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American LeMans
ALMS: Le Mans Challenge Test Report
SPEEDtv.com goes inside the first test of the new-for-2010 Le Mans Prototype Challenge car at Road Atlanta.
Marshall Pruett  |  Posted October 03, 2009   Oakland, CA
ALMS star Gunnar Jeanette turned the first laps in the FLM09, posting fast laps immediately. (LAT)
The American Le Mans Series has pinned its hopes on the newly announced Le Mans Prototype Challenge class (LMPC) to usher in greater car counts and lower costs for 2010 and beyond, and in a semi-private test held the day after Petit Le Mans, attendees got their first look at the car in action.

Thanks to sportscar veteran Gunnar Jeanette, the GT and prototype star was able to provide valuable feedback on the ORECA-Chevrolet’s performance and characteristics.

Background

Referred to as the FLM09 (Formula Le Mans ’09) chassis, the French-built, American-powered prototype started life as a Courage LC70, from which the Courage LC75 and Acura ARX-01a/b prototypes have evolved from.

Citing a need to create a cost-conscious prototype feeder series, the Automobile Club de L’Ouest (ACO) worked directly with ORECA to develop the FLM09, centerpiece of the six-round Formula Le Mans championship launched in May as Spa-Francorchamps.

A soft economy and diminishing prototype car counts made it easy for the ALMS to announce the formation of the Le Mans Prototype Challenge class for 2010, and use of the FLM09 for their version of the Formula Le Mans series.

While the LMPC car represents the series’ first embrace of a spec prototype, it isn’t the first time budget-minded sportscars have raced in the ALMS. Few would argue that the Nissan-powered Lolas and Pilbeams in the former P675 class made a lasting impression with their looks or performance, but they did allow entrants to race a prototype in the series on a very modest budget.

Beneath The Skin

The FLM09 is a fitting choice for this new initiative, as the car’s carbon fiber chassis, carbon brakes, and paddle-shift gearbox are in line with the established technology used in the LMP1 and LMP2 categories.
The FLM09 is a highly conventional chassis, utilizing a carbon fiber tub that receives the engine, transaxle and rear suspension through steel trunnions via pickup points in the rear bulkhead. (Marshall Pruett)

The two main areas of control in the LMPC category are found with the engines and tires. The FLM09 comes with a 6.2L, 430hp Corvette LS3 engine as standard, supplied as a ‘crate motor’ from the GM Performance catalog. Barring the installation of a dry-sump oiling system and bespoke fittings to mate the engine and its ancillaries to the chassis, the rumbling V8 is stock.

The Michelin-shod FLM09 is fitted with the same S9C model used in the European series, and draws heavily on their extensive prototype tire compound and construction experience.

As far as ACO-based LMP cars go, the FLM09 is rather basic in its execution. For existing prototype teams, the range and options for chassis and aerodynamic tuning could be seen as limited, but for a GT entrant moving upwards, the FLM09 won’t demand an extensive learning process.

Unlike most of the current P1 and P2 cars, the FLM09 doesn’t have torsion bars, third spring/dampers, highly complex aerodynamics, a cockpit filled with vast instrumentation, a chassis outfitted with elaborate data acquisition systems, or many of the other trappings of outright performance and speed.

Chassis tuning is achieved through the same means found on most sportscars and junior formula categories -- springs, anti-sway bars, bump and rebound adjustments, ride height, camber and toe, and tire pressures are what owners will have to work with.

Aerodynamics are kept equally as simple, with only the rear wing angle available to adjust. Dive planes are not used, placing further reliance on the rear wing to balance the front/rear downforce percentages.

Availability, Information, And Administration

At the announced price of $397,500 (or $357,500 for a used Formula Le Mans chassis), the series plans to deliver each car turn-key 10 weeks after an initial deposit is made, with a manual provided to each new owner on the care and feeding of the FLM09, and a base setup sheet provided by ORECA.
Powered by a production Corvette LS3 V8 using a paddle-shift Xtrac 6-speed to put its 430hp to the ground, the FLM09 has a mix of high-tech and basic components. (Marshall Pruett)

In a bid to maintain development costs, the series plans to provide entrants with data on a full range of aero and damper data that will supplant the need (or eligibility) for teams to book their own time in a wind tunnel or on a 7-post rig. Severe penalties are expected for any team found to breach the wind tunnel or 7-post ban.

The LMPC cars will race as their own class within each of the 9 ALMS rounds in 2010, and will be administered by IMSA. FLM09 parts and servicing contracts are being finalized, but an established vendor will be in place to support the LMPC paddock. Gearbox manufacturer Xtrac is expected to provide support contracts to manage the care of both their units and the MegaLine shifting systems, thus eliminating the need for teams to hire a dedicated gearbox technician.

Damper manufacturer Ohlins and electronics manufacturer Magnetti Marelli are also expected to provide trackside support for LMPC teams. Elan Power Products will handle the engine rebuilding at a mandated intervals of 4000 miles (6400km) at a price in the $20,000 range.

Tires from Michelin are expected to sell for $2500 for a complete set, with the limit of sets per event varying on race distance.

Driver eligibility for LMPC falls under a somewhat complex formula, but in brief, one professional driver and one gentleman driver are allowed per car. FIA licensing requirements are based on age and experience for the non-professional pilots.

Driving The FLM09

“When I climbed in, it felt just like the Courage LMP2 car I drove at Le Mans in 2004,” said Gunnar Jeanette, “and that’s because it’s almost identical to that car.

Once inside the car, Jeanette commented on the ergonomics. “They have their base carbon seat shell in there which is a little bit tight. I wouldn't want to be much taller than I am now with that carbon-based seat. But it's tough business fitting anybody over 6’ and I'm right at 6’ or 6’ 1”, so I think that’s a fairly good indication that we’re going to be able to get most people in comfortably.

“The layout of the car is pretty nice. The steering wheel is good, the paddles are in a good position, you can see the dash fine, all the switches are where you need to be, the brake bias, all that stuff is good. The mirrors are in a nice placement. The pedal layout is also good. I'm sure you can make little adjustments here and there, which I'm sure that every team will fine tune to their driver’s preference. But it's a race car, it’s what you want it to be. Very straightforward.”

Once on the 2.54-mile Road Atlanta circuit, Jeanette offered his first impressions of the FLM09 and noted the difference in power from the LMP2 engines he’s driven recently.
Working with the ace ORECA team, Jeanette tried a number of setup changes to evaluate the handling and responsiveness of the new Le Mans Prototype Challenge car. (Marshall Pruett)

“After that the first flying lap I definitely had a smile on my face. It's a real prototype. You can feel that the motor doesn’t have that last bit of power a turbo P2 engine has, but that’s not critical in this car because all of the engines are the same. It gets up and moves, for sure, and the Chevy is completely linear in its power delivery. It’s not like driving a super peaky turbo car or anything like that where you really have to keep it in a small rev range. It’s not so powerful that a gentleman driver will be overwhelmed, but it’s not so underpowered that professional drivers will get bored. It’s a nice balance.”

After more laps in the car, Jeanette discussed his thoughts on the aerodynamics and the setup on the FLM09.

“Keep in mind the track today is completely green and that the FLM09 has a very ‘European’ setup; any curb moments or that kind of thing definitely upsets the car. It’s far too stiffly sprung for a bumpy track like Road Atlanta, and there’s a lot of time to be found just in tailoring the setup to suit the track. The aero balance is pretty good. It’s a little pointy right now but it's not twitchy, and to be honest, I kind of like that. It's nice at high speed to get the front to point. It's not something where you're going, ‘What the heck is this thing going to do now?’ It gives very good feedback as to what the car is doing. You can flat slide it out of turn seven on the throttle and the same thing with 10B.”

With ORECA supplying an engineer and mechanics to run the car during the test, Jeanette called for a few setup changes to assess the FLM09’s reaction.

“It was pretty responsive. We did a small ride height change in the front. We did a damper change at the rear and then a wing change, the wing change being the largest of those to just kind of settle the thing down a little bit under braking. It was a little on the pitch sensitive side. I would definitely like to go through a range of springs and try to get it into a more American sort of track window. But, I'm really encouraged thus far.”

ORECA also adjusted the Michelin’s tire pressures to give Jeanette a feel for their grip and characteristics.

“I can honestly say that I've never driven on their tires and been disappointed, and this falls right into that category. With it being a ‘customer’ tire they need to make sure that it's not evil on low pressure or when it’s cold or any of that kind of stuff and it was exactly that, it was wonderful. You knew the grip wasn't there on my installation lap, but the tire wasn't trying to bite you or the car wasn't trying to bite you in any way. You’d slide it around a little bit and just ease off the throttle to tidy the rear up. Overall, they gave a lot of feedback.”

The Figures

The Road Atlanta staff spent all morning cleaning up the track after the heavy downpour and ensuing rivers of mud affected the surface conditions, and by noon, Jeanette was first out to perform his test. In three stints totaling 11 laps, he set an initial string of lap times at 1:19.75, 1:19.03, and 1:17.93.
The engine bay is relatively uncluttered, making it easy to access to key components. (Marshall Pruett)

His brief second stint contained his fastest lap, 1:17.83, followed by laps in the 1:18 to 1:20 range on his third stint as he evaluated ORECA’s setup changes.

Estimating the FLM09’s outright pace at Road Atlanta isn’t an exact science, but in the dry the day before, the race-winning LMP2 Lola-Mazda set a fastest race lap of 1:13.08, albeit in cooler conditions. That lap was set with rubber laid down from more than 20 cars lapping the circuit. Jeanette had the benefit of a warmer track surface, but no rubber build-up.

With improved track conditions, a chassis setup more conducive to bumpier tracks, and more than 11 laps in the car, Jeanette reckoned laps in the 1:15 range wouldn’t be hard to achieve. “It was pretty easy getting into the 1:17s, but getting the last few seconds is always what takes the most time. It has a few seconds left to be found – it’s definitely in there.”



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