West6MT

Well, I cant seem to find the thread about Acura having a car in ALMS for next year etc,.............so.............I started a new thread.

Anyway, here is some news on the teams that should be running the cars etc.

Link: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../60717020/1001


Honda is poised to announce the three teams that will campaign its Acura-powered LMP2 prototypes in the American Le Mans Series in 2007, with sources indicating it will hold a press conference Thursday ahead of the ALMS' Portland Grand Prix.

As predicted (Competition, July 10), Adrian Fernandez's Grand-Am team will move to the rival ALMS to field a one-car team. Andretti Green Racing is also in, as is ALMS team Highcroft Racing.

AGR and Fernandez will continue their Indy Racing League involvement, though it's possible that AGR will scale back from four cars to three. AGR Indy car drivers Dario Franchitti and Bryan Herta are candidates to drive. Both say the IRL remains their focus, but the opportunity to build AGR's ALMS program is enticing. Franchitti also was considering a move to NASCAR, but that is unlikely now that Juan Pablo Montoya has signed with Ganassi Racing.

Honda Performance Development representatives aren't talking ahead of the announcement, but AutoWeek can reveal the three teams will use a new 3.4-liter V8 engine developed from Honda's IRL powerplant. Less clear is the nature of the teams' respective deals and which chassis each will use. The teams will receive engines, but will pay for chassis (and will use whichever one Honda tells them to) and are not overt factory teams in the same way that Penske represents Porsche with its RS Spyder LMP2 program.

Honda has ordered copies of both the Lola B05/40 chassis-LMP2 class winner at Le Mans for the past two years-and the as-yet-unraced Courage LC75. It appears likely that AGR and Highcroft will race Courages, probably one each but perhaps two for AGR, and that Fernandez will use the Lola. The AGR deal raises the prospect of two or even three generations of Andrettis sharing a car in one of the longer ALMS races. Michael Andretti came out of retirement to chaperon son Marco through the month of May at Indy this year and could share a car with him at either the Sebring 12 Hours or the Petit Le Mans 1000-mile race. Mario Andretti, meanwhile, has always stated that he has never retired, and could join in as well. But like Porsche/Penske's first-year effort this season, Honda's initial plan does not call for the teams to compete at Le Mans next year, but to instead focus on development.

West6MT

I guess I am the only one looking forward to seeing Honda competing in ALMS Prototypes.

Chief F1 Fan

I used to love this kind of racing (IMSA GTP) before it got so homogenized a la CART and IRL. Not enough different brands in the series so maybe I shld be excited because now there is one more~!

F-C

I don't get why they are running an IRL based engine. Wouldn't it perform poorly on a road course based series?

West6MT

I see where you are coming from.

Im going to Mosport Labour Day Weekend for the ALMS stuff.
My first taste of these in person. Thankfully the Penske Porsches and the R10's will be there.

West6MT

Well, "based on" does not translate into the same,......... so I would guess that there are some differences.

Chief F1 Fan

The F1 Cosworth engine worked just fine in the XJR14--gawd, I loved that car.

F-C

Yeah, an F1 derived engine should do well in a road series.

To be honest, I don't know much about the Honda 3.0 V8 used in the IRL, but I would suppose that it wouldn't have the drivability needed on a road course. Why can't they find the budget to design a completely new engine?

Chief F1 Fan

wouldn't it all boil down to the gearbox F-C? It would seem a tranny could be built that would optimize the torque range of the engine to its fullest thereby allowing it to operate on a roadcourse. Changing the gearing, final drive, etc., would probably allow the engine to work just fine.

West6MT

The ALMS does not only use road courses though,............right??? Are we using road course and street course,.......as meaning the same thing? What is the difference between a road course and a normal circuit??? ALMS races at places like Sebring, LimeRock, Mosport, and Laguna Seca. Arent these circuits???

I agree Chief about the gearbox etc.

Anyway, here is a link to the story with the official announcement on the ALMS website.
http://www.americanlemans.com/News/Article.aspx?ID=2323

F-C

But the gearbox is coming from the chassis side of the equation, in this case, Lola or Courage. If Honda is only responsible for the engine, why don't they just do it properly with a new engine? If Honda is really serious about this endeavor, they should do it right. I have a feeling that this is more of a marketing strategy for Acura and less of an engineering excercise. I hope I'm wrong.

F-C

I generally equate road courses and street courses as the same thing. The biggest difference I think would be that street courses are not as smooth as road courses. Also, street courses usually has less sweeping corners, and more 90 degree corners. From an engine standpoint, road and street courses would be similar, the difference comes down to tires, suspension, and other mechanical setups. Of course if these Acuras eventually go to Le Mans, they'll have to deal with the Mulsanne straight.

Chief F1 Fan

And through Eau Rouge to the Kemmel straight
at Spa-Francochamps!

F-C

So we have:

Andretti-Green Racing(lead team?), XM sponsorship, Courage-Acura
Highcroft Racing (chassis development), ? sponsorship, Courage-Acura
Fernandez Racing (engine development), Lowe's sponsorship, Lola-Acura

Lowe's Acura? Somehow it just doesn't give off a luxurious aura.

F-C

Update:

Former Simtek F1 team owner, Benetton chief designer and FIA consultant Nick Wirth is to be a major player in the forthcoming bid for Honda to win the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Wirth, who has been involved in Honda's IRL programme in recent years, is expected to be the man leading the design team for the Acura-branded chassis which will be seen racing in the ALMS in 2008 and at Le Mans in 2009. The final decision is yet to be taken as Honda might choose to partner Lola or Courage if it seems a better option.

At the moment Wirth's company Wirth Research is developing a Courage chassis for Honda. The Courage chassis will be used next year by the Andretti-Green Racing and Highcroft Racing while the Fernandez team will run a Lola B05/40.

West6MT

Very interesting,...............GO HONDA for winning LE MANS in a few years.

F-C

Fernandez Racing debuts their Acura/Lola at Road Atlanta. Fernandez and Luis Diaz will be the drivers. Lowe's is the sponosr.

West6MT

Man, the car doesnt look very good now with all of that sponsor crap pasted all over it.

F-C

Nothing against Lowe's, and I'm sure a lot of Acura owners shop there, but it doesn't have the same brand synergy that I think Acura is looking for. I hope that the other teams will have better looking cars.

unlemming

Home Depot should sponsor a Honda ALMS car

F-C

Look for the next NSX to be available in Lowe's Metallic Blue and Home Depot Pearl Orange.

Bensonga

Chief F1 Fan

great looking car

R J Poseidon 6

I loved that car.

I dig the new ones as well!

Ready to hear / see them again @ Rolex in a couple of months...

Chief F1 Fan

I'm going to have to go to that race one day-my brother has asked me a couple times

R J Poseidon 6

You must. It'll be my 24th this year and my daughters 3rd in a row.

SO many view points, like, the whole track. It's epic.

And being able to enter the pits at 3am etc is just beyond words.....