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ALMS: Pruett’s Thursday Mosport Blog: Rumors & Rumblings
Written by: Marshall Pruett   
08/21/2008
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
 
Could we see a pairing of Hand and Melo in a factory BMW next year? Hand last drove the German manufacturer's GT2 entry in 2006. (Photo: Marshall Pruett) » More Photos


A Growing BMW Presence

The volume and frequency of BMW/Rahal Letterman Racing employees at ALMS races has been growing since the Series got back underway after Le Mans this year, and the amount of speculation over their 2009 driver lineup is growing at an equally impressive rate. Rumors of Jamie Melo signing for RLR continue to grow, just as rumors that former factory pilot Joey Hand is in the running for a return the German marque are picking up.

As a fan, I’d pay good money to see the pairing of Melo and Hand take the fight to Porsche and Ferrari’s finest. Hand continues to be the best kept secret in sportscar racing—getting out from under Bill Auberlen’s shadow would surely assert the Californian would do wonders for his career. Auberlen would be a good choice for BMW NA to consider, but their desire to step up and pay Bill's hefty retainer is an altogether different matter.

Salo Considering Retirement?

Guiseppe Risi shared with me that Mika Salo’s contract with Ferrari is up at the end of the year, and the 41 year old Helsinki-native is considering retirement as one of his possible options for 2009. As SPEEDtv.com published at Elkhart Lake, the Finn is also rumored to be seeking a drive with Peugeot in ‘09—one that would keep him closer to home in Europe and would require less of his time. For fans of the rapid ex-Ferrari F1 driver, let’s hope he holds off retirement for a few more years.

AGR is dropped and de Ferran Doubles in Size as the Shape Of Acura’s Plans for 2009 Appear to be Unfolding
The fate of Franck Montagny for 2009 remains unknown with SPEEDtv.com's Robin Miller's scoop that AGR is out of Acura's fold next season. (Photo: Marshall Pruett) » More Photos

Racecar Engineering’s Sam Collins mentioned that Acura’s 2009 LMP1 challenger has been seen on a computer screen, but images of the real-life car are still pending. An announcement of the Japanese manufacturer’s ’09 plans are expected in September. That announcement appears to include only three of the four current Acura teams as SPEEDtv.com’s Robin Miller broke earlier this week while he was scouring for AGR Indycar information.

I’d heard a few months back the Honda was only looking to keep three teams for 2009 and that AGR was on the hot seat as the team most likely to get cut. Following Robin’s more than credible reports, it looks as though AGR’s loss could be de Ferran’s gain as he also says the Brazilian’s impressive turn as team owner has netted him a second entry for 2009.

This helps to round 2009 into better shape as Acura is expected to maintain an LMP2 presence while taking their first steps in LMP1. Based upon the performances of the three teams going forward into ’09, one would have to imagine Patron Highcroft Racing is a lock for the P1 car; with the car designed by Nick Wirth’s team at Wirth Research and their partners at HPD, and Nick working most closely with the Highcroft team, it makes sense for the P1 car to go to their most successful team and driver/engineer+designer relationship.

Gil de Ferran’s team has asserted itself as the #2 team in Acura’s hierarchy, but I’d see the team as a better fit to spend 2009 gaining more sportscar experience in LMP2 while expanding their ranks to a two-car team. Robin also mentions the possibility of Dario Franchitti becoming involved in de Ferran’s second Acura, and to my mind, and whether it’s true or not, it’d be an incredibly smart move on Acura’s part.
Acura's newest entrant looks to be expanding to two cars in '09. Rumors of Dario Franchitti's involvement in that 2nd car are also growing. (Photo: Marshall Pruett) » More Photos

I had a chat on the topic with Radio Le Mans host John Hindhaugh at Elkhart Lake and we agreed signing Dario makes too much sense to happen; he’s famous, he’s bloody fast; the natural rivalry between the Franchitti brothers driving for competing marques is guaranteed to draw interest, and the assembled media would swoon over his wife every time she was in pit lane. It’s a marketing home run, not to mention a brutally effective driver lineup.

So who would land alongside Dario in the car? That’s a great question. I don’t know what kind of contract Franck Montagny has—whether it’s with Acura, AGR, Acura+AGR, or how long it’s for. If the Frenchman is a free agent after AGR bows out at Laguna Seca, Audi needs to be escorting him from his Acura over to their tent to fit him for a seat in the R10 immediately. There has not been another driver in the ALMS series to surpass Montagny on
raw speed since his debut at Lime Rock. No one.

His experience with the other cars and drivers in the series needs to grow (see: Drayson, Paul, Elkhart Lake), but the ex-F1 racer and tester is an absolute stud behind the wheel of a sportscar. Add in his testing and development prowess and Montagny becomes the most sought after driver for 2009. Provided he’s available…

Finally, the Lowe's Fernandez Acura team is a great choice to join Highcroft in the LMP1 ranks despite their relative lack of results. The team has had a few off days this year, but more often than not, they’ve just been on the wrong side of good fortune. They can’t continue to be a lightening rod for bad luck, and a move to P1 is a great fit for a team with a decade of experience running in top series.

The final whisper about the P1 program is that it might utilize hybrid power. With Zytek set to go hybrid and Peugeot’s engine team almost a year into their own hybrid developments, more than a few manufacturers have their calendars set for the ACO's September 15th rules announcement to clear the way and chart a path for hybrid usage.

Embassy+Acura?
LMS team Embassy Racing could swap their Zytek LMP2 engine for Japanese power in the back of their WF01 chassis in '09, we're told. (Photo: Marshall Pruett) » More Photos

Another birdie tells us Acura might have a customer in the LMS series for 2009 with the Embassy Racing LMP2 team and their WF01 chassis. With Mazda signing their first customer this season with the Kruse-Schiller LMP2 team, the possibility of yet another ALMS team adding a European customer would speak to the strength of the direction the Series has taken in allowing P2 entrants to transform the category from an afterthought to what’s often the most interesting battle in any sportscar championship.

Corsa+Biela?

A little birdie tells us to look for Audi’s 5-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela driving alongside Gunnar Jeanette and Johnny Mowlem at Petit Le Mans. Provided it happens, it’d be the smartest move by Steve Pruitt’s team to date. Biela, the first person to turn a wheel in an Audi R10, would be a wealth of knowledge for Pruitt’s team to draw from in their bid to shape their Zytek-Zytek LMP1 car into competitive form. I’d also welcomes seeing how the German fares against the younger drivers he’d share the car with. Something tells me the ‘old man’ will surprise a few people.

Petit Le Mans Rumors are Flying

Expect 40 or more car at Petit Le Mans on October. The event also has the potential to be the best sportscar race of 2008; Le Mans was an absolute classic with Audi outfoxing Peugeot but the other three categories were somewhat processional. PLM has the ingredients to provide thrilling battles in all four categories, thanks to the influx of European entries and a few returning ALMS teams.

Horag-Lista was hoping to make the trip but budget constraints have put and end to those plans. Peugeot was also expected to bring one of their 2009 challengers—the 909H (Hybrid), but the team confirmed to Racecar Engineering Magazine last Sunday that the 909H is still in need of further development before seeing the light of day. Aston Martin is reportedly deciding on whether to bring a GT1 car, the LMP1 car, or to skip the trip entirely. There's no need to take a poll to see if readers want the DBR9's to come and fight the Corvette's, but I'd rather see the P1 car at speed again. It's regularly the top non-diesel in the LMS and I'm confident it would show well against the likes of Audi, Peugeot, and the factory P2 cars at Petit.

The list of expected ALMS returnees:

Corsa Motorsports Zytek LMP1
LG Motorsports Corvette GT2
Krohn/Risi Ferrari GT2
van der Steur Racing Radical LMP1
ECO Racing Radical LMP1 (X2)

The list of confirmed LMS entrants:

Peugeot Sport LMP1 (X2)

The list of possible LMS entrants:

Kruse-Schiller Motorsports Mazda LMP2
Aston Martin/Charouz Racing Lola LMP1
Aston Martin Racing GT1
Creation+AIM LMP1
Barazi-Epsilon LMP2

We'll find out soon enough how many cars will be on the grid--let's hope you'll be there to see the event in person. It will be well worth the time and expense.
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