this opportunity."
Lemarie previously raced in the CART feeder Atlantic Championship in 1993-94, and has experience of racing on several of the tracks that the 2003 championship will visit. Team-boss Craig Pollock believes Lemarie's testing experience will be important as PK Racing competes in its maiden ChampCar season.
" He is definitely well prepared for this opportunity to get back into competitive racing. He has invested a lot of time over the last four years setting up an F1 car, and in that capacity he was invaluable in providing input and giving his feedback to the engineers and mechanics. When you're a new team in a series, as PK Racing is in CART, you need to have a driver who is well-versed in the driving and the testing aspects because this team is being put together in an extremely short time frame."
Lemarie will get his first taste of a ChampCar racer during CART's three-day spring training session at Sebring. The newcomer, like many others who will be making their debut this season is eager to get racing as soon as possible.
" I may not have raced that much competitively in the last few years, but you never lose the competitive spirit, and I know that I have plenty of that", he remarked.
The signing of Lemarie ends speculation that PK Racing would sign F1 refugees Mika Salo or Eddie Irvine.
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