Acura/HPD's future plans

[jross427]

could they use the V10 out of the new nsx?

[Kai]

Montagny, Rossiter, and AGR are a very very good combination, but they all came together far too late to save the program.

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

nice to see Acura coming to P1 and it will be great if they do Le Mans, next year ALMS will be great hoping that Audi will continue even with a semi works effort as 2003-2005

about AGR its sad to see them leaving, Montagny/Rossiter are very fast and doing really well nox, shame, Micheal should hired them from the begening

[AU N EGL]

Acura Announces '09 LMP1 Program http://corporate.honda.com/press/art...,t:ESTHAMJRPYO

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Kai

Montagny, Rossiter, and AGR are a very very good combination, but they all came together far too late to save the program.

Montagny and Rossiter have shown speed. I'm sure others will take this into consideration when developing their programs.

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Montagny and Rossiter have shown speed. I'm sure others will take this into consideration when developing their programs.

There did seem to be a few doubts in some of these threads about Rossiter but he has panned out nicely and does seem quite able.

DK

[deggis]

I guess no answer for this, but are they really going to race as separate teams? 2-car entry under same name is much easier regarding team championship...

[dj choc ice]

As far as the press release is concerned i think putting Highcroft in LMP1 is a great move, super strong team that will definetely get the best out of the car but De Ferran im a little skeptical about, the other LMP1 place should imo have gone to Fernandez Lowes with De Ferran staying in LMP2 as a 2 car or 1 car team.

And in view of the situation with AGR i think in the long term its not a good move, Montagny is one of the best sportscar drivers out there and throwing him away is a bad move and Rossiter is proving himself to be very good as well and the AGR team shouldnt have been ditched imo.

Wonder what engine will power the ARX02a LMP1 next year, enlarged turbo version of the LMP2 engine?

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by deggis

I guess no answer for this, but are they really going to race as separate teams? 2-car entry under same name is much easier regarding team championship...

I think you will find that they will move to P-1 the same way that it was structured in P-2. The teams will own the cars and be "privateers" and Acura/HPD will massively develop the car as the programs move forward and will have the requisite amount of engineers in the pits!

L.P.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by HORNDAWG

I think you will find that they will move to P-1 the same way that it was structured in P-2. The teams will own the cars and be "privateers" and Acura/HPD will massively develop the car as the programs move forward and will have the requisite amount of engineers in the pits!

L.P.

Yes, that is how it looks like. But the way how the (better way, imho) team championship points are calculated, 2-car entry is much more beneficial as only the higher finished entry gets points, unlike in LMS where teams with multiple entries have each entry number scored separately to the championship. Against Audi they're going to need points in every race.

In theory, if they both started using "Acura Motorsports" or something name in the entry list while in reality still being two separate teams, would that be ok by the rule book?


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[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by deggis

Yes, that is how it looks like. But the way how the (better way, imho) team championship points are calculated, 2-car entry is much more beneficial as only the higher finished entry gets points, unlike in LMS where teams with multiple entries have each entry number scored separately to the championship. Against Audi they're going to need points in every race.

In theory, if they both started using "Acura Motorsports" or something name in the entry list while in reality still being two separate teams, would that be ok by the rule book?


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Not exactly sure where those lines are drawn. But I think it is important to the teams to remain as privateers so that they are still eligible for the pts. fund money. Acura will still have the mfg. championship to vye for.

L.P.

[broadrun96]

Anybody else think AGR could be offered a car, if the drivers and some crew remains, but as a true privateer this time around? Was mentioned on SPEED that Acura in negotiations with interested parties for next season.

[The Badger]

I think they "should" get first refusal , considering that they know the car and are a very experianced team .

A "new" team would just waste time getting to know the car , AGR already know it . But on saying that , they really need to up their game .

Look at the results , I would suggest that AGR are a more experianced team than Highcroft are , but look at what Highcroft are doing !!!

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Anybody else think AGR could be offered a car, if the drivers and some crew remains, but as a true privateer this time around? Was mentioned on SPEED that Acura in negotiations with interested parties for next season.

I agree, with Rossiter and Montagny they are proving themselves a force to be reckoned with. I guess the issue right now is how thin do AGR want to spread themselves. They have a 1st rate Indy car team also Indy lights and may be doing A1GP. Add to that ALMS and resources get spread pretty thin. However, they certainly have the sportscar experience and could always let Mario tutor folks on how it should be done.

DK

[cmk]

Originally Posted by The Badger

I think they "should" get first refusal , considering that they know the car and are a very experianced team .

A "new" team would just waste time getting to know the car , AGR already know it . But on saying that , they really need to up their game .

Look at the results , I would suggest that AGR are a more experianced team than Highcroft are , but look at what Highcroft are doing !!!

Some of that, as dxk1 alludes to, is an issue of focus. For Highcroft, their focus is singular. The organization is completely built around the #9 ARX-01b P2 car. There is nothing else in their field of vision, and Highcroft is an enormously professional organization. Because they don't have the history does not mean they do not have the capability. Duncan Dayton has clearly learned droves from his years running historics, and a lot of that is about preparation. When they debuted their 675 MG in 2006, everyone who saw it commented that it was one of the best turned-out protos they had ever seen. Conversely, AGR, as much as they have experience running cars, is really stretched around multiple entries - their 4 IRL cars, their IPS operation, and ALMS. Experience is not enough to make up for distraction without a significant amount of autonomous, focused resource base being developed for the sportscar program.

PS: Marshall Pruett suggests that AGR may be one of those interested parties involved in negotiation. They, just like any other program Acura will consider, need to come up with the funding to present a solid proposal.

[anthonyvop]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Anybody else think AGR could be offered a car, if the drivers and some crew remains, but as a true privateer this time around? Was mentioned on SPEED that Acura in negotiations with interested parties for next season.

When Acura first entered in with the LMP2 program AGR was the defacto "Factory" team a la Penske and Porsche.

Since then the other Acura teams have consistantly outperformed them on the track.
Highcroft has been amazing for a 1st year team. Fernandez has done well considering they 1/2 the budget and 1/4 the resources of AGR and DeFerran has not only impressed in 1/2 a season but don't forget that Gil is a Honda man.

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by anthonyvop

Highcroft has been amazing for a 1st year team.

Umm... what? 1st year team?

[dxk1]

Originally Posted by anthonyvop

When Acura first entered in with the LMP2 program AGR was the defacto "Factory" team a la Penske and Porsche.

Since then the other Acura teams have consistantly outperformed them on the track.

The truth is that AGR have really only been clearly outperformed by Highcroft and Brabs to be exact. They have pretty much performed on a par with the other Acura teams budget aside. Race to race points have been fairly even for AGR, Lowe's/Fernandez and de Ferren overall. Highcroft has clearly been the class of the Acuras.

DK

[CTD]

Has there been released any Acura Lmp1 Photo's yet!?, im really really looking forward to see more Coupe's!

[Aslak Vind]

No it is still in gthe windtunnel, but expect it to be rolled out pretty shortly!

[anthonyvop]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Umm... what? 1st year team?

I meant 1st year with the Acura.

[extramundane]

Originally Posted by dxk1

The truth is that AGR have really only been clearly outperformed by Highcroft and Brabs to be exact. They have pretty much performed on a par with the other Acura teams budget aside. Race to race points have been fairly even for AGR, Lowe's/Fernandez and de Ferren overall. Highcroft has clearly been the class of the Acuras.

I believe de Ferran has mostly outclassed AGR as well, especially when you consider that, 6 months ago, de Ferran Motorsports didn't exist. AGR's driver choices, until very recently, ranged from curious (Marco) to mindboggling (Fittipaldi), and it seems clear that the P2 program has very much been on their back burner this year. De Ferran, on the other hand, has been consistently fast, and has been a victim more of bad luck than bad decisions.

For a longtime, (supposedly) world class operation, with the ties they've had to Honda and the resources available to them, AGR should have been far and away the class of the Acura field.

[extramundane]

Originally Posted by anthonyvop

I meant 1st year with the Acura.

Strike Two.

[Aslak Vind]

I agree.

It seems that AGR had their chance, but Honda had to step in and seek a reasonable season closure with Montagny and Rossiter?

[Zurbert82]

Originally Posted by anthonyvop

I meant 1st year with the Acura.

This is their third year in the ALMS, and their second year with Acura. Last year they ran a blue/silver car with Takata and Forbes sponsorship.