After securing LMP2 Pro/Am pole position this afternoon at Paul Ricard, will this be the weekend that it all comes together for PJ Hyett and ‘Spike The Dragon’?
While AO Racing’s IMSA GTD Pro effort boasts race and title-winning success, and an AO by TF ORECA won the ELMS LMP2 title last year, the team’s founder/driver is still searching for his first victory with ‘Spike’.
However, after a tough start to the season in both IMSA and the ELMS, there is growing confidence within the camp that a big result is on the horizon. And Dane Cameron, who joined the outfit this year after his exit from Porsche Penske Motorsport during the winter, feels it could come as soon as tomorrow, when the team does battle in the ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am division at Paul Ricard.
“We’ve been close to some really good results, but we’ve been unlucky,” Cameron tells DSC. “We had the race in hand at Daytona before hitting trouble. Then at Sebring and Barcelona, we were unlucky too. In Spain, we definitely felt we were on for P2 but suffered a small failure.
“So I’m disappointed for PJ in particular because he’s been doing it for a little while now and only has a load of pole positions and just a couple of podiums to show for it. But the potential is there, the line-ups are good on both sides of the AO programme.
“We just have to keep knocking on the door because eventually it will come down, and I want to experience that with PJ soon.”
In the ELMS eight-car LMP2 Pro/Am class, which mandates a Bronze-graded driver in each line-up, the competition is red hot again this year. You only need to glance at the final result of the 4 Hours of Barcelona, which saw AF Corse’s #83 win the race overall after a late charge from Matthieu Vaxiviere.
That, of course, doesn’t at all faze Cameron, who, lest we forget, is fresh from winning the 2024 IMSA GTP title. He is hopeful that with Louis Deletraz’s experience behind the wheel of an ORECA, the expertise of service provider TF Sport, and PJ Hyett’s drive to improve, they can fight for the title in the second half of the campaign.
“Working with PJ is great,” Cameron adds. “It’s impressive what he can do with limited experience. This car suits the way he likes to drive, and you see that in his pace. He just needs to get more experience, that’s where myself, Louis, and Jonny (Edgar, in IMSA) are trying to support him. We’re trying to accelerate his growth, and he keeps showing he can take feedback and apply it.
“Taking the first few strides is very easy, then you get to the window he’s in now, and it takes a lot to make more progress. But he’s going about it the right way and keeps on top of fitness.
“TF has also been very good for what we’re trying to achieve, every time I’ve worked with them since I tested at Portimao last year. They always prepare great cars and have great staff on board. We’ve brought some engineering guys with us from the US, too so we have some continuity for PJ and me through both championships.”
Shifting from GTP to LMP2 competition has required some adjusting for Cameron. Not only has he had to get his head around the ORECA 07 quickly, but he’s been racing it in two configurations too. The IMSA and ELMS-spec ORECAs run with differing power levels and tyres.
Nevertheless, he’s enjoying his time racing in two high-level championships with a highly ambitious team, combining the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which he knows like the back of his hand, with one he is entirely new to, the ELMS.
“Doing IMSA and ELMS was something that really appealed when I first spoke to PJ and Gunnar (Jeannette) about joining the team,” he explains. “It’s not a big schedule if you do one, but if you combine them, it’s a nice package.
“And so far it’s been fun. There’s still a little bit to learn, but it’s been good to experience it. And I’ve been to most of the ELMS circuits through testing with the Porsche project, except Imola and Silverstone, so that gives me familiarity. ELMS seems like it sits between IMSA and WEC in terms of racing style, and I enjoyed that element a lot in Barcelona.
“It’s also been a great help to have Louis with us because he knows the car and the tyre so well here. There are some key differences in the tyre; the Goodyear is forgiving but requires a different driving style to get the most out of it. So it’s been important to get laps in during testing to get my head around it.
“Any week now, I think we are going to break through. I’d love to find a way to win this weekend, if not I’d happily trade that for Le Mans!”
