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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: Level 5 Stands Down From P2 For 2013
Three-time ALMS class championship-winning squad abandons P2 plans; open to factory and customer team opportunities...
Level 5 Motorsports confirmed to SPEED.com Monday that it has abandoned plans to compete in the American Le Mans Series' P2 category in 2013. (Photo: John Dagys)
With no signs of a competitive, or even a single committed full-time entry in the American Le Mans Series P2 class, along with some uncertainty still looming over the class structure of the unified championship in 2014, Level 5 Motorsports has elected to sit on the sidelines from ALMS prototype racing, with immediate effect.
Team manager David Stone has confirmed to SPEED.com that the three-time ALMS championship-winning squad has abandoned plans defend its P2 title in 2013.
"We're just not seeing any firm signs of seeing a field of P2 cars for the season,” Stone said in a SPEED.com exclusive interview. “There are some teams talking about doing this or that, that might add up to two or three races, but we don't want to end up in a 2011-like situation.”
READ: Q&A With Level 5's David Stone
Level 5 was the first U.S.-based team to embrace the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s cost-capped prototype platform, running unopposed in 2011 before seeing the arrival of Conquest Racing and Dempsey Racing last year.
But with both teams’ 2013 programs in jeopardy, and no other apparent full-season effort in the pipeline, Level 5’s Stone and team owner Scott Tucker made the decision to park its two HPD ARX-03bs in order to re-evaluate their long-term goals.
“Time is getting so close that we're not going to wait until the last minute to decide what we're going to do,” Stone said. “So we're going to move on unless something else comes up.
"This is what we're saying today and what we believe we will do today. But could circumstances change and change our mind? Certainly.”
One such option, Stone says, is offering its expertise to other parties, both in the form of supporting a potential factory effort as well as customer programs. With the core of the team still employed for 2013, Level 5 could still prepare and operate entries for gentlemen racers, ideally wanting to compete in P2.
In addition to the pair of HPDs, the team also owns two Lola B11/80 coupes and a Lola B11/40 spyder, all of which could be run in the ALMS, ELMS or even the FIA World Endurance Championship, for interested parties.
“We’re looking for new opportunities” Stone said. “It could be services of all sorts for anybody in racing. If someone wants to come over from Europe and just run Sebring, or any other race, we can do it. We have the infrastructure to provide a turn-key operation to anyone.”
Entry requests for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and WEC are due on Wednesday, although Stone has set a deadline of Feb. 28 for any potential full-season program in the ALMS.
Level 5, however, still plans to compete in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Tucker as the only confirmed driver thus far.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
Team manager David Stone has confirmed to SPEED.com that the three-time ALMS championship-winning squad has abandoned plans defend its P2 title in 2013.
"We're just not seeing any firm signs of seeing a field of P2 cars for the season,” Stone said in a SPEED.com exclusive interview. “There are some teams talking about doing this or that, that might add up to two or three races, but we don't want to end up in a 2011-like situation.”
READ: Q&A With Level 5's David Stone
Level 5 was the first U.S.-based team to embrace the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s cost-capped prototype platform, running unopposed in 2011 before seeing the arrival of Conquest Racing and Dempsey Racing last year.
But with both teams’ 2013 programs in jeopardy, and no other apparent full-season effort in the pipeline, Level 5’s Stone and team owner Scott Tucker made the decision to park its two HPD ARX-03bs in order to re-evaluate their long-term goals.
“Time is getting so close that we're not going to wait until the last minute to decide what we're going to do,” Stone said. “So we're going to move on unless something else comes up.
"This is what we're saying today and what we believe we will do today. But could circumstances change and change our mind? Certainly.”
One such option, Stone says, is offering its expertise to other parties, both in the form of supporting a potential factory effort as well as customer programs. With the core of the team still employed for 2013, Level 5 could still prepare and operate entries for gentlemen racers, ideally wanting to compete in P2.
In addition to the pair of HPDs, the team also owns two Lola B11/80 coupes and a Lola B11/40 spyder, all of which could be run in the ALMS, ELMS or even the FIA World Endurance Championship, for interested parties.
“We’re looking for new opportunities” Stone said. “It could be services of all sorts for anybody in racing. If someone wants to come over from Europe and just run Sebring, or any other race, we can do it. We have the infrastructure to provide a turn-key operation to anyone.”
Entry requests for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and WEC are due on Wednesday, although Stone has set a deadline of Feb. 28 for any potential full-season program in the ALMS.
Level 5, however, still plans to compete in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Tucker as the only confirmed driver thus far.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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