Monday 3rd June 2013

Caterham to debut at Le Mans

Caterham team to tackle the 24-hour, sadly not with an R600 Seven

---

Caterham will make its Le Mans debut at this year's 24 Hours, taking place on 22/23 June. The Caterham Motorsport team is to race a Zytek Z11SN-Nissan in the LMP2 category with driver line-up of Alexander Rossi, Tom Kimber-Smith and Eric Lux.

Caterham's ambition with the Le Mans programme is twofold; plastering the Nissan with a Caterham livery should draw attention to the brand for a start, but Caterham is also considering the viability of a future customer sports prototype package.

SP isn't going to race LMP2 but owners might

With the Le Mans team comprising Greaves Motorsport as well as Caterham technicians, engineers and analysts, the guys from Caterham are keen to accrue sports prototype experience. With the Zytek Nissan homologated for the whole 2013 season, they will work at events throughout the year.

Caterham's involvement at Le Mans stems from the success of its SP/300.R, launched in 2011 and driven by PH at Cholmondeley last week. Its mini-LMP2 styling and overt track focus implied Caterham always intended to advance its motorsport programme beyond F1 and the Caterham Academy. Moreover, a Caterham karting championship will be created for the 2014 season.

For now, a 100 per cent Caterham Le Mans entry isn't even at the planning stage, but it reflects the confidence and stature of Caterham in global motorsport that it's being considered. That's not to forget its burgeoning road car programme either; not only is a sub-£17K Seven due, the Alpine-Caterham sports car project is still set for a 2016 launch.

[scotty_917]

Good luck to Caterham & I hope they succeed in their aims...

Such a pity that Tony Fernandes' possible tie-up with Lotus fell on deaf Bahar ears!!!

[NelsonFox]

What is it with teams putting their names on other people's cars these days? Caterham Nissans, Aston Martin Lolas.... its just not proper, IMO. Either build your own car for that class, or stick to the class that the cars you actually build fall into!

[Oddball RS]

Caterham - paints car........... News flash!

[eastsider]

NelsonFox said:

What is it with teams putting their names on other people's cars these days? Caterham Nissans, Aston Martin Lolas.... its just not proper, IMO. Either build your own car for that class, or stick to the class that the cars you actually build fall into!

Hear hear.

[MiseryStreak]

And if you are going to paint your name on a race car, try not to find the ugliest one ever made.

[JamesHayward]

This is a Greaves Motorsport entry. It's about as much Caterham as the OAK Morgans are Morgans. But to be fair it's hardly any different from alot of other manufacturers on the grid.

I will be cheering them on anyway.

[sideways man]

Really disapointed thery're not doing it in a seven. Gutted actually.

[Porsche951]

What about their driver Eric Lux who is a co-owner Genii Capital and therefor of the Lotus F1 Team?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lux

[MikeG88]

Other than the fact its a nissan I hope Caterham do really well.

its a shame they, as people have said, just stuck their name on someone elses car. I understand running someone elses engine - I mean when did caterham ever build their own engine?

[jason61c]

So Caterham are racing a Nissan? Or is this like lotus in F1? Or Caterham in F1?

[BertBert]

I kind of hope that that load of tittle tattle is a creation of PH journalism at its worst (no offence boys) rather than what Caterham said. But really what a load of dross.

It's bad enough paying the greavsey boys to sticker up the zytek in caterham colours, but to conclude that caterham are really serious about the whole thing because they might be thinking about their own thing is just a flight of fancy.

Does that make me serious about endurance racing because I had a matchbox XJ220? And just to prove my WEC intentions, I sat in a kart once

Bert

[RTH]

The headline should have read "Caterham Cars buy some space on a car doing Le Mans this year "

[silvermog]

Agreed, this is pretty poor ... would much rather see them advancing their own SP/300R design with some serious on-track development. Admittedly its not the same class, but at least it has applicability to the companies future.

This looks like just a marketing schlock, with their backers taking an opportunity to get their colours on a car.

If you can't race your own cars then why not push the boat out with something more cutting edge or outlandish, like the Deltawing. Throw the 600 drivetrain in there and tease the opportunity to cross-pollinate it into a lightweight roadcar Might be expensive to homologate but it would be an ideal "Caterham" next generation and suitably unique.

2016 seems a hell of a way off to be concerning yourself with the (potential) outcome of the Alpine/Caterham deal ...

[Rs2oo]

So much negativity. It's marketing but who really cares ? I go to LMS to see these fantastic cars race. I don't care if its a Nissan, in fact it's a good thing in my book as at least it's got a chance of finishing. I do get the "it's not a Caterham" comments but without this team and others like it, LMS would have a field of about half a dozen cars. Good luck to the team.

[captainBlake]

NelsonFox said:

What is it with teams putting their names on other people's cars these days? Caterham Nissans, Aston Martin Lolas.... its just not proper, IMO. Either build your own car for that class, or stick to the class that the cars you actually build fall into!

I agree,
Then, the face of the car is hugly

[RobGT81]

Its just the same as the Morgan badged cars, no big deal.

[Repent]

NelsonFox said:

What is it with teams putting their names on other people's cars these days? Caterham Nissans, Aston Martin Lolas.... its just not proper, IMO. Either build your own car for that class, or stick to the class that the cars you actually build fall into!

Rather that than they not be able to do anything atall, I'm just happy to see a British firm expanding it's horizons in any form. If it brings a Caterham built car later on, even better.

[Sortie 10]

Too much negativity here IMHO. The article I read says
"With the Le Mans team comprising Greaves Motorsport as well as Caterham technicians, engineers and analysts, the guys from Caterham are keen to accrue sports prototype experience. With the Zytek Nissan homologated for the whole 2013 season, they will work at events throughout the year."

So a touch more than a fancy paint job and a trot to the local print shop for some stickers.

From little acorns, great oak trees grow.

[thanetspeedshop]

Porsche951 said:

What about their driver Eric Lux who is a co-owner Genii Capital and therefor of the Lotus F1 Team?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lux

Different guy

[McSam]

I agree with Sortie, far too much negativity - if you were such a company, would you throw your complete inexperience into a very public attempt that could go catastrophically wrong, or would you take on a joint venture with an existing team to learn from them before going it alone?

Hmmmm. Wise move by Caterham, if you ask me, and I hope it pays off. I'll be cheering them on from my stand!

Also..

Article said:

Caterham is also considering the viability of a future customer sports prototype package.