OAK Racing traces its origins to 1980, founded by Serge Saulnier as Promatecme, initially competing in French Formula 3. The team transitioned to Saulnier Racing in 2000, entering the World Series by Nissan and later the World Series by Renault. In 2006, the team shifted its focus to sports-prototypes and the Le Mans Series, initially competing in the LMP1 category. Jacques Nicolet took ownership of the team in late 2006 through his holding company, Everspeed. The team subsequently moved to the LMP2 class for the following season.
In 2008, OAK Racing fielded cars in both the LMP1 and LMP2 categories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, utilizing Pescarolo-Judd chassis. The team officially became OAK Racing in 2009, forming a partnership with Mazda Automobiles France and running Pescarolo-Mazda LMP2s. In December 2009, OAK Racing acquired the manufacturing side of Pescarolo Sport, taking over chassis development and construction.
In 2010, the team fielded two LMP2-spec Judd-powered OAK-Pescarolos, achieving multiple titles and podium finishes. Following the formation of its Design Office in 2010, OAK Racing established Onroak Automotive in 2012 as a separate division for design, manufacturing, and sales. Onroak developed the Morgan 2012 LMP2 chassis to meet ACO cost-capped regulations, which was then available for purchase by privateer teams. The team initially utilized Honda Performance Development engines in LMP1 and Nissan engines in LMP2, and served as the official LMP1 development team for Dunlop since 2009, using Dunlop tires in both prototype classes. For 2012, the team also experimented with Judd powerplants.
Throughout its history, OAK Racing has featured a variety of drivers. In 2008, the team fielded one of the youngest crews ever to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with an average age of 24, and included the first Chinese driver to enter the event. In 2013, Martin Plowman, Ricardo González, and Bertrand Baguette secured the LMP2 class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Olivier Pla and Gustavo Yacaman were full-season drivers for the team in the 2014 United SportsCar Championship.
OAK Racing achieved significant success in the LMP2 class, culminating in a 1-2 finish at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the #35 car winning and the #24 car finishing second. The team also secured both the LMP2 Drivers and Teams Endurance Trophies in the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship. Prior to this, the team achieved multiple podium finishes and titles in the Le Mans Series and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup between 2009 and 2011.
In 2011, the team stepped up to the LMP1 category but faced engine reliability issues in 2012, leading to the withdrawal of its LMP1 car from the championship after Le Mans. The car returned for the final two rounds in Asia after a new HPD engine was installed.
In 2014, OAK Racing expanded its operations to the United States, joining the newly formed United SportsCar Championship and winning their first race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. [unverified] Information on the team’s activities beyond 2014 is not available in the corpus.
The team’s development of the Morgan LMP2 chassis through Onroak Automotive contributed to the availability of competitive LMP2 cars for privateer teams. OAK Racing’s success in the early 2010s established it as a prominent force in endurance racing, particularly in the LMP2 category.