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part 2

Rain, hail and snow can’t stop No. 8 Toyota at Spa
Image by LAT187 sharessharetweetemailBy: Stephen Kilbey 8 hours ago
Third in the classification was originally the No. 91 Porsche. However, the car dropped to eighth after it was handed a penalty for causing a collision just before the red flag came out. With the team unable to react to it before the field was neutralized, the organizers handed it a post-race time penalty.

That promoted the No. 92 Porsche to third, and the No. 82 MTEK BMW to fourth, putting Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen on the brink of the World Drivers’ title.

It was a strange race for BMW, and Ford. The MTEK M8 GTEs spent the race rising and falling down the order, clawing their way back into contention in the final hour. With the future of BMW’s WEC program believed to be in question, will MTEK’s determination in Belgium, fighting hard with a car that often wasn’t quickest, make a difference in the final decision from the board?

Ford, which is also going through a similar situation with its future in the WEC believed to be in doubt, was the only brand that really was unable to stay in the fight. After taking pole yesterday, the GTs didn’t have the raw pace in the poor conditions. A drive-through for the No. 67 and a gamble on tires for the No. 66 also proved costly, with the former finishing fifth, and the latter 10th.

Nicki Thiim, who along with Marco Sorensen had a wild race, battling for podium spots on multiple occasions, surviving multiple collisions, finished a disappointing seventh in the No. 95 Aston Martin. The Dane summarized the race perfectly: “It was goddamn rock and roll out there!”
LMP2 was also a real lottery. US-flagged team DragonSpeed, which now shifts its focus to its maiden Indy 500 run, won the class for the first time this season.
Pastor Maldonado, Anthony Davidson and Roberto Gonzalez had to beat out G-Drive Racing’s Aurus and Signatech’s Alpine A470 to win, after the car vaulted to the lead in the final hour. Despite a late question mark hanging over the team’s win, as Gonzalez was just over a minute short on drive time, the red flag saved it from having to pit right at the end. G-Drive Racing also looked to have to pit at the end too, for fuel, but was ‘saved by the bell’.

For much of the second half of the race, it looked like LMP2 points leaders Nicolas Lapierre, Pierre Thiriet and Andre Negrao would be fighting their rivals in the standings in the No. 38 Jackie Chan DC Racing ORECA for the win. But a third-place finish was all they could muster.

Crucially though, by finishing ahead of Stephane Richelmi, Ho Pin Tung and Gabriel Aubry in the No. 38 (who came home fourth), they extend their points lead marginally ahead of Le Mans.

Dempsey Proton’s habit of coming out of nowhere to win GTE Am convincingly continued in the hotly-contested Am class.

The No. 77 Porsche, which surely would have romped its way to the title had it not had its all points taken away by the organisers halfway through the season, won again. Christian Ried, Matt Campbell and Riccardo Pera finished five seconds clear of the TF Sport Aston Martin.

Once again TF Sport came close to winning the class at Spa, but not close enough. However, Euan Hankey, Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood did all have a superb run and will be confident in their chances of a strong result at Le Mans.

The big story from the class though came from two cars that finished behind Clearwater’s Ferrari which completed the podium.

Spirit of Race and Project 1, who are locked in a battle at the top of the GTE Am title race, finished up fourth and fifth respectively, after drama in the closing stages. The Spirit of Race Ferrari, which is the chaser in the points, was spun at the Bus Stop by the No. 91 Porsche, dropping Giancarlo Fisichella behind the Project 1 machine.

Moments later though, Egidio Perfetti in Project 1’s 911 came into contact with the Clearwater Ferrari at Piff Paff, sending the Norwegian into the barriers. He did continue but finished behind the Ferrari, closing the points gap ahead of the finale to 23 points!

The top five cars are still mathematically in with a shout too, the TF Sport Aston, the No. 77 Proton Porsche and No. 98 Aston Martin all still in the hunt.

Next up on the calendar is the final race of the 2018/19 ‘Super Season’, at Le Mans, next month. And there’s still so much to play for.

RESULTS

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Porsche, Spa, Toyota, Le Mans/WEC

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Porsche to proceed with caution at Spa with titles on the line

Images by LATsharetweetemailBy: Stephen Kilbey 15 hours ago
Today’s FIA WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is set to be a crucial one for Porsche’s factory GTE Pro team. After a dominant run this season, scoring three class wins (with a 1-2 at Le Mans) and five further podiums between its two 911 RSRs, it comes down to today’s race and the second Le Mans of the 2018/19 ‘Super Season’ to secure the world championships.

As it stands, Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen in the No. 92 Porsche lead the Drivers’ standings ahead of the sister No. 91 of Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz, who are 25 points adrift.

Porsche’s rival in the class is now Ferrari. The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari of James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi is third in the Drivers’ standings but 44.5 points back, and the Prancing Horse is second in the Manufacturers’ standings, 100 off the lead. So a strong haul of points today will see Porsche head to Le Mans in comfort, it can seal the Manufacturers’ crown easily and eliminate the No. 51 Ferrari from Drivers’ title contention.

More Le Mans/WEC!

Rain, hail and snow can’t stop No. 8 Toyota at Spa

PRUETT: A global future for DPi?

Toyota locks out Spa front row as lap records fall

Realistically, the fight for the Drivers’ title is now between the two Porsche crews — it can be sealed here but the No. 91 will need to finish well. 64 points are still available, 25 points for today’s win, 37 points for a Le Mans win and a point for pole in France too.

Because of this, Estre says the No. 92 Porsche’s real competition is the sister car, and the weather. With the forecast poor today, caution will be key.

Overnight ahead of the race the area surrounding the circuit in Belgium’s Ardennes Forest was covered in snow. But the real threat for today’s race may well be rain. The circuit itself clear of the white stuff, but heavy rain is forecast to last from the build-up to the race until late in the evening.

“Our pace is good on long runs this year, and this dictates results in the WEC, not one lap pace. But the race here may be different because of weather,” Estre told RACER.

“It doesn’t look like it will be dry. And if it isn’t then we may struggle to fight for the win, as Ford looks good in the wet, Ferrari will come back, and Aston and BMW have learned a lot. We need to stay focused and confident.

“I think we’ll have the title race in the back of our minds, and in these conditions everyone will be careful. The others in terms of strategy will need to take risks to get ahead and hope for something, so we don’t need to take risks. When you think too much though, that’s when you make mistakes, you drive differently when you think of a championship.

“We’ve had a mega year, have made so few mistakes. That’s been the difference. If one car has made a mistake, the other has ended up on the podium. Consistency has left us at the top in the championship. We’ve kept our drivers and crew the same all season, ridden our luck, and it’s been Porsche’s year as a result. We’ve not dominated like crazy, we’ve just executed where it matters.”

Porsche’s 911 RSRs will start mid-pack on the grid today, seventh and eighth, but all they need is a solid haul of points to win the GT Manufacturers’ FIA World Endurance Championship. If Porsche doesn’t drop 33 points to Ferrari then it wins, it needs to head to Le Mans with a 67 point lead to win the title.

In simple terms, Ferrari needs a 1-2 and for Porsche to have a bad run to keep the race alive.

“It wasn’t our best qualifying,” said Pascal Zurlinden, Porsche’s Director GT Factory Motorsport. “We’d hoped to be in the top five. Unfortunately, not everyone got a perfect lap or their good lap was annulled. The competition is very tight. If we scored this result in tomorrow’s race we’d be manufacturer world champions.

“So, nothing is lost yet. And anything is possible in a six-hour race, especially with the weather forecast predicting rain.”

If they don’t get full points awarded today due to the weather, if Porsche has an uncharacteristically poor result and titles do go down to the wire, then the pressure shifts to Le Mans, which Estre says will make for a tough week in France.

“Hopefully we will win it all before! But Drivers’ title wise it will be tough. We will be thinking about the win at Le Mans, but we’ll keep the championships in mind. If the championship is not done, then you have a huge pressure coming into Le Mans — which is what the WEC wanted to happen.”
Kevin Estre, Porsche, Spa, Le Mans/WEC

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PRUETT: A global future for DPi?

Image by Barry Cantrell/LAT601 sharessharetweetemailBy: Marshall Pruett 12 hours ago
Could IMSA and the ACO be headed for a return of the direct relationship that served both sides for three decades?

And could IMSA’s next-generation DPis, commonly referred to as “DPi 2.0”, become a global solution as the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to complement IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship?

Those two topics have been making the rounds in American and European sports car circles in recent weeks, and the chatter has only increased this weekend at IMSA’s stop in Mid-Ohio and the FIA World Endurance Championship’s round in Belgium. A rumored meeting in Miami, Florida last month is said to have contained leadership from both organizations where the topics were discussed.

The two initiatives, if they prove to be true, would transform global endurance racing overnight. The former could also be the tonic needed to break down the systematic dysfunction that has plagued the ACO, FIA, and IMSA on the subject of shared rulemaking.

The ACO — the French sanctioning body that controls the Le Mans circuit — and IMSA, in its original guise, worked together in an uncomplicated manner from the 1970s through the 1990s where cars conforming to unique classes were allowed to compete in both series. In the most enduring example, the ACO created a GTP class for the great 24-hour race, allowing IMSA’s bespoke Grand Touring Prototypes to cross the Atlantic and vie for GTP class victory in France.
Cooperation between the ACO and IMSA in the GTP era enabled the likes of Group 44’s Jaguars to race at Le Mans, like this XJR-5 in 1985. Image by LAT
The ACO also worked directly with the former American Le Mans Series, which merged with NASCAR’s Grand-Am series to reconstitute IMSA, where the relationship led the ALMS to base most of its classes off those created by the ACO. Minus the FIA, a long and healthy connection between the ACO and IMSA made for positive and unified decision making where both parties found numerous ways to work together.

Under the combined ACO/FIA WEC relationship, IMSA has routinely been cast aside and its interests disregarded as planning for LMP1’s replacement, the vastly troubled 2020 “Hypercar” formula, has been developed without IMSA’s needs being heeded. The same was true leading into the launch of IMSA’s DPi formula in 2017. Despite initially welcoming DPis to compete in Europe, the ACO/FIA gradually walked those overtures back until IMSA’s top class was not allowed to compete outside of North America.

In imagining a reunion between the ACO and IMSA, shared goodwill and the best intentions of both organizations could have incredibly positive outcomes. Reopening collaborative efforts on shared rules, classes, and entries can only benefit the Le Mans- and Daytona Beach-based sanctioning bodies.

Where that might leave the FIA WEC — which relies on Le Mans as the centerpiece of its existence — is unknown.

And if the ACO and IMSA were to come together, where might DPi 2.0 factor into the equation? Even better, could DPi 2.0 be the thing that brought both sides together?

Due to arrive in 2022, DPi 2.0 represents an interesting take on the original formula that has drawn Acura, Cadillac, Mazda, and Nissan — as a contracted supplier — to IMSA’s custom prototype class. Derived from the ACO’s LMP2 class, DPi was an instant hit where auto manufacturers found they could play at IMSA’s top level for a relatively minor annual investment, at least in comparison to the ACO/FIA’s moribund LMP1-Hybrid category.

With heavy costs causing the decline of LMP1-H, and auto manufacturers disallowed from fielding full-fledged factory programs in the WEC’s LMP2 class, the grand idea to pull the FIA WEC out of a tailspin has been 2020’s Hypercar concept. For more than a year, current and prospective entrants have been patiently waiting for a final set of rules.
With 2020 fast approaching, the FIA WEC’s Hypercar concept remains more virtual than real.
Set for a September 2020 racing debut, time has almost expired for auto manufacturers to request and receive budgets to participate. Complicating matters, a frequently evolving set of basic rules have gained and lost a number of core technologies, making it difficult for manufacturers to define exactly what they’re asking for from their marketing and R&D departments, or what the marketing team will have to promote.

Beset with a lack of buy-in from most manufacturers, paddock intel suggests Hypercar 2020 could be shelved in favor of DPi 2.0 in 2022. Nine manufacturers are said to have attended Thursday’s DPi steering committee meeting at Mid-Ohio, meaning five brands that aren’t currently taking part in the class are at the table as the finer points of the 2022 rules, which are likely to include a spec hybrid-electric kinetic energy recovery system to provide a modest horsepower boost, are finalized.

If nine manufacturers are engaged with IMSA on its cost-effective future DPis, how many from Asia, Europe, and elsewhere, would engage with the ACO if DPi-at-Le Mans was an option?

With Hypercar looking like it might fail to launch, maybe the thought of the ACO and IMSA joining forces again, and making DPi 2.0 the next global standard for prototypes as their first major move together, isn’t such a crazy idea.


ACO, DPi, Hypercar, IMSA, Insights & Analysis, Le Mans/WEC

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Inter Europol, High Class Racing teams finalize Le Mans crews

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By: Stephen Kilbey | 18 hours ago


The Le Mans 24 Hours driver list is filling fast, with most of the seats now filled and subsequently announced. Over the past two days, a pair of regular European Le Mans Series LMP2 teams — High Class Racing and Inter Europol Competition — have revealed their third drivers and completed their line-ups.

High Class Racing brings an experienced hand in Mathias Beche to the race for its debut at Le Mans. The Swiss will partner Anders Fjordbach and Dennis Andersen, who will be making their first Le Mans starts.

Beche joins the team having spent most of the FIA World Endurance Championship 2018/19 ‘Super Season’ competing with Rebellion Racing in the LMP1 class in its No. 3 R-13, scoring two podium finishes and a single overall race win at Silverstone last year.

This year’s Le Mans 24 Hours will be Beche’s seventh behind the wheel. The 2012 ELMS champion won the LMP1 L class back in 2014 and finished third overall last year, both with Rebellion Racing.

“I am delighted to join High Class Racing for the Le Mans 24 Hours, and I would like to thank Rebellion Racing for allowing me to compete with them,” Beche said. “I will bring the experience from my successes in the past and help Anders, Dennis and the team to get the best out of our package.”

The 2019 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours will be High Class Racing’s third race with the ORECA 07 chassis (pictured) after it made the switch from Dallara to the French manufacturer over the offseason.

More Le Mans/WEC!

WEC LMP2 class primed for 2019-20 expansion

BMW confirms GTE Pro line-ups for Le Mans

The Week In Sports Cars, May 7

Polish team Inter Europol, another LMP2 team new to racing at Le Mans, has also completed its driver crew. Englishman Nigel Moore will race alongside 2017 ELMS LMP2 champion Leo Roussel and Le Mans debutant Kuba Smiechowski, who compete in the team’s ELMS Ligier LMP2 full-time.

“I am very excited to join the team for the big race. It will be my third time at Le Mans,” said Moore, who races in one of the team’s Ligier LMP3s in the ELMS. “In 2017 I raced in an LMP2 with the No. 34 and we finished ninth in class and the second-best Ligier. So if we can do this again or even better, it would be great. I am also looking forward to driving with new teammates as that’s always fun. A big thank you to everybody who made this possible.”

The 2019 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, the 87th edition, will take place on June 15-16.

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Owen completes United Autosports Le Mans line-up

Image by Nikolaz Godet/LAT


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By: Stephen Kilbey | 16 hours ago


Full-season Juncos Racing IMSA DPi driver Will Owen has been confirmed as part of United Autosports’ Le Mans 24 Hours driver crew, driving its No. 32 Ligier JS P217.

Next month’s 24 Hours will be Owen’s third, his previous two also coming with the Anglo-American team in the LMP2 class. This year he will race alongside his ELMS teammates, 2019 Rolex 24 LMP2 winner Ryan Cullen and former LMP3 champion Alex Brundle.

Owen had been named in the car previously, but until today wasn’t fully confirmed for the race.

“I’m thrilled to be joining United Autosports again for Le Mans,” Owen said. “We’ve had a two very successful runs in the last couple of years finishing third and fourth, so I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity to rejoin the team and I know that we have the car that has the potential to do pretty well.

“We showed last year that we have a very racy car — that combined with a good crew that’s done pretty faultless pit stops throughout the last two years is a good mix. I’ve got a lot of trust in them. I think it’s a great combination and I’m super excited to join the team.

“I’m looking forward to racing with Alex and Ryan. We got along really well in Monza and we showed that we can be right there fighting for the top spots. Bring it on.”

The No. 32 Ligier Owen will drive was a late addition to the Le Mans entry list, following the ACO’s surprise announcement that it will construct two additional (temporary) garages for the race, raising the number of cars on the entry to a record 62. As well as the No. 32 Ligier, High Class Racing’s ORECA was also added to the list as a result of the two new structures.

The two garages are currently under construction ahead of their first use at the Le Mans Test Day on June 2. Along with the image above of the new garages being built between the Module Sportif building and the first permanent garages, the ACO also released the pit allocations for race week. United Autosports has opted to occupy the new garages with its two Ligiers.


Le Mans, United Autosports, Will Owen, Le Mans/WEC

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Ford confirms end to factory GTE program

Image by Bloxham/LAT


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By: Stephen Kilbey | 13 hours ago


Ford has confirmed that the 2019 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours will be the final time it competes as a factory in the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Pro class.

Ford began racing the GT back in 2016, winning its class at Le Mans on debut, and has since taken six additional WEC class wins.

“In 2016, Ford returned to Le Mans to mark the 50th anniversary of our incredible 1966 win, and we celebrated in the best way possible by winning the race,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company.

More Le Mans/WEC!

PRUETT: Ford’s GT decision a harsh reality check

Next-gen Porsche 911 RSR tests at Monza

MTEK left scrambling after BMW’s WEC exit

“To stand on that podium on behalf of the employees was a proud moment for me, and I look forward returning to Le Mans this year to support the team as we approach our final race in this chapter.”

Beyond Le Mans, Ford will continue racing the GTs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship through to the end of 2019 with Chip Ganassi Racing, although the IMSA program, too, appears to be in serious doubt beyond that point.

“The Ford GT was created to take Ford back to the world of GT endurance racing,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “This factory Ford GT program has been a great success for our brand, and we have enjoyed the many challenges that have come our way during this four-year program. Le Mans is not quite the end of the factory program as we still have many more IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races to go in 2019.”

This news comes shortly after BMW confirmed that its FIA WEC factory commitments will also end next month after just one season with its MTEK-run M8 GTEs. That, as expected, brings the likely number of factory-backed FIA WEC GTE Pro cars for the 2019/20 season to just six, with only a pair apiece from Aston Martin Racing, Porsche GT Team and AF Corse now expected.



At Le Mans, Ford plans to bow out with retro liveries. The No. 66 (WEC) Ford GT, which will be driven by Stefan Mucke, Olivier Pla and Billy Johnson, will sport a black livery as a nod to the Ford GT40 of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon that won Le Mans with back in 1966.

The sister WEC GT, the No. 67 of Andy Priaulx, Harry Tincknell and Jonathan Bomarito will run the colors of the Ford GT40 that Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt drove to victory at Le Mans in 1967.

Ganassi USA’s No. 68 Ford GT, meanwhile, will run in the same livery that the No. 68 won the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours in. That will be driven by Dirk Muller, Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais.

The other IMSA-crewed GT – the No. 69 of Scott Dixon, Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook – will be painted in the famous Gulf scheme that Pedro Rodriguez and Lucian Bianchi carried to victory in 1968.

The four factory cars will also be joined by a fifth GT from Keating Motorsports in the GTE Am class, running in previously-confirmed Wynns colors. Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Felipe Fraga will race the purple and orange example.

The GTs will be seen running in public in their new colors for the first time this Sunday at the Le Mans Test Day.




Ford, Le Mans/WEC

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PRUETT: Ford’s GT decision a harsh reality check

Images by Scott LePage/LAT


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By: Marshall Pruett 4 hours ago

In the latest episode of endurance racing’s No. 1 drama “What Will Ford Do Next?,” the plot thickens as the Blue Oval finally makes a hard choice after months of indecision.

Of the five scenarios for Ford outlined by RACER a few months ago, the prevailing wisdom — in that fleeting moment — had the brand’s IMSA and WEC efforts with its GT model being extended for two more years as an IMSA Daytona Prototype international program was explored in the background.

With DPi headed toward a refreshing of its rules for 2022, which will include a modest, spec hybrid-electric system for all manufacturers to use, Ford’s contemplated GT-to-DPi succession plan made sense. Its initial four-year contract was winding down, it needed something to keep Chip Ganassi Racing busy, and a continuation of the GT effort in IMSA’s GT Le Mans class and the WEC’s GTE-Pro category was a no-brainer.

And then, in the two months that followed, a sense of frustration began to set in. Awaiting direction from the ACO and WEC on its 2020 Hypercar regulations, the French sanctioning bodies failed to deliver over and over again, leaving Ford and many other manufacturers in a state of directional limbo.

Racing on an international stage in the WEC, the absence of clarity with the series’ new top class, which piqued Ford’s interest, began to erode its confidence in building a short-term bridge with its GTs to get to a Hypercar class that might not materialize. Why spend untold millions on a one-way ticket to nowhere?

If you’re a fan of the Ford GTs, and are looking for an entity to blame for its upcoming exit from the WEC once June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans is complete, the ACO and WEC await your venom.

Where the dire lack of clarity on the ACO/WEC side led Ford to opt out after 2019, dissatisfaction with where IMSA’s DPi 2.0 rules are positioned for 2022 pushed the brand’s motorsports leadership to underline October’s Petit Le Mans season finale as the last factory outing for its GT program at home.

In the most recent DPi 2.0 steering committee meeting, held by IMSA earlier this month at Mid-Ohio, Ford Performance IMSA/WEC program manager Kevin Groot is said to have made it abundantly clear — with significant sound and fury — about the Blue Oval’s misgivings for what will replace the current DPi formula.

Will indecision over how to introduce hybrid power to IMSA prove a breaking point for Ford there, too?


In front of the series’ technical directors and the other eight manufacturers in the room, an impassioned Groot drove a proverbial stake in the ground on Ford’s behalf: IMSA’s upcoming low-power hybrid system, one that’s received near universal buy-in to date, would push the company away from DPi 2.0.

At a projected 40kw (53 hp), the spec hybrid-electric system IMSA has penciled in as the main technology upgrade from DPi 1.0 simply isn’t enough to attract Ford’s marketing department or, most importantly, its research and development division.

Groot’s immensely clear message, I’m told, was for IMSA to get serious about hybrids, raise the power level and performance capabilities to something more than the bare minimum, and Ford would return to the 2022 planning meetings. While some manufacturers are looking for the smallest, cheapest way to incorporate a hybrid system into DPi — to effectively check the box of saying the car is a hybrid, and little more — Ford wants the exact opposite.

Acutely aware of Ford’s emboldened stance, IMSA will need to decide whether low-power/low-cost hybrid is in its best interest of the DPi masses, or if a rethink on making a bigger embrace of hybrids, something that offers more than the equivalent of a push-to-pass energy boost, to keep Ford in the conversation — and other manufacturers, potentially — is the smarter play.

Based on the Mid-Ohio meeting, no changes to the DPi 2.0 formula will equal no Ford in 2022, and therefore, no interim extension program with the IMSA GTs.

On a related topic, IMSA’s owners at NASCAR are also looking heavily at going hybrid for its next set of Cup Series regulations. A recent meeting among manufacturers and team owners, I’ve heard, included serious discussions on implementing a similar spec hybrid system as early as 2021.

With its longstanding ties to NASCAR, which direction would Ford spend its money if it had to choose between Cup and IMSA to promote its range of hybridized road cars? That, too, is a no-brainer. On America’s racing radar, NASCAR, even with its declining fortunes, is the only series that makes marketing waves.

Possible future shocks in NASCAR could pose a threat to Ford’s GT program from an unexpected quarter…


It’s also the likely cause behind Groot imploring IMSA to give Ford a bigger, more powerful, and more unique hybrid solution to pitch his bosses. Without that high-power differentiator to Cup, selling Ford on IMSA could be impossible if NASCAR and NASCAR’s sports car series end up with more or less the same token hybrid strategies. To add to the fun, IndyCar is considering some form of hybrid component when its new engine formula lands in 2021, also of the low-power variety.

IMSA, once expected to be the domestic leader in hybrid adoption, could be last to the party if NASCAR and IndyCar go forward a year before DPi 2.0 hits the ground.

Separate from the fuzzy future for the WEC’s top class and IMSA’s not-powerful-enough hybrid leanings, Ford’s desire to wait as long as possible to call an end to its factory GT program was done in the hopes of finding something that would keep Chip Ganassi Racing under contract. In light of the issues it’s found with the French and American sanctioning bodies, releasing the team from its obligations was done, from what I’ve learned, to give it adequate time to search for new opportunities.

I’ve also heard that if the missing WEC clarity is found, or the under-powered DPi 2.0 hybrid direction is altered in a timely fashion, CGR would be Ford’s first call. Canvassing the current and future DPi landscape, Ford would be wise to minimize the gap between contracts for CGR; I know of three manufacturers that would welcome an alliance as early as 2020, if not for 2021.

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Uncertainty also will affect the array of aces in Ford’s corner. Image by Michael Levitt/LAT


Finally, spare a thought for CGR’s factory Ford drivers. I’m confident the team’s peerless squad of mechanics and engineers will be busy next year, running cars for another brand, at minimum. But having the plug pulled, especially on the IMSA side, with so few top-tier seats likely to open up next year, will make it hard for Ryan Briscoe, Joey Hand, Dirk Muller, and Richard Westbrook to slot in among their GTLM rivals, or in DPi, where rides with Acura, Cadillac, Mazda, and the CORE autosport-run Nissan effort are anything but plentiful. Most of what’s been found involves four-race endurance roles at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Petit Le Mans.

Within a week of the Mid-Ohio DPi meeting, my phone started lighting up with calls about the Ford factory drivers being alerted to the program’s conclusion and their immediate efforts to seek new homes. That was followed by an immediate request for them to hold off on the employment search, as a new glimmer of hope to stay with the team appeared. A week or so later, the hold was rescinded and the upcoming end to the GT program was confirmed.

On the WEC side, in a matter of days after BMW confirmed its M8 GTEs will fall silent after Le Mans, the series has lost four GTE-Pro cars from the 2019-2020 ‘super season.’ Aston Martin, Ferrari, and Porsche will race among the depleted numbers in the absence of BMW and Ford.

In North America, BMW is expected to stay, which is huge for IMSA. Added to Corvette’s ongoing presence, plus Porsche’s anticipated return, it should have six full-time cars to keep GTLM in a viable state.

What’s harder to ignore is in the span of a week, IMSA and WEC have gone from having three shared manufacturers in their factory GT racing categories to just one with Porsche.

It tells me that the ACO and WEC need to get their act together and either commit to Hypercar or, as RACER recently revealed, possibly scrap Hypercar in favor of DPi 2.0 and give manufacturers like Ford something to build around in the coming years.

Knowing how DPi 2.0 could serve two sports car championships, upcoming decisions on hybrid power could dictate more than just Ford’s interest to stay and play.

LMP1 is on life support. DPi is thriving, to a degree. GTE-Pro/GTLM is on shaky ground. LMP2 is booming across the Atlantic and dying in the U.S. GT3/GTD isn’t allowed in the WEC, but comprises IMSA’s most populated class. BMW’s done in WEC in a few weeks, Ford’s done altogether in October. Hypercar feels about as real as Bigfoot riding a unicorn. And, if all I’ve learned is accurate, the ACO might uncouple itself from the WEC and realign directly with IMSA.

Welcome to the state of endurance racing in 2019. It’s a confusing mess which, in the case of BMW and Ford, has delivered its first big casualties.




Ford, Ford GT, Le Mans, IMSA, Insights & Analysis, Le Mans/WEC

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More Le Mans liveries revealed

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By: Stephen Kilbey | 6 hours ago


Following Ford’s Le Mans livery reveal yesterday, a flurry of other teams have also shown off their colors for next month’s French endurance classic.

Porsche GT Team is set to race with special liveries for its FIA WEC-entered 911 RSRs, the pair sporting a gold trim rather than red and world champion logos on their roofs.

The factory Porsches from the IMSA GTLM program entered in GTE Pro, meanwhile, will run the Brumos tribute liveries they raced with at Daytona and Sebring earlier this year.

More Le Mans/WEC!

The Week In Sports Cars, May 29, with Graham Goodwin and Stephen Kilbey

PRUETT: Ford’s GT decision a harsh reality check

Ford confirms end to factory GTE program

“The gold paintwork on the two 911 RSR racers from the WEC symbolizes the early win of the world title for manufacturers, which is something we’re very proud of,” says Porsche’s vice president of motorsport Fritz Enzinger.

“The Brumos design is one of the most famous and popular vehicle liveries in motor racing. This year this finish celebrates its Le Mans debut. In 2018, our cars sported a special design and yielded us a brilliant double victory at Le Mans. We hope to achieve a similar result this year.”

LMP2 team TDS Racing is another team that has updated its livery, the French outfit set to use a fresh take on its full-season paint scheme, with added silver.

And in GTE Am, ELMS full-season teams Kessel Racing and JMW have revealed striking liveries.

Kessel’s pair of Ferrari 488 GTEs, one of which will be manned by an all-female crew, will run in the team’s standard blue, but with stripes highlighted by orange and pink.

senor honda

The Swiss team, RACER understands, has been forced to source a replacement chassis for its No. 60 entry, after its original car was heavily damaged in a roll at a recent test at Monza. It is also believed to have submitted at least one entry into GTE Am for the 2019/20 FIA WEC season.

Then there’s JMW Motorsport’s Andy Blackmore Design camouflage livery, which pays tribute to its distinctive yellow team colors and 24 Hours of Le Mans itself.

“JMW has a history of producing a unique livery, including our livery competition in recent years,” team principal Jim McWhirter said. “This year we wanted to do something special, to celebrate the biggest motor race in the world.

“The camouflage effect allows us to include a lot of detail, and we hope fans will enjoy looking for each of the features hidden in the design.”






Le Mans, Le Mans/WEC