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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: Sebring Winter Test Notebook
John Dagys breaks down the storylines from this week’s Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway...
It appears Prototype Challenge cars will be on a new brand of tires for 2013. (Photo: John Dagys)
NEW SPEC TIRE SUPPLIER FOR PC, P2? — With only five weeks until the season-opening Twelve Hours of Sebring, there appears to be a shakeup in the works for the tire supply in the PC, and potentially even P2 ranks for this year.
Michelin, which has been the exclusive tire provider to the PC category since its inception in 2010, has not yet reached an agreement for this season. The French tire giant delivered tires to PC teams testing this week at Sebring as a courtesy, according to Silvia Mammone, Motorsports Manager for Michelin North America.
The draft version of the 2013 ALMS rulebook does not list a tire supplier for the PC class. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, defending class champions CORE autosport, which was scheduled to take part in the ALMS test with its Oreca FLM09, packed up and left early following its IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge test earlier in the week.
Multiple sources close to SPEED.com have indicated that a new tire manufacturer could be poised to enter the series with the supply of the PC class, while also potentially taking over as the control tire in the P2 category as well.
Continental, which serves as the exclusive tire partner in GRAND-AM, would seem to be a logical option, given the series' unification for 2014 and that a P2 car has already successfully tested on the company's DP rubber.
ALMS and IMSA COO Scot Elkins would not comment on the current PC tire situation but said they are evaluating their options for P2 at the moment, given Dunlop’s withdrawal from the series, which left a gap in the supply chain.
“It's a bit of a domino right now,” Elkins said. “We've got the Greaves entry for Sebring. Now that we've got [P2 entries], it's time to sort out what we're going to do on those tires. There are a couple of people that would be more than happy to step up and help us out.
"I think the smartest thing for us to do, for a class that's cost-capped and requires an amateur driver, I think it should be a spec tire class to help cut down on costs."
A Michelin spokesperson confirmed to SPEED.com that it has been approached by one or more P2 teams for Sebring and they have the capacity to supply cars for the entire ALMS season, if need be.
It’s unclear how many P2 cars will show up for Sebring. As of right now, only a single Zytek Z11SN Nissan for Greaves Motorsport is officially entered.
2014 UNIFICATION UPDATES — ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton provided further details on the unification process this week, confirming that the new series name, branding and logo will be unveiled on March 14, during race week for the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Additionally, the names for each of the four, or potentially five, different car classes will also be announced at that time.
Another noteworthy piece of information to come out of Thursday’s “Media Day” press conference was confirmation that the 2014 schedule will feature between 10-12 races. There are currently 22 events at 17 different circuits when combining both present ALMS and GRAND-AM schedules. The condensed schedule will no doubt make next year’s series one of the most sought-after for track promoters.
POSITIVE TEST FOR HPD ARX-03C — Despite being the only P1 car at this week’s test, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing’s newly upgraded HPD ARX-03c turned quite a few heads. While not surprisingly topping the overall time sheets, Klaus Graf’s best lap of 1:46.368 came within six-tenths of the pole-sitting Audi’s time from last year’s race, and was more than one second faster than the car’s quickest lap from 12 months ago.
One of the major improvements in the ARX-03c package has come with wider Michelin front tires, a philosophy pioneered by Wirth Research some four years go with its Acura ARX-02a prototype. Since then, it’s been adopted by the majority of the P1-class contenders, including entries from Audi, Toyota and Lola.
"The car drives differently, you have to get used to that," said Graf, who shared driving duties with season-long co-driver Lucas Luhr. "I think you need good, professional teams with good, professional drivers. Otherwise, I think you really can go backwards.
“It's not easy. The car gets more edgy to drive and the window gets smaller. We kind of knew that already talking to Romain [Dumas] and other drivers who were driving the big tires on the factory cars. You have to pay a lot of attention to the details.”
In addition to revised bodywork and new front suspension geometry, the car also has a new brushless power steering system in order to withstand the increased loads from the wider front tires.
PHOTOS: ALMS Sebring Winter Test
Michelin, which has been the exclusive tire provider to the PC category since its inception in 2010, has not yet reached an agreement for this season. The French tire giant delivered tires to PC teams testing this week at Sebring as a courtesy, according to Silvia Mammone, Motorsports Manager for Michelin North America.
The draft version of the 2013 ALMS rulebook does not list a tire supplier for the PC class. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, defending class champions CORE autosport, which was scheduled to take part in the ALMS test with its Oreca FLM09, packed up and left early following its IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge test earlier in the week.
Multiple sources close to SPEED.com have indicated that a new tire manufacturer could be poised to enter the series with the supply of the PC class, while also potentially taking over as the control tire in the P2 category as well.
Continental, which serves as the exclusive tire partner in GRAND-AM, would seem to be a logical option, given the series' unification for 2014 and that a P2 car has already successfully tested on the company's DP rubber.
ALMS and IMSA COO Scot Elkins would not comment on the current PC tire situation but said they are evaluating their options for P2 at the moment, given Dunlop’s withdrawal from the series, which left a gap in the supply chain.
“It's a bit of a domino right now,” Elkins said. “We've got the Greaves entry for Sebring. Now that we've got [P2 entries], it's time to sort out what we're going to do on those tires. There are a couple of people that would be more than happy to step up and help us out.
"I think the smartest thing for us to do, for a class that's cost-capped and requires an amateur driver, I think it should be a spec tire class to help cut down on costs."
A Michelin spokesperson confirmed to SPEED.com that it has been approached by one or more P2 teams for Sebring and they have the capacity to supply cars for the entire ALMS season, if need be.
It’s unclear how many P2 cars will show up for Sebring. As of right now, only a single Zytek Z11SN Nissan for Greaves Motorsport is officially entered.
2014 UNIFICATION UPDATES — ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton provided further details on the unification process this week, confirming that the new series name, branding and logo will be unveiled on March 14, during race week for the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Additionally, the names for each of the four, or potentially five, different car classes will also be announced at that time.
Another noteworthy piece of information to come out of Thursday’s “Media Day” press conference was confirmation that the 2014 schedule will feature between 10-12 races. There are currently 22 events at 17 different circuits when combining both present ALMS and GRAND-AM schedules. The condensed schedule will no doubt make next year’s series one of the most sought-after for track promoters.
POSITIVE TEST FOR HPD ARX-03C — Despite being the only P1 car at this week’s test, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing’s newly upgraded HPD ARX-03c turned quite a few heads. While not surprisingly topping the overall time sheets, Klaus Graf’s best lap of 1:46.368 came within six-tenths of the pole-sitting Audi’s time from last year’s race, and was more than one second faster than the car’s quickest lap from 12 months ago.
One of the major improvements in the ARX-03c package has come with wider Michelin front tires, a philosophy pioneered by Wirth Research some four years go with its Acura ARX-02a prototype. Since then, it’s been adopted by the majority of the P1-class contenders, including entries from Audi, Toyota and Lola.
"The car drives differently, you have to get used to that," said Graf, who shared driving duties with season-long co-driver Lucas Luhr. "I think you need good, professional teams with good, professional drivers. Otherwise, I think you really can go backwards.
“It's not easy. The car gets more edgy to drive and the window gets smaller. We kind of knew that already talking to Romain [Dumas] and other drivers who were driving the big tires on the factory cars. You have to pay a lot of attention to the details.”
In addition to revised bodywork and new front suspension geometry, the car also has a new brushless power steering system in order to withstand the increased loads from the wider front tires.
PHOTOS: ALMS Sebring Winter Test
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