Racecar Engineering’s Sam Collins mentioned that Acura’s 2009 LMP1 challenger has been seen on a computer screen, but images of the real-life car are still pending. An announcement of the Japanese manufacturer’s ’09 plans are expected in September. That announcement appears to include only three of the four current Acura teams as SPEEDtv.com’s Robin Miller broke earlier this week while he was scouring for AGR Indycar information.

I’d heard a few months back the Honda was only looking to keep three teams for 2009 and that AGR was on the hot seat as the team most likely to get cut. Following Robin’s more than credible reports, it looks as though AGR’s loss could be de Ferran’s gain as he also says the Brazilian’s impressive turn as team owner has netted him a second entry for 2009.

This helps to round 2009 into better shape as Acura is expected to maintain an LMP2 presence while taking their first steps in LMP1. Based upon the performances of the three teams going forward into ’09, one would have to imagine Patron Highcroft Racing is a lock for the P1 car; with the car designed by Nick Wirth’s team at Wirth Research and their partners at HPD, and Nick working most closely with the Highcroft team, it makes sense for the P1 car to go to their most successful team and driver/engineer+designer relationship.

Gil de Ferran’s team has asserted itself as the #2 team in Acura’s hierarchy, but I’d see the team as a better fit to spend 2009 gaining more sportscar experience in LMP2 while expanding their ranks to a two-car team. Robin also mentions the possibility of Dario Franchitti becoming involved in de Ferran’s second Acura, and to my mind, and whether it’s true or not, it’d be an incredibly smart move on Acura’s part.
Acura's newest entrant looks to be expanding to two cars in '09. Rumors of Dario Franchitti's involvement in that 2nd car are also growing.
I had a chat on the topic with Radio Le Mans host John Hindhaugh at Elkhart Lake and we agreed signing Dario makes too much sense to happen; he’s famous, he’s bloody fast; the natural rivalry between the Franchitti brothers driving for competing marques is guaranteed to draw interest, and the assembled media would swoon over his wife every time she was in pit lane. It’s a marketing home run, not to mention a brutally effective driver lineup.

So who would land alongside Dario in the car? That’s a great question. I don’t know what kind of contract Franck Montagny has—whether it’s with Acura, AGR, Acura+AGR, or how long it’s for. If the Frenchman is a free agent after AGR bows out at Laguna Seca, Audi needs to be escorting him from his Acura over to their tent to fit him for a seat in the R10 immediately.There has not been another driver in the ALMS series to surpass Montagny on raw speed since his debut at Lime Rock. No one.

His experience with the other cars and drivers in the series needs to grow (see: Drayson, Paul, Elkhart Lake), but the ex-F1 racer and tester is an absolute stud behind the wheel of a sportscar. Add in his testing and development prowess and Montagny becomes the most sought after driver for 2009. Provided he’s available…

Finally, the Lowe's Fernandez Acura team is a great choice to join Highcroft in the LMP1 ranks despite their relative lack of results. The team has had a few off days this year, but more often than not, they’ve just been on the wrong side of good fortune. They can’t continue to be a lightening rod for bad luck, and a move to P1 is a great fit for a team with a decade of experience running in top series.

The final whisper about the P1 program is that it might utilize hybrid power. With Zytek set to go hybrid and Peugeot’s engine team almost a year into their own hybrid developments, more than a few manufacturers have their calendars set for the ACO's September 15th rules announcement to clear the way and chart a path for hybrid usage.