Anniversaries – Franck Lagorce

  Franck Lagorce is from L’Hay-Les-Roses near Paris. After winning the French Junior Karting Championship at just 13 he seemed destined for F1.

However after winning the French F3 Championship in 1992 and finishing runner up in F3000 in 1994, his F1 career never realy got going. A couple of races with Ligier before joining the ill fated Forti team was all he achieved.

 
He then became While in F1 Lagorce had continued to compete elsewhere, in 1995 in the Porsche Supercup race at Pau, and at Le Mans where he drove a Courage Chevrolet with Pescarolo and Bernard. In 1996 he raced in the Renault Spider Elf Trophy, winning the championship with victories at Barcelona, Magny Cours (twice), Hockenheim and Nogaro. At Le Mans he finished 7th with the La Filiére Courage C36 Porsche sharing with Pescarolo and Emmanuel Collard. He also competed in the Andros Trophy event in a Seat Cordoba.

In 1996 he set up a business venture, the FLF1 Competition Centre for slot cars just east of Paris. It is the largest commercial slot car track in Europe.

In 1997 he joined the DAMS team to drive a Panoz GTR Ford with Bernard in the FIA GT championship. However 7 retirements in 10 starts, including at Le Mans, led to a disappointing season.
 
1998 was a mixed year, in FIA GTs he made two starts in a Panoz GTR-1, taking 5th at Suzuka and 7th at the A1-Ring. He did some testing for Nissan’s Le Mans effort, driving at the Sarthe classic he came 5th in a Nissan R390 GT1 with John Nielsen and Michael Krumm. He was also seen in touring cars, racing in the Spa round of the Belgian Procar championship, taking 3rd in a Renault Megane sharing with Vanina Ickx. He also drove in the Spa 24hr classic in another Renault Megane, again claiming 3rd but this time with Pierre-Yves Corthals and Kurt Mollekens.

In 1999 he again appeared in Belgian Procars, winning the Spa 4hrs with Corthals in a Renault Megane. In the Sports Racing World Cup and drove a Riley & Scott, retiring at Donington, the Nurburgring and Magny-Cours. He raced in the Andros Trophy, coming 19th in a Honda.

At Le Mans he was to drive for the AMG Mercedes-Benz team with Bernd Schneider and Pedro Lamy. 6th fastest in pre-qualifying, they then watched Mark Webber flip twice in one of the sister cars. They started the race but, when Peter Dumbreck also flipped after 5 hours, they sensibly withdrew.

For 2000 he joined the DAMS Cadillac Northstar LMP team but it turned out to be another dissapointing year. In 2001 he made one start in the French GT championship, finishing 9th at Pau. In sports prototype racing he joined the works Panoz Motorsports team driving a Panoz LMP07 once again with little to write home about. In ALMS he made six further starts partnering Graf in a Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S with a 4th at Sears Point the only result of any note.
 
He switched to the French Super Touring car Series in 2002.