LMS Test, Paul Ricard – Preview Much To Look Forward To With a fully subscribed series announced back in January, is it a disappointment that only 28 cars will be present at this weekend’s test in the south of France? Arguably; but that is to overlook the fact that there is much that is new and interesting on view to the assembled media and (for the first time) paying public at Paul Ricard.
As we will see shortly, there is little that is carried over from 2008 for the majority of teams present. New cars, new engines, new classes, new to the series – at least one of these challenges will be facing 21 of the 24 attendees.. Testing takes place on Sunday and Monday, but unlike in previous years, there will be no option for a 24-hour test; track action ending at midnight for those teams who have opted for night running. LMP1 – All Change Seven of the dozen full-season entries in the top class will be present when the event gets underway on Sunday, but the absence of the Pescarolo-Judds and Kolles Audis will in no way detract from what should be a fascinating couple of days. For each of the five teams present, 2009 will bring a fresh challenge. Aston Martin Racing will be debuting its two LMP1 Lola Aston Martins after an intensive and well-documented build programme, and it is to be hoped that the focus quickly switches away from the naming issues and onto the track. Such has been AMR’s schedule – the car’s only pre-Ricard shakedown having to be undertaken without full bodywork - that it would be foolish to expect anything spectacular from this weekend’s activities; but perhaps we’ll get a hint of its potential.
The benchmark has to be a 1:42.105 – the best time set by the Charouz Racing System Lola B08/60 Aston Martin at the 2008 test – although we need to bear in mind that the new car will be running to 2009 regulations. Speedy Racing - Team Sebah will also be using that same benchmark as it makes its LMP1 debut with the ex-Charouz Lola, both of the team’s Lolas featuring new for 2009, and very striking liveries – you won’t mistake this pair for anything else on the grid.
We’ll have a full report on the team’s preparations shortly, but this weekend the car will be running in 2008 spec., making the benchmark time a bit more meaningful. Matching the Lolas – numerically at least – will be a trio of Courage-Oreca LC70s. Team Oreca Matmut is very familiar with the car, unlike newcomers Signature Plus, but Hugues de Chaunac’s team will this year be powered by AIM engines and this will be our first opportunity to see how it compares to the Judd-powered version of Signature. Indeed it will be the first time that we’ll effectively see a back to back comparison of Judd vs AIM in the same chassis.
Testing of the AIM engine appears to have gone well so far, but this is an ambitious partnership and we can expect a strong showing from this experienced French team. Although not yet confirmed, rumours suggest that Petter Solberg will be signing on the dotted line soon. With no rally taking place this weekend, might the Norwegian ace be found lurking in the HTTT pits this weekend? Does the seventh LMP1 present have more of a claim to be the ‘official’ UK team than the works Aston Martins this year? Given that it is a British team, running a British car and British engine, and having an-all British driver lineup, they have a fair case to make.
Strakka Racing’s Ginetta Zytek 09S has already proven to be a very strong package and certainly has the potential to be the fastest car this weekend. Let the games begin! LMP2 – A Level Playing Field? Only five of the 16 full-season LMP2 entries will be present chez Bernie’s, but, with the addition of Team Essex – only expected currently to race at Spa - this half-dozen represents a good cross-section of the entrants and should give an indication as to whether the non-Porsches have shifted the balance of power. Team Essex has significant factory backing this year, with its focus set firmly on the Le Mans 24, and the RS Spyder will again be the benchmark at this test. The Essex car set a 1:43.956 last year, just over a tenth off the van Merksteijn Spyder.
One thing is for sure – the class is stuffed full of ambitious teams, and it is likely that the action in this class will be more relevant to the season ahead than that of LMP1. RML and Speedy Racing Team Sebah both bring their Lola B08/80 Coupés to the circuit for the first time, with the Wellingborough team hoping its Mazda power plant will have an advantage over the Judd engine used by its Surrey-based rivals.
RML have tested extensively already over the close-season, but Speedy Sebah have a year’s experience with the car and bring a number of significant updates to the field of play in 2009. Jacques Nicolet’s Saulnier Racing Pescarolo-Judd was highly competitive in 2008 and the switch to Mazda power and Dunlop rubber is intended to only enhance that competitiveness. Now known as Oak Racing, this team should continue to be a front-runner this season. The latest entry list shows that only one of the pair of full season entries will be present.
The Quifel-ASM Lola was exactly half a second off the Team Essex time last year and it’s fair to say that its expectations are markedly higher this year. Now fielding a Ginetta-Zytek 09S2, the team is already reportedly faster in testing than the 2008 Spyder.
Pegasus Racing may not be expecting to make headlines on its LMS debut with the Courage-Oreca LC75-AER, but the team comes to the series as VdeV victors and will not be there just to make up the numbers. They are welcome additions to the LMS grid and will be looking to put the disappointment of rejection for a Le Mans entry behind them.
GT1 – The Final Fling Just three representatives of the doomed class will be present this weekend (50% of the full entry), consisting of a Slovenian Saleen, a Russian Lamborghini and a French Corvette.
The cars are unlikely to throw up any surprises, but we should get to see whether the S7-R and Murcielago can carry the fight to the Corvette, or whether it will foretell an ALMS-like domination of the class by the Luc Alphand cars in the absence of DBR9 competition. GT2 – Lots Of New Faces A dozen cars for GT2 this year – the only category to see an increase in numbers over the 2008 test – and the class will be demanding a great deal of attention; both at the test and during the season. Rob Bell returns as two-time champ, but now with JMW Motorsport after the split from Virgo. Given that he will again have Gimmi Bruni alongside him in what is the winning car from last year, and be surrounded by a significant core of the winning team, he must again be rated as the one to beat.
And there are many challengers. Virgo is back of course with a brand new Ferrari, a new look backroom team and a trio of new drivers, Michael Vergers joining Sean and Michael McInerney. Team Modena completes a trio of British entered Prancing Horses, the team making the move from GT1. Their old warhorse DBR9 is now an office ornament, replaced by another 2009 spec 430 GT for new Corvette Racing man Antonio Garcia and young Leo Mansell, the son of ex F1 cult hero ‘Our Nige’ launching his motorsport career in a new direction for 2009 and beyond. Hankook – Team Farnbacher returns, Pierre Ehret’s car sporting its third different tyre make in less than a season’s racing with the welcome arrival of the Hankook brand to European ACO-rules racing. Class stalwarts JMB are back too with yet another Ferrari F430 GT. We await news of drive squads for the Monagasque equipe. Total newcomers to the LMS are Italian FIA GT occasionals Easyrace. Guess what they are running in GT2? Go on, Italian team, sportscar racers – yup you’ve guessed it – Michelotto must be rubbing their hands with glee! Drayson Racing arrives in the LMS with a surge of momentum carried over from an encouraging end to 2008 in the States and a wave of good news so far this year. The team’s Vantage GT2 is sure to be a significant presence right from the off.
IMSA Performance Matmut takes a brace of Porsche 997 GT3 RSRs to the test, with a third Porsche fielded by Team Felbermayr-Proton. The German team was the only one to consistently take the fight to Virgo in 2008 and finished as runner-up in the championship, Has the 2009 spec 997 got enough in the tank to do the same, or go one better, in 2009? Snoras Spyker Squadron returns with one of its popular C8 Laviolette GT2-R, a single car entry this year in LMS and at Le Mans too (with another on the reserve list), while Reiter Engineering debuts its Gallardo LP560. It would be nice to think that these cars can feature towards the front of the class in ’09.
Variety is, as they say the spice of life and that’s never truer than in endurance racing – 28 cars at the test and barely an identical car (apart from the GT2 Ferraris!) amongst them – It could prove to be a very interesting weekend’s action. We’ll bring it all to you here on DSC. MH/GG | 
