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Photos courtesy ee productions/Craig Elliott 2007 and Harold Primat Racing BRASELTON, Georgia (October 6, 2007) — Harold Primat of Creation Autosportif Limited is a man who not only knows where he is going in life, he knows exactly how he intends to get there. Primat’s first race with the American Le Mans Series was in 2005 with Kruse Racing at Sebring, and he was delighted at both the atmosphere and the quality of racing. “In Europe,” he said, “if you are not the winner, you are nothing. But at Sebring the paddock was always full and people would come up to me and talk, even though they didn’t know me, and I felt that we were all part of the same show. I did very well at Sebring for my first race; because of pit stop strategy I even led some laps! Then last year I raced with Creation both at this race and Laguna Seca; we had a podium at Laguna and a fourth place finish here at Petit, and the atmosphere was the same, very friendly and a very high level of competition too.” Primat was born in France but grew up in Switzerland and after his success in Karting he raced single seaters. Unlike most Europeans, his ambition was not Formula One; he actually wanted to race with the Champ Car World Series in North America. “Formula One,” he said, “is much too political, and grim, for my liking. And racing in Europe is all pointed toward Formula One, so either you are winning or you are nothing. I had some success in the lower formulas of single seaters, but I decided early on that sports car racing was where my ambitions should be channeled. I started in formula cars too late, and I am now 33 years old; and I am also very tall.” [Primat is noticeably taller than Justin Wilson, who is 6 feet 5.] “Sports Car racing, for the most part, is more comfortable for the taller driver, and the window of opportunity is open much longer. Mario Andretti was driving at Le Mans at 60 years of age!” At the mention of Le Mans, Primat noticeably brightens, for this is the love of his life. His burning ambition is to win this most prestigious race, and he would especially like to win it with a French team. In 2006 he had the opportunity to run with his own Swiss Spirit team, but did not finish due to gearbox problems; he retired from fifth in class after qualifying 9th. In 2007 he was offered a drive with the prestigious Pescarolo Sport team in an LMP-1 car, and that was a notable achievement in itself. “For a French driver with a French team,” he said, “in the most prestigious sports car race in the world – in France! What more could a driver want? And we did very well although this was the Diesel Car year; although we had almost 90 minutes in the pits with an oil leak, we did finish the race (13th overall) and to come across the finish line at Le Mans was an incredible feeling. My whole season with Pescarolo was most satisfying; 3rd at Spa, 4th at Monza, 6th at Valencia. I am hoping to return with Pescarolo to Le Mans and would like nothing better than a podium there.” Primat is the most well organized driver I have had the privilege of meeting. He has a program for self-improvement and is following it to the letter with considerable success. “My goal for this year,” he said, “is to work on my qualifying and race pace. This year I am running close to the times set by Emanuele Collard [running at Petit with Penske Motorsport] who is a teammate of mine. I am learning to deal with the pressure of running with a front-running team and I am satisfied with the progress I have been able to achieve. I have good people around me who are helping me and I try to take full advantage of their knowledge and advice.” Primat is full of praise for the organizational skills of the American Le Mans Series in specific and North American motorsports in general. “Europe could learn from the Americans about attracting the public,” he said frankly. “Except for England, where they have a history in motorsports, the paddocks are often empty even on race day. And there is no major television contract in France for the 24 Hours of Le Mans! Yes, we have Motors TV, but the quality is not what it should be for that calibre of a race. The atmosphere in America is very good; all the time you are racing here, there is life around you and people interested in the cars and in asking questions that show they have knowledge and are really interested in our answers. They come out in all weathers and they cheer when they see a good pass or display of outstanding racing, whether or not the car is contending for the win. Europe should learn to tap into this excitement and involve the fans much more than they do.” The No. 88 Creation Judd has had a few problems this weekend but overall it is a fast car and beautiful in motion. Harold Primat is very much looking forward to a good race at the 10th running of Petit Le Mans, and with his ambition and history of success, be sure to look for the No. 88 at the front of the grid tonight!