LMP2 – Syndication Server

LMP2 drivers relish the opportunity to take the spotlight at CTMP

Fans may lament the absence of the GTP cars from this weekend’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, but devotees of LMP2 are excited for the class to have its turn in the limelight, and most certainly that’s true among the …

“I think it’s neat from an LMP2 class perspective, what IMSA has done to give this class a spotlight race where they can compete for the overall win,” says Colin Braun, who will share the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA with George Kurtz. “I think that makes it really fun for us as teams and good for our sponsors and partners, and just brings some awareness to how great the racing is in the class. I think oftentimes there are some storylines that maybe go untold or unseen from the TV side, just because there’s so much good racing in IMSA right now you can’t cover everything.

“So it’ll be neat to really have some spotlight on that and showcase what the class is about. I think with the fact that we’re all in the same cars, there’s no BoP to talk about, there’s no different performance levels … it’s how good each team executes and how good the drivers and engineers can come up with a setup that that is fast.”

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Braun has had his share of overall wins, such as last year at CTMP when he and Tom Blomqvist took the victory in GTP. The same is true for several of the GTP regulars stepping into LMP2 machinery this weekend as their regular drivers are competing in the World Endurance Championship race in Brazil. That list includes Renger van der Zande joining John Farano in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA; Filipe Albuquerque with Daniel Goldburg in the United Autosports No. 22; Pipo Derani driving the No. 88 AF Corse entry with Luis Pérez Companc; and Louis Deletraz repeating his stint from the 24 Hours of Le Mans with PJ Hyett in AO Racing’s No. 99 ORECA.

For the Bronze drivers in LMP2, however, most have not had the opportunity to compete for an overall victory in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition. Braun says that’s an aspect that he and Kurtz have discussed, and he’s excited for the starting drivers to have a chance to shine.

“The first part of the race in some of these sprint races, and even the longer-format races, there’s not as much focus on what happens in that first stage. They sort of go to it towards the middle, to the end of the race. But, man, these Bronzes are so good — they’re so competitive, they drive so well, and the racing amongst themselves at the start of these races is fantastic,” Braun says. “So I think we’re excited for the fans to get a chance to see how intense the opening stints are for the Bronze guys and how good the racing is.”

Gar Robinson is another eager to make waves up front as he works through his first year of LMP2 competition after a few very successful years in LMP3.

“My dad [George Robinson] has a couple of overall wins in Grand Am, IMSA back in the day, and having the opportunity to match those numbers like that is something I find pretty cool to have the opportunity to do,” he says. “But at the end of the day, it’s also just a race and something we need to focus on for the overall championship. I think with the pace that we’ve been showing now, we’ve been learning and working on during the break, I think that’s really starting to show and we’re all getting real comfortable with these cars and anything’s possible.”

LMP2 cars haven’t had a chance to explore the wide-open spaces of CTMP since 2019. Scott LePage/Motorsport Images

This will be the first time LMP2 has competed at CTMP since 2019, so several drivers that have not been competing in other classes are relishing the opportunity to have another crack at the fast 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course as well as the opportunity to go for the overall win.

“I think it’s good for the championship,” says Ryan Dalziel, who will have a new co-driver this weekend in the No. 18 Era Motorsports ORECA, Stuart Wiltshire. “I think it’s gonna be fast — it’s been a while since we’ve been there and it looks like they resurfaced some stuff.

“I think it’s good for the LMP2 class in general to be the the lead event. I remember back in the Atlantic days when we got to be headliner at Trois-Rivieres — it’s a little bit of a morale boost that we’re not playing second fiddle to the GTPs.”

The 2h40m Chevrolet Grand Prix for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kicks off on Sunday at 11:05am ET. Live coverage on USA Network begins at 11am. The race will also be streamed on Peacock.

LMP2 at the crossroads

Less than two years out from the expected debut of the next generation of LMP2 cars at the 2026 edition of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the shape of the future ruleset for the category has never been more uncertain. As it stands right now, LMP2 grids …

As it stands right now, LMP2 grids around the world are huge and are packed with high quality teams and drivers, with 22 cars racing in the European Le Mans Series and a further 11 in IMSA. And that’s before you look at the strong fields produced for the Asian Le Mans Series each winter.

But the current regulation set is heading towards the end of its life. Publicly, the plan is for a 2026 debut for the new-look cars that will be Gibson-powered and based on spines from LMDh chassis manufacturers. However, it’s not that simple.

It has become clear that the proposed timeline towards 2026 has never been set in stone, and still isn’t. In fact, it appears at present that a delay to the regulations being introduced is the most likely scenario, though how long that will be is not yet known.

There are signs that we are close to a final decision, but paddock sources in the LMP2 marketplace have suggested to RACER repeatedly that the situation remains fluid.

So how did we reach this point?

Around the time of the Sebring 12 Hours, RACER’s sources held that the new rules were still on track for 2026, though only the ELMS (and Le Mans) would adopt them. Instead, because of the complexities of the racing calendar, IMSA and the Asian Le Mans Series would wait until 2027 to introduce the new-look cars.

In IMSA’s case, using next-gen LMP2 cars in ’26 would mean a debut in January at the Rolex 24, shortening the timeframe for manufacturers to deliver cars to customers. It would also place the burden of debuting the new cars at a 24-hour race not organized by the governing body that controls the rules.

And in the case of the Asian Le Mans Series, should the calendar format remain the same by that point, the introduction would come halfway through the 2025/26 season. That’s not at all practical.

This consensus appeared to have changed by the week of the 2024 ELMS season opener in Barcelona in April. One source told RACER that “a total delay to 2027 or beyond seemed almost inevitable,” with an announcement expected imminently. That never came, though, and a technical working group meeting planned around the Paul Ricard round was understood to have been postponed following a significant meeting held elsewhere. This left the four LMP2 manufacturers and cabal of current teams to ponder whether or not this meant the ruleset would be delivered as planned for 2026.

Either way, the length of time it’s taking to draw up the ruleset is proving to be a source of frustration for just about everyone involved. There is a framework that is near-completion, with itemized costs and peripheral overarching regulations, meaning the green light could be given on short notice, depending on the ongoing tender for electronics coming to a close. But crucially, nothing has been signed off.

Therefore, with each week that passes without a decision, a 2026 debut for the new cars seems less likely. A delay to 2027 appears to be the most realistic scenario but still, a decision needs to come soon.

If everything is to come together for 2026, as planned, the manufacturers need to know how much time they have to play with to finish development work and build up a stock of cars to sell for Year 1. The teams also need time to make the sums work, too.

Is it still possible for the manufacturers to finish designing and building cars in time for 2026 at this point? The answer appears to be yes, though it would be extremely challenging and the feeling is that a firm decision needs to be made before the Le Mans 24 Hours gets underway next month.

The timeline of the new regulations may be the most pressing issue right now, but the actual ruleset being formed and the cost of the cars the teams will be investing in, is the crux of this story.

If forced, there will be teams that will come along for the ride come what may, in part because, as RACER has been told clearly by a senior source close to the ruleset, there will be at least 15 LMP2 spaces on the grid at Le Mans “indefinitely.” That is welcome news for teams and the future of the category. As long as entries for that race are on offer, teams will work overtime to make the sums work.

Bang for the buck…er, Euro, has always been key to the appeal of LMP2 the world over, and the new rules will aim to keep the costs from spiraling. Motorsport Images

So what do we know about the new cars?

RACER has seen a breakdown of cost-capped parts for the cars and what stood out was the overall cost per car, which has been placed at a level not dramatically different to the current ruleset.

The car itself, including electronics (an exact figure isn’t yet available for that element as the tender is ongoing), is expected to be around 560-600,000 Euros ($609-653K). This means that teams are looking at roughly a million Euros per car, with spares. That may sound eye-watering, but an ORECA 07 without an engine, electronics kit or spares, right now will set you back 525,000 Euros ($571K). This is the current price following the permitted rise above the original capped cost to offset inflation.

Looking at the specific elements with costs placed on them, some are supposedly going to be capped at a lower price than the current formula. For instance, a front bodywork assembly is believed to be priced at 38,000 Euros, when it’s 50,000 now.

Another key element of the new ruleset, in which all four manufacturers (ORECA, Ligier, Dallara and Multimatic) are expected to produce cars for customers, is that there will be no Balance of Performance. At least not in a traditional sense. Instead, they will be homologated to sit inside a defined performance window — like LMDh cars right now. And, to keep all four manufacturers in the formula long-term and prevent the current situation (where almost every team competes with ORECA because it’s considered the best car) from re-occurring, a bi-annual “Adjustment of Performance” will be made. This will balance their weight and power. Is this “BoP” under a different guise? We will have to wait and see.

Going into further detail, the radiator dimensions will be mandated and each team will be forced to run to a compulsory ride height level, primarily to increase the life of specific components such as the splitter. Certain parts will also be designed to meet regulations that define specific areas permitted to experience “excessive” amounts of wear.

The weight of the cars is expected to come in lighter than current Hypercars but heavier than current P2s, at 980kg. There will be one homologated body kit for the cars globally and they will be expected to run to the same performance level as the current LMP2 cars at Le Mans. It seems this particular aspect is up for debate, though, as RACER has been given conflicting answers by sources close to the ruleset.

Beyond all this, the scope for the manufacturers to go in different directions conceptually has been squeezed further. They will run with spec exhausts, spec electronics, a spec gearbox and a spec engine from Gibson.

As for tires, Goodyear is set to supply spec compounds to the class in the ELMS and Le Mans through the start of the new era. Currently, the molds for the new sizes (that mirror LMDh tire sizes) have been produced, the first iteration of the tires has been prepped, simulation work is ongoing and Goodyear has told RACER that it will be ready to supply product to manufacturers for the start of track testing as soon as Q1 of 2025.

Michelin, meanwhile, already supplies tires for LMDh. It is ahead of the curve in that sense for its future LMP2 commitments in IMSA and the Asian Le Mans Series.

All this comes together to form the regulations for the new cars, in which the four manufacturers will be pitted against one another to secure customers.

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IMSA season preview: LMP2

In 2023 LMP2 entered Motul Petit Le Mans in a three-way fight for the championship that ended with Ben Keating winning his second championship, this time with Paul-Loup Chatin. With a bigger roster thanks to teams moving or expanding from other classes, and some European imports, it’s very possible the fight in 2024 could be just as close, with even more teams involved.

Picking out what teams those might be is complicated. Very few teams and driver combos start 2024 the way they ended 2023. It’s been a big, boisterous game of musical race seats in the off season.

“You look down the entry list, and almost every car you go, ‘Oh, those guys could win. They could win, they could win,’” states Colin Braun, reunited with longtime driving partner Kurtz. “I think the whole thing is going to be pretty darn competitive. Everyone seems to be kind of gunning for not filling the field but gunning to win. And I think we’ve circled almost all of them on our on our side, looking at who’s competitive.”

They say a Pro-Am pairing is only as good as the Bronze, so let’s start with the guy who many say is the best Bronze in a race car right now. Not only is Ben Keating a two-time and defending LMP2 champ, but the Texas car dealer magnate also was part of the Corvette trio that took the final GTE-Am title in the World Endurance Championship.

Phil Hanson, with whom he’ll drive in the No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 in GTP while doing double duty at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, describes him as, “Scary quick.” Keating is now racing with United Autosports USA, competing its first full season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and partnered with Ben Hanley, who took the Michelin Endurance Cup with George Kurtz last season. It’s a formidable partnership that could easily result in a title for the drivers in the No. 2 ORECA.

Speaking of United, they’ll be running a second car – and two-car teams are a bit of an anomaly in LMP2 – for LMP3 graduate Dan Goldburg, who finished second in his LMP2 debut at Indianapolis last year. Goldburg is joined by Paul Di Resta, a longtime driver in United’s universe, so the F1 and DTM veteran knows how capable the team is.

“We’re not expecting any adjustment time; we’re expecting to be at the top,” declares Di Resta. “[United is] a top team. They come in to mean business and we’re here to fight for the win straight off and try and do what we can. I believe that is possible. And the most important thing is sticking to the true roots of what United is and what they’re about.

“They’ve come here to show a huge statement. I’m not saying that’s going to pay off because you need a lot of luck, but there’s no adjustment time needed. I think they’ve got enough experience and enough tools to hit it hard straight away.”

Kurtz finished second to Keating last season and is looking to move the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR ORECA up a notch. With Braun becoming available due to Meyer Shank Racing’s unfortunate exit, it only made sense for Kurtz to reunite with his longtime driving partner, with whom he won the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am title last season. It’s a potent pairing.

“Last year watching from the outside, and knowing George well, it was really competitive, some crazy battles,” says Braun. “And I think this year, it’s only more competitive and a deeper field. So it’s going to be a big battle and challenge. But George has proven to be one of the best Bronzes in the paddock, and I’m looking forward to driving with him. This CrowdStrike by APR team did a great job in IMSA, we won with them at Le Mans together, so there’s some continuity and some some confidence there. I think we have all the pieces to really achieve this year.”

Steven Thomas and Mikkel Jensen are one of the few pairings returning as-is for 2024, and sticking with the same team, TDS Racing in the No. 11 ORECA. The team that won two races in 2023 should remain a contender. John Farano, the 2022 champion who missed most of 2023 after a crash, should have some success with Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA.

Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel are returning with Era Motorsport. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel are another pair returning with the same team, once again driving the No. 18 ORECA for Era Motorsport. The duo has a habit of winning at Road America, but missed a trip to victory circle in 2023.

For the newcomers, the team with the best opportunity to upset the apple cart has to be Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga and Riley Motorsports. They dominated LMP3 in 2023, won two championships, are have to be considered the strongest threat among rookie LMP2 teams. Inter Europol won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023, and have teamed with 2023 champs PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports to field the No. 52 ORECA for Jakub Smiechowski and Nick Boulle, who could certainly see victory. PJ Hyett has drafted Chatin into his No. 99 AO Racing ORECA – liveried as a dragon and nicknamed “Spike” as he moves to LMP2.

Finally, there’s the outlier … Sean Creech Motorsport has moved from LMP3 with Lance Willsey and Joao Barbosa. The oddity? Willsey brought a Ligier to the all-ORECA party that is LMP2.

“I’m optimistic. I think we’re gonna go out there, we’re going to be competitive,” says Willsey. “I’m not going to be grandiose and say that we’re going to run away from the field because we’re most certainly not, but I am confident that with the driver lineup, the team we have behind us, we have all the ingredients in place to be competitive.”

The No. 33 SCM Ligier showed good pace during the Roar. If they can maintain that throughout the season, they may indeed be competitive in what is certainly a stellar field of LMP2 teams.

Braun lands at CrowdStrike Racing by APR for IMSA LMP2

Fresh off winning the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am title together, George Kurtz and Colin Braun will continue their partnership next year in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 class, driving the CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA …

Kurtz and Braun have co-driven across multiple sports car series, including the 2021 and ’22 WeatherTech Championship seasons when they shared a CORE autosport LMP3 for the endurance races with Jon Bennett. They also teamed with James Allen this year to win the LMP2 Pro-Am class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in an Algarve Pro Racing (APR) entry.

“After the success of our first season together, the expectations are high for CrowdStrike Racing by APR in the IMSA LMP2 championship,” Kurtz said. “It will be good to enter the new season with the experience and knowledge of having worked with the (APR) team in IMSA and at Le Mans. I’m excited about Colin joining the team. His experience with prototypes and our history and success together make him a natural fit. I can’t wait to get the season started at Daytona.”

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Braun spent the 2023 WeatherTech Championship season in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing by Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 with full-time co-driver Tom Blomqvist. The MSR Acura visited victory circle three times in 2023 and the duo finished third in the championship. With the cessation of MSR’s activities in sports car racing for the time being, Braun was a free agent.

“I can’t wait to get going with CrowdStrike Racing by APR in 2024 and make a run at the LMP2 championship alongside George,” Braun said. “The dedication and professionalism of CrowdStrike Racing is unmatched and I’m honored to share a seat with George, who did such a fantastic job in 2023. It sure looks like LMP2 is going to be stacked with tough competitors, but we are ready for the challenge. IMSA racing is really special, and I look forward to another season.”

Crowdstrike Racing by APR will look to build on its 2023 efforts that netted second in the LMP2 standings for Kurtz. Motorsport Images Images

Kurtz finished second in the WeatherTech Championship LMP2 standings this season with co-driver Ben Hanley, taking LMP2 wins at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen and the Motul Petit Le Mans, in addition to winning the Jim Trueman Bronze Cup and the accompanying automatic invitation to the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. The CrowdStrike team has set the primary goal of winning the season championship and earning a second consecutive Jim Trueman Bronze Cup for Kurtz.

Stewart Cox, APR team principal, said the team learned from where it fell short of the 2023 LMP2 championship, which will make it better in 2024. Kurtz, Hanley and the No. 04 ORECA did capture the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup title for the class and the team is aiming to repeat that achievement in ’24 as well.

“We’re pleased with how CrowdStrike Racing by APR’s 2023 campaign went, but we’re already pushing on with the intention for next season being to win the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 titles,” Cox said. “We missed out on this year’s by only a few points and we know exactly why, so we will come back with a slightly amended approach that all the math and data says will put us in the best possible position to win the overall championship, and also defend the Michelin Endurance Cup.”

The 2024 WeatherTech Championship season opens with the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 27-28.

Crowdstrike confirms IMSA LMP2 return in 2024

Crowdstrike by APR will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship grid in 2024 with a full season confirmed for the team’s ORECA 07 LMP2 and driver George Kurtz. “It has been an epic first year with CrowdStrike by APR with a race win, …

Crowdstrike by APR will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship grid in 2024 with a full season confirmed for the team’s ORECA 07 LMP2 and driver George Kurtz.

“It has been an epic first year with CrowdStrike by APR with a race win, pole position and a championship-contending team,” Kurtz said. “I’m looking forward to our return to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and building on this year’s solid results. Thank you to Stewart Cox and all the team at CrowdStrike by APR for their effort, and I look forward to another season in 2024.”

The team is currently third in the LMP2 standings with a win at Watkins Glen earlier in the year. Alongside the team’s IMSA prospects, it is also preparing to embark on the upcoming Asian Le Mans Series season. All of that is being set in motion with the goal of returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the team is the reigning LMP2 Pro-Am victors.

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“We’re pleased to be moving the CrowdStrike-Algarve Pro Racing partnership forward.,” said Cox, Algarve Pro’s team principal. “It’s logical to continue our relationship because we’re all here to win and that’s exactly what we have done, most notably taking the LMP2 Pro-Am victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans while also landing wins, two podium finishes, two pole positions and a fastest lap in our first full season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, to also earn the VP Racing Fuels Front Runner Award for heading the standings midway through the year.

“There’s no doubting that CrowdStrike Racing by APR has been a big success in a very short time and has already shown it’s one of the teams to beat in the fight for the IMSA title, and it has also been fantastic to see George (Kurtz) improve ten-fold as a driver. We’re all very dedicated and our end goal is to win races and championships, and there’s a huge desire to defend our Le Mans victory.”

Ben Hanley has driven alongside Kurtz this season, but next year’s pairing beyond Kurtz was not part of the announcement.

Robinson, Riley confirm move to LMP2 for IMSA

As it fights for another LMP3 championship to go with the one it took in 2022, Riley Motorsports is planning it’s next move – a shift to LMP2 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the team and drivers Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga. “I’m …

As it fights for another LMP3 championship to go with the one it took in 2022, Riley Motorsports is planning it’s next move — a shift to LMP2 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the team and drivers Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga.

“I’m really excited to [be moving to LMP2],” said Robinson. “It’s a new challenge for all of us at Riley, me and Felipe. And new car, new competition. I think it’s seen on a bigger scale than LMP3 is. There are new, different tracks we get to go to, and hopefully some other opportunities. I think all in all, it will be a really good move.”

With the announcement, Riley becomes the first LMP3 team to declare its intention to move to LMP2 after IMSA stated the class wouldn’t be included in the WeatherTech Championship. LMP2 is poised for big growth in 2024, as not only are several LMP3 teams likely to move up, but some teams that had been committed to the FIA World Endurance Championship — which will move to two classes without LMP2 in 2024 — will move to IMSA as well. United Autosports was the first team to state it will shift to the WeatherTech Championship last week.

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Riley, Robinson and Fraga, along with third driver Josh Burdon, are leading the LMP3 championship thanks to victory in the only points-paying race so far this season, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Next week LMP3 has its second race of the season in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, and Riley is undefeated there since joining the championship in 2021.

“Some of it has been a little bit of luck. I think we got pretty lucky last year with the lightning thing,” said Robinson of the team’s success there. “It’s not all one thing, it’s a combination of everybody together. It’s a strange race for everybody, I think, because it’s long enough to be an endurance race, but it’s also kind of short enough to still be considered a sprint race. We go from being at Sebring, where it’s long stints and everything’s pretty brutal on you so you’re focused on how physical everything is and it’s a proper long endurance race. And then the Glen is closer to a sprint race; the stints aren’t nearly as long and the track isn’t beating you up the entire time.”

Next year the Glen will be another challenge altogether in an LMP2 ORECA, which Riley should receive in a couple of months. The move was one Robinson had been considering anyway, but the change in class structure for the WeatherTech Championship in 2024 pushed them in that direction. While Robinson has some GT experience, he didn’t really consider GTD an option.

“I got spoiled with downforce cars a little bit,” he said. “I think it was really good route to go. We’re all really excited and we should start start getting familiar with it pretty soon.”

Inter Europol overcomes adversity to win LMP2 at Le Mans

In LMP2, there was drama all the way to the final hour of the 24 Hours of Le Mans before the No. 34 Inter Europol ORECA completed what was a coming-of-age performance from the organization, which scored the first-ever Le Mans win for a Polish team. …

Albert Costa, Jakub Smiechowski and an injured Fabio Scherer (who drove with a broken foot after being run over by the Corvette in pit lane) were superb in the second half of the race when things started to die down. They were pushed to the very end by WRT’s No. 41 ORECA of Louis Deletraz, Rui Andrade and Robert Kubica, who were just 21 seconds behind by the end of the race.

“When I started the race I thought it was over after 15 minutes because my foot hurt so much,” admitted Scherer, who hopped to the car at each pit stop. But with a lot of treatment, I was able to race. The adrenaline kicked in and I was in the flow. Now I start to feel my foot more and more but it doesn’t matter — to win Le Mans means everything. I don’t care if I can’t walk out of here!”

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There were multiple late-race scares for the Inter Europol team, in addition to managing Scherer’s injury. It was under investigation for a pit infringement two hours from the end that would have cost the team its lead if a drive-through was handed out. Thankfully, the penalty was limited to a reprimand.

However, the team’s focus quickly shifted as it had to manually place signage on the pit wall to instruct Scherer to pit in the closing hour as the car’s radio had failed. But they shook it all off and will now celebrate long into the night.

“After our podium at Spa, I thought Le Mans was still too big for us,” said Costa. “But it happened and I am lost for words. I was always following this race when I was younger. So to do it in my first attempt, to win this, is all I can say. It’s amazing.”

Inter Europol Competition’s Jakub Smiechowski, Fabio Scherer and Albert Costa let loose on the Le Mans podium. Alexander Trienitz/Motorsport Images

The No. 41 WRT ORECA of Andrade, Deletraz and Kubica held on to finish second. In the closing stages there was little to separate the Belgian-flagged car and its rival from Poland. But every time the gap between them threatened to get into single digits Inter Europol’s Costa and later Scherer responded.

Completing the class podium was the No. 30 Duqueine ORECA, which was promoted to third after WRT’s sister No. 41 07 Gibson had a nose change at its final stop and dropped out of the top three. It was a frustrating end for Robert Frijns, Ferdinand Habsburg and Sean Galael, who recovered nicely from a front and rear change early in the race after an off in the tricky sodden conditions.

Inter Europol’s victory looks even more impressive when you scan down the final classification and study the teams that failed to feature in the 24-car-strong category. It really was one of the more unlikely victories in the history of the LMP2 class…

Both of United Autosports’ ORECAs, which struggled for ultimate pace in qualifying, hit trouble and came home a distant eighth and 11th.

Prema’s ORECAs struggled too — the No. 63 which featured Doriane Pin, Daniil Kvyat and Mirko Bortolotti in its lineup crashed out overnight and the No. 9 was caught up in the rain, getting speared the out-of-control Racing Team Turkey ORECA at Indianapolis. It limped home 16th.

Panis Racing’s ORECA, with the rapid Job van Uitert aboard, threatened to challenge at times too, but it had a starter motor master switch failure that dropped it down towards the end.

With a 10th-place finish in class, the No. 45 Algarve Pro Racing ORECA of George Kurtz, Colin Braun and James Allen won LMP2 Pro/Am, which was a rather chaotic affair. Of the nine cars that took the start, five of them retired, including the No. 80 AF Corse crew of Francois Perrodo, Ben Barnicoat and Norman Nato that looked set to run away with the subclass honors before Barnicoat crashed out at the Porsche Curves after sunrise on Sunday morning.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS BY CLASS

New class structure confirmed for 2024 WEC

The ACO and FIA have confirmed a new FIA World Endurance Championship class structure for the 2024 season. As expected, the LMP2 class will be removed from the championship in 2024, due to an increase in the size of the Hypercar class (with …

The ACO and FIA have confirmed a new FIA World Endurance Championship class structure for the 2024 season.

As expected, the LMP2 class will be removed from the championship in 2024, due to an increase in the size of the Hypercar class (with additional entries from Alpine, BMW, Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini expected) and the previously announced introduction of LMGT3, which will replace GTE Am.

“We have to make choices as a consequence of success,” said ACO President Pierre Fillon at the annual Friday ACO conference at Le Mans. “LMP2 will remain the premier category in the European Le Mans Series and the Asian Le Mans Series.”

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While LMP2 cars will not be eligible for the full WEC season, there will be 15 spaces reserved on the Le Mans 24 Hours entry list for teams running in LMP2 in the European Le Mans Series, Asian Le Mans Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

This news marks the end of all categories from the inaugural FIA WEC season in 2012, which featured LMP1, LMP2, GTE Pro and GTE Am machinery. It also means that for the first time, the WEC will feature just two full-season categories (Hypercar and LMGT3).

Richard Mille, president of the FIA Endurance Commission, confirmed the intentions for LMGT3 to be a class for Pro-Am teams. “GT is the heart of Le Mans,” he said. “We will emphasize gentlemen drivers, who are key in the WEC. The GT3 platform is the FIA’s most successful customer racing category. It’s a good platform to build on in the FIA WEC.”

Mille also confirmed that entry will not be exclusively limited to customers of brands who already compete in the WEC’s Hypercar category.

“Hypercar is increasingly important. What we wanted was to focus on the Hypercar automakers so they could intervene in the GT3 category, but we are open to makes which are not in Hypercar. Diversity is a criteria.”

WEC CEO Frédéric Lequien elaborated further on the eligibility requirements for LMGT3 entries into the 24 Hours of Le Mans after the press conference, telling RACER: “We will do the invitations, which is automatically linked to the results. And then, the other invitations — it’s the job of the Selection Committee.

“We want to let it be open, and to have the choice to have the diversity on the grid. We strongly believe that one of the strengths of the championship is to have diversity and different car manufacturers. The question is the number of places available on the grid. If we have enough places, I would say that we’ll be happy to welcome all the GT3 manufacturers — and at the moment they all want to come. So it would have been a negative signal to say that it’s only limited to the Hypercar manufacturers.”

Lequien confirmed that manufacturers can choose two different teams to represent them in the LMGT3 field, with each manufacturer limited to just two cars. Entries will be open from October to December this year.

Sebring IMSA LMP2 preview: Reliable excitement

Both the LMP2 and LMP3 classes begin their regular season at this weekend’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Daytona having counted only for the Michelin Endurance Cup and not the full-season points. With its similar and usually reliable machinery of ORECA LMP2 07 chassis with Gibson power, LMP2 often puts on a good show in the races and usually ends in a tight fight for the championship.

John Farano and the No. 8 Tower Motorsports squad are seeking to defend their 2022 LMP2 championship. Farano had several different co-drivers last year and looks to repeat that pattern for 2023 with Kyffin Simpson and perhaps Scott McLaughlin along for the endurance races and likely Louis Deletraz on board for the sprint races when Deletraz isn’t on duty with Wayne Taylor Racing.

“We’re in for the full season, and we’re also doing Le Mans this year, so it’s going to be a pretty full schedule for us,” says Farano. “Do I believe that we can win this thing again? Absolutely, 100 percent. As long as we follow the methodology that we had last year, and there’s no reason not to, I think we’re in a very good position to repeat again this year and have the same level of fun and success.”

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Farano has one big obstacle standing in his way: Ben Keating and PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports. Widely regarded as the best Bronze-rated driver in the business, Keating is back for the full season with Paul-Loup Chatin while also driving for Corvette Racing in World Endurance Championship GTE-Am. However, Keating’s former teammate Steven Thomas has moved to TDS Racing, and taken Keating’s 2022 co-drivers, Scott Huffaker and Mikkel Jensen, with him. That’s a trio that could certainly do some damage to other team’s championship dreams. Era Motorsports’ Ryan Dalziel, who hopes that he and Dwight Merriman can insert the No. 18 into the mix as well and certainly will, believes those two teams may be the strongest.

“I think PR1 with Ben and Paul-Loup is without a doubt the strongest average pairing,” Dalziel says. “Paul-Loup was part of Era for a couple of years there, and we know just how good he is. And Ben just kind of continues to rewrite the Bronze driver rulebook. But I think Stephen Thomas, his package is good. And Farano has obviously stepped up, I think, in the last half of last season and into this season. I think everybody has.

PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports and its strong driver lineup pose a formidable challenge, Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

“Having the European team being involved has raised the game a little bit in P2, but at the same time, I hope that people consider us also a threat. I don’t think there’s one car other than Keating that stands out as, let’s say, the dominant car; but then after them, there’s definitely three or four more cars that can all compete at the end.”

Dalziel, Merriman, endurance driver Christian Rasmussen and Oliver Jarvis suffered a rare blown engine at Daytona, while Tower was at the head of lineup of full-season regulars. But really it was PR1’s race to lose, and a penalty along with a late-race spin and stall by Nicholas Lapierre dashed the team’s chances. But it showed that whoever joins Keating in the car, they can contend and often dominate.

Keating himself referred to the 2023 crop of LMP2 teams and drivers as perhaps the best the class has yet seen, and the course of the season may prove him right. Beyond those mentioned already, there are several teams that could take the fight to the top contenders, and perhaps make a difference in the championship. Rick Ware Racing, last year competing in GTD, has Eric Lux and Pietro Fittipaldi — yes, he’s related to those Fittipaldis, being Emerson’s grandson and a test driver for Haas F1.

High Class Racing is one of those European teams that Dalziel was referring to, the Danish team having landed on the podium a couple of times last year. Dennis Andersen and Ed Jones handle the driving duties. Francois Heriau and Giedo van der Garde will drive the No. 35 TDS Racing ORECA — sister car to Thomas and Jensen’s No. 11 — and could be a threat as van der Garde is often absurdly quick, setting the record pole time for the class at Sebring last year.

LMP2 is often overshadowed by the GTP class; but the equality of the cars and the quality of the drivers make it a worthy headliner in its own right. The finish at Daytona, where James Allen had to pass two cars to win, and passed the second at the line to win by 0.016s proves that — and the contenders for the victory weren’t even full-timers, but MEC-only entrants. The class is close, and entertaining, full of current and future sports car racing stars. Whoever wins the championship this year will have surely earned it.