De Ferran Motorsport 2009 P1 ALMS Entry

[usa318]

During last weekend's Speed TV coverage at LimeRock, Bob Varsha mentioned a strong rumor going around the Acura / HPD garage. Basically- a 2009 P1 entry is in the works and will debut at Sebring in March 2009, with De Farran first in line.

This makes sense to me given it's been two years using the Courage tub. They feel they have the resources to battle with a new Peugeot, Audi, and possibly a Dome variant with Toyota hybrid power (although only for LMS).

Imagine the grid, full of all newly developed factory cars, let's hope for Sebring!

Anyone have a link to a thread or article collaborating this ???

Thanks,

Hunter

[usa318]

*Corroborating

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by usa318

During last weekend's Speed TV coverage at LimeRock, Bob Varsha mentioned a strong rumor going around the Acura / HPD garage. Basically- a 2009 P1 entry is in the works and will debut at Sebring in March 2009, with De Farran first in line.

This makes sense to me given it's been two years using the Courage tub. They feel they have the resources to battle with a new Peugeot, Audi, and possibly a Dome variant with Toyota hybrid power (although only for LMS).

Imagine the grid, full of all newly developed factory cars, let's hope for Sebring!

Anyone have a link to a thread or article collaborating this ???

Thanks,

Hunter

There is none. Tis but a rumor at this point.

L.P.

[chewymonster]

Sounds like a great plan, hopefully P2s will be running ACO spec by then as well.

[Purist]

I hope not; I REALLY like being able to see people take either the Ford (brute force) or the Lotus (light and agile) approach to get to the same place: overall victory.

Besides, if they preclude P2 from overall wins be penalizing them as compared to the original class rules, the class WILL become a last-man-standing joke of a class once again, because the only teams who will be interested will be those who CANNOT run even the RS Spyders at decent pace compared to the P1s. I can tell you right now that Dyson wants to be up there at the sharp end of things, and if P2 becomes incapable of offering that, he'll find a P1 to campaign.

[HORNDAWG]

Well I will be glad when the ALMS finally has enough competitive P-1's to actually fully follow the ACO's classifications. We are no longer running under the 675/900 classes, so let us get on with it!


L.P.

[ss_collins]

Will be interesting to see what Marshall Pruett makes of it

[cmk]

I tend to agree with Purist in that I think there is some value to the 'two different ways to skin a cat' situation we have had in sportscar racing in North America since the heyday of the strong 675s from MG Lola and DBA/YGK/Creation. It rather reminds me of P3.0 and P5.0 back in the late 60s, though those different instruments were often campaigned by the same team on different tracks (908 vs. 917 for example). What is most important is that there is a fair and balanced fight at the front between many teams. Beyond that, well, I would enjoy a single ruleset if it affords that, but I'm quite enjoying the racing that P1 vs. P2 gives us now.

[AU N EGL]

First of how many Accura P1 teams some of us wonder ?

[The Badger]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

First of how many Accura P1 teams some of us wonder ?

Great way to get multiple Le Mans entries ..... works teams have an "official" max of 2 ..... they are all privateers ..... love to see them at LM !!!

[Hugewally]

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

First of how many Accura P1 teams some of us wonder ?

I say 2 P1 and 2 P2 teams.

[aeroehl]

Highcroft really has been the class of the Acura program this year. Good for them, they are a great team.

[johntt]

I reckon we'll see Highcroft and De Ferran get a P1 car, while Fernandez and AGR will stay in P2.

[ss_collins]

I'm expecting something bigger from Tokyo actually - this may go beyond the ALMS

[johntt]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

I'm expecting something bigger from Tokyo actually - this may go beyond the ALMS

And what could that be? Honda are in F1, in Indycar and in ALMS with Acura and are heavily involved in motorbike racing.

The only major motorsports they could enter could be WRC or Nascar (and remember there was this: http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...raftsman+truck).

There have been persistent rumours of Honda and the Ridgeline joining in the truck series...

[Aslak Vind]

Originally Posted by johntt

And what could that be? Honda are in F1, in Indycar and in ALMS with Acura and are heavily involved in motorbike racing.

The only major motorsports they could enter could be WRC or Nascar (and remember there was this: http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...raftsman+truck).

There have been persistent rumours of Honda and the Ridgeline joining in the truck series...

Interesting.

[JAG]

Wouldn't any Honda P1 Le Mans program be run from Europe/Japan, rather than the US, for convinience sake if nothing else?

Traditionally few manufactuers have run Le Mans programs directly from the US.

I could see a factory Honda P1 team based in Europe, with engines still built in the US, and chassis dished out to customers and factory backed teams in the ALMS etc.

[aeroehl]

HDP in California is one of the major powers in American Motorsports. This seems to be more of and Acura/American Market venture than anything else.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by aeroehl

HDP in California is one of the major powers in American Motorsports. This seems to be more of and Acura/American Market venture than anything else.

Upto this point, but a Le Mans program would then be on an international scale and, IMO, invlove Honda Europe/Japan on a greater scale, just like the F1 program.

[Hugewally]

Part of the whole reason why Acura got into ALMS is because Honda is taking the Acura name worldwide.

[usa318]

I think Robert Clark has made it pretty clear that their intention is P1. There was talk of restudying the situation if the rules were not an evolution of the current cars, but nothing has been said since.

So- I think they are still on track, and I can't imagine them (HPD-USA) participating in the ALMS directly against Audi.... and then not go to Le Mans.

I highly doubt it

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by JAG

Upto this point, but a Le Mans program would then be on an international scale and, IMO, invlove Honda Europe/Japan on a greater scale, just like the F1 program.

If it is just the addition of a Le Mans program, I disagree. There is no need for another complete operation just to support going to Le Mans!
Now if they expand into the LMS, then maybe running a sattelite operation out of Wirth's shops.


L.P.

[JAG]

Not sure, I don't think the ALMS alone will prepare a team for Le Mans, in terms of competition sure, but not European tracks, conditions, and regular tyre testing etc.

Joest has run the Audi program at Le Mans, despite having Champion in the US.

It all depends on whether the Honda/Acura program has major ambitions outside of the US, I would think any Honda hybrid program would be a major marketing opportunity for Honda worldwide.

[TWK]

Originally Posted by JAG

Wouldn't any Honda P1 Le Mans program be run from Europe/Japan, rather than the US, for convinience sake if nothing else?

Traditionally few manufactuers have run Le Mans programs directly from the US.

I could see a factory Honda P1 team based in Europe, with engines still built in the US, and chassis dished out to customers and factory backed teams in the ALMS etc.

Why? Perhaps because HPD possesses ALL Honda's ACO/IMSA prototype - chassis and engine - knowledge thus far? Perhaps because Honda's sole exposure to European chassis technology is the Courage chassis they bought to 'jump start" their program, whether that's fair or not? (I can't repeat an off-the-record characterization of that in a "family forum.") Perhaps because HPD possesses all the equipment and facilities necessary? Maybe so they can be near the NA teams that will have spent two years partnering them in developing the technical know-how required for at P1 effort?

Or perhaps because one motivation behind the programs was to build HPD's capabilities, and - like Corvette has done - allow participation and co-development of Honda and Acura NA engineers?


Why would it make sense to move it to Europe? Because Honda's Europe-based F1 program has done so well with the far side of $300 million expended annually?

[TWK]

Originally Posted by JAG

Not sure, I don't think the ALMS alone will prepare a team for Le Mans, in terms of competition sure, but not European tracks, conditions, and regular tyre testing etc.

Joest has run the Audi program at Le Mans, despite having Champion in the US.

It all depends on whether the Honda/Acura program has major ambitions outside of the US, I would think any Honda hybrid program would be a major marketing opportunity for Honda worldwide.

And Champion won Le Mans on its own (say nothing of the real question - in watching performance - whether Joest is actually a better team than Champion currently). Corvette doesn't count? What about GT/GT2 winners? The fact is that ALMS entries have all but dominated Le Mans wins in many years over the past decade, especially before the recent advent of the LMS. Yes, many of Audi's overall wins at Le Mans - and its wins in the ALMS - were Joest. But in those years Joest was as much a North American team, especially in the Audi R8 program, as it was a European team. They maintained a Georgia headquarters/shop, tested and raced in North America.

What tire testing can't an ALMS team conduct without being in Europe?

My opinion is that Honda's capability to develop its capability and compete will be degraded, not enhanced by tranfering it to a European base.