ACO and IMSA merge endurance race regulations
European and American racing authorities create LMDh class for competition on both sides of Atlantic
Europe's Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and North America's International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) have agreed on a new class of endurance racing that will allow the same car to compete on both sides of the Atlantic. The newly formed class is called LMDh after the crowning 24-hour events of Le Mans and Daytona, for which it allows the same prototypes to compete in for the first time in decades. The new class will essentially combine the rules regulating both the World Endurance Championship's Hypercars and LMP2 classes, with IMSA-like exteriors to allow prototypes to resemble road cars.
In the WEC, the new class will share the track with the upcoming Hypercar class, using rear-mounted kinetic-energy recovery hybrid powertrains but with LMP2 chassis created by the four existing class suppliers: Dallara, Ligier, Multimatic and Oreca. This may mean the LMDh cars will not quite be on the pace of the top, closed-roof and fully bespoke Hypercars at first - but with Balance of Performance enforcement to close the gap, expect racing in the category to emulate the days when GT1 and LMP1 cars shared the track.
It's not yet known if Hypercar class entrants - which are set to include Toyota, Aston Martin and Peugeot, among others - will be able to sell their engines to LMDh entrants. It seems likely, although we won't know for sure until full details of the new class are revealed in March at SuperSebring. Either way, it's a big development for manufacturers, because with one car to fit two championships, execs will no doubt now find it much easier to justify the enormous investment required to build a racing car. Things are certainly shaping up very nicely for a return to form in endurance racing's premiere category....
And what is the incentive for any manufacturer to bother making a Hypercar entry now when they can just buy an off the shelf LMP2 Oreca and make some look-a-like on brand body work. Why spend more when it’s all balanced via BoP anyway. Aston Martin and Toyota must be furious. No way will Peugeot bother with a Hypercar now when they can go for a spec chassis and be guaranteed a chance due to BoP. And what of Glick...
This may make for some cool looking grids but frankly it’s end of proper prototype racing and quite probably GTE as well - again far cheaper to run an LMP2 in drag and let BoP so the hard bit...
The only one with the right idea for sports car racing was James Glickenhaus: the only rule should be that the car must be fully street legal, and that‘s it. Unfortunately manufacturers are too coward to take on such a challenge.
For me LMP2 never really excites me, I look from LMP1 to GTE AM and pro.
So I am still confused as seems others are by this LMP2 / D class which might actually be quicker than the hypercars considering they are based on racing chassis and not road chassis???? That seem to be a road car in "drag"
We need cars from multiple manufacturers that are based on road cars.
Hyper cars Pro ( need to sell 100 road cars ) no BOP
Hyper cars AM ( need to sell 100 road cars, drivers are proper AM drivers ) no BOP.
GTE Pro as per current rules with BOP.
GTE AM as per current rules but NO BOP, the BOP is the drivers skill or lack of it considering AM.
That would make for some interesting racing.
And as for Kolles? As ever we have zero idea.
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