Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus will not return to the FIA WEC’s Hypercar class next season, bringing the end to a three-season program with its SCG 007.
Speaking to RACER, team founder and owner Jim Glickenhaus cited a lack of funds to invest in upgrading the Podium Engineering-built, Joest Racing-prepped 007s as the reason behind the decision. A significant seven-figure sum, he feels, would be required to keep up with the development curves from the OEMs that now compete in the FIA WEC’s top class.
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“In the beginning, after the wrong turn taken to accommodate the original Aston Martin Valkyrie LMH, it was pretty simple. You built a car within the regulations that could do a 3:30 at Le Mans and you were all set for the duration.
“Since then though there’s been an all too predictable shift to the manufacturers driving forward development while we are on the very edge.
“To carry on in anything like a competitive state we’d have to invest in a magnesium block for the engine or would have to run the current engine so lean that heat management would become an issue, meaning investment in new bodywork.
“Put that all together and there are sums involved that we simply can’t justify spending as we work on building the road car side of the business.”
Jim Glickenhaus does however leave the FIA WEC with his head held high, after a number some impressive achievements across his team’s 12 race starts over the past three seasons, which included three two-car efforts at Le Mans.
While the WEC adventure never produced a race win, the SCG 007 did take pole positions at both Spa and Monza in 2022 after topping the times at the Le Mans Test Day in 2021. The team also scored a WEC podium at Sebring in 2022.
By far the most impressive achievements of the programme though, came at Le Mans. Six starts, and six finishes, including a podium finish in 2022 running of the 24 Hours is something the team is hugely proud of.
The team also finished no lower than seventh in its three visits to the Circuit de la Sarthe.
“This year we beat Peugeot and we beat Porsche and that’s yet another chapter in an adventure that we can cherish,” he said.
“We’ll wave farewell with some regrets that the ruleset effectively rendered us uncompetitive, but will wish everyone well for an exciting era in a sport that all at Glickenhaus are totally passionate about.”
