Teams put prototypes through paces in preparation for 12 Hours
BRASELTON, Ga. (Feb. 28, 2013) - The P2 class for the 2013 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is taking shape. Both Extreme Speed Motorsports and Level 5 Motorsports put their HPD ARX-03b machines through paces in a private test session at Sebring International Raceway last week in preparation for the 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida on March 16.
The Level 5 team - which won the 2012 P2 team championship - was already plenty familiar with its pair of prototype sports cars and was working with its new-for-2013 HPD powerplant. It was a decidedly different story a few feet further up pit road where ESM - which recently announced a switch from the GT class to P2 with two HPD entries of its own - was still in the very early stages of getting to know its new race car.
It's a process that team owner/driver Scott Sharp envisions could take the entire 2013 season to complete.
“Are we thinking we're coming here to win Sebring?" Sharp asked. "No. I mean the focus is to learn, learn, learn. We've got a lot to learn against teams like Level 5, who have raced these for a number of years."
Level 5, on the other hand, was primarily getting tuned up for the 12 Hours. However, the presence of ESM in P2 may have made the Sebring test a preparation for a full-season program.
“We're just having to assess it right now and understand who's going to be the competition, which we found out includes ESM," said Level 5 owner/driver Scott Tucker. "We feel confident that our new engine is going to be good with Honda. We're here just testing and assessing things, but we're definitely coming to Sebring."
While prepping for 2013, both Tucker and Sharp are definitely focused on 2014, when the ALMS and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series merge to form one U.S. sports car championship.
In fact, that was the main reason for the relatively last-minute switch in classes for Sharp and ESM.
“It's odd to make the decision this late, especially after you spend all the money to update both Ferraris and even come test here a few weeks ago," Sharp said. "The GT class is an unreal class and being a part of it for the last three years, I mean, once you're involved in it and see how close it is and how dog-eat-dog and wheel-to-wheel, I think it's some of the best racing in the world. I don't see a lot of other stuff that rivals that. But all the top programs there are serious factory efforts, and if you don't have that same support it's like you're going into battle with one arm tied behind your back.
“The more we got thinking, with all that Patrón does, we'd really like to see Patrón be in the top class and have the ability to get some pretty strong exposure once the merger happens," Sharp added. "Recognizing that and realizing that it's probably going to be an unbelievably competitive class, with probably 20-something cars, that's going to be hard to make the leap come November and have to race two months later. We said, 'Jeez, let's bite the bullet and do it now.'"
That was welcome news to Tucker.
“We're glad and excited to see that ESM came in," he said. "We see them as a great team and would be great competition. I think it would be great for the series and the fans."
And Sharp believes there may be even more competition. The more, the merrier, he says.
“We hope Level 5 runs and there's rumors of a couple other people coming, which certainly we welcome," Sharp concluded. "We just want to spend this year learning, getting the team and all of us drivers up to speed and just feel like - as we did with the Ferrari - we can start to hone in, so that when January of '14 comes around, we're ready to go do battle."
The 61st Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida is set for 10:45 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16 from Sebring International Raceway. SPEED's live coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. ET.
The Series' website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Visit ALMS.com for current and future event information including tickets and area accommodations. Follow the Series on Twitter (#ALMS, #Sebring12), Facebook and YouTube.
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