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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: IMSA Releases Sebring BoP Adjustments
John Dagys explores Balance of Performance changes for Sebring and gets insight from ALMS/IMSA COO Scot Elkins on the PC tire switch and P2 drive-time rules...
Muscle Milk Pickett Racing's HPD ARX-03c are among the cars in P1 that will fight for the overall win at Sebring. (Photo: John Dagys)
As teams roll into Sebring International Raceway beginning later this week, they’ll be met with various technical changes for the start of the 15th and final season of the American Le Mans Series.
Among them are the starting points for Balance of Performance, which was released Tuesday by IMSA.
The P1 category sees subtle changes, despite the arrival of Audi and its pair of R18 e-tron quattros. Gasoline-powered cars, including the HPD and Lola prototypes, will run at an increased 890 kg minimum weight, 10 kg heavier than allowed in the ALMS last year, but while gaining 5 liters of fuel capacity.
Audi’s two diesel-powered contenders, meanwhile, will run at a minimum weight of 915 kg with a 58-liter fuel tank, the same configuration expected for this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship. However, entries from Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, Dyson Racing and Rebellion Racing will benefit from a 2 percent larger air restrictor than allowed in the WEC.
No word has been given on the starting configuration of the Elan-powered DeltaWing, which will run as a classified entrant in P1.
Some notable adjustments are also on tap for GT, including a 10 kg weight reduction and 0.3 mm air restrictor increase for the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, with last year’s championship-winning Corvette C6.R receiving a 15 kg weight increase. The Ferrari F458 Italia also gets an additional 15 kgs tacked onto it, while getting a 0.6 smaller air restrictor following last year’s mid-season allowance for ESM-only.
While the SRT Viper GTS-R remains unchanged from Petit Le Mans last year, the Aston Martin Vantage will run 20 kg heavier along with a 0.3 mm smaller air restrictor, per the 2013 ACO BoP numbers. The new BMW Z4 GTE, meanwhile, will begin its life in the same weight and restrictor configuration as the departing M3 GT.
No BoP changes have been made to the P2 ranks, which is now confirmed to remain an open-tire class. However, due to the late timing of the decision, Michelin will supply PC tires to its P2 customers for the season-opener, according to Ken Payne, technical director of Michelin Motorsports North America.
Extreme Speed Motorsports has already announced its relationship with Michelin, with Level 5 Motorsports, which tested on the French rubber last month at Sebring, expected to firm up its plans shortly. Greaves Motorsport, the only other entrant in the cost-capped ranks, will head to Sebring with 2012 WEC LMP2 specification Dunlop tires, according to Dunlop Motorsport principal engineer Ben Michell.
Michelin's Payne told SPEED.com there’s a possibility of having P2-specific tires available to ALMS teams later in the season. Dunlop, which pulled out of full-time ALMS competition, plans to debut its new 2013 development tires in the joint WEC/ELMS weekend at Silverstone in April.
Also on the tire front, Continental was named last week as the new exclusive PC tire for this year, which will see a version of the brand’s DP tire outfitted on the Oreca FLM09 prototypes for the first time during Monday and Tuesday’s test sessions at Sebring.
While there had been concerns the Continental tire might see a performance drop-off from the previous Michelin tire used in the class, ALMS and IMSA COO Scot Elkins has refuted such claims.
"We don't expect to [make any changes] because the Continental tire is a good tire," Elkins told SPEED.com. "But if something outside of what we expect happens, we have the ability to make adjustments to the PC car to keep the class split consistent, like we always have before."
Among them are the starting points for Balance of Performance, which was released Tuesday by IMSA.
The P1 category sees subtle changes, despite the arrival of Audi and its pair of R18 e-tron quattros. Gasoline-powered cars, including the HPD and Lola prototypes, will run at an increased 890 kg minimum weight, 10 kg heavier than allowed in the ALMS last year, but while gaining 5 liters of fuel capacity.
Audi’s two diesel-powered contenders, meanwhile, will run at a minimum weight of 915 kg with a 58-liter fuel tank, the same configuration expected for this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship. However, entries from Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, Dyson Racing and Rebellion Racing will benefit from a 2 percent larger air restrictor than allowed in the WEC.
No word has been given on the starting configuration of the Elan-powered DeltaWing, which will run as a classified entrant in P1.
Some notable adjustments are also on tap for GT, including a 10 kg weight reduction and 0.3 mm air restrictor increase for the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, with last year’s championship-winning Corvette C6.R receiving a 15 kg weight increase. The Ferrari F458 Italia also gets an additional 15 kgs tacked onto it, while getting a 0.6 smaller air restrictor following last year’s mid-season allowance for ESM-only.
While the SRT Viper GTS-R remains unchanged from Petit Le Mans last year, the Aston Martin Vantage will run 20 kg heavier along with a 0.3 mm smaller air restrictor, per the 2013 ACO BoP numbers. The new BMW Z4 GTE, meanwhile, will begin its life in the same weight and restrictor configuration as the departing M3 GT.
No BoP changes have been made to the P2 ranks, which is now confirmed to remain an open-tire class. However, due to the late timing of the decision, Michelin will supply PC tires to its P2 customers for the season-opener, according to Ken Payne, technical director of Michelin Motorsports North America.
Extreme Speed Motorsports has already announced its relationship with Michelin, with Level 5 Motorsports, which tested on the French rubber last month at Sebring, expected to firm up its plans shortly. Greaves Motorsport, the only other entrant in the cost-capped ranks, will head to Sebring with 2012 WEC LMP2 specification Dunlop tires, according to Dunlop Motorsport principal engineer Ben Michell.
Michelin's Payne told SPEED.com there’s a possibility of having P2-specific tires available to ALMS teams later in the season. Dunlop, which pulled out of full-time ALMS competition, plans to debut its new 2013 development tires in the joint WEC/ELMS weekend at Silverstone in April.
Also on the tire front, Continental was named last week as the new exclusive PC tire for this year, which will see a version of the brand’s DP tire outfitted on the Oreca FLM09 prototypes for the first time during Monday and Tuesday’s test sessions at Sebring.
While there had been concerns the Continental tire might see a performance drop-off from the previous Michelin tire used in the class, ALMS and IMSA COO Scot Elkins has refuted such claims.
"We don't expect to [make any changes] because the Continental tire is a good tire," Elkins told SPEED.com. "But if something outside of what we expect happens, we have the ability to make adjustments to the PC car to keep the class split consistent, like we always have before."
FIA WEC Six Hours of Spa
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