Pescarolo-Judd: the V10 privateer that chased Audi

The Pescarolo-Judd was the Judd-engined version of the Le Mans prototype built in Le Mans by Pescarolo Sport. It grew out of the Courage C60, which the French team redeveloped so thoroughly for 2004 that it took its own name, and with a 5-litre Judd V10 it became the strongest privateer car of its time.

Pescarolo-Judd at a glance

This page uses the English and French articles on the Courage C60, the chassis the Pescarolo-Judd was developed from, and covers only the Judd-engined Pescarolo cars. The 2007 Pescarolo 01 has no separate article in the sources used.

History of the Pescarolo-Judd

From Courage C60 to Pescarolo C60

The Courage C60 was built by Courage Compétition in 2000 as a clean-sheet replacement for the C52, designed like its predecessor by Paolo Catone. It used a carbon fibre and aluminium honeycomb monocoque, with double wishbones, pushrods and horizontally located dampers. Pescarolo Sport began running the car in 2001 with a Sodemo-developed 3.2-litre twin-turbocharged Peugeot A32 V6, quoted at 550 hp, and André de Cortanze turned it into the C60 Evo for 2002 with a revised brake duct system, new rear wing endplates and 580 hp. In 2003 smaller air restrictors cut the claimed output to 510 hp, and at the end of that year Peugeot stopped supplying engines.

The Judd years

Money from Sony’s PlayStation promotion paid for 5-litre Judd GV5 V10 engines, and Pescarolo Sport started engineering its own bodywork and mechanical parts. For 2004 the cars, now far from standard Courage products, were renamed Pescarolo C60. With the Judd V10 the team finished fourth at Le Mans behind three Audis and took sixth place in the new Le Mans Endurance Series. For 2005, under the new LMP1 rules, both Courage and Pescarolo released redeveloped C60 Hybrids on Judd power: Courage used the 600 hp Judd GV4, while the Pescarolo version kept the GV5, quoted at 630 hp. That car took pole position and the fastest lap at Le Mans and finished second, two laps behind an Audi, and it won two rounds of the Le Mans Series to give the team its first title. In 2006 Pescarolo won all five series races to defend the championship and was second at Le Mans again, this time behind the Audi R10.

The Pescarolo 01

Courage replaced the C60 with the LC70 in 2006, and in 2007 Pescarolo Sport introduced its own car, the Pescarolo 01. The team had become a prototype constructor at the end of 2006, and the 01 carried the Judd V10 on; Pescarolo 01-Judds were still racing in the Le Mans Series in 2008. The line ended with the receivership of Pescarolo Sport in 2010, although the Pescarolo name returned to the circuits as Pescarolo Team in 2011 and 2012.

Design and features

• Judd GV5 V10: a 5-litre naturally aspirated engine that replaced the turbocharged Peugeot V6 in 2004.
• Own bodywork: Pescarolo reworked the Courage chassis and body until the car was renamed after the team.
• Hybrid update: for the 2005 LMP1 rules the car gained revised aerodynamics and 630 hp.
• Giant-killing pace: pole position and the fastest race lap at Le Mans in 2005 against the works Audis.

Pescarolo-Judd versions

• Pescarolo C60 (2004): the first Judd-engined version, fourth at Le Mans.
• Pescarolo C60 Hybrid (2005–2006): LMP1 development with the GV5 quoted at 630 hp and two second places at Le Mans.
• Pescarolo 01-Judd (from 2007): the team’s own chassis, still V10-powered and still racing in the Le Mans Series in 2008.

The team behind the car is described in the article on Pescarolo Sport. More French endurance racers are in the Pescarolo collection.

Video: Pescarolo Judd – 24 Hours of Le Mans 2007

Video on YouTube.

Sources

• Courage C60, English Wikipedia: chassis, engines, 2004–2006 development, results
• Courage C60, French Wikipedia: Judd engines from 2004, Pescarolo C60 name
• Pescarolo Sport, English Wikipedia: PlayStation funding, Le Mans and Le Mans Series results