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Le Mans / ALMS
LE MANS: Level 5 Switches To New HPD Chassis
Scott Tucker-owned squad planning for future with new cost-capped HPD ARX-01g chassis, evaluating 2012 race programs...
Level 5 Motorsports will have a new weapon of choice in HPD's new ARX-01g for the remainder of the season. (Photo: John Dagys)
With stiff competition and ongoing adjustments to the new regulations, prototype teams are no longer waiting until the off-season to make wholesale changes. Case in point with Level 5 Motorsports, which has aligned itself with a new chassis manufacturer for the remainder of 2011 and beyond.
SPEED.com has learned that the Scott Tucker-owned squad will move from its Lola Honda-powered prototypes to an all-HPD package beginning with September’s Six Hours of Silverstone.
The surprising move comes on the heels of Tucker and co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa earning podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Six Hours of Imola with Lola’s B11/80 Coupe and cost-capped B11/40 Spyder, respectively.
Tucker confirmed that Level 5’s new weapon of choice will be the HPD ARX-01g, the latest-generation prototype from Wirth Research that's built to the ACO’s new cost-capped LMP2 regulations.
Both Strakka Racing and RML campaign the grandfathered HPD ARX-01d in the European-based Le Mans Series, which is limited to a smaller air restrictor, increased minimum weight and a smaller fuel flow restrictor when compared to cost-capped cars.
“We looked through all of the numbers and data analysis, inside and out, and from our perspective, there’s no doubt the Honda package in the new cost-capped configuration will be a front runner in LMP2,” Tucker said. “We’ve seen gains with the engine all year and the good thing is that there’s still room for development. The HPD engine and chassis combination has proven to be the best over the years. We feel very comfortable and confident in making this unprecedented and decisive move in the middle of the season."
The team also confirmed its return to the American Le Mans Series for the final two rounds of the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Petit Le Mans, where it will field a pair of the new LMP2 contenders. Single-car entries are on tap for the other remaining ILMC rounds at Silverstone and Zhuhai, China.
While details of the new cost-capped car have yet to be released, team manager David Stone told SPEED.com that it will remain open-top and share much of the same DNA from its predecessors, which have racked up numerous victories and championships in both America and Europe under the factory Acura program and later in privateer’s hands.
Honda’s production-based 2.8-liter V6 twin-turbo, introduced this year as part of the sweeping new LMP2 regulations, initially struggled up against the likes of the race-prepped Nissan and Judd units. However, it has since made considerable gains, partly due to an ACO restrictor break given in April.
Stone believes there are still more developments to come, especially now with HPD’s bespoke chassis-engine package.
“We’re putting some faith in Honda’s history and track record of sticking with it and working through the regulations to become competitive,” Stone said. “I think it’s in the ACO and everyone’s best interest to have all of the cars making up the grid to be competitive and not see anyone dominate.”
With the team only expected to take delivery of the first chassis just days before the Six Hours of Silverstone, Tucker, Bouchut and Barbosa will be racking up virtual miles in Wirth’s state-of-the-art simulator in Bicester, England in advance of the ILMC round.
Stone said the mid-season move came to prepare for 2012, where the team plans to run the new HPD package in the LMP2 category. But with evolving regulations in both the ALMS and Le Mans Series in Europe, combined with the formation of the World Endurance Championship, Level 5 is evaluating all options.
“Right now, like most years, there’s a lot of rumors flying around about what this sanctioning body or that sanctioning body might do,” Stone said. “There’s been talk in the ALMS about going back to a combining of LMP1 and LMP2. I spoke to some people in Europe and the there’s talk of making the top class in the LMS for LMP2 and have it be Pro-Am.
“That is a formula that I am very much in favor of for the ALMS. I believe that there’s no more factory participation in the prototype classes. And while there’s a couple of teams that put all-pro drivers in their cars, I believe historically, looking at just about every class, most cars that come to the grid are typically funded by gentlemen or amateur drivers.”
Tucker, the reigning ALMS LMPC champion and Rookie-of-the-Year, is classified as a Silver-rated driver by the ACO in its medallion driver system of Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Current LMP2/LMPC rules state that at least one Silver or Bronze driver must be in each car, which constitutes the Pro-Am format.
It’s clear that competing in a Pro-Am environment is an important factor in the team’s decision-making process for next year.
“At this point I think the only thing you can do is sit back and evaluate,” Stone said. “With Level 5, we were in LMPC last year and did very well there. We made a change to LMP2. But with the revamp of LMP2 and being Pro-Am and cost-capped cars, there were a lot of dynamics that took a lot longer than anybody would have hoped to sort out.
“I think that like most anything, going into the second season, hopefully there will be less details that will need to be sorted out. But I do believe that Level 5 will be in a better position going into 2012 than [this year] because we would already have had a season of LMP2 racing and we would have already had the cars we’re going to race for next season. That will be a big step ahead.”
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
SPEED.com has learned that the Scott Tucker-owned squad will move from its Lola Honda-powered prototypes to an all-HPD package beginning with September’s Six Hours of Silverstone.
The surprising move comes on the heels of Tucker and co-drivers Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa earning podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Six Hours of Imola with Lola’s B11/80 Coupe and cost-capped B11/40 Spyder, respectively.
Tucker confirmed that Level 5’s new weapon of choice will be the HPD ARX-01g, the latest-generation prototype from Wirth Research that's built to the ACO’s new cost-capped LMP2 regulations.
Both Strakka Racing and RML campaign the grandfathered HPD ARX-01d in the European-based Le Mans Series, which is limited to a smaller air restrictor, increased minimum weight and a smaller fuel flow restrictor when compared to cost-capped cars.
“We looked through all of the numbers and data analysis, inside and out, and from our perspective, there’s no doubt the Honda package in the new cost-capped configuration will be a front runner in LMP2,” Tucker said. “We’ve seen gains with the engine all year and the good thing is that there’s still room for development. The HPD engine and chassis combination has proven to be the best over the years. We feel very comfortable and confident in making this unprecedented and decisive move in the middle of the season."
The team also confirmed its return to the American Le Mans Series for the final two rounds of the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Petit Le Mans, where it will field a pair of the new LMP2 contenders. Single-car entries are on tap for the other remaining ILMC rounds at Silverstone and Zhuhai, China.
While details of the new cost-capped car have yet to be released, team manager David Stone told SPEED.com that it will remain open-top and share much of the same DNA from its predecessors, which have racked up numerous victories and championships in both America and Europe under the factory Acura program and later in privateer’s hands.
Honda’s production-based 2.8-liter V6 twin-turbo, introduced this year as part of the sweeping new LMP2 regulations, initially struggled up against the likes of the race-prepped Nissan and Judd units. However, it has since made considerable gains, partly due to an ACO restrictor break given in April.
Stone believes there are still more developments to come, especially now with HPD’s bespoke chassis-engine package.
“We’re putting some faith in Honda’s history and track record of sticking with it and working through the regulations to become competitive,” Stone said. “I think it’s in the ACO and everyone’s best interest to have all of the cars making up the grid to be competitive and not see anyone dominate.”
With the team only expected to take delivery of the first chassis just days before the Six Hours of Silverstone, Tucker, Bouchut and Barbosa will be racking up virtual miles in Wirth’s state-of-the-art simulator in Bicester, England in advance of the ILMC round.
Stone said the mid-season move came to prepare for 2012, where the team plans to run the new HPD package in the LMP2 category. But with evolving regulations in both the ALMS and Le Mans Series in Europe, combined with the formation of the World Endurance Championship, Level 5 is evaluating all options.
“Right now, like most years, there’s a lot of rumors flying around about what this sanctioning body or that sanctioning body might do,” Stone said. “There’s been talk in the ALMS about going back to a combining of LMP1 and LMP2. I spoke to some people in Europe and the there’s talk of making the top class in the LMS for LMP2 and have it be Pro-Am.
“That is a formula that I am very much in favor of for the ALMS. I believe that there’s no more factory participation in the prototype classes. And while there’s a couple of teams that put all-pro drivers in their cars, I believe historically, looking at just about every class, most cars that come to the grid are typically funded by gentlemen or amateur drivers.”
Tucker, the reigning ALMS LMPC champion and Rookie-of-the-Year, is classified as a Silver-rated driver by the ACO in its medallion driver system of Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Current LMP2/LMPC rules state that at least one Silver or Bronze driver must be in each car, which constitutes the Pro-Am format.
It’s clear that competing in a Pro-Am environment is an important factor in the team’s decision-making process for next year.
“At this point I think the only thing you can do is sit back and evaluate,” Stone said. “With Level 5, we were in LMPC last year and did very well there. We made a change to LMP2. But with the revamp of LMP2 and being Pro-Am and cost-capped cars, there were a lot of dynamics that took a lot longer than anybody would have hoped to sort out.
“I think that like most anything, going into the second season, hopefully there will be less details that will need to be sorted out. But I do believe that Level 5 will be in a better position going into 2012 than [this year] because we would already have had a season of LMP2 racing and we would have already had the cars we’re going to race for next season. That will be a big step ahead.”
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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