The Le Mans break is over – back to business now for the ALMS competitors as they prepare to compete at Lime Rock, short track style…
Before jumping into Lime Rock, first a comment about the ALMS at Le Mans – 2013 has to be one of the smallest ever of ALMS entities and also the poorest results wise. It used to be expected for ALMS teams to dominate in the GT1 and GT2 classes. ALMS teams like Risi, AJR, BAM, Petersen White Lightning, were extremely successful, taking class wins. Then there are teams like The Flying Lizards, which didn’t get a win, but were very high profile entries. Even the sadly missed Robertson Ford GT effort was there one year. Now, all are gone from the entry list. This year, Corvette Racing, the Bill Riley led Viper effort and Patrick Dempsey were there to fly the ALMS banner, but of those, only Corvette could be considered as a long time ALMS contender.
8Star was also there, but most of their race experience has been in Grand-Am, so for the purpose of this discussion, they don’t really count. Krohn, while they have competed in the ALMS, are now a WEC team and also don’t matter to this discussion.
In P2, there was a single Level 5 entry and that was essentially that team wise. No other ALMS team made the effort. You could stretch things a bit and say that the Audi effort is an honorary ALMS team, but when was the last time they competed regularly in the series? 2008? That is quite a long time ago, but their presence meant so much to the series, they have to be given a free pass. Where is Highcroft, Drayson, or even Autocon? Gone. Pickett? They went once, but maybe that is their future path now. Rebellion? Well, they were considered a regular, at least for this season, but even that status has now changed.
Yes, the drivers of the ALMS are still there competing, but they are now mostly brought into other teams, either as factory shoes, hot shoes or by buying drives.
The race at Le Mans used to almost be an extension of the ALMS. It used to be such an integral part of the schedule, but sadly no longer. Will this improve in the upcoming years, when the ALMS is a thing of the past? We can hope so, but for now, it’s pretty sad.
As far as results or in this case podiums – the adopted drivers Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen won overall and P2 had the Martin Plowman winning for Oak, with David Heinemeier-Hansson and Ricardo Gonzalez taking second in class, also for Oak. GT was a Porsche factory 1-2, with all of the drivers having ALMS experience. The GT podium was completed by Darren Turner and his Aston Martin. To be honest, none of the above mentioned drivers are current ALMS drivers. Very sad indeed.
Okay, off to Lime Rock. Big news? No Rebellion. Citing their need to concentrate on their 2014 Oreca effort, Rebellion has stepped down from their full-season commitment, effectively handing the 2013 season championship to Pickett Racing. They will be missed – the professionalism that they brought to the series, as well as the fact that they added competition at the head of the entry.
Pickett Racing has confirmed that they will debut their –c configuration car, incorporating the large front tire configuration that they had tested earlier this year. Testing indicated that they were ready to roll out the new spec car for the remainder of the season, with maybe an eye on running it elsewhere in the future.
Dyson Racing will celebrate their 30th year of competition at Lime Rock and would like to be able to have a competitive race to their season for once. 2013 has been a brutal season for the experienced team and they are due for a result. Testing reportedly went well for the team during the Le Mans break, so there is some hope for a decent result I think at this time, just to be able to compete for the full race would be a relief for the team.
Returning to the class is also the Delta Wing, with again Katherine Legge and Andy Meyrick scheduled to be competing. They too tested during the break. This will be a very tough race for the Delta Wing, which has proven to be rather susceptible to being upset by banging. If there is a race that features banging, it is Lime Rock. This might be a rough one for them.
P2 is what it always is – Level 5 vs. ESM. While Level 5 was competing at Le Mans, ESM was testing and further acclimating themselves to their still rather new cars. This next stretch will go a long ways in deciding how this championship will go for the two HPD efforts.
PC is a seven car entry this race. Thus far in the championship chase, Mike Guasch has a 12 point lead over Colin Braun. It is PR1 Mathiasen over CORE, with Performance Tech another ten points back. These teams should feature in this race, with likely RSR and the BAR1 pairing of Chris Cumming and Kyle Marcelli challenging.
GT – who knows? Corvette Racing will be anxious to put a disappointing Le Mans behind them. They should be the favorite entering the race, but calling out a favorite for this class is an exercise in futility. Plus, I can think of about four other teams that might argue that statement. This race is as wide open as any. What it will likely come down to is the right combination of pace and, let’s face it, luck. Many in racing don’t believe in luck, but there are times when you just can’t totally control your own destiny. Of all of the tracks in which the ALMS competes, this is likely the worst when it comes to controlling your own destiny. Want a darkhorse favorite? Falken might just be the one…
GTC is, and likely always will be considered, an also ran when it comes to attention at the track. Usually when the competitors are mentioned, it is for the wrong reasons, as in controlling someone else’s destiny.
Thus far in the class, Henrique Cisneros and his NGT/MOMO team hold a ten point lead over the AJR effort. Third in points are Nelson Canache Jr. and Spencer Pumpelly for the Lizards.
Speaking of the Lizards, their lineup has finally been settled for the season. The above mentioned Canache/Pumpelly will drive the #45 for the season, while Dion von Moltke will join team owner Seth Neiman in the #44.
From here on out, the schedule becomes brutal, with four races in the next two months. For the championship chases, this is where a team’s efforts will be either rewarded or crushed. From the tight confines of Lime Rock, the chase moves to Canadian Tire Park – also known as Mosport. No less of a challenge – just a different one…
Gary Horrocks
