Hexis' Dumas joins OAK Racing

Philippe Dumas, the architect of Hexis Racing's GT successes, is joining the OAK Racing prototype squad following the decision to close the team he has run for the past 10 years.

Dumas, 34, has been signed by the World Endurance Championship LMP2-winning team to run its race operations in place of Sebastien Philippe, who is leaving to take up a position with ART Grand Prix.

Philippe's duties as managing director of OAK have been split in two: Dumas will be team manager and Serge Lapierre will be executive manager, looking after administration and finance.

Dumas, who took Hexis to the FIA GT1 World Championship teams' title in 2011, said: "OAK Racing is a great team that has just had an extraordinary season. A bright future full of great projects lies ahead of us and I am proud to be part of this adventure."

OAK's only confirmed race program for 2014 is the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, with a solo LMP2, initially with its Morgan-based open car and, from later in the season, a new coupe that will carry the Ligier name. It is unlikely that OAK will defend its WEC P2 title in 2014, as it wants to leave the series to privateers running machinery produced by its Onroak Automotive offshoot.

OAK's all-new LMP1 should race for the first time at the Spa WEC round next May.

Hexis, which contested the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2013, was forced to close after its parent company withdrew funding and a buyer could not be found.